Suggestions for a 72 hour kit

2/11/2003 | Important vanity

[Utah Girl]

Since the alert level is now high, and there have been many articles and TV blurps about preparedness, I thought I would post suggestions for a 72 hour kit. I keep mine in my front hall closet of my home.

A lot of the stuff was lying around the house, I didn't buy hardly anything new. I did buy a solar, battery operated radio from Radio Shack for ten dollars. Here is the total list in one spot. I probably spent under 25 dollars for my kit, but I am single without children. The most money was buying the stuff for the first aid kit. One extra thing I threw in the first aid kit is four sanitray napkins. They work really well for compressing against a bleeding wound that needs to be staunched. I also store my sleeping bag and blanket right next to the 72 hour kit. I still use the sleeping bag when I go camping, so I didn't buy another one.

This 72 hour kit should meet the needs of your family. Use ready to eat foods your family will eat and hobbies and entertainment your family likes to do. Include individual medication as required by your family members. Whatever container is used should be portable. I use two duffel bags.

You should have:

Immediately available Battery powered radio Flashlight and extra batteries Emergency Needs Instruction Manuals on Emergency Preparedness Water storage Sleeping bags and blankets Sanitation Kit Plastic bucket with tight fitted lid Plastic bags and ties toilet paper disinfectant improvised toilet seat (for bucket) feminine hygiene needs paper towels soap paper cups paper plates plastic utensils can opener utility knife Stress Factors Children - coloring book, crayons Adults - books, needle work In the Car Standard First Aid Kit Blanket Flashlight and batteries Reflectors and flares Individual Medical Needs Suggested Additions Family Photographs Medical Information Sheet Insurance Information Identification for each Family Member Will or Trust Information (copies of each)

Food - Ready-to-eat Meats: canned Fruit Cocktail Peanut Butter Powdered Milk Infant Care: Canned milk and bottles Dried Fruit: (caution - drink plenty of water.) Raisins, prunes, fruit leather Crackers Stress Foods Sugar Cookies Sweetened Cereals Hard Candy Standard First Aid Kit First Aid manual Spirits of ammonia Scissors Table salt Baking soda Eye drops Safety pins Matches Adhesive or paper tape Bandages Telfa pads (4"x4") Triangle Bandage (37"x37"x37") Roll of Gauze Elastic Bandage Splints Popsicle sticks shingles or thin board 40 page newspaper or magazines Heavy String At least one change of clothing for everyone including shoes

I've also thrown in a sweatshirt with a hood, an inflatable pillow, my scriptures (Bible, Book of Mormon)

[Utah Girl]

You're welcome! Thanks for the pings also, I've bookmarked the various posts, I'm going to print them out, and review them to see where my preparations are lacking.

[El Sordo]

Gosh, I love the Internet...

http://www.platinumdefense.com/porvinnbcsaf.html
http://www.jrhenterprises.com/safecell.html
http://www.filtrator.se/produkter.html
http://www.mdh-defence.co.uk/mdh/filters.html
http://www.huntermfgco.com/homedef/protectivesysadvanced.htm

[Xenalyte]

Thanks, dude!

[Prof Engineer]

The barrel is too short for much accuracy at 50 yards.

[Crowcreek]

Of course that goes without saying! Unfortunately, I'm flush with lime Jell-o and would rather use that map to procure(/kidnap) a good camp cook ! ;^/

[El Sordo]

Oh yeah!

I have it under the seat of my truck. Just in case I ever need to "have it handy"...

[Utah Girl]

Great ideas. I have a camping book in my food supply, there is some great information on building fires, first aid, recipes, digging trenches for sanitation purposes, etc. Duct tape is invaluable. I always take it camping with me, a 1001 uses for it...

[Utah Girl]

You're incorrigble. :) Come to my house in an emergency, I'll share with you. Or my mom's house, I think she has enough food storage to feed the whole neighborhood.

[Blueflag]

Most of the poisons are suspended airborne particles or droplets. For the true gaseous agents, it's about keeping down the ppm. With the film and tape, you want to stop drafts and noticeable air intrusion. O2 is a small enough molecule that it can get through/around most anything you can seal a home or shelter with. Just don't burn a fire or exercise heavily.

Oh, and have a plan for human waste disposal.

[Cagey]

but is there a place to get gas masks for pets?

Make Plans Now to Protect Animals in Emergencies (from our friends at PETA)

[Utah Girl]

Wow, thanks for the links, and the information on sealing off a room. I'm going to print all this stuff out and review it, then put it in a binder in a handy place.

[Utah Girl]

Good idea on laminating the photos. I keep copies of important papers in my 72 hour kit, in waterproof plastic bags.

[always paddle your own canoe]

Ping

;-`)

[Vicki]

Eat the pets. Saves on food.

We have a 4 ft Iquana and I have always maintained we could eat him in an emergency. Except on the show "Cooks Tour" on the food network the chef whose eaten about every horrible thing imaginable said that the Iquana was the worse.

[Chemist_Geek]

Chlorox for sterilizing water. Add a couple drops per quart, shake and it's ready in about ten minutes. I'll keep a couple small containers - well marked - on hand.

A 0.1% solution of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) will go a long way towards decontaminating most chemical warfare agents. In an emergency, after cutting clothing away, rinse and blot the patient's skin with the hypochlorite solution.

[MikeUmovi]

Make one cut in those large rubber bands (gumbans here in Pittsburgh) that they wrap around broccoli and save them for a tourniquet to stop profuse bleeding.

[johnny7]

I got 2 gallons of bottled water left over from Y2K in the fridge.

The two cats got plenty of ScienceDiet. Gas tank is always filled on the Z28... topo maps in the door pocket.

FEDS and cops don't have the manpower to road-block every junction. (wink!)

[Crowcreek]

Particle masks are great for volcanic ash & airborn dust, but an ordinary cannister-type paint respirator is better, lasts longer, and would be fairly effective against airborn NBC agents and smoke, with the proper cannister filters.

I had a room sized electrostatic air cleaner when Mt. St. Helens blew up, and it was a lifesaver. An evaporative cooler is a great air-scrubber also, but like the electronic, worthless in a power failure . . .

BTW -- All my suggestions have been personally tested on yours truly -- except the kidnapping, of course.

[technochick99]

bump for a later read...

[Alice in Wonderland]

I have both the Baygen Freeplay raido and flashlight ... wind-up, no batteries needed...