FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Who is Survival NZ Ltd?
We are a family owned business concerned about the readiness of New Zealanders in the case of an emergency. We specialise in Emergency Survival Kits and have put together some kits that will help you to stay safe, informed and dry until you are rescued. Our kits focus on
surviving the moment, the items in the kit fit into a backpack that is easy to identify, and easy to carry with you to safety.
We are 100% New Zealand owned and operated.
What do you consider an Emergency?
Depending on where you are and what you do, an emergency could be as natural as a volcanic eruption, tsunami, storm, or earthquake. Less naturally, it could be a car crash in an isolated area, or a fire a long way from your neighbours, or a whole lot of other events that could leave you on your own for a number of days.
Our Emergency Survival Kits are designed to help you survive these emergencies, by supplying you with tools that will allow you to :
| | Through the use of... |
| Be Seen | torches, glow sticks and fires |
| Be Heard | sirens and whistles |
| Keep Warm | fires and emergency blankets |
| Keep Dry | rain poncho
|
| Keep Informed | a radio |
What are the chances of an Emergency taking place?
Hey, we all have our opinions on this one, and statistics may sway you towards believing the big one is coming. Ask any Wellington friends just how often they feel a tremor.
Unfortunately there is no straight answer, but we buy insurance for our family car even though we have never had a crash, and our house even though we have never claimed.
An Emergency Survival Kit is simply an insurance policy of sorts... what if 'it' does really happen? Or should we say 'when'...?
Where do the products come from?
The products in the Emergency Survival Kits are mainly from New Zealand and from China. All of our products have been tested by ourselves to ensure the highest possible standard and value. All the products that have been sourced overseas are fully CE compliant and are exported to many European countries.
We are not interested in 'cheap' products, survival depends on having good equipment available when you most need it.
Batteries not included?
If you have been in the same situation as we have, whenever you
REALLY need that torch, or radio, the batteries are dead, or nearing the end of their natural life. The components we have chosen for our kits try to do away with that limitation so we have choosen products that work by
generating the power as you need it. The torches and radios are powered by a dynamo mechanism, meaning that you crank a handle for anything between 30 seconds and a minute and you get the use of the appliance for a number of hours. Our tests here at home have shown that the torch will stay lit for well over 2 hours, although the manufacturer places a guarantee of only 30 minutes. Similarly with the radio, our tests have had the radio and lights on for multiple hours, significantly higher than what the manufacturer has claimed.
The added benefit of our torch, is that it can also be used as a charger for a phone or camera - this is an optional extra, but WOW, it is essential and very cool!
Why not provide food?
We thought long and hard about whether to provide food with our Emergency Survival Kits, and the main reason for not including food is that this is a true
emergency kit. The kits are designed to keep you safe, informed and dry for a number of days.
Most of us can survive a few days without food and this has been well proven all over the world, with people having been pulled from incredible situations, weakened, but alive. Food is also something that is very subject to tastes and also to medical tolerance.
We prefer to encourage people to keep a few cans of their favourite food either in the Emergency Survival Kit backpacks or at least nearby.
Civil Defence recommends that we keep three liters of water per person, per day, why not your kits?
We prefer to provide you with water purification, rather than water itself. We are a family of four and this recommendation would require that we keep an immense amount of stored water in case of an emergency (
36 litres which equals to 36 kilograms for a 72 hour period!), which would also make it very dfficult to become mobile if the need arises.
Water also goes cloudy after a period of time and Civil Defence recommends that you change the water at least once a year. This relies heavily on you remembering, doing it and recording the date for the next change over... a discipline I have not mastered.
The water purification tablets allow you to purify water as you need it and from virtually any source - including your cistern, streams, etc.
How many people does each Kit cater for?
Each of the comprehensive and essential Emergency Survival Kits can support a family of four or five comfortably, but the kits only contain
one of each item. For example, there is only one first aid kit and it can be used by more than one person - BUT there is only one set of masks, so if you wish for each family member to have their personalised items, such as masks, you will also need to purchase 'top up' kits for each member.
To ensure that you have the maximum flexibility possible, the items are also available individually, allowing you to purchase only the items that you see as truly necessary for each family member.
