72
hour
kits and bug-out bags
Keep this stuff in your
car for when disaster strikes to get you by for a few days.
This stuff is convenient to have with you even for life's everyday
emergencies.
Updated 09jan26
Notice
This
document may be freely redistributed for non-commercial purposes at no
charge in unaltered form.
This
information is for educational purposes only. There is no guarantee of
any kind that it is accurate, or that no harm will come to anyone who
uses it.
This
information is provided on an "as is" basis with absolutely no warranty
or guarantee. The information is not necessarily correct, complete, or
suitable for any particular use. The entire risk is with you. Should
harm arise from using this information, you assume responsibility for
all damages and injuries. In no event shall the copyright holder, or any
other party, be liable for compensation or damages arising from the use,
misuse, failure to use, or inability to use this information.
You will probably be near your car when
disaster strikes. So keep one if these kits in the trunk of all your cars.
It has what your family needs to get by for a few days.
These kits will be used for small, helpful
purposes many times before you need them in a real emergency. They provide
emergency sweaters for the unprepared, emergency changes of clothes, and
the ability to stay overnight on a whim.
The kit shouldn't take up too much space and
should be portable away from the car, so put it in a backpack or little
suitcase. Some people have a separate small backpack for everyone.
Remember that it could be hot or cold, wet or
dry. Pack accordingly.
FEMA says to plan on being cut off for 3
days. This may be optimistic. It could be a week or more.
Most people will face the emergency of
jumping in their car to help a friend or relative. Most of them start the
trip by driving an hour in the wrong direction to spend an hour packing.
And they forget essentials because they packed in a hurry.
Keep a 72-hour kit in the trunk of your car. You don't want to show up 3
hours late with half of what you need.
Kit
essentials
- A zip kit (see separate document).
This is the most important item here.
- A change of hot weather clothing for everyone
- A change of cold weather clothing for everyone
- Everyone needs a compact squashable hat to keep their head warm, keep
the rain off, and protect against the sun
- Undergarments for 3 days for everyone
- Socks for 3 days for everyone
- Feminine hygiene supplies for 3 days for whoever needs them. Also for
whoever might mature enough to need them before you update the kit.
- If anyone wears impractical shoes (like heels), they should have a
broken-in pair of walking shoes or boots. Put a pair in the kit and buy
a new pair to wear.
- A blanket. It is big, but worth it.
- A metalized mylar "space blanket" for everyone
- A roll of toilet paper, squashed flat to save space, in a zip-lock
(backpacker style). Baby wipes work better if you seal them to prevent
dryout.
- A can opener (so you can buy food). P-38 and P-51 can openers are
really small, but effective.
- Tableware, either steel or disposable
- A metal cup (small items can be packed inside of it). A tough plastic
cup is harder to clean, but works.
- Pens, pencils, post-its, and paper for all. Zip-lock the pens in case
one leaks. Zip-lock the paper separately against moisture. Be able to
write notes and make signs.
- A Swiss army knife, Leatherman tool, or other small multi-tool
- Sunblock (in a zip-lock to contain leaks)
- Baby supplies if you have a baby
- Several large ziplocks
- Earplugs in sealed packaging
- A list of the special needs stuff for the infants, elderly, and
disabled in your family. Include the preferred manufacturer and model
number.
- Stuff to pass the time. Disasters mean lots of waiting around. You
might have a deck of cards, a ball, some compact games, etc.
- A noisy whistle for everyone with a lanyard to hang around the neck.
Anyone who gets separated should start blowing it. Everyone's whistle
should be exactly the same, so you can tell your family's whistle by
sound.
- Paper maps of your city, local area, and state/province. Your
navigation device might not be much use if you need this kit.
Kit
suggestions (your needs may vary)
If your kit is big enough to hold all of
this stuff, it is probably too big.
- Two ways to start a fire. Options include lighters, waterproof
matches, etc.
- Knife & scissors
- String & tape
- Toothbrushes and floss (toothpaste is optional, it can leak or get old
quickly)
- Comb and mirror
- Disposable razor for the men
- Towel
- Washcloth
- Unscented deodorant (it will last longer if you double-seal an
unopened one)
- Work gloves for everyone
- A compact disposable rain poncho for everyone
- A few basic tools that you know how to use
- A small pot or skillet
- Some large trash bags (the uses are limited to your imagination)
- A small first-aid kit
- Sewing kit
- Unscented hand sanitizer / soap (zip-locked to protect everything
else)
- Moisturizer, lotion, or Vasaline (zip-locked to protect everything
else)
- Chapstick
- Small Bible
- Photocopies of legal documents (passports, drivers licenses, etc) and
photos of everyone in a zip-lock
- Contact information for everyone you pay bills to
- Contact information for insurance companies
- Money, perhaps enough to buy a tank of gas
- It's a good idea to put a package of light sticks in the top of your
bag, but you will have to replace them after every summer. Flashlights
have more utility, but you don't know how the batteries will react to
sitting in the trunk for a year. See the warning below.
- A family photograph or a recent photo of everyone
- A thumb drive or CD with recent photos or everyone and all family
contact information
- An extra pair of glasses for everyone who wears them
- A power strip so everyone can charge their devices at once. You are
unlikely to have more than one outlet available.
Water notes: You should have drinkable
water in your car for you and for the radiator. Swap it with fresh sealed
containers every 6 months or less.
Food warning: Replace everything annually.
The trunk of a car is a harsh environment. You won't want to eat any food
left there after the second summer. Hard candies will leak sticky.
Anything with a pull-tab will blow it's seal and leak.
Battery warning: The trunk of a car is a
harsh environment. Batteries left in it won't last long. They will
probably leak and ruin everything nearby.
Scented item warning: Anything with a
scent will eventually scent everything else. The toothbrush will taste
like the soap, and so forth. Avoid scented items.
Annual warning: Check your kit every year.
Kids grow out of clothes, babies need different supplies, and documents
get out of date. Light sticks only last a year in the trunk.
Zip-kit warning: This document assumes
there is a family zip-kit in the bug-out bag (see separate zip-kit document).
Everything in the zip-kit is a "must-have".