Basic 72 Hour Survival Kit
The purpose of a the ‘72 hour survival kit’ is to keep a person alive in the event of an emergency, until help arrives. Having a small, mobile supply of food, water, and survival gear, will be a great asset for you and your family. For a longer term survival kit, see the ‘Bug Out Bag’ section.
Q: When might you use your 72 hour survival kit?
A: Wildfire, flood, hurricane, tornado, earthquake, severe storm, quarantine, war scenario, etc...
Q: Where might you be, when using your 72 hour kit?
A: Someone's home, a high school gymnasium, a public park, a vehicle, in the wild (woods/desert)
FOOD AND WATER (3 meals a day for 3 days/72 hours)
- 2 - 2 Liter Soda Bottles Filled With Water
- 1 - 32 oz. Bottle of Gatorade
- 6 - Packs of instant oatmeal (2 packs per day)
- 3 - Cans of fruit (peaches, pears, fruit cocktail, applesauce, etc...)
- 3 - Cans of vienna sausages or tuna fish (for eating with crackers)
- 1 - Pack/Roll of crackers (ritz, saltines, wheat-thins, etc...)
- 3 - Canned Meals (pork & beans, spaghettios, stews, etc...) (...and a can opener)
- Snacks (trail mix, hard candy, chewing gum, jerky, granola bars, etc...)
- Hard plastic or metal plates, cups, & eating utensils
CLOTHING (in addition to whatever you are wearing)
- 2 Pair Socks, 1 Pair Underwear
- 1 T-Shirt, 1 Pair Long Pants, 1 Pair Shorts, 1 Jacket / Sweater
- Sunglasses with retainer and hard case
- 1 Mesh Laundry Bag (for dirty clothes or for additional carrying)
OTHER ITEMS
- Tent - Protection from the elements and/or privacy in crowded living spaces
- Backpacking Sleeping Bag, rated for your climate
- Matches, Lighters, & Fire Starter (container of cotton balls soaked in Vaseline)
- Photo ID and important documents (birth cert., social security card, vehicle titles, etc...)
- A ziplock bag with paper, envelopes, stamps, pens, pencils, and permanent markers.
- Stress Reducers (Card Games, Puzzle Books, Crayons & Coloring Books, Toys)
- Cash, a few checks, a credit/debit card, and maybe a little gold and/or silver.
- Ziplock bag with toothbrush, toothpaste, floss, soap, toilet paper, hand towel, etc...
- First Aid Kit with pain killers, antacids, creams/ointments, and any prescription meds
- LED Flashlight(s) and extra batteries
*Each bag should have an ID card, a colored ribbon, and instructions on what to do if party
members become separated from each other (meeting points, radio frequencies, times...)
