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What if there is an emergency that would cause you to leave your home? What are you going to grab? What if you only have ten minutes to figure that out?

This is the purpose for having an emergency kit in place. The initial 72 hours was based in the premise that it could be 72 hours before receiving any help in an emergency. Some have extended this to 96 hours instead of 72 hours.

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The purpose of this page is to help lessen the confusion that can sometimes occur when looking at all the lists available to help  you build your 72 hour kit. The supplies listed here are suggestions, with a little experimentation you may find some things that work better for you and your family.

72/96 Hour kits

Let's break it down and start with the essentials

Container

Most people use backpacks but there are so many other things that can be used. Here are some suggestions:

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  • Rolling trashcans

  • Rolling suitcase

  • Rolling tool case

  • Duffle bag

  • 5 gallon bucket (with gamma lid)

  • Waterproof dry bags

  • Dog backpack for dogs to carry their own supplies

  • Saddlebags or packs for horses to carry their own supplies.

  • Keep a trailer that you are not using packed and ready to go (during the heat of summer you will need to pull food out of the kits or keep the trailer cool).​

Clothing

Pack seasonally appropriate clothing. The last thing you will want for spare clothing in the middle of summer is warm winter clothing and visa versa.

Some items to include for clothing are:

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  • Good, sturdy pair of shoes (wouldn't hurt to have them worn in a little)

  • 2-3 pairs of pants (e.g., cotton, denim, or wool)

  • 3-4 tops (e.g., cotton, polyester, or silk)

  • 1-2 insulating layers (e.g., fleece, wool, or synthetic)

  • 1 waterproof or water-resistant jacket or poncho

  • 1 hat or beanie

  • Undergarments and socks

  • A change of clothes for each person in the household

Water & Food

The food you store will largely depend on your family situation. For kids, it is easier to store what they are already used to eating, along with some comfort food.

Here are some suggestions:

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  • Water (water bottles or portable water containers)

  • Electrolytes (can be in powder form to put in water)

  • Juices

  • Fruit

  • Granola bars

  • Peanut butter (jiff to go)

  • Crackers

  • Soup

  • Ravioli or SpaghettiOs

  • Canned chicken or tuna

  • Hard candy

  • MRE's

  • Dehydrated or freeze dried food (Store more water for these)

  • Can opener

  • Multi use eating utensils

  • Camp cooking stove, pots, and fuel

Misc or general items

  • Flashlight and/or headlamp

  • Solar/crank radio

  • Two way radios (FRS/GMRS)

  • Multi tool

  • Solar capable battery bank for charging phones.

  • Waterproof matches

  • Emergency candle

  • Rain poncho

  • Compressed sleeping bag or wool blanket

  • Prescription medicines

  • OTC medicines (watch these carefully for expiration dates aspirin can be toxic after it has expired)

Now, let's add a little more

First aid and medical

In an emergency, you will most likely need something more than the basic first aid kits that contain mostly band aids.  You could be dealing with life threatening injuries that require immediate intervention. Below are some suggestions to get you started on a good medical kit.

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  • Good bag to store all the medical supplies

  • Torniquet (Cat or Swat-T)

  • Celox z fold clotting gauze

  • Z fold gauze

  • Adhesive tape

  • Rolled gauze

  • 2x2, 3x3, 4x4 gauze

  • 5x9 ABD Combine pads

  • Compression bandage

  • Triangular bandage

  • Elastic bandages, different sizes

  • Coban wrap/Cohesive bandages, different sizes

  • Athletic tape

  • SAM Splint (Combo pack with different sizes is better)

  • Chest seals

  • Trauma/EMT shears

  • Non latex gloves in several sizes

  • CPR mask

  • Alcohol/Iodine swabs or pads

  • Penlight or flashlight

  • Antibiotic ointment – I (Sue Hegarty) do have herbal salve that works much better than the store-bought antibiotic ointment. If you want some, ask me.

Pets

Pets can easily be overlooked when putting emergency supplies together.

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  • Dog backpack for dogs

  • Non-perishable pet food (at least 3 days’ worth)

  • Water (at least 3 days’ worth) in a waterproof container

  • Water bowls or collapsible water dishes

  • Poop bags

  • Litter box and litter (if applicable)

  • Leash or harness

  • Carrier or crate (if applicable)

  • Treats (e.g., biscuits, chews)

  • Toys (e.g., stuffed animals, chew toys)

  • Pet blankets or bedding

Hygiene

Many of these supplies can be purchased in trial size from the dollar store.

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  • Bar or liquid soap

  • Small washcloth

  • Hand sanitizer

  • Toothbrush and toothpaste

  • Dental floss

  • Mouth wash

  • Deodorant

  • Shampoo and conditioner

  • Hand or body lotion

  • Lip balm

  • Razor and shave cream

  • Portable tissues

  • Toilet paper

  • feminine supplies

  • Adult incontinence supplies (if applicable)

  • Wet wipes

Babies

Babies require nearly a whole separate pack for all the unique items they need. If they already have these items in their diaper bag it may be easier to use that as an emergency kit along with regular use.

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  • Diapers (Consider adding a handful of next size up diapers from what your baby is currently wearing)

  • Diaper rash ointment

  • Formula (enough for 4 days)

  • Bottled water (to use with the formula)

  • Bottle(s)

  • Baby food 

  • Baby spoons

  • Baby blankets

  • Infant Tylenol or other infant medicine

  • Gas drops

  • Teething gel

  • Teething toys

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Tips and tricks

  • A good rule of thumb is to inventory your kits at least every six months. Switch out any close to expired, or expired food.  Switch out clothing for the months ahead and change out any necessary baby items.

  • Keep an emergency binder with your kits.  Include information such as banking information, insurance information, cash, birth certificates (or copies), vehicle titles, and any other information that would be hard to obtain after a disaster.

  • Store your kits in an easy to grab location.

  • Some people prefer to store all the 72 hour kits in a large tub to make them easier to move. This may or may not work for you.

  • There is no such thing as a "complete" kit that can be purchased for you and your family. No one knows your situation better than you do.

  • Do what works for your family. There is a lot of information and advice out there but not all of it will apply to you and your family.

Evacuation in minutes

The following system is one you can implement for use in a quick emergency evacuation. This is how it works:

Put red tags on items you will grab if you only have 5 to 10 minutes to leave your house. This won't be possible for everything, but will allow you to grab some items without having to look at a list.

Make lists that are color coded for what you will grab if you only have 10 minutes, 20 minutes and so on and so forth.

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