RV Emergency Kit Guide
TL;DR: RVers, especially those who enjoy boondocking, should prioritize having a comprehensive emergency kit for unforeseen situations. This blog provides a detailed list of essential items categorized into food and water, medical supplies, roadside equipment, weather gear, hygiene items, and miscellaneous items. Harvest Hosts offers a printable document for a personalized checklist to ensure preparedness. Even novice RVers can feel confident on the road with a well-prepared emergency kit, minimizing potential disasters.
RVing is an incredible experience, filled with opportunities to travel to new places, all from the comfort of your own vacation-home-on-wheels. Unfortunately, accidents can happen while traveling, on the road, or even at a campsite. This makes owning an emergency kit quite crucial, especially for those who like to boondock. Emergencies often strike when we least expect them, which is where an emergency kit or emergency supplies come in handy. All RVers, even weekend warriors, should carry the basics on them whenever they are traveling.
Most RVers carry have some of the basics listed below, but it's important to consider expanding to create a full emergency kit. This kit should be housed in a waterproof container and placed in an easily-accessible location, should something happen to your RV or tow vehicle. The two most popular storage locations seem to be either in an outside storage bay that can be locked or an indoor cabinet close to the door.
Basic emergency items include food, water, medical supplies, roadside items, weather gear, hygiene supplies, and much more. If you’re already feeling overwhelmed, never fear. Harvest Hosts has a helpful guide put together to outline basic emergency supplies and essentials. RVers don’t necessarily need to feel pressured to acquire every item on the list. Anything considered superfluous has an asterisk next to it, as these items are nice to have but are not entirely essential. We’ve also created this list in a printable document that can be edited to create your personalized list, complete with checkboxes. The document can be downloaded right here: Emergency Kit List.
Food and Water
When we talk about essentials, none are more vital other than food and water. It is best to keep a minimum of three days worth of both on hand for each person in your group or family. When choosing food options, foods must be non-perishable or have a very long shelf life. In addition, be sure to check your supplies frequently for their quality and expiration dates. It’s important to keep the ambient temperature of the products in mind if you plan to camp in an extreme conditions (over 90 degrees F or under 32 degrees F). This list includes:
- Canned food or military meals
- Meal bars with high caloric counts