72 Hour Kit - Helpful Tips

Here are some helpful tips for 72 hour kits. A lot of this information (and more) is found at Equipped to Survive. Kira also has some wonderful 72 hour kit information on the Greenway Self-Reliant Sisters Blog.

Flashlights

• When purchasing flashlights LED lights are the best. If you use incandescent lights, make sure you have spare bulbs. LED lights have the advantage of not needing the spare bulb.

Batteries

• Never use so-called "heavy duty" batteries. These are old-fashioned carbon-zinc batteries that have a very short shelf life and run down quickly. Alkaline batteries have a decent shelf life about five years. Lithium batteries are even better, they typically have a ten year shelf life, work better than alkaline in the cold and also weight about half less. But, lithium is usually found only in AA and AAA sizes.

Cash

• Have small bill on hand for cash. People won't have change in an emergency & the ATM's will run out quickly too.

Perishable Items

• Keep a list of all the items in your 72 hour kit and when they expire. This will make it a lot easier to rotate them.
• I bought shampoo, deodorant & toothpaste in the brands that my family uses. Before the expiration date, I pull them out and give it to the kids. They think it's fun to use travel size items for a few days.

Documents

• Have copies of your important information - Birth & Marriage Certificates, Social Security Numbers, Credit Card Information, Immunization Records, Insurance Policies, etc.
• Laminate or keep these in a Zip-loc bag.
• Have photos of each family member and a group family picture
• Consider backing up your pictures & genealogy onto a CD/DVD or a Portable Hard Drive.

Any other tips? Just leave a comment :)