72-hour emergency kits Tips
Read these 29 72-hour emergency kits Tips tips to make your life smarter, better, faster and wiser. Each tip is approved by our Editors and created by expert writers so great we call them Gurus. LifeTips is the place to go when you need to know about Emergency tips and hundreds of other topics.
Identification
Copies of drivers license, personal, school or work ID cards that have a photo on and name.
Family photo with names of family on back (or if single, a personal photo)
Address book with the names of family or relatives highlighted
Medical alert information as well as medication your are taking
Batteries
If you have items such as flashlights, transistor radios, walkmans, Gameboys, cell-phones, etc. be sure that the batteries are fresh and that you having back-ups. Rotate the batteries and change them frequently for maximum wear. Don't forget the laptop batteries.
A fresh battery may save your life!
Extra Items for Young Children
coloring book
puzzle book
crayons
Walkman with favorite tape
Gameboy with games
Stuffed animal (small)
I wrapped all these items like gifts and even bought new books, crayons and such. By doing this, the children will look forward to each day or item like it is something special. This helps in alleviating stress and helps them to focus on other than the disaster at hand.
Fire
Be sure to include a few butane cigarette lighters in your packs. Matches are fine if they are waterproofed, but a lighter can be used to light fires, as a signal and a light source in a pinch.
(You can waterproof matches by dipping the head of wooden matches in melted wax to cover the sulfur tip)
Backpacks
I have found backpacks work the best and are the most comfortable to carry for small children and seniors as well.
Backpacks come in many different styles and colors to chose from. Make sure that the straps fit the shoulders comfortably and that the person who is to carry it will be able to do so when fully packed. Make sure that the backpack is also waterproof so that the contents will stay dry and will not become mildewed and damp. You do not need this when you are counting on the contents for survival.
I have found it is wise to choose one bright color for the whole family as it helps you keep tabs on the whole family if you are looking for a certain color of backpack in a crowd. I also find that a backpack with a number of pockets helps in organizing what is packed inside.
Be sure that you can mark on the outside of the backpack with a permanent waterproof marker. I have the family name written on the outside of all members of our group for easy identifying in case we get separated.
Attic Preparation
If you choose to store in the attic, begin by making your attic more accessible and user-friendly.
Install a drop-down ladder that even the smallest member of the family can gain access to and show all in the family how to use it.
Insulate the area that is to be used for storage.
Install shelves and secure to prevent tippage.
You may want to install a fan that will help to pull hot air out of the attic. This will also help in cooling your home.
Other Essentials
Flashlight with batteries
Whistle (to blow in case of separation) put the whistle on cord to be worn around the neck.
Solar blanket
Personal toiletries (stores carry travel sizes and these work good for these kits)
Notebook and pen or pencil
Cigarette lighter
Three-day supply of any and all medication
Food Purchasing
A good rule to follow when packing your food rations, is to purchase items in sizes that fit the situation. If you are packing a single kit, purchase food items in individual sizes. If you are packing a single container for a family of six, large economy packages are the best value and limit the amount of trash you have to dispose of. One rule is to only purchase an item that will be eaten in one sitting and not leave leftovers that will require refrigeration. If the electricity is out and you do not have a cooler, keeping food cold will be impossible. This can lead to food poisoning due to spoilage. You may have an additinal problem heating water for soups, coffee and tea.
Water can be purchased in pre-bottled, sealed containers and will keep for a long time. A good rule of thumb when purchasing water is two liters of water per day per person. If you need to reconstitute foods, additional water is going to be needed. Soda pop is not a good item for this kind of pack. The cans are bulky ,take more room to pack and the contents are under pressure and can explode. Nothing could be worse that having a sticky, wet and stained kit due to an exploding soda can or bottle. Besides,drinking soda will not slack your thirst as well as fruit juice or water. The small packets of fruit drinks with their own straws are a great item to add to your kit. Small cans of fruit, in individual cans, would be a great item because you can drink the liquid and eat the fruit. This is a great source of energy.
You may wish use health food energy bars, loaded with vitamins and minerals, in place of or in addition to granola bars. These are great for relieving stress and satisfying hunger.
If you drink coffee or tea, you may wish to include tea bags, instant tea or coffee. Just remember, hot water may not be available.
Another item you may want to include would be a good one-a-day multiple vitamin tablet. This would insure your proper intake of vitamins and minerals needed to maintain your body in good health.
Extra items for my kit
Some other miscellaneous items that may be very useful are:
* light sticks
* small flashlight
* extra batteries
* pocket handwarmer
* compact fishing kit
* compass
* pocketknife
* 50 ft. nylon cord
* plastic poncho
* plastic garbage bags (can be used as rain poncho,
toilet, ground sheet to sit on.)
* small pocket notebook,paper or cards
* pencil or pen
* fine wire
* ziplock bags
* pocketbook
* map
* spare glasses, sun glasses
* money (small bills and change)
* collapsible binoculars
* toothbrush and paste
* metal mirror (good for signaling, too.)
* comb
* razor
* pre-moistened towelettes
* toilet paper
* feminine products
* soap
* a couple of bandanas (can be used as hat, washcloth,
mask, sling, tourniquet.)
* lip balm with sunscreen
* identification card/ medical permission slips
* portable radio with batteries
You can pick and choose from this list or pack the whole thing. You may even have items that are not here that you would want to have with you. Just remember...you are packing for survival not a holiday at the Hilton.
Think Ahead
When packing a 72-hour emergency kit, first think who will be carrying this kit. A small child will not be able to carry a large, bulky, over-sized suitcase. Plastic bags do not hold as much, are weak in strength, the handles break and will not protect your kit from the elements. Paper bags rip, a hard case has limitations as to trunk space and carrying ease.
Infant kits
When assembling items for your kit, be sure to include all necessary items for infants. It would be a good idea to include a separate back pack or other container that holds nothing but infant supplies (which can be surprisingly voluminous).
This kit should be kept with the kits of other family members so that it will not be forgotten in a moment of haste. As the baby grows, replace clothing and diapers with those that will fit or in a size larger than the baby wears now. Keep this in mind with food and toys as well.
Records to have in the kit
You should include vital family information. These should be photocopied and kept in two places. One is that the originals should be kept in a fire-proof, get-away box in a safe place in your home or a safety deposit box at your bank. The other set should be kept with your emergency kit in a waterproof bag. This is a safeguard in case of loss of wallet or home.
The following items would be useful for you to record and keep in these two locations:
* Full name and social security numbers of the entire
family
* Birth certificates, diplomas, death certificates
* listings of vehicles, boats, motorhomes with ID
and license numbers
* listing of all credit card numbers and expiration
dates, bank account numbers (both checking and
savings, cd accounts)
* insurance policy numbers, securites, deeds, and loan
numbers showing name address and phone numbers
* name, addrress and telephone numbers for the each of
the following:
employer
schools
fire/paramedics/police/civil defense
family contacts
utility companies
doctors/hospitals
attorney
location of important documents (safety deposit box)
insurance companies
loan companies
mortgage company
* wills
* safe-deposit box key
* licenses (driver, work, etc.)
* citizenship papers
* letters of instruction
* tax returns for last five years
* any business licences, special permits
You may wish to have a family photo or individual photss included with family information on back. You may also want to have photos of the inside and outside of your home, autos or other motor vehicles for insurance purposes.
Basement or Cellar Preparation
In tornado-prone areas, the southwest corner of the basement is generally the safest place to store items as well as a good place for the family.
Make sure that the stairs or ladder into the cellar or basement are in good repair and that the lighting is adequate to avoid accidents. Keep a flashlight on a hook just outside the entrance in case the power goes out.
Avoid storage areas near steam pipes, radiators, or furnaces.
Keep a thermometer and humidity indicator in the storage area to monitor these factors.
Keep a pencil and small tablet handy so you can write down those items you remove for usage. This way, you have an accurate list of items used so that you can replace them.
3 days of food into a half-gallon milk carton
How do you get food rations for three days into a half-gallon milk carton? Below is a list of what you will need.
One empty, clean half-gallon milk carton
One plastic spoon
One cup with a lid for drinking and for soups
3 hot cocoa packets
3 cereal bars
3 beef jerky strips
3 packets apple cider mix
2 fruit roll-ups
2 granola bars
2 individual packets saltine crackers
1 fruit drink packet with straw
1 can pork and beans with pop-top
4 dry soup packets
15 pieces hard candy
Two liters of water
The foods listed here are just enough for maintaining your body for three days. You can modify this list to fit your own personal tastes. Just remember to choose foods than will keep well for long periods of time. Foods that do not require re-hydrating should be utmost on your list. When making your substitutions, pick foods high in caloric content, protein, and energy. Small individual serving-sizes, like those packed in everyday lunches, work the best. Also, canned fruits are high in water or juice content which can be used as a liquid for drinking.
This list will work well for the majority of people. It will give your body what it will need for those first few days of chaos while maintaining a high level of energy.
Alternate containers
Other than using individual backpacks, many families have used the following to pack their 72-hour emergency kits:
Large travel cases on wheels
32-gallon or larger trashcans (These should be made of plastic with a tight fitting lid. One adult should be able to lift it alone.)
Plastic buckets with wire bales (Problems with buckets are that they cannot be closed. The wire bale is uncomfortabe to carry. These can double for a portable toilet.)
Duffle bags
Footlockers (Again, watch the size and weight.)
Clothes hampers lined with heavy-duty plastic bags
Make sure that these containers will keep out dampness. They should be easy to lift and carry, as well as take a lot of abuse.
Rotate Your Stored Food Items
When choosing a place for your storage, keep this in mind.
You are encouraged to use you stored items on a daily basis for proper rotation and optimum condition of the items you have stored. What good does it do for you to have all that you need and never use it so that it spoils and becomes unusable? When you use your stored supplies, you replace what you used and this keeps the items fresh and in good working order.
Your 72-hour checklist/First-aid
Suggested first-aid supplies for your 72-hour kit:
* good first-aid book
* waterproof container for kit
* assortment of band-aids
* gauze pads
* butterfly bandages
* cotton balls
* small roll of gauze
* adhesive tape
* cotton swabs
* safety pins
* Pepto-bismol tablets
* antacid tablets (good for bee sting)
* cold pack
* hydrogen peroxide
* alcohol (disinfects)
* smelling salts
* medicine dropper
* tweezers
* alcohol wipes
* Benadryl capsules
* aspirin (promotes the healing of burns,helps during
heart attack)
* Tylenol(chewable for children)
* collaspsible scissors
* thermometer
* crushable heat paks
* small tube of antiseptic cream (such as Neosporin)
* deep heating rub
* calamine
* suncreen or something for sunburn
* small spool thread and at least two needles (Used for
sutures. Fine fishing line works well, too.)
* precription medication or equipment
Make sure all items are non breakable and compact.
Cellars or Basements
Cellars or basements are a good place to store your items. They are cool, accessible, and dark.
The problems are as follows:
Cellars or basements have a tendency to be damp which can cause mildew, rust and sweating.
Some cellars or basements are cold enough in the winter to freeze causing food containers to explode and some food items to lose their nutritional properties.
Cellars and basements can flood.
My at-work-mini-kit
You can use this list or make one of your own. Customize the kit to fit your needs at work. Just remember....You are packing for survival not a weekend at the Hilton.
* small flashlight w/batteries
* small first-aid kit
* high energy bars
* bottled water
* chewing gum
* a 72-hour milk carton food kit (see tip in this
category)
* small transistor radio w/extra batteries
* something to pass the time
* small bills and change for vending machines if the
power is still on
* address book with family, friends and neighbors
phone numbers
* medication, spare glasses
* cell phone with charged battery (most people have
them these days and they do come in handy)
I know of one person who has to dress up to go to work. She wears high heels and dresses most of the time. This woman not only has a mini-kit at work and in her car, she keeps a jogging suit (with long sweatpants, heavy socks, tee shirt, long sleeved sweatshirt), athletic shoes and gloves and of all things, a hard hat, in her locker at work. Her thinking is that if she is trapped at work during an earthquake, she would do well to have these items to change into if she had to make her way out of the building. These clothing items, gloves and hard hat would protect her legs, arms, hands and head from debris and broken glass better than stockings and dresses. Why does she think this? She was trapped inside her office once before from an earthquake and to pass the time made a list of what she wanted to have the most. Those items are included in my list above.
Where to store
Now that you have lists of things you need for storage, the question of where to store comes into mind.
First, think about how much you will have to store. How large the family, access to stored items, heat, humidity, etc.
Choosing a place for your stored items also depends on what kind of disasters you have in your area, rodent control, safety, methods of storing the items, (i.e. canned, frozen, dried, bulk).
Entertainment Items for Adults
Books
Deck of cards (for solitaire or other games)
Walkman with tapes
Some form of handiwork (I am an avid needle worker and have a small three-day project in my pack
Puzzle, crossword or other game books
Closets
Closets are ideal places for storage, provided you have one that can be emptied and used only for storage.
Install shelves and or bins for storing items.
Keep a stepladder nearby for easy access to top shelves.
You may wish to install a lock on the door to keep others from access to the closet.
Closets are dark, cool and easily accessible, but will not hold many items.
Entertainment Items for Older Children or Teens
A new book
Games like Yahtzee, Uno, SkipBo, and a deck of cards. These are games the whole family can play or they can be played alone.
Gameboy, Walkman
Puzzle books, word game books
Rental Space
Some people will rent a space in a storage rental place. While this seems a great idea, consider the following concerns on this subject.
Access is limited to the hours this storage facility is open to the public.
Unless you have a climate-controlled unit, storage garages can be too hot or cold, damp and humid, easily accessible for rodents and bugs.
Not that secure
Not convenient
Costly
Alternative Places
There are a number of places to store items if you do not have a basement, cellar or attic. Some are more ideal than others and some people will even rent a storage garage for their storage. Following I have listed several ideas for where to store.
Freezers
Crawl spaces
Under beds and cribs
In chest of drawers
Footlockers
Trunks
Cedar chests
Luggage
Bookcases
Storage can be arranges as a foundation for a mattress or other furniture
Spaces can be shared with other families who have extra space.
Mini-kits at work
Many people stand a 40 percent chance of being at work when an earthquake or other emergency strikes. A mini-survival kit kept at your place of employment could make the hours until your are able to get home more comfortable and safer. This kit could be a duplicate of the mini-kit in your car or more customized.
Weapons
Please note that no provisions for weapons are included in these lists. It will depend on the situation and the location you are in as to whether you wish to include a weapon.
PLEASE BE ADVISED: Most shelters will NOT permit weapons of any kind. In most cases, they present the possibility of causing more harm than the protection they were intended for.
If you live in the country, where the use of a weapon for hunting or protection is a must, then by all means include them as a necessary item. Just be sure you are trained in the care, use and handling of said weapon and they are not easily accessible to young children or those who are not trained to handle them.
The above advice is also applied to knives, mace, baseball bats, or martial arts items that are considered weapons. Think very hard as to how these items will be used and if it is absolutely necessary to include them.
As a cowboy's wife, I always had a rifle for hunting or the shooting of varmints. I was well trained in the use, handling and safety practices of firearms as part of my job as a deputy sheriff. If you think you will need one, I advise you to take courses at a reputable shooting range and seek an expert's advice.
Attics
If you only have an attic that is free for storage or live in a flood-prone area, consider the following:
Attics can be too hot for most storage items, especially food items, candles, flour and wheat.
Most attics are not easily accessible unless you live in an older house that has a stairway or drop-down ladder for access.
Since the attic is not easily accessible, it will be hard to rotate food items and the old adage, "out of sight, out of mind" is accurate. If you don't see the stored items you won't use them or do proper rotation.
Also, if the storage area is too hot, for every 20° Fahrenheit increase in temperature over the ideal storage temperature of 40°, the shelf life of your stored food items decreases by half. The optimal temperatures for food storage are between 20° and 60°.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Mary White |
