I am very slow at getting around to things, but it's time that I recycle my 72 Hour kit. Layla suggested that we remember go through it every April conference. I thought that was a good reminder, so we emptied ours out in April, but we have yet to refill it. So, this is me putting together a list of what I need. Also, I hope to encourage ALL of you to put together your own 72 hour kit for everyone in your household, and build your food storage.
*PLACE SUPPORTING QUOTE FROM GENERAL AUTHORITY HERE AS TO WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE PREPARED BOTH TEMPORALLY AND SPIRITUALLY* -we all know one, just look in the last year of Ensigns and conference talks.
The last time we got a 72 hour food kit was in our Provo ward. A lady volunteered to put one together for everyone, so she could buy items in bulk. It was an inexpensive alternative for us to do relatively little. However, as wonderful as it was, there were quite a few items in there that aren't to Richard's and mine taste, for example: Vienna Sausages. Nevertheless, when I opened up our food kits this past April, the sausages were the only item yet to expire. So, I fed them to Michael for lunch. He threw up that night, and although I don't think it was the sausages fault because of his flu symptoms, I still didn't like cleaning up the mess, and will never look at Vienna sausages the same.
So I guess the point of that story is: Don't put something in your 72 hour kit that will make you puke.
I remember a family home evening activity from my childhood. My parents pulled out all of our 72 hour kits. We updated them with new food, and fitting clothing, and then my parents challenged us kids to try to survive on our 72 hour kit food for the next, well, 72 hours! And if we did it successfully, we would be treated dinner at a restaurant. Going out to eat was always the best thing, so we all agreed immediately! It really wasn't as easy as it sounds. My school lunch was pretty lame compared to my friend's. My stomach gurgled a lot, and I'll admit, I have a very distinct memory of waiting for my mom to walk upstairs one afternoon, so I could sneak into the kitchen and grab a piece of bread. Although, I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one of my siblings who cheated. :P
It was a great activity and lesson to me, and it is something that I am definitely going to try with my kids as well.
Alright, so here's a website that I found that had some great month-by-month tips for building up food storage, and also preparing and checking the 72 Hour kit.
And, here's my tentative list for 3 days of food. (Any suggestions/tips/advice welcome). I tried to have one breakfast and dinner meal item for each day, and then snacks.
Day One:
Oatmeal
Hot Chocolate
Canned Chicken
Nabisco Snack
Granola Bar
Hard Candy
Juice Box
Day Two:
Oatmeal
Nabisco Snack
Tuna
Trail Mix
Power Bar
Fruit Can
Juice Box
Day Three:
Oatmeal
Hot Chocolate
Beanie Weenies
Granola Bar
Fruit Can
Beef Jerky
Juice Box
Soup Mix packet??
There's currently a lot of coupons on coupons.com
Like for the nabisco snacks, individually packed, that I was planning on buying anyway.
Also, I am going to buy two boxes of crackers (saltine and graham) and instead of separating each cracker into individual packs, I'll just place the entire box in the backpack, and then it can be shared, and is less likely to get crushed up.
Anyway, there will probably be more items than I stated, room permitting. But that's a good general list of foods that we would eat.
Here's some additional items that should be included as they come to mind:
Can opener
Utensils
Bowls/Plates
Water
Hand Sanitizer
Feminine Needs (I wouldn't want to be without, just in case)
Deodorant (I just packed away our 1/2 used sticks of deodorant, because I don't think you need a full stick for 3 days)
Cash
Extra clothing and Underwear and socks
Toothbrushes and Toothpaste
Toilet Paper
Medicine
Bandaids
Matches
Chapstick
Flashlights AND batteries
Foil Blankets?
Extra contacts stored away and eye drops (if you have contacts.)
If you have a baby, don't forget to stash extra diapers, wipes, baby medicine etc...
Also, Richard and I have tried to put our important paper work together, although not stashed away since we still have to get into it from time-to-time. But, at least we know where it is, and can grab the file folder as we EvAcuAte! Can you sense the urgency to be prepared?!
Just know this site is much more thorough than I am. I was very surprised at how much of this stuff I didn't pack last year. But, it's sort of understandable, because our bags were really FULL. I think we're going to accumulate one more backpack that just holds the food and utensils, and then the other bags can hold clothes and items. But, I don't know. It's supposed to be simple, ready-to-go evacuation packs, because you can't grab your entire food storage.
Good luck and let me know your goal to prepare, or write a blog about your preparation measures and share it! I'd love to get some tips!
6 comments:
"So I guess the point of that story is: Don't put something in your 72 hour kit that will make you puke."
Sounds like words to live by.
I agree. Why put something in there that you're never going to eat or that the kids are going to whine about eating, etc. I think the idea is the same as food storage: store what you eat.
That way you actually, you know, eat it.
It's nice to branch out, too. But branch out before you buy 6 billion of something to see if you like it, first.
Sometimes just some suck candy is nice in 72 hour packs because they take a while to "eat." I would definitely put a little jar of PB in there to smear on those crackers because PB is so filling.
Not that we have 72 hour kits or anything. :) We need to make one, though!
Diana I am so impressed! Way to go! You are quite an inspiration. I know what you mean. We need to update our 72 hr kits. Something that I learned while backpacking Europe, was that you can survive on very little. You may be hungry eating less than you are used to, but you'll make it. That and pack what you need and if you have to "evacuate" and end up not needing something- there might be others who can use it or you can just chuck it (if you actually have to carry the 72 hr kits).
Yeah, I keep trying to think of situations where we'd actually be out of our house, without a car or bus system to travel to a friend or relative's house, therefore we'd actually be living out of the 72 hour kits??? I can't really think of a drastic enough situation, but nevertheless, I made one.
I remember an FHE we had when our kids were little. Our 72 hr. backpacks were a couple years old, so we had the kids take em apart and update the clothing, etc. We had the ability to put them in the plastic bags and then squeeze the air out when we put them together, and it was so funny to pull them out and look at their way too small clothes and underwear all smashed together! The kids laughed so hard when they tried on those clothes over what they were wearing and tried to imagine having to use them! Good times!
I love your reminder about doing this, and April conference is a good way to do it annually.
Yeah, Josh and I just put ours together agian. We decided to update ours every 6 months since food expires and we picked high food we really liked so we didn't have to spend money on getting a wide variety. Payday candybars are very filling and have lots of protine and fiber, and they don't melt. We still need to put some clothes together and finish up, but what we have is much better than nothing!
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