Important Documents to Have in Your Emergency Kit

When it comes to important documents for an emergency kit, what should you have on hand? And what format should they be in?

I feel there is a balance between having just the right amount of information and not having too much. 

The great thing about a lot of the documents is that they either won’t take up too much space. Or you could have a digital copy of them.

Storing Important Documents in an Emergency Kit

Having good backups of vital information can help you a lot during an emergency.

Good backup principals state you have at least 3 copies of your information in 2 different mediums with at least 1 copy offsite.

Here’s how I have my important documents organised.

3 Copies

• 1 physical copy of all items. (They could be copies of the original) They are stored in a folder with most of them being laminated to help protect against any water or moisture.
• 1 copy on a USB flash drive with password protection
• 1 copy stored on a cloud based service.

2 Mediums

• Physical copies
• Digital copies

1 Copy Offsite

• This is covered with copies uploaded to the cloud service

Accessing the Digital Versions

Keep in mind how you can access digital copies of things. A USB stick is handy, but only if you have something to plug it into. Copies stored in a cloud based service are great, but only if there is power for devices and the internet is working.

An alternative method to help make sure you can access digital copes is to have downloaded copies to your mobile phone. Yes, you will need to make sure it has power, but it’s a very handy way to access information easily.

Keeping Your Documents Secure

If you can it pays to have these documents stored securely away in a safe if possible. With all printed materials inside a folder of some kind. The USB stick with the digital versions is also kept in this safe.

The reason it’s important to keep your documents secure is if someone steals your emergency kit. You don’t want them also trying to take your identity with the documents you have.

Get proficient in opening your safe in a quick, timely manner if you need to leave your location in a hurry.

Documents to Have On Hand in an Emergency

The types of documents you should have on hand for an emergency kit is:

• Identification documents
• Household documents
• Contact documents

Identification Documents

These are to prove who you and members of your family are. This can range from copies of birth certificates, driver’s licenses and passports.

Having items that have a photo on them can help you identify yourself if needed more easily.

I’d make sure you have copies of these documents on hand as well. Sighting the original and a copy could help speed up things when dealing with different organizations.

Household Documents

These can be insurance paperwork, rental agreements and anything else that could be related to your household. Think of any service that is assigned to your house.

Internet, power and gas etc.

Make sure you have documents that state both your name and your residential address.

Contact Documents

This is a document you will have to make, but it is important to have on hand. Especially if there are limited communications available.

Think about contact numbers and details for friends and family. Landlords, councils, service providers and anyone else you may need to contact in the future.

Think about doctors, medical locations and any other service that could provide you with help in an emergency. 

Services could be stretched, but know who to contact at a later stage will be helpful.

Don’t just rely on phone numbers. Make sure to note down email addresses, website addresses and physical or postal addresses. You never know how much strain will be put on services and how you may need to contact people.

What Have I Missed?

What other documents have I missed? Let me know by leaving a comment below.