What's In Your 72-Hour Kit?

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Last month, as I was making kid-backpacks for the children in Japan, I made them thinking, if my kids ever get stranded in a natural disaster, this is what I'd want them to have:  a backpack full of everything they'd need to get by and some items to bring them comfort...especially if I was no longer around to see to their needs.  Lightning bolt, Jocelyn:  You'd better update those 72-hour kits!! 

  

The last time that I updated them, Guy was in 18-month-old clothing and diapers.  So I bought each kid their own backpack, printed off a list of items to include in children's 72-hour kits, and went to work.  Luckily, my mom really did me a favor when she gave me my own 72-hour kit for Christmas about 10 years ago.  Most of the stuff in there was still usable and in good shape.  I just replaced the expired medicines and food, and added clothing for each family member.

I distributed everything evenly between the three backpacks, and I had the children try them on during FHE last night and try to walk in them.  Autumn, my 2-year-old, looked like Ralphie's younger brother in A Christmas Story.  She took two arduous steps forward and then fell flat on her back.  Little bit of a weight issue there, but the other two packs were more evenly distributed, so they worked fine.  She'll grow into it, right?

Without further ado...here's:

WHAT'S IN OUR 72-HOUR KITS

This is pretty much everything, minus the food and sleeping bags.

Everything gets it's own plastic bag to protect it in case anything gets wet.

The items still in their original packaging (like the flashlights) will eventually come out of the store packaging to save space.

If there is an emergency, and we have to leave our home, this is what we'll be eating.

I know, YUM, right?

I'll be adding some Power Bars to the mix, since every adult requires 2,000 calories per day.

Of note in this photo:  duct tape, TP, chapstick, water bottles, sterno cans, light sources, waterproof matches, paper and pencil for leaving messages, a Kid-identification notebook with a recent photo of the child and contact info, utensils, pocket knives, lighters, water filter, hand-warmers, a lock, and is that mace?  
Why, yes it is.

Each child will be stepping out--into the wilderness--in style:  
in these shorts, pants, tees, long-sleeve sweatshirt, socks/underwear.

A tarp for cover or to make a tent.  We do have a small tent not shown here.

The yellow things are kid-sized ponchos.

The backpacks were a splurge, but I don't mind.  They are packs supposedly made to fit the "shape of a women's back"  (ha), so I figured it was a good choice for a kid pack.  It fits what they need, but is not bulky.  Also, it accommodates a 2-liter camel back.

If we get bored while we're trying to survive, we'll learn to play Parcheesi or five other games included in this magnetic travel game kits!  (Thanks again, Mom!)

First-aid kits, collapsible cup, sewing kit, water purification tablets, medicine, soap, rubber gloves, bug spray, bug bite ointment, sunscreen, hand sanitizer.

Note the sample-sized hair-spray bottle in this personal hygiene kit.

(Being on the run is no excuse for a bad hair day, that's what I always say.)

No excuse for bad breath either!

Thanks again, Mom.

Mess kit, rope, adult poncho, flint, steel wool, and a waxy candle thingy that I'm not sure about.

And it all pretty much fits inside these three packs.

I added a little light reading material and the children's songbook (pocket-sized).

Other important items we've included in our kits:

Birth certificates, passwords, copies of other vital records for each family member, a recent family photo, contact information for both sides of the family, a map of the local area, house keys, cash, sunglasses, hats.

If you are looking for a pretty good list to get started or make sure you've got everything you might need, you can find the list that I used here.

The kids are sooooo proud of their 72-hour packs.

Steve has decided that when the kids get older he'll have "surprise" 72-hour camp-outs where we'll have to use only what's in our packs.  Children (in the future who might be reading this)...consider yourselves warned.

Our bishop and his family eat their 72 hour kit food twice a year at General Conference.

A good way to keep things rotated...but kind of a gross menu for conference! :)

So, WHAT'S IN YOUR 72-HOUR KIT???