September Is National Preparedness Month !! "You may need to survive on your own after an emergency. This means having your own food, water, and other supplies in sufficient quantity to last for at least three days. Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone immediately. You could get help in hours, or it might take days. In addition, basic services such as electricity, gas, water, sewage treatment, and telephones may be cut off for days, or even a week or longer." FEMA-
A 72 hr. kit should be put together in a practical manner so that you can carry it with you if you ever need to evacuate your home. It is also important to prepare one for each member of your family who is able to carry one. And a first aid kit is always a must. How often have you looked for a bandaid and couldn't find one? Well, now we are talking about a bigger picture...with the natural disasters around us, we need to be prepared to possibly depend on what we have around the house for a few days or even longer. And on a smaller picture...we need to be ready for a home emergency as well!!THE RED CROSS has an excellent site to read about preparing your home. Check it out. The following is the 72 hour kit and list that I have used...there are also many others out there.
A 72 HOUR CHECKLIST:
A 72 HOUR CHECKLIST:
- Protein/Granola Bars
- Trail Mix/Dried Fruit
- Crackers/Cereals (for munching)
- Canned Tuna, Beans, Turkey, Beef, Vienna Sausages, etc ("pop-top" cans that open without a can-opener might not be a good idea...It seems that the top seals are not as strong as a normal can)
- Canned Juice
- Candy/Gum (warning: Jolly Ranchers can melt and using mint gum might make everything taste like mint.
- Water (1 Gallon/4 Liters Per Person)
NOTE: May I suggest to recycle your 72 hr. food kits every 6 months. Break them open and eat them at a hike or a picnic with the family...just make sure that you date and label new ones before using the old ones!!
Bedding and Clothing
- Change of Clothing (short and long sleeved shirts, pants, jackets, socks, etc.)
- Underwear
- Rain Coat/Poncho
- Blankets and Emergency Heat Blanks (that keep in warmth)
- Cloth Sheet
- Plastic Sheet
Fuel and Light - Battery Lighting (Flashlights, Lamps, etc.)
- Extra Batteries
- Flares
- Candles
- Lighter
- Water-Proof Matches
Equipment
Can Opener - Dishes/Utensils
- Shovel
- Radio (with batteries!)
- Pen and Paper
- Axe
- Pocket Knife
- Rope
- Duct Tape
Personal Supplies and Medication
- First Aid Kit
- Toiletries (roll of toilet paper- remove the center tube to easily flatten into a zip-lock bag, feminine hygiene, folding brush, etc.)
- Cleaning Supplies (mini hand sanitizer, soap, shampoo, dish soap, etc. Warning: Scented soap might "flavor" food items.)
- Immunizations Up-to Date
- Medication (Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, children's medication etc.)
- Prescription Medication (for 3 days)
Personal Documents and Money
(Place these items in a water-proof container!)
(Place these items in a water-proof container!)
- Legal Documents (Birth/Marriage Certificates, Wills, Passports, Contracts, etc)
- Vaccination Papers
- Insurance Policies
- Cash
- Credit Card
- Pre-Paid Phone Cards
Miscellaneous
- Bag(s) to put 72 Hour Kit items in (such as duffel bags or back packs, which work great) Make sure you can lift/carry it!
- Infant Needs (if applicable)
Notes:
Update your 72 Hour Kit every six months (put a note in your calendar/planner) to make sure that: all food, water, and medication is fresh and has not expired; clothing fits; personal documents and credit cards are up to date; and batteries are charged. - Small toys/games are important too as they will provide some comfort and entertainment during a stressful time.
- Older children can be responsible for their own pack of items/clothes too.
- You can include any other items in your 72 Hour Kit that you feel are necessary for your family's survival.
- Some items and/or flavors might leak, melt, "flavor" other items, or break open. Dividing groups of items into individual Ziploc bags might help prevent this.
There is no time like the present to start preparing and being ready for an emergency...Even if you have to collect things a little at a time...it's better doing it that way than not at all...GOOD LUCK!
Very good tips whether outdoors or in your home. I always make sure I carry a very sharp knife so I can cut a body part off, if I ever get a hook embedded.
ReplyDeleteCofisher ~ I really had to think twice before I published this comment... :o Going barbless from here on out! No knives or sharp objects needed...thank you.
ReplyDeleteIt's big sport here in Colorado.
ReplyDeleteHaven't you noticed that it's the current rage to amputate body parts?
ReplyDeleteUhhh. Ummm. Yeah, I can't abide the Red Cross.
ReplyDeleteThere is no rod, line or flies on that list. Way to drop the ball Red Cross.
:) Good stuff RD.
Will ~ Hey, you can always add those items under "Equipment"... :)
ReplyDeleteVery good information. I am currently building my own kit after being with out power for a few days. I think you need to add a 5wt.
ReplyDeleteHaving just made it through 100+ hours of power outages, along with severely compromised emergency services, limited travel and little access to supplies (ice!), I would probably add a few things to the published lists going around.
ReplyDeleteA good camp stove for cooking and heating water for clean-up comes in very handy, along with an awareness of carbon monoxide danger and those little wind-up radios with a NOAA band at least let you hear news and updates without worrying about batteries.
One should also have on hand an extra dose or two of fortitude, because after the first couple of days "roughing it" starts to get old. Preparing ahead of time pays off, even if you don't think it could happen to you. The shock of a sudden disaster makes it hard to think straight and having things already in place can be a real relief. Along with extra fortitude, pack a couple of hankies because chances are, there will be crying.
Take the forecasts and calls for readiness seriously! If they are wrong, you can have a good laugh later. If they are right, and you are prepared, at least you can hang in for a while until help arrives. If you have you and yours taken care of, you have a much better chance of being the help instead of needing it.
Too many people scoffed at Irene when she was downgraded from hurricane status and got their asses seriously kicked by a mere tropical storm.