Seems very simple, the officials say to have a 72 hour kit. I am in the process of making a 72 hour kit for my daughter. Please note chances are high that she will be at my door if an emergency ever happens but I would like for her and her boyfriend to be prepped just in case. I want to keep things at a lower cost. I know that putting a dollar amount vs. a life is bad but this is a basic 72 hours kit that may never be used so wasting money on the latest and greatest is not what I want to do. Someone had suggested packing a 72 hour kit in an old suitcase because if neighbors see it being loaded into a car it does not seem curious, it is just a suitcase. Most would not think that a suitcase will be filled with goodies other than basic clothes etc. I thought a suitcase/72 hour kit will be simple. I am having issues because I have been at this survival/ preparedness thing for years so my knowledge is no longer clueless sheep. I started packing then realized some of the stuff I was putting in would be over the everyday Joe’s head. T. Riley had mentioned that he was giving prep items as gifts. I started thinking about what heating item would be the best. My daughter doesn’t have a gas grill or grill of any sort. She has a kitchen stove. I threw in some Life Straws but then realized those may not be right because I wonder how many everyday people know what a Life Straw is and why they would need it or why they would want it. (Since I took the picture, all those things have been removed and I am back to planning) I was thinking of attaching a must add list to the outside of the suitcase. I would add to the list cooking pot, medications, cat food (if bugging out w/cat) glasses (broken pair), on and on…. Either I am making this harder than it is or maybe it is hard. Think of what should be put in a 72 hour kit for someone that is not into camping, someone who has no knowledge nor will have any when SHTF. First thing: get a smaller suitcase. Then start simple. This is what I have come up with so far: -Matches, ethanol gel containers, a small chaffing dish-an easy cooking way for normal people? -Tarp, rope and visqueen plus duct tape. -2 smaller flashlights and a battery operated lantern and batteries. -Paper products: t. paper, plates, cups and paper towels. Plus a tube of Clorox wipes and baby wipes with a note. Help! Am I over thinking or under-estimating? Think about what you would give to a non-prepper as a 72 hour kit. They just need to be covered till help gets there because as they say.... The First 72 Hours is on You!
Where would you evacuate too? This determines whether you need to bring tent, sleeping bags, mattresses, etc. Will you go to a hotel? A friend's home? My wife and I bought three sets of clothing for us and our daughter at a thrift store and spent around $50, including shoes. Is there power where you're going? Perhaps a one burner hot plate could be used instead of burning flames from a gel or other camp type stove. Do you have important documentation scanned and saved? Before you go, spend a few minutes and photograph every wall in every room of your home. Get close-ups of your appliances and electronics. The Life Straws are a good idea, even if they don't know what they are for. That's what talking and education is for. You could create a one page 'how to use' sheet and laminate it.
Take her on a weekend camping trip, and have her use every item in the kit. Repeatedly. People do what they are trained. Make sure she is trained.
It is not for me. It is a gift to my daughter who is early 20's and not a prepper. it is national preparedness month and with all the storms and fires that have taken place, I feel the need to do something. Since reading @T. Riley's post about how he gives his daughter prep stuff and my daughters B. day is coming up soon, I thought it was time.
72 hr kit in a suitcase. Good idea for suburbia, I've never thought of that. First thing I would put in the bottom of the suitcase is a brand new smallish tarp. 5'x7' or maybe a 6'x10'. Brand new from harbor freight they are cheap and already packaged so they will lay flat in the bottom of the suitcase. Next would be a small napsack/backpack that will be large enough to hold all the other stuff in case she needs to ditch the suitcase. Having to walk very far toting that suitcase will get old.
Why paper plates? 100ft roll of tarred bankline. A sharpener, since it is unlikely she will know how to sharpen? I would include a neckknife like a Sweet Kiss or Cold Steel Spike. Maybe a little alcohol stove kit (for instance, I have a sub 2lb one in the store with burner, stove stand, pot, skillet, etc) in case she need it? Almost no skill required to run any of those. A bic, for sure. Maybe pepper spray, etc? And a Resqumee type tool?
I was thinking easy simple and very city. Yes, she could use real plates but that requires water etc. I have a few extra Swiss Army knives and a simple Leatherman that can go in the case. Alcohol stove maybe an option because easy is what I am looking for. ** re: pepper spray. I found two that are past their expiration date. This is one of those things I do not want to try past the expiration date. Anyone know if the expiration on pepper spray is 100% and it should be thrown away once it expires?
I'm thinking lessons in survival and preparedness first off....hands-on type stuff. All the items listed thus far, though very useful, are completely worthless if you don't know what to do with them.
The Sterno stove that has the pan as part of the kit and another set of fuel cans might be a good start. About $13. Get a few utensil sets from KFC or other fast food joint - offer the counter person a buck or two for a handful. These should have the napkin & salt/pepper in the wrapper. 2 each Maglight AA battery powered with LED lights. Or - a couple of LED lights from Home Depot. One should be a headlamp - single AA preffered Hand towel, washcloth and a couple of small bars of soap. Add a large microfleece towel or large Shamwow if you want. 2 mini-Bic lighters A fleece sleeping bag liner (about $15) and a couple of 55 gal drum liners or 2ea 10x10 drop cloths - the kind that has vinyl on one side (usually blue) Have them add their own clothing - 3 sets of undies and at least 1 change of street clothes. Add 1 set cheap sweatsuit - perf fleece. A couple of large bandanas. A small AM/FM radio, that runs on just one AA battery - the Sony SRF-59 is one of the best and gets a long run time from a single AA battery (under $20) Notebook, deck of cards, have them put in some canned food - soup, Minute rice, and so on. Good luck.
"72 hours"!!!!! Priorities are shelter, air, protection from heat or cold, water, protection from hostiles. Do you really need hot food and plates to stay alive 3 days? My first thought was some way of knowing there was a danger, contact list with you, weather radio, agreed on phone contact with you or alternative members of the family. Second would be a good fire extinguisher, a good flashlight, I prefer LED and extra batteries or solar charged type, a plan to get out of the structure, rope, alternative exit doors, windows, etc, and a way to get to the bag and a way to carry it. If they are staying in the house, its time for defense, if they are leaving the car may be a shelter, if not then we get to small tent or tarp and space blankets, in car or out, can't beat a good compact sleeping bag and they will need good walking shoes, rain coat, winter or summer clothes, etc and good maps to their desired destination. May need dust masks etc to make breathing easier or to protect from environmental dangers. I would suggest a folding water storage container and a Sawyer etc type pump filter. If in house can use tap water to fill it, or hot water tank, or God willing and filtered even toilet tank water, once out of house can purify most other sources of water to drink. I tend to wear a belt and suspenders so I like to use bleach as well for viruses. May need gun, bat, martial arts training or whatever to hold on to what you have and while keeping a low profile is best, Murphy is always along for the trip. For food to survive on, you can't beat hard candy, jerky, life boat rations, survival bars, etc or anything that has a lot of calories, doesn't make you thirsty, and takes a while to eat and keeps the saliva flowing. We tend to to use oatmeal, trail mix, farina, honey, butter, dry soup mixes, etc in our house and I would grab that for bulk and keeping stomach full and take it with us and cook it in the mess kit I carry in car along with small axe, folding shovel, fire starting materials, knife, leatherman tool, LED flashlight, parachute cord, etc, that go in with my spare tire. Bug out bag, handy, proper attitude and some basic knowledge, priceless. Need a decent first aid kit, but should have one in house and one in car.
72 hours? MRE with heater (3 per person), Rain poncho (1 per person), 2 flashlights, quart of water (per person), life straw, handgun, Bic lighter, toilet paper, small first aid kit. Around 12 pounds total weight. MRE meals have high moisture content requiring less additional water to digest. Put into school type back packs for easy transport. It's only 3 days, we don't need a full kitchen or changes of clothes other than maybe a pair of socks. Trust me, it's easy to over complicate a 3 day pack, and you'll quickly want to shed items if you have to hump them for 3 days. The suitcase idea is a good one from a security standpoint and great to stay in one place. If travel is in the plans then some Hello Kitty or Power Ranger back packs would be better.
@duane that is an amazing post but you are thinking like a seasoned prepper or someone who knows how to take care of themselves.
My bag is purple. Many people have their everyday or bug out bag being a military/survival looking bag. Was told years ago to avoid those types of bags because it will make you a target. Basically advertising that you are a survivalist.
My experience, is that people will see "stuff" and not what type of bag you have it in, but times and places I suppose.
"One second after" and some survival books /literature that provides how to's. Kids without experience do not value these things ,sometime even if they go through it unscathed .
