Prepping for Disasters as a Childless Adult

A lot of our preparedness content focuses on families — teaching kids about emergency readiness and including them in drills. Many resources assume you’re preparing with kids, parents, or partners in mind. But solo or house-sharing adults have unique challenges and advantages.

Hi! That’s me — a childless adult who lives on her own (well, with roommates) and far from the family that raised her. Just because I don’t have little ones to worry about during an emergency doesn’t mean I don’t need to prepare. I still have my pets and roommates to consider. And me, of course!

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My First Step: A Go Bag

Where I live, wildfires are extremely common — poor air quality from nearby fires is a frequent issue. All it would take is a shift in the wind to bring a wildfire straight to my doorstep. Yikes! Evacuation is a likely scenario. That’s why my first step in disaster preparedness is keeping a Go Bag in my car. It has all the standard essentials:

1. A first aid kit
2. Emergency food and water
3. A flashlight
4. Spare chargers
5. An emergency blanket
6. A hammock — in case I need to camp for a little while
7. A non-electric coffee maker (Even in an emergency, I need my caffeine fix. Some comforts are non-negotiable.)

Since I have pets, I’ve added a few extra items:

1. Collapsible food and water bowls
2. Kitty litter (which also works for oil spills and winter traction)
3. An aluminum baking dish as a makeshift litter box
4. Copies of my cat’s prescriptions

Oh, and because I’m an Aries, I also have a hatchet in case someone cuts me off in traffic. Just kidding! It’s strictly for chopping wood (or zombie self-defense… but mostly wood).

I keep my Go Bag in my car to maximize the time I have to grab my animals — and potentially my roommates’ animals — if an evacuation is necessary. Fortunately, I drive a larger vehicle, so I have plenty of space to transport everyone.

Seven Animals, Four Roommates, One Plan

Did I mention we have seven animals in this house? Between the four of us, there are:

1. My pets: Two cats and one gecko
2. My roommates’ pets: Three dogs and one cat

If my roommates aren’t home during an emergency, I might be on solo animal-wrangling duty for all seven of them. That’s why we keep pet carriers in easy-to-grab spots, and we’ve all made sure everyone knows where the carriers and leashes live. It’s a grab-and-go system with minimal chaos (in theory). We also have a shared folder with each pet’s feeding instructions and medical info, all backed up in the cloud — because nothing says “disaster ready” like digital access to your gecko’s calcium schedule. I’ve printed it out and put it in my Go Bag so I’ll have access even if there’s no cell service.

My pet carriers live under my bed. One of them is big enough for both of my cats and has a design that makes it easy to pop open and scoop them in without too much drama (usually).

For my gecko, I use a plastic cup with a removable lid with air holes — DIY reptile carrier, if you will. It fits right into her tank, so I can gently coax her in with my hand. Honestly, it’s way easier than those clunky reptile carriers. I’ve even practiced quick grabs — turns out, disaster drills are not just for humans.

When it comes to my roommates’ pets, I’ve only got to wrangle the extra cat into her carrier. The dogs? Bless them — they love car rides so much that all I have to do is open the car door and they practically load themselves. Easiest evac team ever.

Car Readiness: A Critical Factor

Since my evacuation plan heavily relies on my car, I always ensure:

1. My gas tank has enough fuel to drive at least 3-4 hours to a neighboring city that is (hopefully) not engulfed in flames.
2. My car is well-maintained — even though I work from home and rarely drive. A sitting vehicle still requires maintenance. In an emergency, the last thing I want is a breakdown.
3. I also keep a small roadside emergency kit in my trunk — jumper cables, tire inflator, flares, and a multi-tool. You don’t want to be stranded when everyone else is also evacuating.

Meeting Up After Separation

Since my roommates have their own families to think about in an emergency, we’ve all agreed on two designated meeting spots to regroup and transfer pets if needed — one in a neighboring city, and a backup in the opposite direction in case the first is compromised by wildfires. Even though my partner doesn’t live with me, I keep him in the loop on our plans so he can meet up with us if it comes to that — he has his own immediate family to consider, too!

I’ve always thought “family” is kind of a choose-your-own-adventure situation. These days, my partner is at the top of the list, with my roommates right behind. Honestly, some of their families feel like honorary relatives at this point. One of my roommate’s moms even brought us all Easter baskets — full-on chocolate bunnies and everything. She’s basically our communal mom now.

So it’s no surprise that I keep everyone’s contact information handy—we’ve all agreed to coordinate and, if necessary, regroup and live together temporarily. You can absolutely survive on your own, but having a small, trusted community can help you thrive. Everyone brings something different to the table — skills, supplies, emotional support. That said, I make sure my plan works both ways: whether I’m solo or with others, I’m prepared.

Final Thoughts

Just because you don’t have kids doesn’t mean you get a free pass on preparedness. Whether you’re looking out for pets, roommates, or just your fabulous solo self, having a plan in place makes a huge difference. Disasters don’t play favorites — earthquakes, hurricanes, floods — so tailor your prep to whatever Mother Nature likes to throw at your region. And don’t be afraid to make your plan weirdly specific (my gecko would like to personally thank me for getting into the details). If you haven’t already, build that Go Bag, prep for your particular quirks, and run a few practice drills. Future you will be so grateful.

About the Author

Jenn La Torraca

Jenn used to dream of vanlife, drawn to the freedom of living on the road with everything she needed in one place. That mindset naturally evolved into being prepared to evacuate at a moment’s notice — car packed, plans ready, and self-reliance always top of mind.