Welcome!
Welcome to week #13 in the “72 Hour Kit Ideas: A week by week approach” series.
This series is all about making it simple and do-able to get a 72 hour kit put together for you and your family.
Creating such a kit can be overwhelming and financially difficult to do all at once. But through this series, I’ve broken it down for you into 26 small steps! You can see all the steps here. Just take one small baby step each week and in 6 months you will have a well stocked, personalized kit!
You can even go through the series a few times over a year or two adding just the most basic supplies the first six months and then a few more “extra” supplies each time you cycle through it again.
Want even more help?
This series is also available as an e-book. Purchasing the e-book gives you a few additional benefits over just reading the free series:
- Additional details and tips
- The ability to print the entire book!
- Pictures of my own kit showing just how I pack each week.
Download “Your Own 72 Hour Kit Plan” E-Book Now!
* Some links in this post are affiliate links meaning, at no additional cost to you, I may get a small commission if you make a purchase. Some links (those to Thrive Life) actually provide you with a discounted price. Thanks for your support in this way!
Last Week:
I hope all of you were able to add needed medicines to your kit last week.
Week #13: Personal Care & Hygiene
Hygiene is closely related to Sanitation (week #10), but there are many things that were not included in that week that you should consider having in your kit.
This week, add personal care and hygiene items to your 72 hour kit supplies.
Suggestions:
- Toilet Paper (take out the cardboard to smash it flat and keep it in a plastic bag to keep it dry)
- Soap or Shampoo and Body Wash Combo
- Conditioner
- Washcloth(s)
- Toothbrush, toothpaste and floss
- Feminine needs (these also make great wound dressings)
- Chapstick
- Contact needs and / or an old pair (old prescription) glasses
- Tissues
- Wet Naps / wipes
- Waste Bags (completely biodegradable; neutralize odors, breaks down waste into Enviro-Friendly material)
- Brush / Comb
- Razor
- Fingernail clippers
- Sunblock
- Bug Repellent
- Plastic bag for soiled clothing
- Lotion
- Deodorant
What we have done in our family:
We have almost everything on the list above. I haven’t been able to find a travel size bug repellent, so for now we don’t have one. We also don’t have a razor. We figure we can go a few days (or even weeks) without shaving if we had to!
How About You?
Leave me a comment and tell me what you will be adding to your kit.
Skip to:
| Week #12: Medicines | Week #15: Hand Tools | Week #1: Packaging Your Kit | Series Into: Survival Kit Series, A Week by Week Approach |
Image Credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/59937401@N07/
Becky is a wildlife enthusiast and pet and livestock care expert with a diploma in canine nutrition. With over a decade of experience in animal welfare, Becky lends her expertise to Simple Family Preparedness through insightful info about pets, livestock, bee keeping, and the practicalities of homesteading.
I plan on adding toothbrushes and a travel toothpaste to each of our kits, a washcloth in a plastic bag to each (in case we have to move on before the cloth dries completely), a couple travel child’s shampoo in each(gentle enough for face, hair, and body), wet naps, and tissues. I will also take the advice of one of the other readers to check out our local sports store for “camping TP”. As always, thank you for the info…..love the blog!!
You are welcome Tiffany. I’m so glad it is helpful!
One woman said she was using Vaseline instead of Chap-stick…Vaseline is petroleum jelly and is a bi-product of making oil and is very very bad for your system. Try bees wax instead, mixed with some coconut oil or olive oil (Burt’s Bee wax is a good name brand if you want the convince of buying pre-made. Just look for all natural ingredients.
As for my family we have a lot of the above mentioned things in our kits and with my children, 3 girls, 2 of which are teens, they mostly carry everything in their kit that I would put in mine. Always adding new alcohol wipes, great for cleaning wounds, sticky messes, glasses, and more…
Now for toilet needs…I would suggest that you check with sporting good stores and RV stores and watch the end of season sales in the fall for small portable toilets and items to go with.
Thanks Theresa!
I started our emergency bags a few months ago, but put them in a closet and forgot them. I am starting again today, and I am so pleased that I have most of the things for this week already on hand. Thanks so much for this great tool to help me complete this project.
You are very welcome Angela! I hope it continues to be helpful!
Very thorough. I do need a nose aspirator…bulb for my little one.
I’ve got everything listed this week except washcloths and razors. Going to add those this week – thanks for the great lists!
You are welcome Anne. I’m glad you enjoy them!
We have most every thing on here. I just bought some travel size bottles of Dr. Bronners liquid soap that I put in plastic bags just in case it leaks. Can be used for many things. Also those mini toothbrushes with the paste already in the brush. You can get them at the dollar store (4 in a pack for $1).
Fabulous idea with the toothbrushes Vicki!
We have everything on the list, but I want to get a bucket and store some Clorox wipes, paper towels, toilet paper, cleaning clothes and bags for waste. I have really enjoyed reading all your past posts and checking through all of our supplies.
I’m glad it has been helpful Stacy!
Thanks for the tips… I will be adding several items like old glasses and chapstick. I was ok with most of the rest, though some upgrading is happening, always good to check regularly, thanks again.
Of course Deb!
We’ve got everything on the list through chap stick. We do still need to get my husband some new glasses and to put his old ones in the kit. Also, I will have to add a comb this week because that item had never occurred to me.
brush, razor, waste bags, and feminine needs. Love your blog, thanks for sharing your talents!
Thanks for the support Sara!
Congrats Mary Sue!!!!! You are gonna LOVE that credit to Shelf Reliance!
I need to gather the basics this week: toothbrushes, soap, washcloth, etc. We are doing well in the first aid dept. but are still gathering basics!!
As an alternative to Chapstick, we carry Vaseline in the little travel size tube. Sometimes our lips have already started to chap and the Vaseline helps to moisturize as well as protect.
A lot of people have commented about alternative feminine hygiene stuff. Here’s another. When your out and about men have an advantage when they need to urinate. There’s now some products (like Go Girl) that allow a woman to “go” standing up without having to squat & drop drawers. Could be important on the run.
Basically it’s a funnel type thing with a long tube attached. The funnel is placed up top & the tube goes down the pant leg. Washable & reusable. I’ve read about some women who make their own with an appropriately sized funnel & tubing.
This next one might be to delicate for this blog so Misty edit if you feel.
An important thing we pack for hygiene is a douche. If you decide to have sex, it’s pretty important for a woman to clean up to avoid urinary tract infections. A disposable douche helps to clean everything when lots of clean water isn’t available.
BTW Misty, is the date / time stamp function of the comments off? The article is dated February 27, 2013 but the comments are dated 2012.
Nope. It is not off Tom, I created thses posts almost 2 years ago and just continue to re-run the series b/c so many find it helpful. So, you will find groups of comments all 6 months apart!
You had mentioned a pair of glasses above. Something to think about ad well is a way to keep those glasses on your face/head. I wear glasses and many a times have they slipped off or got knocked off. Thankfully they aren’t “coke bottle” glasses, so if and when they do fall, I can find them. But for those who can’t see, period, without their glasses might want to invest into some straps. Love your “tutorial” by the way.
Yes, great idea Rob! Thanks for the thought!
A funnel and empty bottle or container for the ladies would help keep things dry and sanitary if you have to “go” outside.
I’ve got one in my car, but not this kit Barb! Great reminder!
Just wanted to add another reusable feminine hygiene option that is WAY cheaper than the reusable pads.. I bought a Diva Cup like 6 months ago, and it is fantastic!!! Check out their website: https://divacup.com/
Thanks Tiff!
I think we’re pretty up to speed in this department! I prefer to use re-usable feminine products, but I bought a bunch of disposable pads for almost nothing with coupons, and threw them into the bag. With 3 daughters, I’m pretty sure that’s something we would need!
We also have Dr. Bronner’s soap in each bag, it’s just so versatile that we can use it for laundry, cleaning ourselves, and cleaning dishes. It’s perfect for an emergency kit. 🙂
Dr Bronners! GREAT idea!
Since we like to travel as much as possible I keep our toiletry bags ready to go. They are well stocked but I would like to get an extra razor to keep in one of them so that I would not have to remember to add one of ours if we had to leave quickly. I have been looking for some kind of container to keep in our vehicles to store some emergency supplies such as tp, water, etc… I have a small car so the larger boxes just do not work.
I have seen the small compact cleaning cloths too. I plan to get some of them. For those of you who live in a small town your local Dollar Tree does not carry as much stuff as larger stores but I have discovered that if you go to their website that you can place your order and pick it up at your local store. The problem is that you get fairly large quantities of items. Maybe you could split an order with a friend.
Thanks for the dollar store tip Brenda!
I have the basics in this category but probably need to upgrade some of my supplies, particularly in dealing with potty breaks. Right now I have toilet paper, heavy plastic bags, and hand sanitizer, but I think I should get a small shovel to make digging cat holes an option.
I’ve also investigated some of the DIY feminine pad instructions and am planning to try that soon.
Even a small garden spade would work well!
I had soap, washclothes, hand towels, toothbrushes and paste, trash bags, and combs, but how could I forget the TP! I will add the feminine items, chapstick, and some razors, too.
Definitely shouldn’t forget TP!
I need to add TP to 2 of our 4 bags plus some back up glasses for me and DH.
We have toothpaste/brushes, soap, deo for adults, chapstick, and fem hyg. products. Guess we still need wet wipes too…i keep a supply in my van and in our larger grab-n-go kit, just don’t have them in the 72 hr. bags yet.
Love your series!
Glad you like it Julie!
deodorant, razor, brush would be good 🙂 not essential for me but per your most recent post, adds more flexibility
Sounds great Allie!
I have all of this stuff, just need to get it together in the packs! Thanks so much for this website, it really helps me to get it all together and be prepared.
You are welcome Lyn!
Lots of great information! We have most of these items, except the porta potty, which we are currently looking into..
We have 2 children, a 4 year old who can carry his own bag, and a little one whos getting close to a year.. so we have cloth diapers, (which pose a potential problem since they are quite bulky to carry) and some disposables in case we aren’t in a position to wash diapers..
But the disposables also offer a dual purpose…can be used as a bandage or to clean as well! (-:
This week I’m going to be starting my kit! I just found the blog and I happen to have a lot of the hygenie items under my sink in stock pile anyway 🙂
Yay for simple easy inexpensive weeks!