Last week I said that I would talk more about 72 hour kits. I also said that they could give us a false sense of security. Let me explain. I am the biggest believer of 72 hour kits and I also believe that if you are caught in a disaster you will be very sorry if you don’t have one. I think that what makes me nervous is the name “72 hour kit”. It could give us the false sense that after the initial disaster that we will be taken care of, by somebody – anybody (the government), within 3 days time. Sorry, won’t happen.

My friend talked to two gentlemen whose families lived in two different communities in California, but lived through the same earthquake. Both of them said that WATER was important to store (two gallons, per person, for a two week period) AND that it was 14 days before either community saw anyone from outside their cities. That is two weeks without outside help. Some people have said that the LDS church will send help, and I’m sure that they will, but remember – their warehouse and distribution buildings will most likely be in the same disaster we are in.

If you live in small communities you have to live with the fact that the larger metropolitan areas will be helped first and then when they are under control, only then, will the help that you need start looking for you. You will not be first on their list. Don’t feel bad about it, just get prepared so you can survive and play the waiting game.

72 hour kits can be used in at least two different ways. You will “grab n go” and park your family on your front lawns possibly still having access to supplies in your house, much like those caught in earthquakes or tornadoes. OR, you will literally have to take your family and physically leave the area, like those in New Orleans. My friend’s sister was one of those that had to leave. She lives in Slidell, Louisiana and she packed her car and left the area before the storm came. When she got to the first motel that had rooms available, she was barely in an area that she could find food, WATER and other necessities, but just barely. And, she had traveled over 500 miles and everything up to that point, including gas, was either sold out or in short supply. Chances are we here in Utah will be in an earthquake and we won’t be able to jump in a car and drive very far before the road will give out on us. The people in New Orleans had to deal with extreme heat and humidity. We may have to deal with extreme cold and very uncomfortable situations.

You won’t know what kind of situation you and your family will be in so pack your 72 hour kit for either situation. It would be a good idea to go through it every six months and pack it according to what season is coming up. Every April and October, the LDS Conference weekend would be a good reminder, re-evaluate and take a good look at everything.

Change out food that might go stale and change the clothing to be appropriate for the next six months – hot or cold. Make sure that you have a good first aid kit and extra medications that you will need. Talk to your doctor about medications that you can have extra amounts. Another thing that you might consider is if you have medications that require refrigeration, how are you going to keep them cold? If we stay near our homes, we can use generators to run a refrigerator or you can use propane fridges in your trailer. Another alternative is to buy those little mini fridges that you can hook up to your car accessory power outlet to keep them cold.

Next week, after you have discussed with your family what you need your 72 hour kit to do for you and your family, I will give you a list of items that will be helpful to include in your kit (really, I will this time). I will also give you a BUNCH of web sites that you can visit to look at all of the different options of what is available and what you might find helpful to build your 72 hour kit.

I want to emphasize, again, that 72 hour kits ARE CRITICAL TO YOUR SURVIVAL. Even if your neighbor has a food storage that they might be willing to share with you, their 72 hour kit simply won’t be big enough to share, especially since you have the opportunity to get yours together, NOW. Please, take the initiative to get YOUR 72 hour kit put together. Look at the needs of your family. Make kits for your children that they can carry – share the load. Now, go talk to your family about what they need to survive for 3 days, or 72 hours - whichever.

I have made a list (finally) of important items that should go into a 72-hr. kit. This by no means is the “end all” list. There are thousands of lists, and variations of lists, on the Internet or in preparedness stores. Like I said before, sit down with your family and make up your own lists using this as a reference guide. Listen to your kids. Get their insight. If they say it, then “it” is important to them, you should heed that. It will help them during the disaster to know that what they “need” is in their kit. Make a personalized kit that each child can carry – don’t try to carry everyone’s stuff. Share the load.

72 hour kit list
• 2 gallons of water per day, per person, for two weeks. The water should be stored for sanitation and drinking – and you will DIE if you don’t have clean water to drink. Make some of the water portable in case you have to carry it.
• Method of water purification (Plans to make a REALLY EFFECTIVE WATER FILTER is posted on the www.salemcity.org site). Bottle of potassium iodide tablets.
• Food - that is easy to prepare and nutritious. Twinkies just won’t do it here. Make sure that you include items that are high in protein. Try out the MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat) and see which ones your family likes and which ones they won’t eat. They also have TV dinner type MRE’s that come in a tray and is heated in the box with heat packs. Check them out. Expensive, but very convenient (I saw them at Sportsman’s Warehouse, I’m sure that you can find them at other stores).
• Windproof/waterproof matches and a second method to start a fire just in case the matches won’t start.
• Lightweight camp stove, fuel, mess kits and other cooking equipment and utensils.
• Tent and/or shelter (garbage bags can be used in an emergency until you can buy a tent).
• Wool-blend blanket or sleeping bag AND an emergency reflective blanket (good to help keep out wind and cold).
• Hand and body warm packs (these are cheap and oh-so effective).
• Poncho or large garbage bags (garbage bags are very versatile).
• Light sources such as: Flashlight with batteries, candles (also good for heat source and cooking), or light sticks.
• Tools: Pocket knife, shovel, hatchet or axe, adjustable wrench and multi use screwdriver – or just get a Leatherman™.
• Sewing kit - make sure that the thread and needles are good quality – the cheap emergency sewing kits just don’t cut it.
• 50-foot nylon rope.
• First aid kit and supplies. Make it a good one, don’t skimp here. Make sure that the bandages are the ones that actually stick. Also include sun block, insect repellent and anti-itch cream. Hand sanitizer, like Purell™ lotion, is also good.
• Vitamins and extra medications, including prescription drugs. Talk to your doctor about getting an extra months worth. If you wear glasses, make sure that you include a backup pair.
• Burn gel and dressings (Sun Burn Care™ is the BEST burn care ointment I have ever used).
• Radio with batteries or radio with alternate power sources (You’ll want to hear what’s going on). A hand held “walkie talkie” FRS radios to keep in touch with your family around town.
• Whistle with neck cord (You have one in your “Under the Bed Kit” – get more, they are not expensive).
• Personal sanitation and comfort kit. Include toilet paper, soap, toilet paper, toothbrush and gel, toilet paper, brush or comb, toilet paper, sanitary napkins, razor, wet wipes, dental floss, and did I mention toilet paper – you just don’t want to run out of that, and other needed items. If you have young children remember diapers, wet wipes and baby stuff.
• Complete change of appropriate clothing for each family member. Include extra socks, underwear, hat, sturdy shoes, and gloves. This is very important, especially for a positive mind set. It also helps if you need to layer during cold the season.
• Money - at least $100.00 in small bills in your kit; it is hard to get proper change back during an emergency. Be sure to include a roll each of quarters, dimes and nickels.
• Stress Relievers such as games, books and inspirational reading. (Scriptures are good.) For children: small toys, paper and pen, or favorite security item (i.e. blanket or doll). Hard tack candy. It is good to suck on and it lifts the spirits.
• Copies of important papers and documents that are important to your family such as: birth certificates, marriage licenses, wills, insurance forms, out-of-state and important phone numbers you might need, and credit card information.
• Duct tape – your 72-hr. kit won’t be complete if you don’t have duct tape.
• Don’t forget what you are going to carry your kit in – a durable water-resistant duffel bag, frame pack or daypack is best, but until you get what you want, use what you have.

If you have access to the Internet these are some good sites that you can visit or get ideas from:

• http://www.equipped.com/72hourkit.htm – three types of emergency kits.
• http://www.avertdisasters.org/html/72_hour2.html –building a 72-hr. kit over six-month period.
• http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/dem/prepare/prepare.jsp -this is one of the best preparedness sites that I have ever been to.
• http://www.nationalterroralert.com/readyguide/72hourkit.htm.
• http://www.pandemicflu.gov/ - this has a lot of good advice.

Have fun gathering your 72-hr kit supplies, you will feel sooo very good after.

72 hour kits. Yeah, that’s right, we’re going to talk about 72 hour kits. No, I’m not going to tell you what to put in them. Well, I might. Okay, I am, but basically you know the drill - anything and everything that you need to survive for three days, or as we like to say - 72 hours. What is it that is magical about 72 hours? To be quite honest, I really don’t know. I have heard that it is the amount of time that it would take the government, or other agencies, to activate and come to our rescue – so basically we are on our own for about 72 hours. I like the idea of the 72 hour kit, but I think that it gives us a false sense of hope in one respect. I’ll explain myself later on, but for right now let’s discuss the actual 72 hour kit first.

It has to be mobile. You have to be able to get to it and be able to move it when there is an emergency. That means that it is NOT a good idea to store it behind the Christmas decorations under the stairs and behind your water storage (you didn’t think that I would be able to fit that in did you - two gallons, per person, per day, for two weeks, hah!). A better place for it would be in the coat closet next to the front door or in a cupboard or the mud room by the back door. A garage would be a good place for it ,too. (I’m envisioning a relatively clean garage that has a place for everything and everything in its place.) You want to make sure that furry little rodents and pesky insects don’t take up residence in it, but you can get creative about how to protect it and yet get to it quickly. Maybe hang it on a hook near the garage door.

Next, again, it has to be mobile. This time I mean that after you grab it you have to be able to physically pick it up and transport it. I have heard of a lot of different and creative ways to transport 72 hour kits including the use of wheelbarrows. The most obvious way is to get a backpack. Easy, lots of pockets, can store enough food and clothes for a teenage boy out in the wilderness for a week (unless they bug out and go out for pizza on the third day, but that is 72 hours) and you can keep your hands free while carrying your load. My son keeps his Scout backpack packed and ready to go all the time. We have incorporated it as part of our 72 hour supply kit.

The other part of our 72 hour kit is a big sturdy bag, with big sturdy handles that I bought at Deseret Industries for $1.00. It isn’t as cool as my son’s backpack, but it holds my stuff. I can carry it, but it does require that I trade off hands because it is heavy. When my kids were small I made their own 72 hour kits inside school backpacks that I bought at D.I. for $1.00. (You can get really good deals there on bags.)

I have also heard about people filling five gallon buckets with lids and handles to carry their stuff. It would keep the contents free of pesky critters, free from water damage and also give you a place to sit when you are tired. (Some people say that they will use the bucket as a portable toilet, but that gives me the willies if I had to use the bucket to re-pack my stuff and move on. Maybe you could take two buckets.)

Old suitcases work well and even pillowcases with drawstrings work okay if you have nothing else. The big thing is that you can grab and go. As you build your 72 hour kit you will be able to upgrade things over time and you will eventually be able to get it set up like you want it to be, but what you need to do first is to START and you don’t need to start perfect, just start!

I don’t have space to tell you what to put in your kit this week, so I’ll do that next week, but what I want you to do is to get up, take a pillowcase, or sack, or bag and just start walking around the house gathering things that you think might be useful to take during a “grab-n-go” situation - matches, flashlight (not the one from the “Under the Bed Kit”, but another one), WATER, a roll or two of toilet paper, MRE’s from your pantry. Okay, most people don’t have MRE’s in their pantry, but maybe an unopened jar of peanut butter and maybe some utensils. UNO cards (with instructions, I don’t know how to play), an extra pair of scriptures, a survival handbook (depending on who you are, you might have to buy this item) and some socks — two pairs without holes.

Now you have started. You are probably nervous because you know that your kit is lacking. BUT YOU HAVE STARTED! Next week ,we’ll see how far you’ve gotten and what you need to add to complete it. Sardines sound good. Maybe I’ll go grab a can to supplement my 72 hour food plan.

Whew! Ok, everything has settled down now. Thanks to the shoes, gloves, whistle and flashlight kit, that was next to everyone’s bed, everybody got out safe and without any serious injuries and now the earthquake aftershocks have stopped. Thank goodness that you got your water stored because the local water source has been disrupted (repeat after me, AGAIN: two gallons of water a day, per person, for a two week period.)

CERT and 3 Step (we’ll get into those programs later) have activated and are going around helping those in need. Everything is OK at your house (other than you are shaken up a bit), but no one got seriously hurt. CERT team members and other emergency personnel are out going from door to door to see if anyone needs help to narrow down the most needy and those with life threatening injuries.

Time is of the essence. How do you let the emergency volunteers know that they don’t need to take the time to go to your house and look for injured people? You don’t want to stay at your house to wait to tell them. You and your family want to head down to the designated local emergency gathering place to see what your leaders need you to do next. But you want people to know you are OK — to skip your house and go on to the next emergency.

Time for another kit. We will call this one the “Emergency Signal Kit” It is really quite simple and very ingenious and uses a color code system that anyone who drives will understand. Get three ribbons: red, yellow and green. They need to be a minimum of 2″ wide and about 20″ to 24″ long (they need to be long enough to tie around your door handle and to be easily seen from the road.)

In an emergency, use the following descriptions to decide which ribbon to tie to the door:

GREEN: There are no serious injuries. IMPORTANT: If you evacuate your home, please tie a large white ribbon, or any white article, to your door after everyone has evacuated. (If you are worried about looting, you don’t have to do this, but make sure that the green ribbon is still in place)

YELLOW: There is an individual present who will need medical attention eventually, but the injury is not life threatening.

RED: An individual has been fatally injured or is in need of immediate emergency medical attention. IF YOU DISPLAY THE RED RIBBON, HELP WILL COME AS SOON AS AN EMERGENCY VOLUNTEER IS ABLE TO GET TO YOUR HOME.

This is why it is so important to display the correct color on your door immediately after a community wide disaster. If emergency personnel have to stop at EVERYONE’S house, instead of just the houses that have an extreme need, they are losing precious time to help those who really need help. If your house does not display a colored ribbon, the emergency personnel can only assume that someone in the house needs help and wasn’t able to put a ribbon on the door. In talking to those who are in emergency volunteer organizations, they have stated that their goal is to help as many people in the shortest amount of time possible and they can only do that with your help.

You don’t have to use ribbons, you can use an appropriate colored T-shirt, but who wants to go looking for a shirt to tie to the door. An Eagle Scout made a ribbon kit for each house in my community. I have taken my kit and put it in a one gallon Zip-Loc bag and put it on a nail just on the inside of my coat closet, near the front door. It is easy to access and even the kids know where it is and what to do with it.

Now that I have measured my ribbons for you, I’ll go hang my kit back up in the closet.