All of our 72 hour kits have a photo luggage tag, which contains a photo of them.
Food & Water
I decided to only buy food that doesn't need to be cooked. These food bars are from beprepared.com. I also supplement these food bars with our "comfort" foods, such as beef jerky, granola bars & candy. I also let the kids eat these every 6 months when I rotate certain perishable items. If you do buy items that need to be cooked, don't forget the camp stove, Sterno, can opener, pans for cooking, plates, bowls, cups, spoon, knifes, forks, etc for these items!
For our water I decided to purchase Water Pouches from beprepared.com. They also sell Aqua Blox, which is water in a juice box like container. I chose the pouches because of the size issue. The disadvantage to pouches is that they might puncture easier (thus they are in a Ziploc) and they are a little harder to drink from. I also have some water purification tables (not pictured) just in case we need water for more than 72 hours.
Clothing/Shelter
- Emergency Sleeping Bag
- Emergency Blanket
- Poncho
- Hot Hands or Hotties
- I also have a full size sleeping bag (rated zero degrees) for all of us. These will NOT fit in our kits, but can slip over the handle and be pulled along with our backpacks & duffel bags.
- Socks
- Shoes
- Hats & Gloves
- PJ's
- Undergarments
- Diapers (if applicable)
I bought our 1st Aid kits premade from Wal-Mart. The small one (top picture) is in our children's backpacks, and the larger one and the Bite/Stink kit are in our kits. Some other things to add to this (if not already in your kit) might be:
- Surgical Masks
- Surgical Gloves
- Cough Drops
- Vitamins
- Medicine (Cold/Pain)
- Burn Gel & Dressing
- Antiseptic
- Inhalers or Prescription Medication (If you can't keep these in your kit, KNOW where they are so you can grab them quickly!)
Fuel, Heat & Lighting
- Fire Sticks
- Wind/Waterproof Matches
- Emergency Candles
- Flashlight
- Lightsticks
- Headlight
- Fire Starter
- Hand Crank Flashlight (I don't have one yet)
Personal Documents (not pictured)
- Immunization Records
- Birth Certificates
- Pictures
- Phone Number/Addresses
- Insurance Information (Life, Car, House)
- Family Emergency Plan
- CD's with Photos/Genealogy
- Marriage Certificate
- Social Security Numbers
- Emergency Contacts
- Family & Individual Photos
- Fingerprints
- Health Information
- Credit Card Information with Phone Numbers
- Cash in small bills
I bought these small bags at Wal-Mart and filled them with everything we might need for our personal care. For deodorant, shampoo, toothpaste, and other things that have an expiration date, I bought each persons favorite brand. That way, if there is no emergency we can still use it here at home before it expires. Then I don't feel like I am wasting things, since I don't need to throw them away when they expire.
- Germ X
- Flushable Wipes
- Chapstick
- Deodorant
- Toothpaste
- Shampoo
- Soap
- Sunscreen
- Washcloth
- Toothbrush
- Cotton Swabs
- Comb
- Kleenex
- Toilet Seat Covers
- Nail Brush
- Tweezers
- Finger Nail Clippers
- Compact Mirror
- Sewing Kit
- Aloe Vera
- Vaseline
- Feminine Products
- Mosquito Spray
- Camp Towel
- Toilet Paper (with roll removed)
- Duck Tape
- Handy Sacks (or trash bags)
- Rope
- Multipurpose Knife (Swiss Army, Leatherman, or Generic)
- Heavy Duty Scissors
- Survival Whistle (with compass)
- Umbrella (don't have yet)
- Maps (for neighboring states as well)
- Camp Ax (adult kit)
- Camp Shovel (adult kit)
- Hand Crank Radio (don't have yet)
- Work Gloves (don't have yet)
- Corded Phone
Entertainment Items
Here is the special little section I have in each kit. It contains:
- Small Notebook (in our favorite colors)
- Pen & Pencil
- Scriptures
- Card Game (type varies per person)
- Crayons/Coloring Book or other fun item
These are items that you probably can't store all the time in your 72 hour kit, and will have to grab at the last minute.
- Medications
- Cell Phones
- Chargers
- Special Blanket or Stuffed Animal that your child can't be without.
These are things that would be great to have near your 72 hour kit, but are too big to fit inside a backpack.
- Portable Toilet
- Porta Privy
- Family Size Tent (Such as one you use to go camping every summer)
- Camp Stove
- Sleeping Mats
What a GREAT post on 72 hour kits. The pictures help so much. I think that I could put this together now, thanks to your post, Lisa! Thanks!
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