Pre-Packaged Preparedness Kits

One way to cut down on the time and planning it takes is to purchase already packaged preparedness kits. There are a few different companies, and they each have a variety of kits that you can purchase to suit the needs of your particular family. What types of preparedness kits are available? You can food supply kits, water kits, food storage kits, kitchen processing items, medical and first aid kits, power charges, shelter kits, navigation kits, and cooking supplies. Food supply kits are the most popular for purchase because they put all of the food that you might need for … Continue reading →

In-a-Hurry Kids’ Care Kit

There are a few reasons why you might need to leave your home in a hurry. Anyone with children, especially infants and toddlers, knows that it is nearly impossible to leave in a hurry unless you have prepared sufficiently ahead of time. For cases such as these, it could be very helpful to have a bag set aside already loaded with what you need and easy to grab and take with you at a moment’s notice. Imagine what would happen if there was an emergency in your extended family and you needed to pack up the kids and leave as … Continue reading →

Maintaining Your 72-Hour Kit

Recently, my husband and I went through our 72-hour kit of food that we had’?t touched for probably two years. Not surprisingly, all of the food was pretty much inedible. I mean, I know beef jerky is suppose to be tough, but I don’t think it’s suppose to shatter into hundreds of pieces when you hit it against a hard surface. We realized that we should have been more responsible and replaced the food regularly. Had we experienced an emergency where we needed to use our kits, we would at least have had something, but it would have been pretty … Continue reading →

Three Days’ Worth of Food for Your 72- Hour Kit

The Red Cross encourages every family to have a disaster supply kit including food and supplies in the event of rapid evacuation from their homes. Here is a shopping list for each person’s 72-hour food kit. This food is pretty compact, made to all fit in a gallon-size zipper bag or plastic container with a screw top. Following the shopping list is a sample menu for three days. For each person, buy: 2 Granola Bars Buy bars made with whole grains for the most energy. Look for bars with vitamins and protein, but don’t worry if they have a high … Continue reading →

What to Put in a Basic 72-Hour Kit

Here is a basic list for putting together your family’s 72-hour disaster supply kit. Make sure to think about your family’s unique needs when tailoring this list to your own situation. Also consider your climate and what would be helpful to have to protect you from the elements. Water At a minimum, you should have one gallon of water for each person included in your kit. FEMA recommends two. These can be in one-gallon containers or smaller bottles for easier drinking. Buy unopened bottles instead of filling your own water. Three days’ supply of food Store three days of food. … Continue reading →

What is a 72-Hour Kit?

The Red Cross encourages every family to have a disaster supply kit in the event of rapid evacuation from their homes. Would you have the supplies necessary to sustain your family for a few hours or even a few days? Here are a few things to think about when preparing your family’s disaster supply kit, often referred to as a 72-hour kit. Storage options First, you will need to decide exactly how you will store your emergency supplies. Many families choose to use backpacks. Each family member, except small children and babies, have their own backpack with their own supplies. … Continue reading →

5 Ways For Your Child to Help Prepare an Emergency Kit

If you have not already prepared an emergency kit for your children, you may want to enlist their help as you do so. This will help your children be comfortable with what is inside their kits. It will also give them something familiar to help them a scary situation. In a small child’s kit you may not put as much food (you would put in yours instead), but rather comfort items and activities. In an older child’s kit you would make it nearly as complete as your own. Here are five steps to having your child help you prepare the … Continue reading →

Emergency Kits Make Great Christmas Presents

A great Christmas present for all of your unprepared family and friends would be an emergency kit. The Red Cross has begun recommending a five day kit, instead of the standard 72-hour kit. However, you can decide the length of the kit. You can purchase an emergency kit for your friends or family or you can assemble one of your own. In reality your gift will have to be completed once they have received it, since it may be difficult to buy and include extra clothing and prescriptions for each individual. You may want to start off by making a … Continue reading →

Include Mulit-Purpose Tools in Your Emergency Kit

As you review your emergency kit and look around your home, you should consider the different types of tools that you have included. It is important to have a good set of tools on hand so that you can make basic repairs at home. It is also nice to have a set of tools in your trunk, so that you can make simple car repairs as well. An important all purpose tool to have on hand is a multi-tool, such as a Leatherman. These are great because they are compact, but come with a wide variety of tools on them. … Continue reading →

How Portable Is Your Emergency Kit?

In an emergency situation you may be forced to rough it. You may be evacuated from your home, and the emergency shelters may be full. You may have to hike out of an area because the roads are impassable due to earthquakes or other disasters. Your emergency kits should be prepared to handle these situations. Here are five things to consider when stocking your emergency kit for these types of emergencies. 1) You will want to be able to provide some sort of shelter for your family. You may pack several tarps and rope and rig up a temporary tent … Continue reading →