72-hour Kit Cash

So for this week we're going to be working on collecting cash for our 72-hour kits. It can be extremely beneficial to have some type of financial reserves during a crisis, especially if you cannot get access to an ATM or bank. We highly suggest getting small bills for your 72-hour kit reserve because an emergency might make it difficult to find change.

Exactly how much you set aside for your 72-hour kit will depend on your family circumstances and what you can afford. Personally, we think a good benchmark would be to have enough to fill up your car with gas plus a small amount of extra for supplemental needs. As with the other areas we've discussed, start small with what you can do right now and add to it as you can.

This is a much shorter post because it's very simple, but it's not any less important, and it still can take time to accumulate enough cash.




Does anyone have any other ideas of where emergency cash could come in handy? Please share!

72-Hour Kit Clothing

Alright, we have officially moved on from medical supplies and are on to clothing! With this section, there is only one week to get everything together for your kits. Now it's not necessary to have multiple outfits available in a 72-hour kit, but it is important to have at least a couple things:

• Socks
• You can't really have too many socks. Especially if it's wet or cold, you may need to wear multiple pairs at once or replace the ones you wear fairly often. These are often very cheap at most stores (they don't have to be fancy), and they can fit into pretty small places.
• Poncho
• This is one of those things where there isn't a reason not to get it. You can find this at many stores from $.50 to $1.00, and they come so small you can fit them in the tightest of spaces. But being able to stay dry during a major storm is priceless.
• Hat or Beanie
• This is important for cold or hot weather. In hot weather, you may prefer a lightweight billed hat that will protect your head and face from the sun without over-heating you. In cold weather, you may prefer a beanie or other hat that reaches down to your ears so you can keep in as much heat as possible. If you don't want to add both at the same time, then when you do a check-up on your 72-hour kits twice a year (which we highly recommend doing at least just to make sure your food and water are still good), then you can switch out which hat you have for each season.
• Shirt and pants
• This may or may not be at the top of everyone's priority list, but having a spare pair of jeans and an old t-shirt could really come in handy. During spring cleaning or simply looking through your closet, find a pair of jeans and a shirt that you haven't worn in a while or that are getting a little old and add them to the kit (they don't have to be new clothes).
• Shoes
• This one is a little trickier since they are so bulky and tend to be heavy, but there can be emergency situations where you don't have enough time to grab durable shoes before leaving the house. There are multiple ways to store these if there isn't room inside your kit. One way is to tie them on the back of your kit (if you're using a backpack or duffel bag) and just let them hang outside. Another way is to just store them right on top of or next to your kit. That way, if you have to grab your kit and go, you will see your shoes and remember to grab them as well. We suggest a pair of sturdy tennis shoes or hiking boots, but make sure that they are not new shoes - you want these to be already broken in by the time an emergency comes around.

There may be some other items you want to add to your kit, but these were just the basic necessities that we thought of. Please comment and let us know if you have any other ideas of clothing items you think would be good for your 72-hour kits!

72-Hour Kit Medical Supplies

Sorry for the slightly late post, but for the next two weeks we will be focusing on getting a first aid kit for our 72-hour kits. There are a lot of different items that you may or may not need, depending on your personal circumstances, so we will add a list of items that we personally think should be considered by most people.

(We understand that some of these items can be a little costly when you add it all up, which is why we are giving two weeks to collect the items. One nice thing about medical supplies is they often come in bulk, so you could team up with other people to divide the items and the cost - I don't think you need a whole bottle of Tylenol for one person for only three days)

• -Prescription Medicine
• Many people don't really think about it, but this is vital for your 72-hour kit. If you take a daily perscription medication, you should be able to find a way to get just three extra days of your prescription, but especially if it's something you can't live without, then make sure you get it in there.
• Contact Solution/Spare Contacts/Spare glasses
• Similar to the prescription medicine, you may not immediately think of this when considering items for a 72-hour kit. However, if you are someone who needs contacts or glasses, this could be life-changing. You never know if an emergency will happen in the middle of the night and you only have time to grab your kit, but if you have pretty bad eyesight (like myself) then you wouldn't be able to last very long without glasses or contacts.
• Tylenol/Advil (some kind of over-the-counter pain relief)
• This may seem small if there is a larger injury, but if you are hurt, any form of pain relief will be welcome. Both Tylenol and Ibuprofen can be found at *Walmart for $7.00 for a 500 count bottle.
• Band-Aids
• You can find a 100 count box of Band-Aids at Walmart for only $4.00
• Hand Sanitizer
• You can usually find a two or three pack at the dollar store. Hand sanitizer can be very helpful if you are stuck somewhere unsanitary but need to eat the food already in your pack.
• Cough Drops
• A bag of 70 can be found at Walmart for $4.00. This may not seem necessary for some, but it could really help out you or a member of your family if an emergency happens when you're already sick (unfortunately most disasters don't wait for you to get healthy)
• Knife/Scissors
• I can name countless reasons to have something that can cut, including freeing someone who is caught and can't move or cutting off material to become a bandage or sling. You can find either at the dollar store.
• Sunscreen/Sunglasses
• You may just save your skin and eyes with this because you can never guarantee that an emergency won't happen in the summer or even just when it's sunny. You can look in the travel section of Walmart for a smaller and cheaper container of sunscreen, and sunglasses can be found at the dollar store.
• Alcohol Wipes/Swabs
• You can find a 50 count of Alcohol prep pads at Walmart for $4.00. Emergency situations are rarely completely sanitary, so an open wound could get pretty intense without something to clean it.

Like I said, there are many other items that you may want or need, but the medical supplies can sometimes be very individualized. So feel free to use these suggestions, and if you can think of any other items that you feel would be important, please comment and let us know!

*I do not think Walmart is the only option for buying these items, nor can I promise that the prices I give will stay the same at your chosen Walmart location. I simply wanted a commonly found store that most often had the cheapest price. If you find any other places that have better deals, please share :)

Water Purifiers for 72-Hour Kits

Now water filters should not replace your 72-hour supply of water - you should still have already drinkable water in your kit. Filters are more often for the purpose of an emergency that lasts more than 3 days, when something happens to your normal drinking water supply that requires it to be filtered. There are many options for water filters or purifiers, and the more sophisticated the filter the more expensive it will be. Here we'll just discuss a couple ways of purifying your water that are quicker and easier for a 72-hour kit:

 One option for a water filter that is not as expensive is the LifeStraw water filter found on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Vestergaard-Frandsen-LifeStraw-Personal-Water-Filter/dp/B006QF3TW4/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1372210582&sr=8-6&keywords=water+purifier). It's about $20, but it doesn't require any preparation, which may be extremely beneficial for those with small children who don't know how to work water filters. Just instruct them to only drink water from the straw and they should be okay.




Also, other items to consider are water purification tablets. Each tablet allows you to purify one pint of water, and it only takes 30-35 minutes. On Amazon.com, you can buy a bottle of 50 tablets for only $6.50. (http://www.amazon.com/Potable-Aqua-Water-Treatment-Tablets/dp/B001949TKS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1372642942&sr=8-1&keywords=water+purification+tablets) They are fairly inexpensive, but one thing to consider is that you will need to find a way to measure your water so you have the right proportions.















We will discuss other water filters/purifiers after we have finished our segment on the 72-hour kits, but hopefully these two can give you an idea of some items that may be nice to add to your kit. Good luck on continuing to add the water and other liquids to your kits!

72-Hour Kit Water

Sorry about the delay in posting, but with the combination of traveling and hectic work days, this post had to be just a tad late. But now we can move on to water - the most important item of a 72-hour kit. You can survive for a while without food, but with no liquids coming into your body, you won't last very long.

So for the next two weeks (technically from June 23 to July 6) we want everyone to focus on obtaining 3 days' worth of water for each member of the family.

There are multiple resources for water, and you may not want to choose just one. For starters, there is the simple water bottle, which you can buy a 24 to 30 pack of water bottles at Wal-Mart or some other store for $4.00. What's nice about these is they're not hard plastic, so they can be slightly molded or squeezed into tight fits. This means that if you are squishing and smashing them they will have to be rotated pretty often (we suggest every 6 months), but since much of the food needs to be rotated as well, then it wouldn't be any more difficult.

Another option is canned water. This makes the water container more durable, but unfortunately it weighs more and takes up more space since it can't change shape at all. It also has a longer shelf life in a can, which can go up to 30 years. It is also pricier, with the exact numbers depending on where you buy it. Also, the canned water would require a can opener for your 72-hour kit - not necessarily a bad thing, but another factor to consider.


Finally there are water pouches. Many who sell these say it's best to use the water within five years, so the shelf life is medium. They are much lighter and easier to fit in small places, but again, even though the pouch is pretty durable, it can still be pierced or ripped in the right circumstances. Emergency Essentials will sell a 4 oz. pouch for 35 cents each, so the price is very doable.



Another option for liquids is to actually use something other than water. Options like Gatorade or Capri Sun are good to add flavor and sugar to a 72-hour kit. Sports drinks like Gatorade and Powerade are especially good because they can replace the electrolytes and other minerals your body loses throughout the day. A 12 pack of Gatorade can be found in Wal-Mart for only $6.00, and often Powerade can be even cheaper.



There is also the option of water purifiers. These can be very handy in an emergency situation, and there are multiple ways to add it to your 72-hour kit. However, we do not want to overwhelm you with information at the moment, so we will wait to add a separate post about water purifiers at the beginning of next week (which will still be the middle of the allotted time for gathering water). So until then, good luck on collecting your water, and let us know any questions or ideas you have!




Do any of you have specific preferences for how you add water to your 72-hour kits? Feel free to discuss!

72-Hour Kit Food

Alright, so now that we've got IDs and a container for our 72-hour pack, we're going to spend the next two weeks working on getting our food supply!

As with everything we will talk about, there are several options for what you can store in your 72-hour kits for food. We've detailed some of the pros and cons of some different options so that you can determine what is best for you and your family's needs:


MREs
One of the easiest items to store for food is the MRE, or Meal Ready to Eat. These are meals designed for the military that can be eaten without any water or preparation. This comes in handy when water sources are scarce (and you won't be able to reconstitute dehydrated food), or when there is no way to cook due to lack of fuel, electricity, or other means to cook. The convenience does come with a trade-off: expense. MRE's are more expensive than their counterparts, but have a long shelf life and are ready to go no matter what the emergency is.

Cans/Boxed Goods
A cheaper and more familiar alternative is to use canned or other non-perishable goods. The food items should be easily edible, meaning little to no preparation required. Cans of soup, chili, or other prepared canned meals are good starting points. These items are also convenient since they are easy to rotate. If you check these items every 6 months, then you can be assured that the food in your 72-hour kit is always fresh. One of the biggest downsides to cans is their weight - if you plan to carry your 72-hour kit anywhere, the weight of cans definitely adds up. As for boxed goods, one of their biggest downsides is their lack of durability - they aren't as strong as cans and are very non-waterproof. However, boxed goods are much better if the goods are inside a plastic bag that is in the box.

Remember, IF YOU ARE USING CANS, YOU WILL NEED A CAN OPENER! Go to the dollar store and buy a cheap can opener that you can just keep in your 72-hour kit, that way you will never be stuck in a situation of having canned food but no way to open it. The other option would be to have pop-top cans. That would mean you wouldn't need a can opener, but pop-top cans are also slightly less durable and the tops could come off with enough force. 

Emergency Rations/Calorie Bars
These 3-day Calorie Bars come in a small brick and have enough calories to sustain life for 3 days. With a 5 year shelf life and little cost, these are an effective way to make sure you will at least survive for 3 days since they provide the basic nutrition you will need. The main trade-off with these is taste. In an emergency, many people would prefer to be opening a can of soup or something similar as compared to eating a 400 calorie protein bar, but again it is a cheap and effective way to insure survival.

The bottom line, it is vital to have enough food to survive for 72 hours. No matter what option you choose, make efforts to collect 3 day's worth of food for each member of your family over the next 2 weeks.

72-Hour Kit Container and IDs

So the first thing you need when making a 72-hour kit is somewhere to put all the supplies. We will be focusing on obtaining containers and IDs for every family member this week. There are multiple options, and we'll discuss the pros and cons of a few of them.

The Backpack. A backpack can be anywhere from extremely cheap to pretty pricey. Using a backpack can allow for your 72-hour kit to also become a flight kit - if you need to get out of the house immediately, you can just grab it, put it on your back, and get out with your arms still free. Also, you don't have to worry about weight as much as other containers because it distributes the weight between your shoulders and back. If the backpack has multiple pockets it can also help for organization. One thing to think about when getting a backpack is it not as durable and more susceptible to wear and tear.

The Duffel Bag. Duffel bags are pretty similar to backpacks, but they are often more expensive (thought you can still get one for pretty cheap). Duffel bags can also usually allow for more room, so you may be able to hold more things. When carrying the duffel bag, the weight is either on one shoulder and the back (this is neither good nor bad, it just depends on personal preference), or it must be carried in one hand.

The Bucket. Buckets are usually pretty cheap and don't get extremely expensive. Using a bucket allows for more durability in your container. However, it isn't as organized without different compartments, and it also isn't as portable in a hurry. If you have to carry it around, it leaves you with one less hand and it can be heavier for just one hand to hold.

The Plastic Tote. Plastic Totes are like the duffel bag of the backpack category. They can be bigger and hold more things, they are also quite durable, but they may be more expensive. The plastic tote is likely the hardest container to carry as it usually requires both hands.

After deciding which type of container to use for a 72-hour kit, it is a very good idea to add some type of ID to each of them. This doesn't need to be (and probably shouldn't be) a government issued ID, but instead something to let others know how to help. For example, if a child is lost or a family member is unconscious, someone trying to help can still do so by knowing either food allergies, medical conditions, family members' names, etc. One really neat idea we found just on the internet is to include a picture of each family member with the ID. That way a child can have help finding family if he or she is lost, and it can also serve to calm the nerves to see pictures of loved ones.

At this point, if you cannot yet obtain a container or need more time, a cardboard box is honestly just fine. You will want to work up to a more sturdy and reliable container, but anything is great to start out with. The IDs, however, would be beneficial to complete as soon as possible. (As a reminder, we have a link to the IDs and items of a 72-hour kit here)



Good luck with getting the containers and IDs together, and let us know how it's going for you! (next week we'll focus on food for 72-hour kits)