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)

[maxwell]

Paper plates??? Spirits of ammonia?? Changes of clothing???!

Look, chickie, all you need is a fifth of Cuervo and a backup carton of Marlboros. Make sure you don't smoke the Marlboros beforehand.

Wellll okay, maybe TWO fifths of Cuervo.

[goodnesswins]

I read somewhere that 10 sq ft of space (in a room) will last one person about 5 hours (for air).....you are right, this is a temporary shelter.

[Neenah]

Thank you !!

[Have Ruck - Will Travel]

If you have to seal yourself off, you might consider putting a note on the front door (inside an envelope marked "Rescue Personnel" or such) with the date/time you sealed yourself in and the names and ages of all who are sealed inside.

Figure about three to five hours of air depending on how many adults/children are inside.

If you haven't heard an ALL CLEAR report on the radio by that time you might try putting kittie out the door to check the "air quality" before going out yourself.

Take care,

Ruck

[steve86]

Listing has some of the necessaries, anyway.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11703&item=2306999085

[CARDINALRULES]

I saw it on a website a while ago and also a segment of a Shark week show on the Discovery Channel-- had a Japanese man that survived a shark attack by packing cigarettes into the most severe of the wounds.

(Of course I wouldn't use it other than as a last resort and the only other option was bleeding to death.)

For some reason I can't find the site again and all the searches have only had NEGATIVE info about tobacco uses...go figure.

[kstewskis]

Is it a .38, or a .357? What's the model? What's the frame made of? What's the barrel length?

Actually the gun I was shooting (that I'm considering buying) is a S&W .357 Magnum, barrel lenth is approx 3". I believe it is an alloy steel, and felt goooooood pulling the trigger at 25'....and accurate too...according to my targets :)

[Chemist_Geek]

Ha! It had better be 599, sending text over the Internet... (grin)

[Prof Engineer]

sorry QRM got you OM.

[Paulus Invictus]

No, but they do target Hill Air Force base nearby.

[DCPatriot]

Your credit cards will be worthless in the event of an attack. CASH, buddy! Cash!

[Paulus Invictus]

You are correct! Very few take this seriously, so if it comes to a real emergency, those that have the foresight to store food had better be armed too. By the way, we bought a whole case of 72 assorted MREs from a military supply store last week for $70. A real steal and these meals taste pretty good.

[Paulus Invictus]

Yesterday, speaking of fears, the local hardware stores were selling out of duct tape and large rolls of plastic films. Seems that someone on TV mentioned how useful they would be to protect your house and selves from a poison gas attack. The local supplier of 5 gallon bottled water was swamped with orders. People are preparing, who knows for what, but this is the most anxious I have seen people for a long time.

[muggs]

Coffee (freeze dried) and tea bags would be good.

They put coffee in little tea bags now, much better than freeze dried coffee IMO.

[discostu]

Any attack big enough to make my credit cards worthless will probably kill me, and screw up civilization to the point that the survivors are reduced to barter. The infrastructure is a lot more stable than people give it credit.

[muggs]

***Do I really have to get feminine hygiene products? Checking out at the store is SO embarassing. ***

No, just order this over the internet and you'll never need to run to the store for those embarassing unmentionables again. :)

http://www.keeper.com/

[DCPatriot]

Not true about the magnitude of a local attack.

It's a big country. First, they will shut off the credit cards in the State where the attack occurs...."for security reasons".

For example, to ensure that nobody has looted the dead and stolen their cards or bank info.

It's commons sense for them to do that.

[Salvation]

BTTT!

[Salvation]

I hope you were being sarcastic here. Humans are more important than animals.

[Salvation]

Good list. Rather than the candy I would use protein bars. Need plenty of water however.