Thursday, April 11, 2013

72 Hour Kit - The Ultimate List

The idea of preparing for anything and everything that could possibly go wrong is a daunting one.  Not to mention the thought of commiting money to a "what if" especially in today's economy.  Both are true for my husband and I, but after Hurricane Sandy we decided it was time to start.  After much talk, we decided that we'd start small and add as we go.  It seemed obvious to start with a 72 hour kit that we could use either at home or take with us, if we needed to leave.  As I started to read up on the different types of kits out there, I decided it would be easier to make our own rather than buying an already put together kit.  There were a few reasons for this: First, I have a food allergy and can only eat gluten free foods.  All the premade kits were equipped with food that I couldn't eat.  Secondly, we have two small children and the premade kits were too big for them to carry.  It just seemed easier to make our own kits, so I could customize them to each of us.  Plus, I could shop around for the best prices for each piece in the kit, which will help with the money issue.  So this is where my journey begins.  I started reading about the recommended items to put in a 72 hour kit.  You can find some great info from FEMA.gov and Ready.gov.  I took their lists and built on it and this is the list I came up with:

 
Always Prepared Mom’s Ultimate 72 Hour Survival Kit:

·         Water (Enough for 3 days)

  • Food
    • Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables
    • Canned juices, milk, soup (if powdered, store extra water)
    • Staples--sugar, salt, pepper
    • High energy foods--peanut butter, jelly, crackers, granola bars, trail mix
    • Vitamins
    • Foods for infants, elderly persons or persons with special dietary needs
    • Comfort/stress foods--cookies, hard candy, sweetened cereals, lollipops, instant coffee, tea bags
  • First aid supplies
    • Sterile adhesive bandages in assorted sizes
    • 2-inch sterile gauze pads (4-6)
    • 4-inch sterile gauze pads (4-6)
    • Hypoallergenic adhesive tape
    • Triangular bandages (3)
    • 2-inch sterile roller bandages (3 rolls)
    • 3-inch sterile roller bandages (3 rolls)
    • Scissors
    • Tweezers
    • Needle
    • Moistened towelettes
    • Antiseptic
    • Thermometer (preferably not digital)
    • Tongue blades (2) – tongue depressor?
    • Tube of petroleum jelly or other lubricant
    • Assorted sizes of safety pins
    • Cleansing agent/soap
    • Latex gloves (2 pair)
    • Sunscreen
    • Multi Vitamins (for kids and for adults)
    • Burn cream & dressing
    • Aloe Vera
    • Bite and sting kit???
  • Non-prescription drugs {Adult bags}
    • Aspirin and non-aspirin pain reliever
    • Anti-diarrhea medication
    • Antacid (for stomach upset)
    • Syrup of Ipecac (use to induce vomiting if advised by the Poison Control Center)
    • Laxative
    • Activated charcoal (use if advised by the Poison Control Center)
  • Clothing, bedding and sanitation supplies (If you live in a cold climate, you must think about warmth. It is possible that you will not have heat.) *Include at least one complete change of clothing and footwear per person.
    • Jacket or coat
    • Long pants
    • Long sleeve shirt
    • Socks – 4 pairs for each person
    • Sturdy shoes or work boots
    • Hat, gloves and scarf for cold weather
    • Hat with visor
    • Work gloves
    • Thermal underwear
    • Emergency sleeping bag
    • Emergency blanket
    • Poncho and umbrella
    • Hot hands (hand warmers)
    • Sunglasses
    • Full size sleeping bag for cold ???
    • Diapers ???
  • Sanitation
    • Toilet paper (remove roll, so it is more flexible to make thinner)
    • Soap, liquid detergent
    • Feminine supplies
    • Plastic garbage bags, ties or Handy Sacks (for personal sanitation uses)
    • Plastic bucket with tight lid
    • Disinfectant
    • Household chlorine bleach
    • Chap stick
    • Deodorant
    • Toothpaste
    • Shampoo and Conditioner
    • Hair brush/combs
    • Sunscreen
    • Washcloth
    • Toothbrush
    • Q Tips
    • Tissues
    • Tweezers
    • Finger nail clippers
    • Compact mirror
    • Mosquito spray
    • Camp towel
  • Tools
    • Mess kits (paper cups, plates and plastic utensils)
    • Emergency Preparedness Manual
    • Portable, battery-operated radio or television and extra batteries or crank radio
    • Flashlight and extra batteries (tape batteries together so ends don’t touch in bag) or crank flashlight
    • Cash or traveler's checks, change
    • Nonelectric can opener
    • Utility knife or multipurpose knife (Leatherman)
    • Ammunition
    • Fire extinguisher: small canister, ABC type
    • Tube tent
    • Pliers
    • Duct tape
    • Compass
    • Matches in a waterproof container
    • Magnesium fire starter
    • Emergency candles
    • Head light (flashlight on forehead band)
    • Light sticks
    • Aluminum foil
    • Plastic storage containers
    • Signal flare
    • Paper, pencil
    • Needles, thread (sewing kit)
    • Medicine dropper
    • Shut-off wrench, to turn off household gas and water
    • Whistle with compass
    • Plastic sheeting
    • Map of the area (for locating shelters)
    • Rope
    • Heavy duty scissors
    • Camp Ax
    • Camp shovel
    • Corded phone (can plug in to telephone interface box on the outside of any house)
    • Small folding stove or portable stove or canister stove ????
    • Folding potty
  • Special items
    • For Baby
      • Formula
      • Diapers
      • Bottles
      • Pacifiers
      • Powdered milk
      • Medications
    • For Adults
      • Heart and high blood pressure medication
      • Insulin
      • Prescription drugs
      • Denture needs
      • Contact lenses and supplies
      • Extra eye glasses
      • Hearing aid batteries
      • Inhalers
    • Important Family Documents (Keep these records in a waterproof, portable container.)
      • Will, insurance policies, contracts, deeds, stocks and bonds
      • Photo IDs, passports, social security cards, immunization records
      • Bank account numbers
      • Credit card account numbers and companies
      • Inventory of valuable household goods, important telephone numbers
      • Family records (birth, marriage, death certificates)
      • Photocopies of credit and identification cards
      • Small photo album
      • USB drive with photo backup
      • Bible
      • Family Emergency Plan
      • Emergency Contacts
    • Cash and coins.
    • Entertainment--games and books.
      • Small notebook
      • Pen, pencil, crayons
      • Deck of cards
      • Coloring book
      • Crossword puzzle book
      • Puzzle (take out of box and store in a pencil bag with cut out of picture from the box)
      • Bible
  • Large Items – these won’t fit in your 72 hour kit, but are handy to have close to your kit
    • Family size tent
    • Porta Privy
    • Full size sleeping bags
    • Camp stove
 
 

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