Your mission, if you choose to accept, is to make a 72-hour survival kit.
Level of Commitment: Leap of Faith
?Why bother? Some disasters (forest fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, chemical spills, and certainly more that my over-active imagination cannot even fathom) simply require evacuation, sometimes at a moment’s notice.
Here’s a personal account from a reader in the comments at an early preparedness post at KS:
Our biggest threat here is forest fire. We have been evacuated with an hour’s notice in the past, so now we have a binder in the front closet with phone numbers, account and policy numbers, a CD with a photographic household inventory and checklists of jobs for each family member to get ready to leave. Each item lists what to get, where to get it, and where it goes. We have family on the other side of a big lake, so that is where we meet. We also have a travel trailer which is stocked with basics and propane/battery/electric fridge and stove, and is ready to hook up within five minutes or so.
I’ve been browsing Preparedness Pro lately, and the author there talks about how surviving a longer-term disaster would be impossible in a city – if you’re an urbanite, you just have to “get outta Dodge”. It’s an interesting thought for so many of us who do live in cities.
Even FEMA recommends that everyone have a 72-hour stock of food and water for basic survival, and I don’t see the U.S. government as generally being hyper-conservative or over-reactive.
There are fun alternate names for a 72-hour survival kit: a Bug Out Kit, Get Out of Dodge kit (GOODY bags), or the slightly crass “Oh Crap” kit. Whatever you call it, if you’re ready to take a not-so-baby-step toward emergency preparedness, our topic for the last few weeks, or if you live in an area where these kits really are essential, I’ve compiled some resources for you.
I’m going to admit, I’m not in a place to compile a kit like this right now. We just sold our house, so even though it seems like getting prepared should be a “now or never” philosophy, I need to pack up my whole house, not just one backpack. So. In a few months I hope to revisit this Monday Mission, as well as last week’s 10 Baby Steps to Preparedness, for our own family. If you’re in my boat, don’t beat yourself up. Just make a goal for later. We cannot do it all.
What is in a 72-Hour Survival Kit?
The basics include:
- food
- water
- dry socks and underwear
- copies of important papers (or a CD with them scanned)
- hand-crank radio/flashlight
- first aid kit (I’ll share some great resources on natural medicines later in the week)
- medicines (especially prescriptions)
- personal hygiene supplies
- emergency blankets (the foil kind that fold up small)
- meet up numbers (if the family is separated, who can you call to “check in” to make sure everyone is safe?)
- UPDATES: for babies – diapers, something to use as wipes, a sling, and formula/frozen breastmilk
…all stored in one backpack or something that you can easily grab and tote around. Warning: This is a total rookie list. You know I don’t really know what I’m doing, right? 
But others out there do. Here are some great checklists by the pros and other thoughts on where to store, how to expand for a family, what kind of food is lightweight and travels well, etc:
- Food Storage Made Easy basic list of what to include in a 72-hour survival kit
- Food to include for various needs, including gluten-free, no-cook options, etc. plus variations for kids and pets
- On building a kit, the hows and whys from Preparedness Pro
- Her list of what to include in a 72-hour survival kit
- FEMA’s basic survival recommendations
- tons of 72-hour resources from San Francisco, where they have to be ready to get outta Dodge
- The CDC’s version of a 72-hour kit
- UPDATE: Flylady’s evacuation checklist (love her!)
Do You Need Supplies in Your Car?
The chances of a disaster happening while you’re away from home are at least as likely as the opposite. If you can’t get to all your carefully prepared supplies, you’re no more “ready” than the next person. Having your car stocked with some basics is a good idea (but certainly not a baby step):
In your car you need blankets, flashlights, water, a first aid kit, and some no-cook, easily accessible rations like granola bars, etc. Think of these supplies as another 72 hour kit. You also need a pair of walking shoes. Ladies, we occasionally leave the house in heels. Wouldn’t it STINK if the trumpet sounded and we had to hike 2 miles in those same heels? Simply be prepared with an alternative pair of shoes in the car so you can always be as stylish as you want. This is also the reason why I suggest that you never let your gas tank to go below half. A spare gas container, anti-freeze, and windshield washer is a great idea to have as well.
Thanks to Preparedness Pro – read more here…
Reader Tips
I got an email from a very helpful reader about how to organize the GOODY bags, and I just had to update the post:
I keep a list of everything is the kit in a side pocket of one of the backpacks so that it is easily accessible. Then I can easily refer to it if I need to find a certain item (like a radio, or where I put the food that is about to expire) without digging through all of the packs. I write the expiration dates of the food on the list and then check it every 6 months (daylight savings time is a good reminder time).
It used to bother me a great deal (being on the frugal side) to put clothes for 5 kids in a backpack and then put it away and not be able to use it, only to have the kids outgrow the clothes and have to replace it with more clothes they won’t wear. So I started buying clothes 1-2 sizes too large and putting those in the kit. In an emergency, a slightly large t-shirt or sweat pants are not going to be a problem. Then I rotate the clothes out (and into their drawers) when they wear that size. It makes me feel much better to pre-buy clothes than to waste money on clothes that will never be worn. I write the sizes on that “master list” and check it when I do my semi-annual expiration date check.
If everyone is home in my family, we each have one backpack or other container to carry. My little ones have rolling backpacks with the lighter items in them. In case I am home alone, I have a double stroller that all of the backpacks will fit into so that I can manage them alone until the family is reunited. (or hopefully roads will be drivable and I can drive them!)
On my master list, I also include a list called “Things to Bring if Time/Space Permits”. The emergency kit is life sustaining, but there are some heavier items that would be nice to have, or items that can’t be reproduced and put in the kit (like your cell phone, wallet, prescription medication, full-size tent, kids’ special “blankies”). In an emergency, I would first grab the emergency kit and look at that list to see what else I have room to bring.
Here is a printable one-page emergency plan and contact cards for each family member.
The reader also shared a 20-week step-by-step plan to creating a 72-hour survival kit that she wrote up for her church. I will share a step per week on Facebook for 20 weeks (started 6/13, every Monday morning).
Thank you, Kelly, for your helpful input and concern for the community here!
You Can Buy Premade Kits
If you don’t want to put together a kit or don’t have time, but you’re feeling the urgency to have one on hand for whatever reason, there are plenty of sources for buying a kit already made up. Here are two:
- very basic from Emergency Essentials
- Wise Essential kits from LPC Survival (shown in the photo at the top)
What are Some Good Real Food Options to Get Outta Dodge?
If and when I pull together a kit like this, I’m going to have a hard time if I have to constantly rotate the food (like homemade larbars from Healthy Snacks to Go would require, for example). I could probably buy the packaged version and try to swap them out once a year…but what are YOUR best “real food” ideas for non-cook, store-forever options for a Bug Out Bag?
UPDATE: thoughts mostly include dehydrated fruits and homemade jerky (store bought from good sources would work, too), even homemade dehydrated soup mixes.
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If you missed the last Monday Mission, click here.
Kitchen Stewardship is dedicated to balancing God’s gifts of time, health, earth and money. If you feel called to such a mission, read more at Mission, Method, and Mary and Martha Moments.
Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Emergency Essentials and will receive commission if you buy their products, and LPC Survival is a June sponsor. I’m happy to include their resource as a complementary mention in this post. See my full disclosure statement here.
these are really good tips. after the tornado here in Alabama, things got stressful. Fast. i am more aware of emergency preparedness than i ever have been before. i would stress that everyone invest in a shelter.
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I am a big believer in emergency kits, having lived in high disaster areas like Tokyo and Kansas. I find that I dip into it at other times as well-the kids love to get out the radio and other things when the power goes out. I keep a list with all of the items in a side pocket-along with a list of expiration dates for food & batteries, and clothing sizes for the kids clothes.
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Have you thought about writing an e-book about all info about stockpiling and being prepared for an emergency? I would buy it. It would be so nice to have all the info in one place with links to other resources and like to suppliers, etc.
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Katherine Reply:
June 6th, 2011 at 5:43 pm
FLYlady has a section of her control journal dedicated to evacuation with a check list to help you prepare. You can find it here: http://www.flylady.net/pages/cjbs19.asp
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Katie Reply:
June 7th, 2011 at 10:51 am
Rebecca,
Since I’m such a rookie, that one never crossed my mind! I would recommend Stevens “Making the Best of BasicsM” (a real book with lots of from scratch stuff) or the ebook over at foodstoragemadeeasy.net (although not very real food based, unfortunately).
Friday’s post will be a complete roundup of ALL the resources I’ve found, so that’ll be a good one to bookmark.
Katie
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I have been thinking a lot about a 72 hour kit this hurricane season here in Houston. My first attempt at a 72 hour kit was way too heavy. With clothes, food, water and more… I don’t know how to carry it all! You can’t make clothes any lighter than they are, but you can make food lighter. I am thinking of either dehydrating my own foods and making dehydrated-just add water meals- OR -buying freeze dried fruits and vegetables and portioning those into meal sized portions. Balance is always best so I might end up doing a combination of both. I am looking into what backpackers take with them when they go hike a huge mountain and I am thinking of the meals along those lines. Mary Bell has a book- Complete Dehydrator Cookbook and also books like the Backpacker Gourmet. I am more inclined to assemble my own kit so I know what’s in it. Plus when the family goes camping we can “practice”.
Thanks for the great blog. I have long wondered how food storage/emergency preparedness and Real Food can live in the same house. I like that you research and give your opinion and then tell me where I ought to go for the “real food” and where it might not be that necessary. My husband and I made the decision to keep powdered milk around since its good for emergencies and things. I made my first batch of yogurt with it last week and WOW! I hope to never have to buy it weekly like I before. Thanks again!
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I’d second Rebecca’s idea, especially if you get some great real food ideas. That is the part I am struggling most with. We have to have two kits ready. The first we call the Cone of Uncertainty kit that will travel with me and the kids if it looks like we will be hit by a hurricane. That one needs to last 3-4 days, which is the aproximate time it would take for me to drive to family and back. The second is the Direct Hit kit for my husband (and dog) whose job requires him to be available to assist at the hospital following the storm.
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Katie Reply:
June 7th, 2011 at 10:53 am
Heather,
Katie
It’s probably not my forte, but see my comment to Rebecca for some other options already out there.
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I second the e-book idea. I was just thinking this myself as I read through the post. I am working on getting us more prepared for unforeseen circumstances.
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Katie Reply:
June 7th, 2011 at 10:52 am
Cyndy,
Katie
See my comment to Rebecca – there are some options out there already!
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What real food would keep indefinitely in a bug out bag? I’ve had this question on my mind for a while and have come up empty… My only thought is beef jerky vacuum sealed, but I haven’t done that yet…
For now we have a little camp stove that’s smaller than a toaster and a few packages of Mountain House foods. They’re the least ‘chemically’ that I’ve found and in a ‘crap hits the fan’ scenario, they would be pretty tasty! They do have some organic options, I think mostly dried fruit.
And “Just in Case: How to be Self-Sufficient when the Unexpected Happens” is a pretty good book that covers the basics of being prepared…
It’s a simple quick read ;o)
~Shannon
OrganicMamasShop.com
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Concerning some good real food options that store and pack well, I started making my own “instant” soup mixes about a year ago after my brother complained that all the ones he could find in the store either had trans fats or MSG. These soup mixes are easy to prepare, and I’ve made them in varieties like tortilla soup, chicken noodle, and chili. Each one is stored with a can of chicken for added protein and taste. ^_^
If you’re not up for a little “camp” cooking, vacuum-sealed dehydrated apples or watermelon slices will keep for at least a year (in my experience) as well as homemade jerky. If you find yourself constantly giving commercially packaged foods like this, I strongly recommend getting a dehydrator, or grab a couple of box fans and make your own, a la Alton Brown!
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Melissa Reply:
June 6th, 2011 at 5:54 pm
Here’s a link to a transcript of the show where Alton Brown makes his dehydrator:
http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season11/dried_fruit/witheringbites.htm
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Melissa…I would really like to know how you made your “instant” soups, as I shy away from the many packaged foods of that nature because of the MSG as well.
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Melissa Reply:
June 8th, 2011 at 9:00 am
I basically looked at the ingredients, and figured out which ones I wanted to replace. The tortilla soup, for example, is made with: beans, bell peppers, corn, carrots (all dehydrated), potato flakes, corn starch, various seasonings and spices (cumin, garlic, salt, pepper and the like) and food yeast. The food yeast is the key, it’s the replacement for MSG. It’s not biologically active, like bread yeast would be, but it gives it the same kind of flavor “enhancement”. When I started looking for natural replacements for MSG, it was what most people recommended, and we tried it, and love it, and it doesn’t cause MSG migraines!
If you’re interested in making your own mixes, I recommend using a prepackaged mix that you already like as a guide, don’t be afraid to tinker, and measure everything you add/change, so that you can duplicate the recipe when you get it right!
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If you have little ones, 4 years old or younger, be sure to have a baby/toddler sling in your kit/shelter. I am always devastated by the news reports like in Japan or Joplin where babies have been torn from their mother’s arms during a storm. An emergency sling not only adds safety, but it will help to comfort our little ones during a high stress situation. Pick one up at a second hand store or ask a friend whose children are bigger if they still have one laying around.
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Heather Reply:
June 7th, 2011 at 9:24 am
That is a great tip. We already have a few (one for the house, car, etc) but putting one specifically in our emergency kits would be really smart.
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Shannon Reply:
June 7th, 2011 at 9:53 am
Oh! I’m so glad you posted this! Our sling is essential equipment!! Yet it never crossed my mind to put one in our bug out bag! If we ever had to go on foot, I couldn’t imagine having to carry my little ones in my arms the whole way…
THANK YOU!!
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I just remembered something (it might be covered in a link I missed) that I don’t usually see on preparedness lists: pumped breastmilk. Formula is usually listed, but if you are a nursing mom who can pump having a good store of frozen breastmilk in case you are seperated from your baby (Daddy’s take them too) is a good thing to have. We keep it listed on our checklist of stuff to grab and store it in a cooler in our chest freezer so it’s ready to grab and go.
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You mention “The reader also shared a 20-week step-by-step plan to creating a 72-hour survival kit that she wrote up for her church”… do you have a link to that source or a reference for whom “the reader” is? I’d love to peruse the material
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Katie Reply:
June 9th, 2011 at 10:40 pm
Melissa,
Katie
It’s just a document a reader sent me that she created, but I’m going to figure out how I can best share it, because I think it’s great!
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Erin S Reply:
June 13th, 2011 at 5:48 pm
I’d love this info too. I don’t do Facebook though and would like to see it in another format. Thanks!
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Erin S Reply:
June 13th, 2011 at 5:54 pm
Just saw your post that I can see it without registering. Thanks again!
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