Food Ideas

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When you are choosing food for your 72 hour kit think FAST and EASY and LIGHT. What can you choose that doesn't require too much work? What can you choose that just needs to be opened and it is ready to eat? Try to choose foods that don't need to have water added to them. Remember that if you choose to pack canned foods in your 72 hour kits you will also need a can opener (for each kit). Remember to pack eating utensils to go along with that food.

When it comes to actually packing your food into your kits, zip lock bags can be very useful. Use a large freezer size to pack one day's worth of food and snacks into. If you want to take it a step further type or write out a daily menu to go into each bag. This could be very helpful in a real emergency for rationing out your food. It could also be very helpful if family members become separated in an emergency.

Finally, don't forget dessert. In case of an emergency any little treat will be greatly appreciated. Hard candies and lollipops have a very long shelf life and are small and lite to pack.

What kind of food do you have in your 72 hour kits?

WATER

Do you have enough water stored to last for 72 hours in case of an emergency?

You should have at least one to two gallons of water per person per day (to be used for both drinking and sanitation purposes).

A Great Opportunity

General Conference is coming up next weekend. We are so blessed to get to enjoy General Conference every six months.
We should also be checking in on our food storage and 72 hour kits every six months. Why not make it a General Conference weekend tradition. Eat the foods that are nearing the end of their shelf lives and replace them with something new. Make sure that all of the clothing in each person's 72 hour kit still fits them. Put a current family picture in each person's 72 hour kit.
If your family is already enjoying this fun family tradition, then keep up the good work! If you have another idea that is working well for you, then please share it with the rest of us.

BACKPACKS

If you don't have andy designated bags or containers toi store your 72 hour kits in.............now is a great time to buy backpacks. Now that school has started they are going on sale everywhere. An ideal backpack for 72 hour kit storage would be a waterproof one. There are many waterproof backpacks out there that are made for hiking and camping. COSTCO has had some for sale there recently. They can be expensive though. If they are not in the budget get what you can, what works for you. If you opt for a regular school backpack, just remember to organize all of the things that are going into your 72 hour kit in ziplock bags to protect them from water.

What's in Your First Aid Kit?

What is in your first aid kit?
Do you have one for each member of your family?
Yes, you should have band-aids and triple antibiotic ointment in your kits. But what else should be in there? Here are a few ideas:

*medications (ibuprofen, Tylenol, etc.)
*prescription medications
*photocopy of prescriptions
*sun block
*insect repellent
*anti itch cream
*vitamins
*burn gel and dressing
*ace bandages/wraps, gauze

Can you think of anything else that would be a great addition to a first aid kit?

Light Sources

It does not take a major disaster to lose electricity. Alternative light sources will likely be the most frequently used items out of everything that put into our 72 hour kits. Ideally we should not only have alternative light sources in each of our 72 hour kits, but also throughout our homes, in every room if possible. Some light sources to consider are:

• flashlights (remember to also store extra batteries and bulbs for them)
• LED lights, pen lights, or head lamps
• emergency strobe lights
• kerosene and alcohol oil lamps and white gas lanterns
• emergency wands and light sticks
• auto emergency response lights and reflectors
• crank and solar power, candles, matches, and hurricane matches

What light sources do you already have? What do you need to buy to add to your 72 hour kit? Do you have any advice for others on collecting light sources? Have you found a great deal on flashlights/lamps/etc.? If you have please leave a comment at the end of this post, or send me an e-mail and I will help distribute that information.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

As we organize, reorganize, or gather things for our 72 hour kits we first need to have a place to put them and something to put them in.

LOCATION

When choosing where to store your 72 hour kits think of a spot that is easily accessible and as close as possible to an exit. A coat closet near a door for example.

CONTAINER

There is not one right answer when it comes to choosing a container to store your 72 hour kits in. Some options include a bin or a backpack or a duffel bag. You could start off using an older bag or backpack that you already have on hand, and then upgrade it to something else over time. Something is always better than nothing. There are a few things to keep in mind however, when you are shopping for a bag or container. It needs to be portable. Each family member should be able to carry their own container (with relative ease). Backpacks with wheels might be a good choice for children or anyone else who might struggle with carrying the weight of another type of bag or bin. A larger hiking type of backpack might be a good choice for a strong adult, especially if they need to carry extra supplies for babies or pets. If possible choose something water resistant.

What are you storing your 72 hour kits in? Do you have any questions or advice for others on the subject? Have you come across a great deal? If so please share it here in a comment. THANKS!

Suggested 72 Hour Kit Supplies

Please use this list as a guide for compiling your 72 hour kits. Each member of your family should have their own kit. There are items on this list that everyone should have in their kits. There are also items that may not fit your needs or the needs of your family. Make your 72 hour kit what it needs to be to best fit your needs and those of your family.

72 hour kits should be kept in a location near an entrance to your home so that they are easy to find when emergency strikes. They should be reviewed every six months. As the name implies, the amounts stored in the kit should be sufficient to last for 72 hours.

Bag/Container

• Durable water resistant back pack, frame pack, duffel bag or bin (something easy to carry or transport)

Food and Water

• 1-2 gallons of water per person per day (for sanitation and drinking)
• Canned meats, fruits, vegetables, juices, soups, etc.
• High energy foods/snacks (peanut butter, granola bars, trail mix, dried fruit, fruit leather, beef jerky, etc.)
• Baby formula/baby food
• hard candy, cookies, or other treats

First Aid

• Bandages/gauze/tape/ace wrap
• Antibiotic ointment
• Hydrogen peroxide
• Insect repellent
• Sunscreen
• Medication (Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, children's medications, prescription medications, etc.)

Sanitation

• Toilet paper (center tube can be removed to flatten into zip-lock bag)
• Wet wipes/baby wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Soap (scented soaps may "flavor" food items)
• Shampoo
• Dish soap
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Brush/comb/hair ties
• Feminine Supplies
• Diapers
• Tissues

Personal Documents and Money

• Scriptures
• Patriarchal blessing
• Legal Documents (birth/marriage certificates, wills, passports, contracts, etc.)
• Vaccination papers
• Insurance policies
• Cash (in $1.00 bills and some change-if power is out businesses will likely not be able to make change)
• credit card
• Pre-paid phone cards
• Family picture/identification
• List of important phone numbers

Bedding and Clothing

• One complete change of clothing (short and long sleeved shirts, jeans, jackets, etc.)
• Undergarments and socks
• Extra eye glasses/contact lenses (contact lens solution)
• Hat and gloves
• Sturdy shoes
• Rain Coat/poncho
• Sleeping bag/blanket/emergency heat blanket

Tools and Equipment

• Pocket knife
• Shovel
• Sewing kit
• Radio
• Can opener
• Dishes/utensils
• Axe
• Rope
• Duct tape and roll of plastic (may be used to seal broken windows)
• Whistle
• Extra bags (zip-lock, grocery, etc.)

Fuel and Light

• Flashlight/lamp
• Extra batteries
• Flares
• Candles
• Lighter
• Water-proof matches
• Light sticks

Stress Relief/Entertainment

• Books (for reading, coloring books, puzzle books, etc.)
• Crayons/pens/pencils
• Small toys/games
• Paper