Emergency Kits, Survival Kits, 72 Hour Kits

  • Did You Know…


    That over 85% of American households do not have 72 survival kits for every member of their household?

    Of that 15% who do have a survival kit for each member of their home, 10% of those kits are not up-to-date and serve them no good.

Having an outdated emergency kit with expired items in it is just like having no emergency kit at all.  It will honestly do you no good if you cannot use the contents within to keep you alive in times of disaster.  It is recommended that you go through and update your kits every six months so that if something does expire or go bad, you can swap it out for something fresh and new.

Here are some things that should be replaced about every six months.

  • Your water supply – The Red Cross and The Center For Disease Control recommend you replace your water every six months due to water born bacteria that can develop
  • Batteries – Most of the time, batteries will last longer than six months, however, it is wise to just replace them so that they don’t expire on you without you knowing
  • First Aid Kits – Many things within your first aid kit will last forever, but things like aspirin, antiseptic, and other items expire and need to be replaced
  • Any food that doesn’t have a long shelf life
  • Any articles of clothing that you have grown out of

Here are some other things that need replacing at one time or another.

  • Hand and body warmers
  • Matches
  • Sunscreen

It is vital to you and your family members survival that you replace these items in your 72 hour survival kits and any others that might need to be replaced.  Put a reminder on your calendar to go through your kits every six months so you don’t forget.  Doing so will keep your family safe and give you a greater peace of mind.

When it comes to emergency survival kits, one thing that most people don’t worry about too much about is clothing.  When I was younger, my parents put together survival kits for each of us and went to Wal-Mart to get a cheap sweat shirt and sweat pants.  Of course, I, nor my parents thought anything about that decision, but today, I realize that you need more than that to stay comfortable if there is some sort of disaster.

If you didn’t assemble your 72 hour emergency kit on your own, you will most likely have to add some things to it like the clothing of your choice.  Many people, like my parents, will take the easy route and just buy some cheap clothing, probably sweats and be done.  If you truly want to be prepared, you need clothing for both the summer and the winter.

Remember, if there is some sort of emergency or disaster, your family will already be stressed and upset, the last thing you want is not be prepared for the temperatures of the season.  Your goal with these kits is not only to have them keep you alive, but comfortable.  You should definitely have some sweats in your kits for the cold temperatures.  But, if it is hot outside, you will probably want light t-shirts and gym shorts available as well.  You might also consider flip flops, hats, sunglasses, and maybe a light coat if you can fit one.

A true survival kit is one that will help you stay alive in any condition.  You need to prepare yourself for all types of conditions and you will have no need to worry in times of emergency.

If there is an emergency in or around the area that you are living, you and every person living in your home is going to need a 72 hour kit!  A lot of people have some food storage stocked away in their basement or a small 72 hour kit in their closet, but this simply isn’t enough to survive an emergency.

So, you might be asking yourself, why 72 hours worth of food and supplies?  Isn’t a day or two going to be enough?  The answer is NO!  The reason for compiling a 72 hour emergency kit for each person in your home is because they say that it takes at the very least, three days, or 72 hours for disaster relief to reach the area.  Most experts say that three days worth of supplies is the bear minimum that you should have on hand.  They recommend that you have a little more in case you are in an area that is secluded or takes longer to reach.  You must keep in mind that this is your and your family’s lives you are talking about.

So, if you don’t have 72 hour survival kits readily on hand for every member of your family and I mean EVERY, you need to do something about it today.  Your kits should contain food, water, clothing, some form or shelter and protection from environmental factors and anything else you see fit.

You should keep in mind that these emergency kits need to be updated frequently, especially if you have growing children living in your home.  If you aren’t keeping tabs on your kits about every six months or so, you need to so you can ensure your family is prepared and can survive a disaster if one was to occur.

Emergency survival kits should be found in every home and for every person in your family.  Today, a lot of experts say that you should also have one in your car too since you never know where you will be when an emergency happens.  Having these kits accessible should give you a piece of mind knowing that you are prepared to face anything that comes upon you and your family.

There are lots of things that a person should have in their emergency kit.  There are obviously other items that need to be added for each family member depending on their age, etc.

Here are a list of things that you will definitely want in your survival kit.

  • Water
  • First aid kit
  • Prescription medication for anyone requiring it
  • Portable radio – solar powered, windup or battery operated
  • Extra batteries
  • Canned food and dry goods
  • Matches
  • Flashlight or candles
  • Camp stove and fuel
  • Activities, such as games to pass the time
  • Whistle
  • Large storage container or duffle bag to contain all the items

Standard emergency kits should contain enough supplies to help a person survive for at least three days.  Hence the term 72 hour kit, as they are also known by.  The food in each pack should not be something that spoils.  Not only should you include water in your kits, you should have some water purification tablets or a water bottle that purifies water on the fly.

In addition, depending on your location or destination, emergency survival kits should contain emergency blankets, gloves and anything else designed for extreme weather conditions. Do not forget to include basic toiletry items as well.

It is vital that you keep your 72 hour kits up to date.  I recommend that you go through your kits at least once every six month and swap out old food, water, and clothing that may be too small for someone in your family.

It is quite sad because most people don’t take the time or put the effort into preparing emergency survival kits.  Don’t let this happen to you.  Take the time today to prepare a 72 hour kit or order one already assembled on the internet.

  

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