At first, I wanted to do a general ‘Hurricane Watch Toolkit’, however during my time in creating sketches, I decided to take the idea further and transform my toolkit into one that was Caribbean-specific. When I was thinking about hurricanes, the one that instantly came to mind was Hurricane Maria and the ruins it made out of Puerto Rico. Only 64 people died within the duration of the actual storm, but this death tole rose to about 5,000 in the year following the storm. The reason being a lack of proper support from the United States government. I thought “What if these people had the support they needed back then?” Puerto Rico became the guidelines for when I was designing the toolkit
My toolkit is designed for people living on islands in case of natural disaster. It has two external functions: the ability to be used as a wagon, and the ability to be carried like a backpack. Following the hurricane, many citizens of Puerto Rico were forced to travel long distances to restock on supplies such as food, water, and gas. The toolkit acts as a wagon primarily in the event that an individual either already has an empty gas tank in their car, or if an individual does not have a car to make these trips for survival. Second, Puerto Rico’s terrain is full of slopes and mountains. Sometimes the wagon is not the best option for certain trips. The function of becoming a backpack is present to accommodate a trip for supplies that would involve hiking these said slopes (and, once again, if the individual does not have access to a motor vehicle).
The toolkit carries the essentials, like water. It can hold up to 8 16oz bottles of water, and comes with an empty 20oz bottle for any needed liquid. There is a small metal bucket in the event that it rains. In Puerto Rico, like most areas located in Latin America, showers happen quite frequently, so having a bucket to pick up quick water helps. For canned food, it will be able to hold a considerable amount of cans, and even has a can opener and bottle opener. perhaps it gets dark and the individual is not back from a trip? the toolkit holds matches for torches, and has a flashlight + batteries. If trips take longer than a day, the individual that lacks access to a motor vehicle has access to a napsack and a map of the island. Lastly, the most essential tool of them all in this kit is a first-aid kit, for self-explanatory reasons.
The materials to make the kit will most likely be made of the wheels and two backpack straps. 2 metal rods will be required to hold the wheels together from the inside. The base will be made of sturdy, metal sheets. Hinges will also be required to connect the top of the base with the larger portion. The wagon aspect will require a handle. Any handle will suffice, however a retractable one will be best, as the whole point of this toolkit is to be as mobile and compact as possible.
Creating this toolkit will definitely be challenging, as the materials to craft it are likely to be expensive. However, given the current situation of Puerto Rico and areas around the world just like it, it will be a necessary kit for survival and sustainability. After seeing the current president’s response to the crisis in Puerto Rico, I was inspired to take matters into my own hands. It is now evident that the people of the island have no choice but to rely on themselves.
