72 hour kits

I had a few people ask about how I put 72 hour kits together so I decided to blog about it. There are a few things I want to share before I really get into that. First, I thought we were prepared. I was a little too prideful in thinking we were ok. In my mind it had been a year or so since I last checked our kits. No, it had been 6. SIX YEARS. The kids ages, sizes and abilities changed a lot in the last 6 years. So, no matter how prepared you think you are, there is always more. Second, there is still always more. Don't get discouraged with all that needs to happen. Preparedness is a slippery slope and you will always think of something else you can do.  As you have time and money, do them. But, don't get so overwhelmed you are paralyzed with fear and then do nothing.  Third, think of 72 hour kits as a way to get yourself from point A to point B. These are things to just get you there.  72 hour kits are NOT LONG TERM.  So, don't pack your kits as if they are. Also, think about where you are going with them.  Where is point B? Is it any safer than where you are?  Is it safe to travel to point B? If point B doesn't have the food, water, shelter & safety you require, should you be going there? Fourth, there is no right answer. What I post here is what I have chosen to do for my family. I have reasons for doing them (and I'll share those) but my family is different than yours. So, take what feels right for your family, don't tell me how Im doing it wrong, and lets all do the best we can to be a little more prepared.  I broke my 72 hour kits up into sections. I'll go through each of those here.  Some things I'll post pictures of and some will be pretty self explanatory. With all of  that said, here is what I do and why:
 PACKS: I have really good back packing back packs for the 4 oldest (Keith, Camille, Jakob & Corrine). The next time I do these, Sariah will bump up.  Jakob will keep his pack in his car. This way it is with him no matter where he is.  He is planning on moving out in a couple of months and I wanted something that could sustain him if he had to hunker down in his apartment without our food storage, or that he could have to walk home with if necessary.

For the 3 youngest, I have rolling backpacks. They can be worn as a back pack or rolled  I did this because if they need to pull it, they can. If I need to tie their pack to me or something else, we can drag it behind. Also, due to the size of the backpacks, as full as I can fill them is about all the weight the kids could carry anyway.

FOOD:

Energy/Calorie Bars (5 year life) 2 per pack

Freeze Dried Meal 2 per pack (25 year life)

Cookware for each pack (lightweight backpacking kinds)

Water packets. These are good because they can be shoved into small spaces in the packs. 

Water bottles/filters. It is impossible to carry all of the water required so don't try. Instead, have a way to filter water you can find.

SHELTER/SAFETY:

Tarp

Rope

Axe in Keith & Jakob

Shovel in Jakobs car

Extra ammunition in 4 oldest (we all have concealed carry permits)

Work gloves

First Aid Kits

Hand crank radio for updates (batteries stored separate)

Thumb drive (documents & personal information on them)

Coins/cash

Contact Page (in each of the kids packs. Picture of the family and family information such as address, phone numbers, family members names, grandparents names and contacts)

HYGIENE:

Toothbrush/paste

Hand towel

Baby wipes

Hand sanitizer

Feminine hygiene (all the girls packs)

Hair Scrunches

Chapstick

Dry shampoo

CLOTHING:

Sweats (I do black so they can be handed down to boy or girl. Also, can be worn over other things if we need layers and can be used as pajamas. They can be cut easily if things are too hot)

Underwear (remember if you have any family members recently endowed this changes things)

Socks

Shoes

Winter hat (beanie)

Sun hat 
I pack things in ziplock bags to keep them from floating all over. Also, if something gets spilled or wet, hopefully that will keep the mess contained and other things dry. 

LIGHT/HEAT:

 Headlamp flashlight (hands free will be nice)

(useless) space blankets. I didn't want to throw them away. Do not think you will stay warm with these, but they could be nice to separate your backside from the dirt if you have to sit, or make a nice tablecloth.

Road flares in 4 oldest

Matches (fire starter in 4 oldest)

Flashlight (batteries stored separately)You will want to store them in a ziplock bag taped to the flashlight otherwise the batteries can corrode and then the flashlight won't do you any good.

Glow stick (in 3 youngest)

Solar chargers. These work for anything that takes a micro USB chord. I have used these in all day long in stadiums and they work well.

FOOD BIN:

This is a bin of extra food we can grab if we have time but do not have time to load up the storage room. I am also storing this food in a different place and different from the 72 hour kits. I do not want to keep all of my eggs in the storage room basket. If something happens and we can not access the storage room, what will I do if EVERYTHING is in that room?

WINTER CLOTHING BIN:

I store extra thermals, gloves, hats and blankets in this bin. If it is cold and we have time to grab it, we will. If it is July, I do not want to spend any extra energy or space dragging around thermals. 

I have read a lot about earthquakes and in most cases, its best to stay put. Plan on not being able to get anywhere, but also plan on it being a while before help can get in.  Because earthquakes are a hot topic, another thing from an article I read was "Let gravity be your interior design guide.

Don’t hang items over your bed. Secure pictures and frames. Bolt shelves to walls. Put heavier objects on lower shelves. Install latches on your cabinets so you’re not dodging dinner plate shrapnel." I plan on working on these things next. 

I reserve the right to say this is not a complete list and I still have other things Im thinking about and modifying. However, this has served as a good base for me to make sure at least the basics are covered for our family.