An essential item in an emergency kit in winter

Last night's evacuation orders in parts of Hokkaido and eastern Tohoku are a reminder to us all to have our emergency kits in order. Moreover, that we need to be prepared for the season in hand. Right now, it is winter in Japan. If your last emergency kit check was in summer or autumn, you may need to make some adjustments for the winter season.

To that end, one of the key items in my emergency kit in winter is disposable "kairo". Kairo are a type of 'pocket warmer' which are widely available in Japan. They work by creating a chemical reaction when the outer packaging is opened that heats up the liquid or powder inside. They reach temperatures of about 50 degrees, and keep the heat for up to 20 hours. The ones with a sticky part, for sticking the kairo to your clothes, don't last quite as long, but you can get about 12 to 14 hours out of them. 

The kairo in the photo of this post are mini size, which are particularly convenient for an emergency kit, as even a pack of 20 doesn't take up much space. And you would need to have more than one when evacuating because you won't know how long you are going to have to stay away from your house. Do you have kairo in your emergency kit?