My Comprehensive 72 hour kit

 

¨ BIG backpack to hold everything

¨ mini set of scriptures

¨ compass and map of local area

¨ change of clothing in Ziploc bag and pair of sturdy shoes

¨ 72-Hour Food and Water Supply (at least 2 liters of water per person per day)

¨ water sanitation tablets

¨ solar/handcrank radio with flashlight & extra batteries

        (test it every 6 months and replace batteries as needed)

¨ whistle

¨ 100-hour emergency candle

¨ 12-hour lightstick or flashlight with extra batteries (need 2 sources of light)

¨ multifunction pliers/pocket knife w/ can opener for food

¨ mess kit: plate, utensils, and cup

¨ wool blend blanket

¨ emergency sleeping bag

¨ (3) 20-hour hand and body warmers

¨ poncho with hood

¨ tube tent

¨ waterproof matches

¨ firestarters (need 2 sources of fire)

¨ tri-fold shovel

¨ nylon utility cord

¨ leather gloves

¨ duct tape

¨ memo pad and marking pens

¨ mini-sewing kit

¨ chapstick with sunscreen

¨ toilet paper

¨ soap

¨ 2 washcloths (one for personal use, one for dishes)

¨ toothpaste and toothbrush

¨ baby wipes (no showers unless it rains)

¨ feminine items and/or baby items (diapers, formula)

¨ prescription/medications

¨ first-aid kit

¨ basic first-aid & CPR booklet

¨ antibacterial gel

¨ sunscreen w/ insect repellant

¨ flat-fold stove & sterno can fuel

¨ several large trash bags for various uses

¨ important papers in Ziploc bag: financial documents, photos of family members, driver’s license, etc.

 

                 *Have child’s kit contain at least food, water bottle, emergency blanket, flashlight, change                  of clothes and ID card.

* Creative Places to store your Food Storage: *

 

I begged my parents for an old pantry cabinet and now have room in my garage to store a couple months worth of saltine crackers, muffin mix, Mac and cheese, Peanut Butter, cold cereal (got a year supply when they went on sale for $1 a box!), canned vegetables (bought only when on sale of course),  raisins, soup, spaghetti sauce, some apple juice and bottled water.  On top of this cabinet I store my extra canning jars. 

 

Under my boys’ bunk beds I found room to store (in their cases) 60 #10 cans of flour, sugar, red and white wheat, oats, & spaghetti from the LDS Cannery.  It’s covered up by the bedskirt and now the kids can’t hide their toys under there!

 

Under my daughter’s bed there’s 18 cases (she has a queen bed). There we put all the “sweet” stuff like sugar, fruit drink mix, hot cocoa, and apple slices.

 

In our bedroom we have 4 cases stacked high in the corner by our dresser (6 #10 cans in each case) and if you want you can cover yours with fabric to match your bedroom.  That’s another 48 cans of food!!!  Also,  we lifted our bed with 2 inch high bricks (23 cents each) to fit another 18 cases!  In our closet we have 3 cases of #10 cans of peaches and fruit cocktail (Check Costco- #10 can for only a few bucks!) 

 

In my kitchen pantry I have a year supply of homemade jams, more cereal and 24 #10 cans that I got from the cannery—I have practically one of everything from the cannery there.  Yes, I really use my wheat to make homemade bread every week and yes, I drink the powdered milk.  Took my kids and me one week to get used to it (took my husband 2 weeks!) and now it’s great not having to buy those big gallons of milk every week at the store.  On the floor are all my 2-liter bottles of water that I rotate through.

 

Above my refrigerator I have two little cabinet drawers that I can’t reach without a step stool so in there I have stored a year supply of salt.  We really don’t use that much salt so it’s more like 5 years for our family.  Good thing the stuff lasts 20 years!

 

In all the bathrooms under the sink cabinets I store TP and in the extra drawers there are toiletry items such as toothpaste, shampoo, conditioner and soap.

 

The kids bedroom closets, up high where they can’t reach anyways, are there old clothes and shoes to be passed down, and also future clothes that I find in good condition at consignment shops for less than 1/2 the regular price.

 

Out in our garage, hung on hooks are our 72-hour comprehensive kits ready to go.  But these could be put in a coat closet or in the trunk of your car.  Be aware they won’t last as long in places of extreme heat or where frequent temperature changes may occur.  Ideally, you should rotate (meaning EAT the food and change out the outgrown kids clothes) every year.  Troy’s and mine are extra large since the kids can’t carry very much right now.   Also in our garage are our 55-gallon and two 15-gallon water barrels put on wood slats.  You’re not supposed to have them touch the concrete and you need to keep them away from smelly things like the lawnmower & gasoline.  This is a good 2-week supply for our family of five to drink and help us keep clean.   On top, I put paper towels, toilet paper, and the Toilet Bucket.  It’s my version of the Port-a-Potty.  All you need is a few large heavy duty garbage bags, a box of kitty litter and some rolls of TP inside a 5 gallon bucket with a lid.   Think Diaper Genie style.  Thankfully, we haven’t had to use it yet.

 

We used disposable diapers for our first 3 kids but after trying 3 times, I finally found a cloth diaper system I can deal with so now I don’t have to buy diapers and wipes anymore—so nice!  I feel better about not giving my great-great-great grandkids (and all the generations in between) landfills of yucky diapers to deal with.  Disposables last about 500 years in the landfill!  Scary!  We use g diapers (gdiapers.com) with hemp/cotton doubler inserts and hemp/cotton wipes from cottonwoodbaby.com.

Young Family Fun Pages

Food Storage Lists and Ideas

How to Eat an Elephant

	Emergency Preparedness	Financial Preparedness	Food Storage (Very Basic 1-yr Plan)
Jan	Take first-aid & CPR training. Post emergency #s by phones.	Make a will/trust. If you have one, review & update it if necessary.	Store 7-10 gallons of water per person.
Feb	Update first aid kit and have extra medicines purchased.	Commit to save a set amount each month. Set up an automatic transfer from your checking to a savings vehicle.	Store 200 lbs of wheat and/or flour or whole grains per adult (approx cost $30-40 each). Also store 10 lbs of salt per person (approx cost $2 each).
Mar	Obtain flashlights, batteries, transistor radio (or check existing).	If you are carrying unnecessary debt, create a debt-elimination calendar and begin paying off the debt (see "One for the Money," p. 5).	Store 10 lbs of powdered milk per adult (approx cost $10 each).
Apr	Create a family plan in case of disaster (where to gather, where 72-hr kits are, emergency phone #s, etc.) Explain & practice in family home evening.	Set up a basic household budget, using any method that fits your needs. Begin tracking family expenses in a way that's useful to you.	Store 25-30 lbs of sugar/honey per adult (approx cost $7-12 each).
May	Purchase fire extinguisher & learn how to use. Check smoke detectors. Also collect kerosene lamp, fuel, & matches.	Review your insurance needs (home, life, health, auto etc.) Ensure you have adequate insurance.	Store 30 lbs of dried beans/legumes per adult (approx cost $15 each). Or store canned beans if you wish.
June	Create a car emergency kit including first aid supplies, coins/cash, flashlight, blanket, water, & food.	Have a family home evening to teach children about using money wisely. Make sure children & spouses know where important financial papers (especially wills) are located.	Store 10 lbs of fat/oil per adult (cost varies).
Jul	Anticipate what kids might need to cope with disaster. Add to 72-hr kit.	Create a filing system for your important financial papers.	Store 7-10 gallons of water per person.
Aug	Gather important personal items (birth certificates, photos, videos) and place in safe deposit box or other secure location away from home.	Copy all important financial papers and place copies in a safe deposit box or other secure location away from your home. You may wish to place certain important documents in 72-hr kits.	Store 200 of whole grains/flour per adult (cost varies).
Sep	Gather clothing, bedding, first aid kit, flashlights, batteries, radio, food & water in 72-hr kit you can grab & run.	Commit to educating yourself financially by reading one good book on a financial planning topic of interest to you.	Store 10 lbs of powdered milk per adult (approx cost $10 each).
Oct	Educate yourself by reading a book or article on disaster preparedness.	Create a net worth statement by listing all assets & liabilities.	Store 25 lbs of sugar/honey per adult (approx cost $7-12 each).
Nov	Learn/review how to turn off electricity, water, & gas. Put crowbar, wrench, & shovel in 72-hr kit.	Walk through your house with a camcorder or camera to create a visual record of important assets.	Store 30 lbs of dried beans/legumes per adult (approx cost $15 each). Or store canned beans if you wish.
Dec	Relax and enjoy peace of mind this Christmas!	Be sure not to overspend on Christmas!	Store 10 lbs of fat/oil per adult (cost varies).

 

 

 

We’ve been encouraged by our church leaders and our government to start a food storage supply to help us in times of need or disaster.  First of all, you’ll want to start with a 72-hour food kit and then add to that non-food items.  Keep it in a safe place, easily accessible.  Next you’ll want to get a 2-week supply of water.  You can’t live very long without water.  Then work up to a year supply of basic food and learn how to USE IT and remember to rotate items.  (First in, first out.)  Last you can work up to other food items your family enjoys and then basic non-food items for a year.  The fun trick is finding fun places to store all that food!  Adapt your own list to your lifestyle needs.  A good way to start is to write down what you go thru in 2 months time and then times that by 6.  Then you’ll have a good guess as to how much spaghetti, oats, flour you’ll need.  The best part about having food storage is not having to worry about running to the store late Saturday night in order to keep the Sabbath Day holy.  You already have everything you need, you just have to find where you put it.  :)  Have fun! 

Contact Information:

Email:  karenmareeyoung@msn.com

SUPER 72-HOUR KIT made October 2005 at Enrichment

Items in your 72 hour food kit that will last 1 year if stored in cool, dry place:

(Just remember to eat it every October General Conference.  We do this but the kids tend to go thru it in 2 days but I could make it 3 days if we HAD to in an emergency)

3 packs of instant oatmeal, variety of flavors
3 packets of hot chocolate
3 granola bars, variety of flavors
3 beef jerky sticks
3 apple cider packets
3 packs of soup mix (Lipton chicken noodle)
3 small cans of fruit (1 fruit cocktail and 2 cans peaches OR 3 fruit snacks)
12 pieces of small hard candy (6 tootsie rolls, 3 dum-dums, 3 smarties)
1 small pack of gum wrapped in aluminum foil to prevent smell from spreading to other foods
1 plastic spoon
You’ll need 1 gallon of water for cooking these items (+ additional 2 liters of water per person per day for drinking)

 

Meal Planner

(Put this in with the food so you can make it last 3 days)

DAY ONE

BREAFAST             1 oatmeal & 1 hot cocoa

LUNCH                     1 granola bar, 1 beef jerky, 1 apple cider

DINNER                   1 soup, 1 small can of peaches

SNACK                     4 pieces of candy, 1 stick of gum

DAY TWO

BREAFAST             1 oatmeal & 1 hot cocoa

LUNCH                     1 soup, 1 small can of fruit cocktail

DINNER                   1 granola bar, 1 beef jerky, 1 apple cider

SNACK                     4 pieces of candy, 1 stick of gum

DAY THREE

BREAFAST             1 oatmeal & 1 hot cocoa

LUNCH                     1 granola bar, 1 beef jerky, 1 apple cider

DINNER                   1 soup, 1 small can of peaches

SNACK                     4 pieces of candy, 1 stick of gum

 

(*We went to our local grocer and they gave us everything at cost since we did it as a church group.  These kits ended up costing just less than $8 per kit after being sealed in Mylar pouch or 2 gallon Ziploc bag.  Any extra money was used to make LDS Humanitarian Hygiene kits.  That night we also assembled our own Hygiene Kits)

 

Personal Hygiene Kit

In a gallon size Ziploc bag, put the following items:

1 full tube of toothpaste, 1 packaged toothbrush, 2 washcloths, 1 bar of soap, I pack of wet wipes, 1 small bottle of anti-bacterial gel, 1 chapstick with sunscreen, 1 comb. 

(These we made for less than $6 each for ourselves and were not to be donated.)

“Bee” Prepared