Clothing and Footwear in an Emergency Situation

In the event of an emergency, it is crucial to have a preparedness kit on hand. These kits should be assembled in advance and include clothing and footwear.

One of my biggest fears when it comes to any kind of emergency is not having good clothes or footwear on when needed. I worry about being involved in an incident being barefoot and only having shorts and a T-shirt on.

Clothing and footwear is important and something you need to think about when it comes to building your emergency kits. Especially in the circumstances you might find yourself in. In a cold climate with snow? Make sure you have the right items on hand to help you.

Main Aims of Clothing

The purpose of clothing is to keep you warm, to keep you dry and help protect your skin.

You can break down clothing into different parts.

Base Layers

These are items against your skin. They may be worn for long periods depending on the emergency you are facing.

These can be made of natural or synthetic materials. Each has their own features.

When it comes to base layer clothing options, there are a few factors to consider. Base layers are the foundation of any outdoor clothing system, providing insulation and moisture-wicking properties to keep you comfortable in various weather conditions.

A popular choice for base layers is merino wool. Merino base layers are known for their softness, breathability, and ability to regulate body temperature. They are great for both cold and warm weather as they keep you warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot.

Another common option for base layers is cotton. While cotton is a natural fiber that is soft and comfortable, it is not the best choice for outdoor activities as it absorbs moisture and takes a long time to dry, leaving you damp and prone to chills.

Alternatively, thermal clothing is a popular choice for base layers. Thermals are made from synthetic materials designed to provide warmth and moisture-wicking capabilities. They are often used in extreme cold weather conditions or high-intensity activities.

Overall, when choosing base layer clothing, it is important to consider the fabric’s ability to wick away moisture, regulate temperature, and provide insulation. Merino wool and thermal clothing are both excellent options that can keep you comfortable and protected during your outdoor adventures. 

Top Half Items

Layers are your friend when it comes to your top half. Being able to add you remove layers will allow you to be comfortable.  

Long sleeve T-Shirts can help keep you warm and protected. From the sun and maybe other airborne items like dust.

A light top layer would be the best thing to look at. There are a lot of performance fabrics out there that are lightweight, can keep you warm even if they get wet.

Bottom Half Items

You’ll probably want to go with some sort of pants. They will cover your legs and can offer protection from sun, dust and other things.

Don’t have jeans in your kit. They are heavy, they are hard to dry if they get wet and can weigh you down and keep you cold. Really not the best item for an emergency situation.

Lightweight shorts can also be good in some situation. Ones with the right fabric can dry fast.

Socks

As with most clothing there are a lot of options out there with different fabrics offering different features, from quick drying, increased wear protection or the ability to reduce odor.

The socks I usually have on hand are work / hiking socks. They are a little bit thick, don’t wear easily and are comfortable.

Shoes

These should be comfortable in case you need to walk long distance, supportive and fully cover your feet.

Do the need to be waterproof? I don’t think so. If they get wet, they get wet.

My go to type of shoe to have on hand is a hiking shoe. They are grippy, work well in different environments, cover your feet well and give you support. A trail shoe would also work well. These shoes are made to cope with a variety of walking surfaces.

But any enclosed shoe that is supportive will do.

As well as that, I also like having a pair of flip flops on hand as well. These are lightweight, don’t take up much room. But give my feet some protection underneath. Great if I have time to relax and take my normal shoes off. An alternative to these could be a clog type of shoe like Crocs.

Hats, Gloves, Scarves etc

You should know the standard weather conditions you may face in your location. 

When it comes to hats a woolen one can help keep your head warm during cold days and nights.

A baseball cap is useful to help keep some sun off of your face. I also find them useful if you wear glasses, they can help keep the rain off of your lenses.

Warm gloves could also be an option in cold areas. Helping your hands keep warm means you can use your hands more freely when needed.

A scarf can help with cold situations as well.

I like having a Buff on hand or something similar as well. They can be used in many different ways. To help with the cold, the sun, dust etc. It also doesn’t take up any space. 

The Reality of Sorting out Clothes for Emergency Kits

For a lot of people it’s a big investment having all of this clothing sitting around for an emergency. Not only in a monetary sense, just but also just in having items extra to what you already have on hand,

I heard of someone who has emergency kits for the family and on the front of each one they have a list of items they need to grab to complete their kit. This included grabbing the clothes.

I don’t know about you, but I sometimes have clothes in different places in the house. Some might be in my drawers, others might be in the wash, I might even have some in the car.

My point is, I think you need at least a basic amount of clothing set aside and in your emergency kit.

When it comes to the type of emergency kit, I will always try and have the clothes in my grab and go bag.

If things turn crazy fast and I need to leave my house I don’t want to, or have the time to try and find my clothes. There is a chance I won’t grab the right items, or won’t have enough.

As for other members of my family, well they take a long time to figure out what to wear on a daily basis, I’d hate to think how they would be in an emergency situation.

How many pieces of clothing do you need?

This comes down to what you are comfortable with and how much space they take up.

Lets remember this is for an emergency type situation, not for a holiday. If you have to wear the same clothes for a week, then that’s what you will do.

I try personally want to have on hand 3 days worth of clothing. It breaks down like this:

• The clothing I am wearing (I might count the clothes I have on already, or it might be clothes from the emergency kit, depends on the situation and what I am wearing)
• I’ll have a set that I can change into if I need to. If I get wet, or extremely dirty.
• The 3rd set allows me to try and clean and dry one set if needed

Source Your Clothes

Start with what you have on hand already. Is there anything you can put in an emergency kit and not worry about.

Next up, Make a list of items you still need to complete your emergency clothing.

If you are in a position you buy what you need, then go ahead and get the items. For others you might need to add items slowly when you can afford to.

Ask around and see if anyone has any items they are no longer using. Check online on Ebay or similar sites.

Thrift stores may offer items as well that could work for you at a reduced price.

I wouldn’t worry too much about the style or look. Go for functionality. In an emergency I’m not going to care how stylish I look, I just want to stay warm and dry when I can.

Upgrading and replacing clothing items

Over time you may need to change out some items. The main reason for this would be if you or someone has changed size over time.

For small children, they will grow up. Keeping ahead of that means you may need to upgrade their items multiple times until they stop growing.

For adults you may put on some more weight, or lose it. Make sure the clothes you have fit well.

If you’ve used your emergency kit items did they work for you? Did you damage any of them? This is a good time to replace any items you may need.

Conclusion for Emergency Clothing

Make sure you have items that will work for your location, yourself and at the end of the day can help you in an emergency situation.

There’s a lot of different items you could choose from. Start with items that fit your budget and that fit you.