How to Survive a Disaster

1. Water. You can only survive about 3 or 4 days without it, so water is a must. It won't matter how much food you have if you don't have water.
2. Food. You might be able to survive close to 3 weeks without food, but who wants to try that. At some point you have to have food to survive.
3. Protection from inclement weather. You can have plenty of food and water, but if you are caught out in a freezing rain, or a blizzard, without the right type of clothes, you might die of hypothermia, and the food and water won't help much then.

These are the bare minimum items. You will also need other items to make survival easier.

If you are serious about being prepared, you should have two separate plans. One plan for staying in your home during a disaster. And one for if you have to evacuate.
Evacuation requires that you carry your survival kit, or supplies with you. You may not have time to pack things during and emergency, so everything you need should be packed well ahead of time, and placed where everyone in the family knows the location.

On FEMA's Ready.gov website, they suggest the following items for 3 day survival.

Water...They recommend 1 gallon of water per person, per day.
Food...No-perishable food.
Radio...Battery Powered, or hand crank
Flashlight...Include extra batteries
First Aid Kit
Whistle...To signal for help.
Dust mask...For contaminated air, with plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place.
Moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties for personal sanitation.
Tools to turn off utilities.
Can opener...For canned food.
Maps for your local area.
Cell phone with charger.

On their website, they also have additional items you should consider. They have a printable list of all items.

There are other important items you should have ready for your 3 day survival kit.
Prescription medication. Some people can be in serious trouble without their medication, so you can't go off and leave it.
If you have a pet, they will also need food and water. Planning ahead for pets, is very important, because if you have to evacuate, some shelters do not accept pets.
A change of clothing for each person.
Blankets, or sleeping bags.
Matches, in plastic container.
Toys, or games for children in the family.
Cash, just in case you need it.
You may also want to have important documents and papers handy, in case of evacuation. Image All Poster.com

These are complete 3 day survival kits, for people who don't want to try to assemble everything themselves. If you decide to go with a ready made survival kit, go through it, to see if you need to add a few items.
The advantage of a ready made kit, is that they also come with the pack to carry your supplies in.

There is a website, called Go Pet Friendly.com, that helps with finding Hotels, Motels, Campgrounds, and other places that allow pets.
The Ready.gov website also has a Pet Preparedness Toolkit, with more helpful information.

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If you are going to survive more than 3 days, a shelter-in-place plan will look a lot different than a long term evacuation plan. To shelter-in-place, it is just a matter of storing enough supplies to last the desired period of time you want to survive.
One thing to consider, if you actually have to use survival supplies for a long period.....Most other people will not be prepared, and some of those people may want to take your supplies. How you keep them from doing that, is up to you, but in a worst case scenario, things could get pretty bad. (Sorry, didn't mean to get all gloom and doom) Soup Can Image

If you are forced to leave your home, but still want to plan for a long term survival, you will need other items not listed above.
I have backpacked in the mountains on two different occasions, for a full week. An important thing to consider when packing a long term survival pack, is weight. Prioritize...pack the must have items first, and then see how much weight there is, and then start packing other items that you want to make survival easier. Buy the best backpack you can afford...a cheap one will become uncomfortable very quickly.
Realistically, you can only carry enough food and supplies for a week or two. After that, it will be hard core survival. You will be forced to find water to drink, and food to eat, and make your own shelter, or carry it.

Basic survival items, shown below, should be carried in a fanny pack that is worn at all times. Each person in the group should carry the following items in their fanny pack.

Having a way to start a fire is very important to survival. You need fire to stay warm, fire to boil your water with, and fire to cook your food with. Each person should carry a fire starter, and know how to use it.
Gerber 31-000699 Bear Grylls Survival Series Fire Starter
Swedish Firesteel - Army Model, Black Handle (See all

A knife is something that has multiple uses. It can be used to build a shelter, for light digging, to prepare food, and also for self defense. Many survival knives on the market also include other survival items.

United Cutlery Bush Master Survival Knife (See all Hunting Knives)
Black Survival Kit Knife (See all Fixed Blade Camping Knives)

I have experience with how important a compass is. On my first trip into the mountains, I got a little over confident, and got disoriented. I had been using my compass, but still wasn't quite sure where I was, because it was my first time in the area. Luckily, I wasn't very far from where I was trying to go, but I just didn't recognize any landmarks. If I had not been using my compass, I could have gotten hopelessly lost.
I was with a group, and we had worked out a plan ahead of time, as to what to do if one person didn't show up in camp by a certain time. We all knew the general direction the others were going, so when I didn't show up in camp, they came looking. It gave me a chance to try out my survival whistle.
This little story shows the importance of advance planning. We planned ahead, by asking one of those "What If" questions. With a plan, we turned a possible emergency, into a minor embarrassment.

A compass is also a must. If you are in unfamiliar territory, it is very easy to get turned around, or disoriented, especially in cloudy weather, when the sun can't be used as a directional reference.
SE Lensatic Compass (See all Camping Compasses)
Brunton Lensatic Military Style Sighting Compass (See all Camping Compasses)

If you get caught far away from camp, in a cold rain, hypothermia can set in very fast. A rain poncho may save your life in a situation like that.

Eddie Bauer EB40032 Adult Waterproof Rain Poncho - Estate Blue
Pack of 4 Emergency Rain Poncho for Disaster preparedness kit, survival kit, rain gear, (See all Camping First Aid & Safety Equipment)

A emergency thermal blanket can be used to retain body heat, if you get caught out in the cold all night without shelter.

EMERGENCY/SURVIVAL BLANKET (See all Camping First Aid & Safety Equipment)
Emergency Thermal Blankets (4 Pack) (See all Emergency Camping Blankets)

Something as simple as an infected cut, can kill a person who doesn't have access to professional medical care, so a first aid kit is also important.

First Aid Only Outdoor First Aid Kit, Soft Case, 205-Piece Kit (See all First Aid Kits)
Coleman Medium First Aid Kit (See all Camping First Aid & Safety Equipment)

A survival whistle is used when you need help, or are lost. The sound carries farther than shouting, and it doesn't take as much effort. Each person should carry one in their fanny pack.

SE 7-in-1 Survival Whistle
5 in 1 Survival Whistle, Emergency Zone® Brand (See all Camping First Aid & Safety Equipment)

Fanny packs, are small packs you wear around your waste. They are just large enough to carry your basic survival equipment. If you are surviving as a group, every person should have one.
Everest Fanny Pack W/cell Phone Holder. (See all Hiking Fanny Packs)
Extreme Pak Invisible Pattern Camo Water Repellent Waist Bag

A tent will add considerable weight to your gear, but in the long run, I believe it is worth it. Building your own shelter is a skill that should be learned, but sometimes it can be challenging to find the right materials in the wild, on short notice.
If you plan to survive as part of a group, heavier items like tents can be split up according to weight, to even out the load.

Coleman Hooligan 2 Backpacking Tent

Kelty Salida 2 Backpacking 2 Person Tent

There are two things I look for in a Backpack...a frame, and shoulder straps that will not dig in when the pack is fully loaded. When you first start out, your backpack will be pretty crowded, but as you consume your initial food supply, it will free up more room.
Teton Sports Scout 3400 Internal Frame Backpack
Teton Sports 5200 Internal Frame Backpack

When you are talking about long term survival, your food will eventually run out, if things don't get better first. At that point, you will have to find your own food.
What you will be able to find to eat, will probably depend on what time of the year it is, and what part of the country you are in. During spring, through late summer, and early fall, there are many plants that are edible. As a boy, I used to spend time at my grandparents farm every summer, and on their farm, there were wild raspberries, wild blackberries, wild grapes, and some edible plants. Before you eat any plant, it is important to know what you are doing, because some plants a poisonous. Also, some plants that are edible, have poisonous look-alikes. Rather than take chances, education is the key.

If it is winter time, you will probably have to try to find a way to trap or kill small animals or birds.
One way to catch small animals, is with a snare. I would normally never suggest snares, because I think it causes unnecessary stress and pain to the animal, but in a survival situation, you are talking about eating, or not eating.

Below is a video that shows how to set a snare to catch a rabbit.