Emergency Preparedness #1

Thinking about emergencies gets me all worked up and stressed out. I have had the feeling that I needed to get all of my emergency supplies in order for years. But every time I thought about it I got so overwhelmed I just quit.

 I finally buckled down the last few years and got some education and ideas. My ideas are no where near the way to do it. Every family has their needs and what works best for them. The following information is what works for my family.

1.  Get your 72 hour kit together.

 Why? Well, that is how long it typically takes for the Red Cross to get into the area and get set up.

What is a 72 hour kit? It is a kit that has all the basic necessities that you and/or your family will need for 72 hours. You can buy a premade kit anywhere. The prices range from $50 up to a couple hundred dollars.  When I first got married I bought a basic kit at Walmart. It had a poncho, rope, first aid kit, a compass, whistle, and some other items. I added to that kit and I still have that kit.

To hold your kit  you can use anything to hold it all. Some ideas are fanny packs, back packs, suit cases, rolling trash cans, wagons, and many more.

This is an example of what we have put all of our needs in. Sorry about the picture, it was starting to fall over.

You will need water. However, water is heavy. I have a few bottles of water, a water filter, and purification tablets. If you live in an area that has lots of rainfall you don’t have to worry so much about finding water. I, however, lived in Las Vegas. Yeah, you guessed it!  I was worried about finding water.  So, I had more bottled water in my pack.  You need about 4 liters of water per person per day.

You will also need food. I put all of my food, for one day, in a zip lock baggie. That way I knew that I had enough food for each person. You will want some sort of protein, snacks, grains, fruits, dairy, comfort items. In my packs I  buy items that my family loves to eat, but we don’t have them very often. That way they think they are having treats. My packs have jerky, trail mix, granola bars, tuna, crackers, gum, fruit snacks, apple sauce packets, pop tarts, milk, Capri Suns, and cereal bars. I also bought a few of Mountain House freeze dried food. It lasts about 5 years and it’s a full meal for 2 people. I didn’t buy a whole lot of them because I would have to heat them up and I just didn’t want to build a fire or what not to make a meal, especially if I was in emergency mode.

This is how I pack one day's worth of food.

Because I have young kids, I also packed some sort of fun item for them. My boy has a couple of cars and stuff to color. My girl has a doll. My baby has a soft blanket and some baby toys. I also packed a sling for me to carry him with. And the ever needed pacifier. Yep! I NEED to have one of those.

Also, I read somewhere that you should put a picture of your family, with phone numbers on the back. Just so that if somehow, heaven forbid, that you get separated from your child there is a way they can identify the parents and contact someone.

Each of my older kids have at least one days worth of food. Again, if we get separated then at least they have something to eat.

This is my boy's pack.

If you have any women in your home you will want feminine hygiene.

This is my girl's pack. She decided she wanted this pack. I don't care as long as she is happy.

Eye glasses or contacts? You want solution and maybe an extra pair of glasses. I packed my old, out of date prescription glasses.

Babies, you want diapers! I packed disposables, cloth diapers and wipes. You might also want to consider formula, even if you nurse, and a bottle. Many times when you are expecting a baby you are sent a sample of some formula so I just put that in my pack.

Everyone in my house gets an extra pair of clothes and underwear. You want to think about what kind of climate you live in to determine the kind of clothing that you want in your kit. When I was in Girl Scouts they always told us, "If you go to bed with clean underwear and socks, you will stay warm." Everyone in my family has at least 2 days of clean underwear.

There are wool blankets and emergency blankets. I also have a large plastic container to hold water. I have flash lights, pocket knives, extra money, ponchos, first aid kit, glow sticks, matches, large trash bags, sewing kit, sun screen, lip gloss, latex gloves, toilet paper, extra medication, Advil or other pain reliever, and a mess kit.

This is no where near all of the stuff in my pack, but I am sure it will give you an idea of what you can put in yours.

Just know that you should start small and each year you check your kit buy a little more. Don’t think: “Oh, I need all of this stuff!” You don’t need to go out and pay hundreds of dollars all at once.  Plus, your needs will change as your family changes.

Always remember that you need to check your kit about every 6 months. I check mine in October and April.  You need different clothing during each time of the year.

Don't forget the animals! If you have animals you need to consider their needs too.

Some people believe in getting some sort of protection (gun, knife, etc.) to have in your pack.

My dad once told me to buy a bottle of alcohol and cigarettes. We don't smoke or drink so I was pretty surprised by this council. Well...addicts will trade ANYTHING to get it. If you need water or something, I am sure an alcoholic would trade you for it.

I hope this helps you get some good ideas on how to start your 72 hour kit.