We have been doing a lot of talking and teaching about emergency preparedness as of late. We are not trying to scare our children but teach them how to be self-reliant and create peace of mind that if something were to happen we are equipped and prepared to take care of ourselves so we can in turn serve others. It’s actually been soothing fears around here as my oldest gets so worked up anytime she hears about tornados or earthquakes.
This is a great family project to get together and talk about natural disasters, research what you need in a 72 hour kit, make a list, go shopping and then put them all together. Even the littles got into it and we had fun packing all the items.
We have 6 people in our family and we are creating the baby’s 72 hour kit which will have much different items but the rest of these were appropriate for our family that ranged in ages from 2-33.
Here are the things we packed in each 72 hour kit (and we totally shopped at Aldi and got them at a great deal):
3 ounce bag of beef jerky
2 packs of swiss miss hot cocoa
3 little packs of peanut butter crackers
3 little packs of peanut butter cheese crackers
2 bags of fruit snacks
1 high protein energy bar
2 fruit and grain bars
2 peach fruit cups
2 packs of instant flavored oatmeal
1 pudding cup
1 fork, 1 spoon, 1 knife
We also packed them in a large ziplock bag to keep them clean and dry. A great way to store them is in a large bucket with a lid or in a backpack for easy grabbing. Please note this is only food items in our 72 hour kits. You also need to consider gathering a backpack with flashlights, first aid kits, medicines (or essential oils), bottled water, a cup and a bowl for each person, a change of clothes and underwear, comfort items for the children, small bills and change, and have important documents together on hand, emergency blankets and more. We purchased the kits from Emergency Essentials and made 72 hour food kits to go along with them, but you could absolutely just pack your own backpack and have it ready to go.
A baby’s 72 hour kit should have:
2-3 onesies
diapers and wipes
baby food for three days
formula for three days
a bottle
baby spoon
bib
pacifier
toy or stuffed animal
baby blanket
It’s very important that you set a reminder on your phone to check your 72 hour kit every 6 months to rotate out items that are going to expire. That way food doesn’t go to waste and your kit is always ready to go.
