Being prepared for disaster is second nature to Ky Furneaux.
The survival expert, TV host and stuntwoman from South Australia even wrote a book on the subject and admits she’s a ‘big nerd’ when it comes to these things.
Her approach to prepping for a major disaster in an Australian city is simple.
And it’s not about hoarding stuff in the basement.
Furneaux believes Aussies should focus on being able to leave their location if necessary – and carrying a few key items rather than lugging supplies around.
‘A good example of this is having a water filter or life straw rather than 20litres of water,’ Ms Furneaux told Daily Mail Australia.
‘That way you have access to almost 2,000 litres of clean drinking water with something as small and light as a chocolate bar.’
When disaster strikes, the first thing you need to do is get yourself out of danger.
Ky Furneaux (pictured) is a stuntwoman, TV host, survivalist and author from South Australia
Furneaux was the first Aussie to do the Discovery show Naked and Afraid, and lasted more than 100 days on the show without tapping out
In an urban setting this usually involves listening to warnings from the authorities, who might nominate a safe zone when you leave home.
Furneaux said water filters should be packed in a backpack called a ‘Bug Out Bag’ or ‘Go Bag,’ which covers the four basic needs of water, fire, shelter and food.
Other items in her survival kit include a vessel for drinking water, all weather lighters, emergency blankets, plastic ponchos, ration packs and a head lamp.
‘With a Go Bag already packed in an easy to access location, you can save precious minutes getting to safety,’ she explained.
Once those basic needs are covered, you can grab other last-minute items including identification documents, a will, insurance papers, hard drives and USBs.
In a disaster, you will have access to a lot more resources if you can stay at home.
But you should be prepared to lose electricity and running water.
‘People start to panic about charging their phones, when in reality they need to be thinking about the fact that water won’t get pumped into your house and the food in your fridge will quickly start to rot,’ Furneaux said.
Furneaux (pictured) suggests packing a ‘Bug Out Bag’ or ‘Go Bag,’ which covers the four basic needs of water, fire, shelter and food
Furneaux (pictured) said preparing for disaster enables you to focus on the good things in life
She recommends researching the history of natural disasters in your area and putting together an action plan with your loved ones.
But why prepare for the unthinkable?
Furneaux believes having a plan will help Aussies deal with the extreme stress of a disaster.
‘If you have a Go Bag and an emergency evacuation plan, it means that you are able to stay calm, think rationally and have a better chance of protecting your family and friends when the unexpected happens,’ she said.
‘People associate preparing for natural disasters with being scared or pessimistic when in reality it’s actually preventing fear and poor outcomes.
‘There is a saying: “prepare for the worst but expect the best”. When I am prepared, it actually enables me to focus on the good things in life knowing I can take care of myself should anything go wrong.
‘Unfortunately, it usually takes living through a natural disaster for people to become proactive about preparing for future ones and by then, it could be too late.’
When she isn’t preparing for the apocalypse, Furneaux is racking up an impressive list of film credits as a stunt double, stepping in for the likes of Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Garner.
She is currently working as a survival consultant for a new movie, although the project remains ‘top secret’ for now.
