A reminder to check your emergency kit

March 1st is one of four Disaster Preparedness / Prevention Supply Inspection days annually in Japan. They each coincide with the first day of a new season. The main one is September 1st because it is also Disaster Prevention or Preparedness Day. However, each one of the four days is a good reminder to check your disaster preparedness / emergency kit. 

Things that you might to check for is the best before / use by dates on any food or drinks you have in the kit. Personally, if anything is going out of date within six months, I use it and replace it. Typically, I would have long shelf-life items, with a shelf life of at least three years. Another thing to check is batteries. Last thing you need in your kit is a torch with useless batteries! 

Also, some people may have seasonal items in their emergency kit. You might want a supply of hay fever and allergy medicine in your preparedness kit in spring. And for regions where there are extremes of weather, people may have items to take out of their kit. For example, there may not be as much need for a large stash of pocket warmers and heat packs in spring as there is in winter. And heavy blankets can be replaced with light ones. 

Do you update / check your emergency kit often? And do you use the change of the seasons as a benchmark for when to do it?