Yesterday I went to a Preparedness Fair that my stake put on. Ever since General Confrence I've been meaning to go through our 72 hour kits and make sure that nothing was expired etc.. (My goal is to do it every October during Saturday General Confrence) It has been on my to-do-list for a month but I decided I'd better do it before I went to the Preparedness Fair.
First, I don't think I quite have enough water for my family of 4 for 72 hours. Secondly, if you notice the boxed water in the middle is deflated since it leaked everywhere and made things moldy. (Good thing I checked my kits!)
Thanks to my parents who gave us lots of good stuff for our kits a while back.
The large yellow object in the picture is a flashlight/radio that can be powered via adaptor, batteries, or by a hand crank. Also, there is a flashlight that you just have to tip back and forth to create power (yeah for not batteries!). I put the latern in the kit but I just now realized that I've never used it (and don't know how) and it is pretty heaving so it is probably not a good choice for a 72 hour kit. The 100 hour candle is good (and waterproof matches).
Other good stuff from my parents: ponchos (although it hardly EVER rains in So Cal). Survival blankets, and pastic shelters.
Also good to have: hygine items and first aid kit. Don't fort get to include any medications that you can't live without.
This was recent addition to our kits: I made copies of all of our important papers (birth certificates, drivers licences, insurance policies) and put them in a little book. That could come in very handy someday. I still need to add Lydia's birth certificate...
Here is where my 72 hour kits FAIL. This is all of the food that was in my kit... as if that would sustain my family for 72 hours! What's worse is most of it expired in 2007! I can't see my kids munching on the emergency rations even if they were hungry. So, I thought I'd add a can of toddler formula (light weight, nutritious and shelf stable) and I'll add crackers, dried baby cereal, and applesauce.
Lastly, I had these in my kit. I don't think us southern californians really need winter hats or mittens. The blanket I guess is a good thing to have (although bulky), There is a real nifty little toilot paper/rubbing alcohol heat source container that once again I don't think is necessary here. Maybe in it's place I should pack LIFE JACKETS since everybody knows that California is going to fall off into the ocean any day now. Lastly, next to the rubbing alcohol there is a random little gaget that I have NO IDEA what it does (anybody know what it is ?) so if I don't figure it out, I'll chuck it.
Missing from my kits: I need to get diapers, WIPES (A SURVIVAL ITEM) and a change of clothes for my kids. Also a bottle would be handy to have.
After going to my preparedness fair I think it would be a good idea to store gasoline too. If there was a huge earthquake it might be very hard to come by. A car could not only get you places, but it can be a way of staying warm, listening to radio, shelter, etc..
Please feel free to point out anything you see I've forgotten in my kits. Good luck with your own!
5 comments:
I need an ATV in my 72 hour kit to get me over the earthquake rubble. I think everyone should have one :) The canned toilet paper/alcohol thing would come in handy if you needed to warm up some milk or food or something. Dunno what the thing next to the alcohol is...looks like maybe a can opener? You probably should have a good pocket knife..the more gadgets the better (swiss army type) so you can saw off Steve's broken leg. I'm glad you guys are (almost) prepared!
The little rubber thing next to the alcohol, I don't know what is. I suspect that they were in the bag I used to pack the stuff...I don't think it is valuable, but I really don't know what it is! I am really glad you are trying to get on top of this project, as you are the people most likely to have a disaster! If you were out all day and night in January when a rainstorm hits, you would need your raincoat And the blanket to stay warm. Remember, it is not just for your typical day in So Calif, but also for your cold days and nights
I just went through our kits as well. We have a100 hour candle like yours and it leaks if not upright. I didn't notice the small print until I was trying to find out what was leaking. I thought I would warn you so you don't have the same problem next time. Oh and a good thing I learned-if you take the brown tube out of the toilet paper it can flatten and be put into a ziplock bag. It takes up less space and won't get wet.
The metal thing looks like a wing tip stove. It folds out and the rectangle looking thing holds a fuel pellet.
Put an old pair of shoes and a crowbar either under your bed or near your 72 hr kit to help with getting through the rubble.
This has become a hobby (obsession?) with me lately. Someone suggested conference time to me and I've been religious about it. We have a huge list, 8 pages long, that someone gave to us listing just about everything we could possibly need in a disaster. If your interested, I'll send you a copy.
This last conference I pulled out the 72 hour kits to replace things and my son caught a glimpse of the $1 store toys I had put in their. He knows they're hiding around here somewhere and hasn't stopped talking about them!
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