Let’s have a show of hands – how many of you have an emergency preparedness kit? Uh huh. That’s what I thought. Not many people do, but all of us need one. In the event of a major catastrophe and you have to evacuate your home, you need to be able to grab a pack and go quickly. There are times such as this where you will not have hours to prepare – it will be minutes.
Your pack can be as simple or elaborate as you choose, but it should contain basic items that everyone needs for *at least* 3 days. You can use a backpack, large book bag, military bag (from a military surplus store), etc. WATERPROOF IS BEST. If you have to evacuate in a torrential rainstorm, you will appreciate having dry clothes to change into.
Don’t forget your pet’s needs while you’re planning. We have a cat, and I have a couple of vacuum sealed bags of food for her along with a cardboard box containing a ziploc bag of litter that I keep in her pet carrier.
Ideally, each person in your family needs a pack customized to their needs and ages. Children will need a couple of toys, games, and/or paper and crayons to keep them busy. Don’t forget special medical needs for those in your household too. I also highly recommend in addition to a pack for each person that you also make a “family pack” which contains items such as a hand crank radio, extra food, nylon rope, extra money (some of it in quarters in case you have to use a pay phone), copies of important papers, sun block, insect repellent, compass, etc. The family pack can be another large bag or even a plastic tote that can fit into your vehicle.
Essential items in our packs:
- Bottled water – also water purification tablets or a water purifier/filter
- Food – granola bars, crackers, Pop Tarts, beef jerky – whatever you like
- Emergency blanket
- Matches
- Firestarters (fire wicks)
- Candles / Light sticks
- Flashlight (hand crank)
- Whistle
- Toilet paper
- Wet wipes (may be the only way you can freshen up if bathing facilities are not available)
- Poncho
- Comb / brush
- Toothbrush / toothpaste
- Razor and shaving cream
- Multi-tool (combination pocket knife, can opener, screwdriver, pliers, etc.)
- First Aid kit (includes ibuprofen, bandaids, alcohol pads, gauze pads, etc.)
- Bag of bags (ziploc bags, trash bags, sandwich bags, etc.)
- Heat packs
- Change of clothing (check seasonally and for kids check sizes every 6 months)
The important thing is to start assembling these items NOW. You do not have to spend a lot of money, and I would personally not recommend buying the pre-packed kits from the store. You can assemble your own pack with better quality items. A large number of these items can be found as extras in your home. If you have a vacuum-sealer (Food Saver), you can even seal clothing to make sure they stay dry.
Another 72 hour kit list is available from Emergency Essentials by clicking here.
