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As I sit here typing this post, I keep thinking about the timing of this article and how it could not be more perfect to post right now. Here’s why:

• Fire Season. Fires are all over right now and we are feeling it in LA for sure. Yesterday (09/10/20) the smog was the worst it has been in LA in 30 years. The city has this yellow / orange tint to it like the original instagram filter “sierra” and the sun is this weird pinky globe that you can actually look directly at due the pollution and smoke covering it up. We are talking zero sunlight and air purifiers on high.

• Preparedness Month. September is national preparedness month. It is a time that is recognized each year to promote family and community disaster planning. Disasters don’t wait and it is best to plan for them, so you are ready not if, but when they happen.

• LA Anniversary. We moved to Los Angeles a year ago (2019) at the end of this month. A month into our new adventure we had to evacuate due to the Getty fire. Talk about a “new member initiation" to our new state! Keep scrolling for more on this story.

“complete earthquake bag” (c/o) | Madewell Jeans (c/o) | Black T-shirt | Vince Warren Sneakers

We arrived in Los Angeles on September 27th, 2019. Come October, fires started occurring, but none super close to our home. Sure the fires blocked some of our road trips and we had to cancel them, but that is rather trivial. The weekend of October 25th, Nick and I celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary early by going apple picking and having dinner at Son of a Gun in West Los Angeles. The only reason we celebrated early is because Nick was supposed to go to a movie premier on our actual anniversary. While I was slightly annoyed at that decision, I’m actually grateful for it. If we hadn’t celebrated early, we wouldn’t have celebrated at all. At 2:00 am on October 28th, my phone notifications went off. This was odd because I sleep with do not disturb on, so that meant my phone overrode the message. The message I received said that there was a fire close by and to monitor the containment. I remember looking over at Nick and saying something along the lines of “is this a joke?” // “do we actually need to pack a bag and get the heck out of dodge?”

Nick is originally from California and though he has experienced natural disasters like earth quakes and fires before, he hadn’t experienced one as an adult yet. We were very lucky in the sense that we had time to think, pack up, grab our important belongings and leave. Also because we had just moved, I knew where things were like our marriage license, family heirlooms and things were. Needless to say, this isn’t always the case. Some natural disasters like earthquakes are not predictable and you have little to no time to leave. Even though we had about an hour to pack up and leave in regard to my experience last year, I was still pretty frazzled and was worried that I would forget something important. It might seem over the top and even scary, but prepping for emergency situations it is really important to do.

Last year after our big evacuation experience, we talked about how important it was to make a plan and discuss everything, but guess what? We haven’t done any of it (until now). I spoke with my dad about making a “go bag”, because he has one ready. Granted he has done tons of overnight hiking and outdoor activities, so he has a lot of the things that go in said “go bag” already. He literally has a spreadsheet with how much everything weighs and stuff like that! I definitely still use his list as a reference point, but when it came down to it, grabbing everything to make my own bag was time consuming, not to mention expensive. That’s why I’m really excited to introduce the company Redfora to you.

Redfora is an emergency kit company based out of San Francisco, CA. It was literally born after the founders experienced an earthquake. Earthquakes simply happen with out warning, so it made them want to be “ready for anything” which is where the name Redfora comes from. Though Redfora bags were made for earthquakes, it is a great investment for any natural disaster. For me its more earthquakes and fires, but for you it may be more tornados and hurricanes. Whatever it may be, I want to talk about how Redfora can help you be, well, ready for anything!

Why Redfora?

Personally I love when a product is born out of need. It is so practical and honestly just makes sense. Redfora was founded by two friends who wanted to not only make the world a better place, but safer place. They make it so easy to get educated and prepare, you have no reason not to. Here are some things I love about the company.

• Create + Customize. Redfora knows that everyone has different needs. For that reason, their earthquake bags are completely customizable. You can create a bag based on your exact specifications and add on where needed. I have the “complete earthquake bag” for 2 people, 3 days, and in a red backpack. You can make your bag for up to 6 people, 7 days, and 3 bag types. My bag is the middle tier, but they also have an entry level option called the “starter bag” and top tier which is the “20 year” bag. All 3 levels have the same options available, so you can do what is best for you and your budget! They also have add on kits like the car emergency kit, pet emergency kit (have you tried evacuating with pets?! It’s HARD) and office safety kit. They also have emergency supplies you can tack on too. One of their newest add-ons is their hand sanitizer kit! It includes 5 masks, hand sanitizer, surface cleaner wipes, and tissues. Great to keep in your car for on-the go use or along with your bag for emergency needs.

• Educates All. The beginning of preparedness is your “go bag”. While Redfora has you covered there, now the planning has only just begun. You need to have a checklist of sorts and create a standard operating procedure for you and your family. Guess what? Redfora has those lists and gives free curriculum so that you can prepare, even if you don’t decided to buy one of their bags. They understand the importance of it all and make it accessible to anyone. Learn about building your emergency kit here. Learn about creating your emergency plan here.

• Gives Back. This is probably my favorite part about Redfora! 1% of their proceeds go to helping those who have been affected by natural disasters. This year (2020) they have raised over $30,000 and have a goal of raising at least $70,00. To see who they donate to and such, click here.

Another reason I wanted to share Redfora with you this month is because they actually have a sale going on through the end of September! In honor of National Preparedness Month, Redfora is giving up to 35% off (prices as marked) to encourage everyone to prepare! My specific bag is 17% off. There’s no time like the present to get your plan in place and there’s no time to buy like during a sale! Just as a side note, don’t let fact that it is called an “earthquake bag” deter you from buying it. The idea was born after an earthquake, but Redfora’s bag is good for any natural disaster.

Want to see what’s in my bag and what makes it different from other tiers? Check out this YouTube Video!

RANDOM TIPS:

Sign up for Nixle. This gives you updates based on the location you tell it. When we evacuated for the fire, my phone got an alert. My husband’s phone never got an alert and neither did our close friends. If you sign up for Nixle alerts, you’ll be sure to get them for your area!

Buy a safe. Doesn’t have to be fancy! Just grab one like this one on Amazon. Keep your important documents here like social security cards, birth certificates, passports, marriage licenses, titles, etc. When you use them / remove them from the safe, always put it back so you know where your important items are. This makes it easy to grab all your important papers in one place. If you are really in a time crunch, you can just grab the safe and go.

Draft a list. What do you need to grab besides your Redfora bag and your safe documents? Think obviously family heirlooms and memory books, but also along the lines of small bills of cash, medications, a change of clothes, and more. Be as specific as you can, because when it occurs, your frazzled brain will thank you! Side note - you can already put cash and copies of ids / insurance, and more in your redfora bag, though some items may need to be grabbed in the event of an incident. Don’t forget to include your pet and its needs in this list! We keep these to-go litter boxes on hand for this very reason.

Make a plan. Make sure your roommates / partner/ kids all know their job and what to do in the event of an emergency! Do you have a meeting place? Where do you keep the redfora bag and your other “go bag” items? If you’re on the same page, everything should theoretically go as smooth as possible.

While I hope you don’t experience a natural disaster anytime soon, I do hope this is helpful!! We have quite a bit of fire season left and I know a hurricane is a-brewing down south. Stay safe y’all!!

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