96-Hour Kits

[Northmountain]

Excerpts from my Northmountain blog

A 72-hour kit it the popular description of an emergency kit. In real disaster situations, 72-hours frequently pass and emergency responders haven't reached a large percentage of the victims.

Most adults can skip eating for a day and not be affected in normal life. In a disaster / stress situation, not eating for a day may severely compromise our ability to physically respond to the immediate needs of our families. We need to consider increasing the water and food stored in our kits for a few extra days. Even if help comes within 72-hours, other people may not be as well prepared and will need our surplus.

Most of the list below has been around for years. I've tweaked it to include items included in the 96-hour kits of folks we've met who use their kits with their families in emergency training activities at least twice a year.

It is just a list. It is not intended to be all inclusive or serve as a strict rule of thumb. Scan through the items in the list and compare their function to the contents in your own emergency kits.

All of us need to use our emergency kits several times a year for a number of reasons:

• Rotation of the food. You may not like MRE's, weevil ridden energy bars or 'sawdust' food bricks!
• Rotation of the water
• Becoming comfortable and proficient in the use of the food and tools in the kit
• Replace clothing if needed due to growth, utility, durability, warmth, convertibility, etc.
• Gaining confidence in being able to actually survive with the kit
• Tweaking kit contents to fit reality

Our children and grandchildren camp out with us in our orchard for three days every summer. We all live out of our emergency kits. Not only are they fun family gatherings, but they are great learning experiences for our grandchildren. They are very comfortable living out of their bags for these gatherings. Fortunately, bathrooms, showers and baby stations are still available for all of us during these fun mini-vacations.

Every spring and fall, the individual families travel to locations that they enjoy and again live out of their kits while they bicycle through the slick rock or camp on the shore of a favorite lake. Thus their kits are old friends, constantly being used and renewed.

Consider implementing the regular use of your emergency kits in your family. During your adventure consider: Is 72-hour preparedness enough? .... and be thankful for working bathrooms.


96-Hour Kit List

• Personal Emergency Plan
• Contact List / Phone Numbers

Water

• Gallon / person / day = 8.35 lb / gal
• Poly canteens, 1 quart
• Sierra cup
• Water purification tablets
• Water purifier & extra filters
• Water bag, nylon
• Water bag liners, plastic
• Solar still
• Rubber surgical tubing

Bedding

• Foam pad, closed cell
• Sleeping bag - temp rating your area.
• Air pillow

Food

• Personal daily rations
• Energy bars, tablets
• Trail snacks
• Freeze dried packs (Mtn. House, etc.)
• MRE's
• Your Own Food List

Cleanup

• Scouring pads, soap filled
• Sanitary tablets & dunking bag
• Dish towel - black dries fastest in sun

Clothing

• Hiking boots - broken in
• Trail sneakers
• Socks
• Underclothing
• Thermal underwear
• Shirts, short sleeve
• Shirts, long sleeve
• Shorts, hiking
• Sturdy trousers, long
• Sweat pants - can cut off if hot
• Belt and buckle
• Sweater
• Down vest
• Down jacket
• Parka
• Poncho
• Gloves, leather and snowboarder
• Mittens, wool
• Scarf
• Balaclava
• Bandanna, large
• Hat - brimmed -
• Swimsuit

Cooking Equipment

• Frying pan, folding
• Cook set, nesting
• Can opener, P-38
• Eating utensil set
• Book matches, water proof
• Pack stove
• Windscreen
• Fuel bottles - w / fuel
• Condiments
• Salt & Pepper
• Sugar
• Flour
• Honey
• Milk, dry, instant
• Aluminum foil

Shelter

• Tent - test assemble it before buying
• Tent fly
• Tent poles
• Tent pegs
• Ground cloth
• Ultra light weight tarp
• Tarp clamps
• Paracord (550), 50 ft. 2 ea

Personal Hygiene & Sanitation

• Toilet trowel or small shovel
• Toilet tissue, biodegradable
• Feminine hygiene items
• Shampoo
• Comb and brush
• Eye drops
• Tooth brush & tooth paste
• Shaving gear
• Deodorant
• Soap & soap dish
• Bath towel - black - dries faster in sun
• Plastic bags dbl wall - w/ties for waste
• Mirror - small - non-breakable
• Moist towelettes
• Sewing kit
• Paper towels

First Aid

• Personal First Aid Kit
• Family First Aid Kit
• Build own kit(s) to fit your family
• Prescription medicines you need
• Thyroid blocker - potassium iodide

Preventative Aids

• Foot powder
• Body powder, medicated
• Moleskins
• Chigger powder
• Mosquito repellent
• Lip balm
• Sun block
• Body powder, medicated
• Corn starch
• Hand lotion

Emergency Gear

• Signal flares, night
• Signal smoke, day
• Signal die, water
• Signal mirror
• Strobe light
• Whistle
• Space blankets or bags
• Hand warmers
• Headlamp - LED "AA" batteries
• CERT kit if trained
• Whistle
• Dust masks - N95 valved
• Vinyl gloves

Personal Items

• Camera, lenses, flash and film
• Binoculars
• Swiss Pocket knife
• Sharpening stones and oil
• Wallet - Cash $100 - $200 in small bills
• Extra house and car keys
• Copy of important papers, ie. titles, bank statement, drivers license, etc.
• Put docs in waterproof bag - hide in kit
• Change $10 / $20 - quarters for phone
• Handkerchief
• Watch
• Sun & prescription glasses
• Pencil and note pad
• Scriptures
• Photos - Self - Family - names on back
• Photo I.D., Copy of HAM license

Light, Heat, Fire Making

• Pack lantern
• Spare lantern mantles
• Flash light w / L.E.D. light
• Spare bulb, batteries
• Candle lantern
• Spare plumbers candles
• Glow sticks
• Match safe & matches
• Magnesium block
• Magnifying glass
• Lighter
• Spare flints
• Fire starting kit

Fishing Equipment

• Pack rod case
• Pack rod, spin -fly combination
• Ultra lite spinning reel
• Ultra lite fly reel
• 15 lb test Spiderwire monofilament
• 7DTF fly line
• Fly line leaders, various lb test
• Tackle boxes, small double sided (2)
• Hooks, size 8, 10, 12
• Fly assortment
• Sinkers, split shot
• Spinners
• Spoons
• Small plugs, poppers, bugs
• Fanny pack.
• Copper wire - spool

Navigation

• Map case
• Maps
• Map measure
• Pedometer
• Compass
• Altimeter
• Global positioning system (GPS)

Pack - Pack Frame

• Pack or rolling duffle bag
• Frame
• Clevis pins
• Stuff bags
• Compression straps
• Plastic garbage bags
• Twist ties

Communication

• Pocket radio, battery/solar power
• Cell phone ... and / or
• Two way radio: HAM, CB, GMRS, FRS
• Spare batteries - know your equip.
• Solar battery charger

Clothing Maintenance and Repair

• Sewing Kit
• Spare shoelaces
• Biodegradable detergent
• Woolite
• Small scrub brush
• Clothes pins

Tools and Repair Kits

• Leatherman.or Gerber tool
• Doc Allen Versatool
• Sven saw
• Hatchet/Boys axe w/sheath
• 8-inch mill file
• Spare parts: pack, stove, lantern
• Tent/ Pack patch kit: ripstop tape
• Small shovel
• Needle nose pliers - small wrench
• Duct tape

Protection

• Pistol - Concealed carry & training
• Extra ammo
• Knife - Emerson CQC-7
• Leather belt - bidirectional dbl layered
• Personal protection training
• NLP - neuro-linguistic programming

Modify kit list to fit your needs. Use your kit 2 or 3 times a year. If you can't use the contents instinctually before an emergency, you'll be in serious trouble when one hits.

Test all equipment in mock disaster scenarios in backyard or camping activities. Run tests on the coldest day / night of year and then tweak your kits to match your needs.

Remember, you'll be carrying the kit so pay attention to weight. You may have to put some of your kits including water in wheeled bags. Even little folks can maneuver rolling luggage.

[Northmountain]

The State of Utah used to have an emergency preparedness staffer, Maralin Hoff, who called herself "The Earthquake Lady". Maralin demo'd a unique emergency kit bag that she'd created from a flat storage case with wheels. She'd added a clear plastic shoe hanger inside the lid and several other modifications.

Not everyone can or should build BOB's or kits that can be worn on their back. I found a photo of Maralin's unique bag and have posted it here thinking it will be of interest to others.

[AZ Prepper]

Very interesting. Thank you for sharing this.

[Katrina1001]

This is fantastic!!! Do you have any suggestions on where to turn to learn NLP?