The 72 Hour Kit

Personally I think everyone should be prepared for much more then 72 hours this is a good kit to keep in your car. I am going to create this kit “as if” it is in your car! In earthquake country this is one of the best places to keep your kit.

Read “Where to keep your kit..”

Most of my 72 hour kit is a collection of suggestions from various other guys and agencies who planned this out long ago, but there are some differences in my kit that I think will make a BIG difference.

The items under Emergency Needs are recommended for your kit.

Emergency Needs

  • Battery Powered or hand crank + Battery Powered Radio
  • 2 FRS/GMRS Walkie Talkie Type Radios (in-case you need to leave your family carry to get help you can leave a radio with your family if leaving together is not a option.
  • Comprehensive First Aid Kit & Manual
  • Sleeping Bags & Blankets (wool & thermal) This can take up a lot of space, I recommended using a spacebag (https://www.spacebag.com/)
  • Manual Can Opener
  • Waterproof/Windproof Matches or a Torch Lighter with Extra Fuel
  • Non-Perishable Foods This is a great Place to have some MRE’s or our Thrive Foods.
  • Flashlight (LED! 3watt bulb Because they just last longer! Check out Dorcy for a affordable model.)
  • Water Storage (1 gal./day)
  • Water purification tablets
  • Utility Knife
  • Emergency Candles
  • Extra Eyeglasses/Contact Lenses check out http://www.zennioptical.com/ for cheap glasses, Seriously you can get a affordable backup pair for as little as 12 bucks in most cases. All you need is your prescription.
  • Essential Medications (see below under standard first aid kit)
  • Extra Clothing – This can take up a lot of space, I recommended using a spacebag (https://www.spacebag.com/)  to put your clothing in, have at least 1 jacket, 1 pair of socks and 1 tee shirt and 1 pair of pants for each person in your family.

Suggested non-perishable food items: Ready-to-eat goods in unbreakable containers, canned meats, juice, fruits & vegetables, powdered milk, infant care foods, crackers, peanut butter, freeze-dried & dehydrated goods. Check out our Thrive Line Coming soon for Gluten Free Options.

Sanitation Kit

  • Plastic Bucket w/Tightly Fitted Lid (not in the car unless you have space)
  • Plastic Bags & Ties
  • Disinfectant
  • Improvised Toilet Seat (not in the car unless you have space)
  • Paper Cups & Plates (if you use plastic or washable dish ware from a company like Preserve http://www.preserveproducts.com/products/tableware.html then they can be handy when its time to have a picnic too! and it is more environmentally friendly then something you just throw away!
  • Personal Toiletries (yes this means Toilet Paper) one roll for each person, Keep it in a gallon zip lock type bag to keep it clean!
  • Baby Supplies – I have three kids, keep it simple…. if you use a pacifier put it in, formula if you use that, a hand breast pump if you are breastfeeding and extra bottles, extra diapers if you are using those, 10 extra in the current size and 10 in the next size up, in-case you forget to change them out..
  • Aluminum Foil you can fold this up into a very small size.
  • Paper Towels – You could also count on your TP if you needed to have something right away.
  • Personal Hygienic Needs – TOOTHBRUSH and tooth paste. If we have a emergency its good to feel healthy, remember your emotional needs are just as important as your physical needs,
  • Plastic Utensils ( repeat item )
  • Soap (pick something natural, if it has tea tree oil in it thats great, keep it in a zip lock bag, this will keep the moisture from the air off it.

Other Emergency Needs

  • Pen & Paper (your cell phone and laptop will have limited battery power if the grid is down..  for more about electrical situations please reason (power when the power is out …  coming soon..)
  • Money
  • Address & Phone Numbers you can print out your contact list, you could also limit it to people you may need to contact in an emergency.
  • Work Gloves – Leather is best. because of the protection it offers you from sharp object.
  • Basic Tools – a socket set – hammer – screw driver set – pliers and wire cutters. More then this should be in your 3-6 week kit. But we will cover that later on.

Standard First Aid Kit

I recommended reading (more then just a first aid kit.. coming soon where I talk about going beyond basic first aid)

  • First Aid Manual
  • Aspirin or Pain Relievers (think not only about prescriptions but also about Gas-X, Heart Burn Medicine, Aspirin, and a good homeopathic kit like a naturo kit..  http://naturokits.com/ Also Carry some 200CK Arnica
  • Laxatives
  • Rubbing Alcohol
  • Diarrhea Medicine
  • Petroleum Jelly
  • Soap (see above)
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Salt
  • Gauze
  • Band-aid
  • Triangular Bandage (36″x36″x52″)
  • Elastic Bandage
  • Cotton Balls
  • Cotton Swabs
  • Safety Pins
  • Scissors
  • Thermometer
  • Sanitary Napkins (Pressure Dressing)
  • Disposable Diapers (Dressing/ Splint/Padding)
  • Micropore Adhesive, Paper Tape
  • Matches
  • Needles (curved type in case you need to close a wound also I would recommended keeping some sterile floss which could also be a good thread for stitches. More about this in  ”more then just a first aid kit.. coming soon”  )
  • Tweezers
  • Small Splints, Popsicle Sticks Large Splints can be furnished out of many different things.
  • Heavy String
  • Syrup of Ipecac
  • Individual Medical Needs Think about your own medical needs? Are you a diabetic? Do you use Oxygen? It is important to think about your specific needs.
  • Baking Soda (1/2 tsp. soda + 1 tsp. salt + 1 qt. water for shock)

Car Survival Kit (some of this has been said already as we are talking about storing this kit in your car, but if you have limited space use this as your primary guide for car only stuff.

  • Always Maintain at Least 1/2 Tank of Gas
  • First Aid Kit & Manual (see above)
  • Class ABC Fire Extinguisher (the bigger the better but something is always better then nothing)
  • Radio & Batteries (see above)
  • Non-Perishable Food Stored in Coffee Can (see above but this is a good idea too)
  • Bottled Water
  • Bag of Sand, Shovel & Tools
  • Blankets or Sleeping Bags (see guide above)
  • Sundry Kit, Paper & Pencil, Map, Tissues, Premoistened Towels, Plastic Bags, Essential Medications
  • Flashlights & Batteries
  • Reflectors & Flares Please PLEASE carry real or electronic flairs, people are much more inclined to see a situation that requires them to SLOW DOWN. when flairs are involved. Remember to Space them 100ft apart. for 500ft
  • Waterproof Matches & Candles
  • Jumper Cables
  • Short Rubber Hose for Siphoning
  • Shovel

Make Copies of All Legal Papers (read more about this in digital survival gear… doming soon.. ) store these in digital format or in a firesafe!

  • Marriage License
  • House Mortgage
  • Vacation Home / Property Ownership
  • Automotive Ownership
  • Motor Home Ownership
  • Wills
  • Jewelry Appraisals
  • Drivers Licenses
  • Trailers, Snowmobiles, Boat Ownerships
  • Insurance Policies
  • Bank Accounts

When Assembling Emergency Supplies for the Household, Include Items for Pets

  • Extra food (The food should be dry and relatively unappealing to prevent overeating. Store the food in sturdy containers.)
  • Kitty litter
  • Large capacity self-feeder and water dispenser
  • Extra medications
  • Keep a extra leash in your car.

How to Store Water (read more on our Food and Water Page)

Store your water in thoroughly washed plastic, glass, fiberglass or enamel-lined metal containers. Never use a container that has held toxic substances.

Emergency Outdoor Water Sources

If you need to find water outside your home, you can use these sources. Be sure to purify the water by:

  • Boiling
  • Disinfection (household liquid bleach: 16 drops/gal. of water, stir & let stand 30 min.)
  • Distillation (boil 2 pot water & collect the vapor by tying a cup to the upside down pot lid – the cup shouldn’t dangle in the water–it will condense back to water in the cup)

Sources:

  • Rainwater
  • Streams, rivers & other moving bodies of water
  • Ponds & lakes
  • Natural Springs

Establish an Out-Of-State 24-Hour Telephone Contact

  • Calls out will not overload phone lines as will calls coming into a disaster area.
  • All relatives should be informed now on procedures to call the phone contact, not after a disaster has occurred. Individual location and status should be requested.
  • Take color pictures of every room plus pictures of valuables. Send one copy of legal papers and one copy of pictures to an out-of-state contact.

Plan How Your Family Will Stay in Contact if Separated by Disaster (read more about this on our Make a Plan page!)

Pick two meeting places:

  1. a location a safe distance from your home in case of fire
  2. a place outside your neighborhood in case you can’t return home

Other Considerations

  • Stock supplies to last several days to a week for each family member.
  • Be prepared to relocate to a shelter during a prolonged power outage.
  • Have extra cash on hand in case electronic transactions (ATM card, credit cards, etc.) cannot be processed.
  • Work with your family in talking about the steps each needs to take to be ready if disaster happens.

Meet with Neighbors

Plan how the neighborhood could work together after a disaster. Know you neighbors’ skills (medical, technical). Consider how you could help neighbors who have special needs, such as elderly or disabled persons. Make plans for child care in case parents can’t get home.

Preparedness is everyone’s job. Not just government agencies but all sectors of society — service providers, businesses, civic and volunteer groups, industry associations and neighborhood associations, as well as every individual citizen should plan ahead for disaster.

During the first few hours or days following a disaster, essential services may not be available.

People must be ready to act on their own.