Hi and welcome to South Beach Supply! I am Kendra, owner and founder. My family and I were looking to start a business and came up with the idea to combine the outdoor recreation lifestyle we enjoy and our mission to prepare ourselves and our friends in case of an emergency. Our products overlap both uses. In shopping over the years for quality products to outfit our household emergency supplies, it became clear that it makes sense to use these products in daily life and on outdoor adventures. Why wait for an emergency we hope never arrives? Why buy inferior products because they would stay in storage?
Emergency Supplies- Just in Case
(Record Scratch, I guess you’re wondering how we got here.)
On an early morning in March 2011, our little family was sleeping in our home just off the beach, our favorite place to spend time. We were woken by a friend’s phone call alerting us that there had been a big earthquake off the coast of Japan and a tsunami was possible. We were awake, but what should we do? We packed up our infant daughter and drove farther inland, ending up at a big box store, one of the only things open in the next biggest town. We wandered the aisles and started loading our cart with bottled water, instant foods, tools, and other supplies we could keep on hand if we were ever caught in an emergency. While the Tsunami devastated Japan, we were luckier on the Washington Coast and it only resulted in a modestly higher wave than usual along our beaches. While we were safe, following the news of the aftermath in Japan just hit home that we should continue to prepare ourselves and learn. We took classes in emergency planning and how to help ourselves and our neighbors in a disaster. We started volunteering as citizens in our local emergency management group. We continue to help in our community and plan for our family’s safety in the event of an emergency.
Outdoor Adventures- Just for Fun
But wait, some of the items we bought to outfit our family for emergencies are also camping, hiking, outdoor gear. Why not use the stuff now? The power bank that could run important electronics in an accident can also power a projector and movie screen for watching a summer horror movie outside. The emergency raft so small it would fit in your go bag could also be used for a weekend of fishing in the river down the road. An outfitted tote with camping gear is also a bug-out bag. Using the supplies for everyday use also means we can be more familiar with how to use them and be assured that they are in good working order, charged, etc.
Check out our products and return to this blog space for educational posts. Thank you for visiting!
Kendra Uhler, South Beach Supply
Westport, WA