Quick And Easy 72-Hour Emergency Kit For Survival

This is a quick and easy 72-hour emergency kit for survival just about anyone can use to get started on their preparedness journey. (PRINTABLE below). I recently taught a very short class on being prepared with food storage and emergency preparedness items. I mentioned in the class that 72-Hour Emergency Kits are great, but we need MORE than just that bag to survive for an extended period of time. Here’s the deal, I bought Mark and I bags with wheels, I can’t throw that bag on my back and go walking or hiking. I wish I could say I’m physically fit for just about anything. No, I’m not. I’m working on making my body healthier and stronger, but it takes time and diligence. I’m doing it one baby step at a time. I started with swimming and walking. My decision to purchase bags with wheels works for Mark and me because we don’t want to put them on our backs because of the weight.

Get the Right Sized Bag or Container

I start hyperventilating just thinking about putting all that weight from my 72-hour kit on my back as a backpack. Nope, I need wheels and a bag that can handle the weight so I can pull it behind me or throw it in the car. I have my food in a separate bag and the other items listed below in a bag ready to grab and go out the door if I need to evacuate. Please start with a bag, box, or plastic container and check off the items you have in your bag, box, or container. I found that after I zipped up that 72-hour emergency kit bag, I forgot what I put in the darn bag. I have bins in my garage neatly labeled with emergency items, but that bag was zipped closed. After I taught that mini-class last week, I grabbed the two 72-hour kits from the garage and spread all the “stuff” out on my kitchen table. It’s a large table and it was a bit overwhelming to organize it once again. But I knew I had to do it so I could sleep at night, knowing I’m totally prepared for the unexpected.

This is why I decided to type up a list and put it inside the plastic bags that keep those bags free from the dust and dirt in the garage. I can glance quickly and know exactly what I have in it. If I decide I need another item or two to add to my bags later on, I can pencil in the item(s) on the list. Easy peasy. So let’s get started. Remember, you don’t have to buy everything at once. Some of the stuff you can buy at the dollar stores, but a lot of the items I would not purchase there. I like to buy “right” the first time. I hate wasting money on stuff I have to replace later because the quality was so inferior. Please remember to start slowly with purchases and add to your list as your budget allows.

72-Hour Emergency Kit:

If you have to grab and go with your 72-Hour Emergency Kit be sure and have this list attached so you remember to grab those items listed in color below that can’t be stored in the garage, if that’s where you store yours like I do. I keep them protected from dust using these plastic zippered bags: Zippered Vinyl Storage Bag, Large, 23x23x12 Inch, Set of 2

72-Hour Kits 2016–Food–Water–Prescriptions–Essential/Oils–Silver/Solution–Binder/Important/Documents

Whistle

Compass

Blanket: Emergency Blanket (6-Pack), Military Green 52″ x 82″. Designed for NASA with up to 90% Heat Retention. Waterproof, Mylar Thermal Blankets for Backpacking, First Aid Kit, Bug Out Bag

Work gloves

Personal unit: shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, razor, shave gel, a bar of soap, liquid soap, sewing kit & lip balm

Basic unit: LED flashlight, batteries or a solar flashlight, poncho, paper, pencil, water purification tablets, garbage bags

First aid kit: safety pins, first aid book, 2 triple antibiotics, burn cream, non-latex gloves, gauze pads, butterfly bandages, aspirin, Ibuprofen, antacids, alcohol prep wipes, non-aspirin products, and any other products YOUR family requires

Can opener

Toilet paper

Metal cups with silverware

N-95 masks: 3M 1860 N95 RESPIRATOR AND SURGICAL MASK Box of 20

Matches

Goal Zero Solo solar flashlights: these are my favorite because they don’t need batteries. Goal Zero 90109 Solo V2 Solar Flashlight

Goggles

Surgical kit with scissors

Bandanas

C.E.R.T. notebooks

Stethoscope kit and airway punch

Hand warmers

4-in-1 tool: 4 in 1 Emergency Tool

Duct tape

Berkey sport bottle: I just ordered a few more of these, you can never have too many bottles to purify your water. Berkey GSPRT Generic 22-Ounce Water Filter Sports Bottle, 3-Pack
Signal mirror

Headlamp

Multipurpose pocket knife

Cash: small bills like ones and fives

PRINTABLE: 72-Hour Emergency Kit by Food Storage Moms

Please remember, you don’t have to purchase all the items you and your family need ASAP. Please start a 72-hour emergency kit with a box until you have the money to buy backpacks or buckets to store your stuff in. The next step is to add things to my list that you feel strongly that your family will need or want after a disaster or unforeseen emergency. For the kids, be sure and add some games, a stuffed animal, or paper and some colored pencils. If we end up sitting on the floor over at the local elementary school in the auditorium, be ready to calm the little ones with some fun projects. That reminds me, add some diapers and binkies, you can never have too many of those. May God bless you and your family to be prepared for the unexpected.