72-Hour Kits

Being prepared is not all or nothing. Having something is a whole lot better than having nothing, especially in an emergency situation. The best way to start preparing is to start small and work your way up. First get your 72 hour kit ready, then your 3 month supply, then 6 months, and finally a year supply. Don't go in to debt to get it all done, buy what you can afford.

Start by going through your home and compiling a list of items that can be used for an emergency situation. Do you have flashlights? Spare blankets? Unused jackets? Shoes? An extra can opener? Or any other items that you have extras of that aren't being used.

If there is a disaster in your area, such as a earthquake, tornado, hurricane, or flood (depending on your climate) and you are cut off from your food and water supply, based on pass history it takes an average of 72 hours before emergency response can get to you. Having a 72-hour kit for every member of your household is absolutely essential.

Because I don't feel the need to re-invent the wheel, I've posted a link to a website that has a list of items that you should have in your 72-hour kits.



Here's a list of items you should be sure to include in your kit:
Feminine Needs
Hand Sanitizer
Wet Wipes (Bath in a Box)
Lip Balm
Prescription Medications
Can Opener (If you pack cans with a pop top lid, you won't need to pack one of these)
Compass
Small Radio
Gloves/Hand Warmers
Sewing Kit
Pliers
Poncho (Pack more than one, so you can cover things other than yourself)
Money
Maps
Garbage Bags
Water Purification Tablets
Extra Ammunition (If you carry a gun)
Light Sticks (They don't usually give off a large amount of light, but if you have a child who can't sleep without a night light these work perfectly for that purpose)

Important Documents to have in your 72-Hour Kit:
Legal-Birth Certificates, Marriage Certificate, Wills, Guardianship etc.
Medical Records-including immunization records, and prescription drug information.
Financial Records (Tax Returns, Bank Information etc.)
Insurance-Be sure to include your agents contact information, and policy numbers.
Misc-Fingerprints of your immediate family members, and recent pictures.

Once you have your kits assembled, make sure that everyone on your family knows where to find them. You also need to rotate out the items in your 72-hour kit. If you don't rotate them then what good are diapers going to do you when all of your kids have been potty trained? You want to rotate out the food as well, thus insuring that when you need to eat it that it's safe to eat. Rotate the clothing you have in your kit as well, how will shorts and t-shirts help you in the middle of December?

You should rotate your kits every 6 months, once in the fall, and once in the spring. In the fall stock it full of stuff that would be beneficial to you in the winter time, such as coats, extra hand warmers, packets of hot chocolate, gloves, etc. Then in the spring take out the winter stuff and add stuff that would be beneficial in the summer such as shorts, a light jacket, sunglasses, bandannas, etc.

Be sure to pack morale boosters, such as a copy of a favorite book, a toy car, doll, or even some candy. Packing all of these things will help you to survive a disaster, and to survive it in good fashion.