72 Hour kit and more!

One subject that is on my mind lately has been about disasters are what to do in case of an emergency. With the recent disasters around the world (flooding, tornadoes, earthquakes, etc.), I have wondered what I would do if there were something disastrous here in Utah. Now, being that we are in Utah, the number of disasters are limited, but that doesn't mean that they are nonexistent. We live close to a railroad line that transports many different things, and if there were a crash with hazardous chemicals then we would be in trouble. Another disaster that is a "when" and not an "if" is a large scale earthquake. We live near a major fault line that hasn't seen a lot of activity, but is due for a big one. With that in mind, putting together some supplies is a very good idea. For one thing, it serves a a piece of mind for if something happens, but it also serves the purpose if there is something smaller, such as a power outage during the winter. I can pull out my survival kit and use it while the power company is working to get the power back on.

A 72 hour kit is a good starting point. Now, there are different ways of acquiring one of these. There are pre-assembled ones that you can buy that are convenient, but can be costly. One way to get one on a budget is to piece one together over a period of time. If you see a good deal, pick up some items and before you know it you have a fully stocked 72 hour kit. As for what you need in one, that is really up to the person/family that is putting it together. There are many different lists online that you can use, but it really comes down to stuff that you will use. I have seen some budget lists that contains a lot of tuna and instant noodles for their food requirements. I don't like either one of those so I why fill a kit with food you don't like? Find a list that is closely to what you want and then look through others to get additional ideas. 

72 Hour Kit

What my wife and I decided to do was purchase a pre-assembled 72 hour kit and then anything extra we want, put into what I like to call a Survival Supplemental Kit. The kit we bought is from FoodInsurance.com and is called "The EmergencyPlus" kit. It comes with a two week supply of freeze dried food for one person, a complete first aid kit, and many extras. Since there are three of us (2 adults and 1 child) the food amount accounts to 4.5 days of food for all of us, which is plenty for a 72 hour kit. The other extras included are a hand crank flashlight/radio, a multi-tool, compact stove, cooking cup, water bottle with 1000 use filter, and it all comes packed into a heavy duty hiking backpack. With everything packed there is still room inside for clothes and other essentials. The shelf life for the food is 7-10 years, so it will be a while before it will have to be replaced. 

Survival Supplemental Kit

This is more of a tools and safety kit. One great thing with this kit is that while I am putting this together for survival needs, it will also be great to take along any camping trip or long hike. Since it is just the extra things to go with the 72 hour kit, it will not have any food or cooking related items, so if you take it on a camping/hiking trip, pack accordingly. Listed below are some items that I will be putting in my kit with some explanation. Since we bought the 72 hour kit, funds are low at the moment for this stuff so I will be picking up stuff here and there.

- Medium sized packpack/shoulder bag - I do not want this kit to be very large and I want something that I can grab and run with. There are many different types of bags, so find one that will fit the items you want.

- Small shovel - you never know when you need to dig a hole.

-  Good flashlight - you can never go wrong with a good flashlight. I wouldn't limit this to just one. I am planning on getting a large heavy duty maglite and then a smaller one for carrying around. Don't forget the batteries!

- Folding or cable saw - these are great for clearing small trees or trimming limbs. Need some sticks for a makeshift shelter - saw some off a nearby tree and you are good to go.

-  Knives - notice that this is plural. Having a knife in a survival situation is as important as having oxygen, you will find out that you use them a lot more than you think. I would have both fixed blades and folding knives. Make sure that you have a sharpening stone too.

- Storm proof matches - these are great. They look like normal matches on steroids. They can light underwater and can withstand a good breeze. Although they are waterproof, I would still keep them in something airtight.

- Water purification tablets - the amount of water you can get your hands on is critical to how long you plan to survive. These tablets will purify your water and are worth their weight in gold.

- Fire starter - if your storm proof matches run out, having one of these will will keep you from having to beat two rocks together or rubbing sticks together to start a fire. They are cheap and great to have. Get two because depending on their size, they will eventually run out.

- Rope and carabiners - there are many uses for rope and the odds are that you will use it. I am packing two different types of rope - some 550 paracord and then some 3/8" climbing rope. The paracord can tackle anything small, but I wouldn't use it on a person, that is where the climbing rope and carabiners come into play. Hopefully you won't use them, but if you need to you are prepared.

- Emergency blankets - they look like aluminum foil, but they can save your life. They are small, lightweight and can keep you warm if you don't have anything else covering you. Use them as a blanket, or tape some together and make a makeshift tent.

- Light sticks - These are great to keep as a backup to a flashlight. The emergency ones can last as long as 12 hours, which is long enough to get through a night. They put off a lot more light than you think and they can give your location in case of an emergency.

- Waterproof container - OtterBox has some cool compact waterproof boxes that are perfect not only for their waterproof capabilities, but also for keeping little stuff together, like the water tablets, and anything else you choose to pack that is small. They are also good for keeping personal records from being destroyed by water. Side note: This is also good to put in your 72 hour kit - if you have to leave your house for an extended period of time, keep a copy of vital records (birth certificates, ss cards, property deeds, car titles, insurance policies, etc) so that if they are destroyed you still have some records to work with.

- Multi-tool - I already have one in the 72 hour kit, but having a second is not a bad idea. If one breaks or you lose it, you have a back up ready to go.

- Tomahawk/Hatchet - when you don't have room for a full size ax, a smaller version will do the trick. I have seen several versions of these smaller axes; some are made for "tactical" purposes and most are for camping. I like the looks of the "tactical" versions and they do have some options that a normal camp hatchet doesn't. Most have a glass breaker/spike on one end and a cutting edge on the other. The spike can be used for breaking glass, pulling apart something, or even breaking into something. And the cutting end is good for cutting, obviously. They have about the same heft to them as a camp hatchet, so I will probably be going for a tactical one. Plus you can use one to defend yourself if needed (wildlife, people, etc).

Now, this is just a start of my list, which might get a little bit longer, but not too much. Like I said, this is more of a tools and safety kit to go along with my 72 hour kit. Some might see this as overkill, but it really comes down to the level of comfort that you want. I already feel comfortable with the fact that I have an emergency supply of food. I know that if worst comes to worst, I have 4.5 days of food and supplies. With the supplemental kit, I will feel more comfortable if I needed to leave my home or have a disaster while camping. While I don't think things are going to get crazy around here, I do I want to be prepared. Plus I would like to use the items in the supplemental kit for camping and not just sit on my shelf waiting for a disaster.