Make a 72-Hour Kit NOW!

I've been having this overwhelming feeling lately to get my poop in a pile, so to speak. But where to begin? We've got no food storage, no 72-hour kit, nothing, nada. Until now. It's not complete but it's a HUGE start. So, my friends, start making yours today if you don't have one already.  I decided to put ours in huge, plastic bins.  We are a family of 5 so we will have a ton of stuff.  My in-laws have theirs in two duffle bags.  That's not going to work for us.  So find something that will work for you.  You can use bins, backpacks, buckets, etc.  I decided on the bins also because if we needed to do laundry, we could wash our clothes in these too.  I found these at Target on clearance!

Here's just the beginning of our items.  I have the items divided into plastic zip top bags. 

I am going to put all of our supplies and food into one bin and I'll put our clothes, documents, and money into the other one. 

Here's what you will need for a 72-hour kit.  You'll need to adjust the quantities needed based on your own family size.  I made a list on my phone with the items I still need so that when I'm at the store I can pick up and item or two and before we know it we'll be ALL set and READY!

Food - Select foods that require no refrigeration, preparation or cooking and little or no water.  I'm putting tuna, chili, canned fruits, canned veggies, Ravioli, Clif Bars, Granola, Dry Cereal, Dried Fruits, Nuts, Crackers, Canned Juices, Fruit Snacks, Graham Crackers, peanut butter, granola bars and last but not least...CHOCOLATE into my 72-hour kit!  It's honestly important to put some comfort foods in your kit. 

You will also need to store 1 gallon of water per person per day.  And make sure that you pack baby food and formula if you need to.

Utensils - Plates, Forks, Spoons, Cups, Knives, Strike Anywhere Matches in a zip top bag, Paper Towels and Napkins.

Comfort - Books, Games, Puzzles, Pencil, Paper, etc.  You might not think these are necessary but imagine being stuck somewhere for a couple of days and having NOTHING to do.  Think about your kids too. 

Hygiene - Laundry Detergent (found 1 load packets in travel dept at Target), Toothbrush, Tooth Paste, Soap Bars, Toilet Paper, Maxi Pads, Tampons, Hand Towels, Medicine, Hair Brush or comb, etc. 

First Aid - Ibuprofen, Pepto, Gauze Rolls, Bandaids, Alcohol Wipes, Rubber Gloves, Large Gauze Pads, Med. Gauze Pads, Tweezers, Scissors, Thermometer, Bactine, Petroleum Jelly, Immodium, Tylenol, Laxitive, Hand Sanitizer, Children's medicine, etc.

Supplies - Flash light, Extra Batteries, Duck Tape, Dust Masks, Garbage Bags, Wipes, Can Opener, Wind Up Radio, Pencil, Paper, Cash (small denominations), Sleeping Bags, Change of Clothes, Whistle, Wrench or Pliers, Plastic Sheeting, etc. 

I made a list with the items, quantities, Category and expiration dates.  I put the info into a spreadsheet.  That way I can keep track of what it about to expire.  We can then rotate those items out. 

http://www.ready.gov/ has a TON of great info too!  Good luck and let me know what you put in your 72-hour kit!