Emergency Preparedness: 72-Hour Kits

***This post was taken from my Family Blog - we made these 72-Hour Kits in July 2010 which is why the wording is a little off***

 

Well, we did it. We have our 72-hour packs ready and waiting!! We have been meaning to do this for quite some time now... I mean, we HAVE been married for 150 days today (but who's counting) after all.

I did a lot of research. D and I discussed our plans for days before we executed them... Monday came, FHE plans were still undecided, and we went for it.

I'm a list person. I make lists of ALL sorts of things... baby's names, grocery lists, our tasks for the week, my baby weight, household chores to be done every day, my schedule down to "1. Prepare Breakfast 2. Eat breakfast"... EVERYTHING. So I made lists. I have lists of survival-related topics coming out my ears! I searched for the 72-hour pack shopping list list, and we headed to Wal-Mart!

We were excited to say the least.

We left WallyWorld with about eight sacks of "shtuff" and a couple hundred dollars poorer. Not bad considering we had to buy packs, food, an emergency radio, and all the other survival supplies needed. We were starting from scratch!

I went to take a picture of D carrying in some of the groceries and Super Man got them all!! And shut the doors to the suburban!! What the heck?!?

Oh and he wasn't pleased with himself at all. What a hunk.

Here's the loot, pre-packed!!

We had to get scissors to open the knife so we could open everything else, and voila! Ready and waiting to go into the bags!

The emergency radio...

My pack: stuffed! We were actually surprised at the amount of space left in these bags. They were $19.00 for goodness sakes, and you can almost fit a body in them! They have a ton of pockets, and several support straps. Good find, for sure.

A hymnal, a journal, and a Book of Mormon for some reading (D and I have scriptures in "senile size" just for fun. They're a tad heavy.)

We are rockin' those packs. Fo'sho.

And now for the important stuff...

72-Hour Pack

1 backpack -- $19.00
1 rain slicker -- $2.88
3 pairs socks -- $3.00
1 water bottle -- $3.00
1 gallon water -- $0.78
5 packets oatmeal -- $1.40
1 packet raspberry ice -- $0.20
3 packets hot cocoa -- $0.45
3 packets apple cider -- $0.60
2 granola bars -- $0.50
1 small bag jerky -- $2.98
3 packets ramen -- $0.60
2 small cans fruit -- $1.50
23 lifesavers -- $0.75
1 pack gum -- $0.75
4 fruit snacks -- $0.50
1 bunch zipties -- $1.50
1 can sterno fuel -- $3.00
1 pack tissues -- $0.60
4 small boxes matches -- $0.40
1 waterproof canister w/ matches -- $1.00
1 small bottle sanitizer -- $1.50
1 small bottle multi-use liquid soap -- $2.88
1 small first aid kit -- $6.88
1 emergency blanket -- $2.88
1 bottle insect repellent -- $2.88
1 ballpoint pen -- $0.50
1 roll camper toilet paper -- $0.60
1 small flashlight -- $3.00
1 7-in-1 tool -- $3.88
1 pocket knife -- $1.00
1 mess kit -- $5.88
1 whistle -- $1.00
1 pointed shovel -- $3.88
1 emergency radio -- $20.00
1 bag medication/vitamins -- ON HAND
1 sleeping bag -- $9.00
1 pair garments -- ON HAND
1 Book of Mormon -- ON HAND
1 hymnal -- ON HAND
1 journal -- ON HAND
1 pair Carhartts -- ON HAND
1 t-shirt -- ON HAND
1 hoodie -- ON HAND
1 beanie hat (something that covers the ears) -- ON HAND
1 pair gloves -- ON HAND

Special Considerations:
(that means these are in my pack because I'm a sissy, but not in D's)
1 tube chapstick
1 small bottle of lotion
1 travel size bottle contact solution
1 extra pair contacts (plus case)

TOTAL COST: $111.15/pack

TOTAL WEIGHT: 27 lbs.
(that includes 1 gallon of water and a sleeping bag)

So there you have it. We're more prepared today than we were yesterday, and that's what counts! If you have any questions, feel free to ask!! We purchased everything from Wal-Mart.

**If you're interested, SouthernPrepper1 has a great video on 72-Hour Kits (or "Bug-Out Bags" as a lot of the prepping community calls them) - he has some great information in this one**

Southern Prepper1's Video on Bug-Out Bags