What is a 72-Hour Kit?by Marily | More from this Blogger 25 Jan 2007 12:13 PM The Red Cross encourages every family to have a disaster supply kit in the event of rapid evacuation from their homes. Would you have the supplies necessary to sustain your family for a few hours or even a few days? Here are a few things to think about when preparing your family's disaster supply kit, often referred to as a 72-hour kit. Storage options First, you will need to decide exactly how you will store your emergency supplies. Many families choose to use backpacks. Each family member, except small children and babies, have their own backpack with their own supplies. In addition to each person's personal items, family items and things for baby or small child are dispersed amongst each person's load. This is an easy item to grab and go in a hurry and can be hung in a closet near the front door for quick access. Other options might include suitcases, plastic storage boxes that close securely, or buckets with screw-top lids. Some people choose to store their kits in their cars. This way they are available if you are stranded while in your vehicle. Or, you might have access to your car even when you are not permitted or able to go inside your home, as in the case of a house fire. What will you store? There are many different things that can be stored in a 72-hour kit and your kit can range anywhere from backpack-sized to much, much larger. How extensive do you want your kit to ultimately be? Would you like to include items for camping out, like a tent and sleeping bags, or do you want few enough items that you can carry them on your back in case of an emergency? To begin, you should come up with a list of what you ultimately want in your kit. Then, unless you are able to get all of these items at the same time, you will need to prioritize your list. Rank your list in order of importance. Some of the most important items will be water, food, and cash. Now, start assembling your kit with these more critical items. This will give you a basic 72-hour kit to begin with and you may add additional items to your kit as you purchase them. Check back for a detailed list of items to put inside your 72-hour kit. Related Articles: Relevantpreparedness tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Discuss this article
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