READ IT OUT LOUD!
The most important part of your gear is water filtration!
If you don’t have good water filtration you can get sick within hours of your arrival. If you are a first responder you will not find the Red Cross, FEMA or the alike distributing bottles of water. You will have to bring your own and likely it will soon run out, many times not because you did not bring enough, but the idiots that brought none and you don’t want them to die.
Do not think that a river’s running water is clean just because its running. There can be several animals dead and rotting a mile up serving bacteria down that stream of water, and this is just one example. PLEASE carry a water filtration system so you don’t become a victim.
OK that had to be harsh to get it in your brain.
I personally like the Sawyer brand of filtration products. You can buy them individually, in kits, and they will fit most bottles. I personally use the folding water bottles because they are light, both Sawyer and Survival Filter have them, if another brand just make sure they are BPA free. Survival Filter also makes a great filtration system, I am just partial to Sawyer because when I get back home I can open it, turn it around and wash the filter.
Another note on the bottles. I usually have 2 of them hanging on my backpack, but also may carry up to 10 more in case I need to distribute them or I loose one, yes it has happened. They take very little place and weight almost nothing.
