Welcome!
Welcome to week #12 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!
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Last Week
I hope you were able to add to the first aid supplies in your kit last week.
Week #12: Medicine
Even if you don’t take daily prescription meds, there are some “meds” you may consider including in your kit. Remember that “illnesses” that may seem small during everyday life (such as a headache or a cold) will be far more difficult to deal with in a disaster situation.
You will want to be your best self in every way possible, especially if you are a parent! This week, add medicines you feel are important for your family to your kit.
While many meds are important, prescription meds can be essential and life sustaining. If there are meds you must take on a regular basis be sure you have a supply of them in your kit. This post: The Ultimate Guide to Prescription Meds for Self-Reliant Families from Lesslie (a Nurse and the Busy B Homemaker) is the absolute BEST I’ve ever seen on the topic of stocking prescription meds. Go read it!
Ideas / Options:
Other than prescription meds that you already know you need, consider the list below as you decide what to keep in your kit for your family. You may consider putting a 3 day supply of some meds in a small zip pouch (like the ones you can find at craft stores) with a label to save on space!
- Infant / children’s pain relief (with appropriate dropper if needed)
- Children’s Benadryl (for allergic reactions)
- Cold Meds
- Allergy Meds / Antihistamines
- Hydro-cortisone
- Antacid tablets
- Various types of pain relief (including Midol if you use / need it)
- Anti-diarrhea meds and Laxatives (when under severe stress the digestive system doesn’t always function so well!)
- Syrup of Ipecac OR Activated Charcoal (to induce vomiting from poisoning) DO NOT use both. I prefer Activated Charcoal
- High blood pressure meds (Your blood pressure will be higher during times of stress. If you have high blood pressure, include some!)
- Insulin if necessary
- Inhaler / asthma meds
- Birth Control
- Cranberry Pills (for urinary tract infections)
- Ear Drops
- Essential Oils (if you know how to use them)
- An Epi-Pen (if someone in your family needs one)
- Copies of eyeglass or contact prescriptions
What we have done in our family:
We have most of what is listed above. We do not need any prescription meds, blood pressure meds or insulin / asthma meds. We do not have a laxative or ear drops. I would like to get some cranberry pills, but have not yet.
How About You? /
Leave me a comment and tell me what you will be adding to your kit. Why? How are you going to “beef up” the supplies in your basic kit?
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| Week #11: First Aid | Week #13: Personal Care & Hygiene | Week #1: Packaging Your Kit | Series Into: Survival Kit Series, A Week by Week Approach |
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.
This may be too specific, but my husband is allergic to bees and requires an epi-pen. Others may need to include this in their packs too.
No, I’m sure there are many in a similar position. THanks Crystal!
Hey, I am a pharmacy tech at walgreens, and I know that we and I think some other pharmacies, (usually chain-retail pharmacies) offer a Prescription Savings Club. It costs like $35 for a family year long membership and it can help deflect the cost of paying too much for extra stores of medications.
Additionally prescription meds need to be rotated like many other things. Make sure to note the use by date on the bottle you receive from the pharmacy and just rotate it with the next fill you would normally receive.
Thanks Erin!
Sleep can be difficult in emergencies especially for scared kiddos. My kids have sleep issues to begin with so their Ped recommended melatonin for them. They have chewable in different dosages at pharmacies but dollar tree sells 1.5 mg mint strip 18 packs. That are much like listerene strips only with the melatonin in them. Sleep is essential so I’d ask your doctors what dose would be good for each of your family members. It’s natural and its what your body makes that makes you tired. My kids all have asthma so we have an extra inhaler for each and a spacer they can share. And for toothaches I use pure vanilla extract. My hubby and I tend to not take our full Rx of antibiotics because we don’t like to take them past needing them, so I keep them in my first aide kit just in case I look up the shelf life for them and pitch them when necessary.
Pill boxes (the ones that have a compartment for each day of the week) are also great for storing solid medicines. Just put the daily dosage needed in each compartment and stick it in your kit. One for each person would be best, that way you can also include pain and headache pills for each individual, instead of having everything in one bag and a ton of bottles rolling around.
i have extra meds on hand that i will add to my kit
We only have one prescription in our family that we would need, but I will have my hubby ask if he can get an extra month the next time he sees the doctor. Other than that, we have the generals. Always seem to be replacing them too… Tylenol, benadryl, etc!
Humm, well I just started and need to first get a bag. I’ll use one of those bags you get at the grocery stores until I can get a book bag. We do not have any prescriptions that are life threatening so I believe I will just back some pain relievers then go through the list. I do have a question though, meds don’t keep very long and if I’ll
Be putting several different ones in my bag, it seems I’ll have to check it often and
Cycle through. Is there a way to avoid this?
One of the 26 weeks of the series is a “rotate” week Brianne. There are a lot of things in this kit that you will need to rotate, meds are just one! So, we spend a whole week every six months just rotating! (-:
I have two medications that I take on a daily basis. One is very important, and the other is more a comfort medication, I can do without the last one thankfully. I have looked into getting the over the counter version of my comfort medication, granted to results wont be as great, but it will make things more tolerable. I am still unsure of what to do about the main medication since our dr wont even write a script for an extra week of it. My wife has mentioned looking for a new family dr that is more “preparedness” friendly.
Try clicking on the other link and seeing if that option will work for you Brandon!
Just found your site…it is awesome. I have a couple of prescription meds that are important to take daily. Luckily have a dr’s appt coming this week, will ask for a RX for cash payment at pharmacy. Always assumed I was out of luck on getting extra. Thanks for the idea!
It depends on the Dr, but most will work with you!
I have a lot of these meds in my pack, but I forgot about activated charcoal and the cranberry pills are a great idea. I think I will also put some tea tree oil into my kit. Thanks again for the ideas!
Of course Katie!
I have acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and Aleve but need to add antacids, benadryl, laxatives, and anti-diarrhea meds at a minimum. Luckily, we don’t have prescriptions meds to worry about, though it might be a good idea to add copies of our eyeglass prescriptions. That is probably under a different week, though.
FYI, I noticed that most of the first-aid and OTC medications at Walgreen’s are buy one, get one 50% off this week. A few are buy one get one free.
Actually, I don’t have prescriptions anywhere Aimee. Great idea! I will add it!
thanks for the suggestions! I’ve been reading this blog for a bit now and its motivated me to make sure there’s a first aid kit in each car, the camping totes, and one that i take with on trips. One thing i make sure i have no matter where i go is Neosporin (or the store brand-same thing!). I also like to have floss nearby. Obviously, it works on your teeth, but you can use it in a pinch to tie something together until you get a more sturdy rope or string. I also have duct tape with me where ever i go!! It sounds weird, but i’d rather be safe than sorry! and its hot pink, so i can find it anywhere!!
I’m right there with you on the duck tape Neicha!
We are fairly heathly family so we don’t really have a great selection of first aid items, however it seams the past few weeks we have needed something matching with items to add for the week. My daughter need benedryl this week so that is what we added this week. I do always have advil and cranberry pills on hand though, just in case
Cranberry pills are a LIVESAVER!
I discovered those inexpensive meds at Wal-mart a couple of months ago. I have stocked up on many of them as my husband takes 8 different prescriptions daily. Some of them are so tightly controlled that there is no way that we can get extra. Our goal is to get him to where he does not need so many. I have been learning about herbs for quite some time now. There are many books on the subject.
I really like the idea about margarine for lice! You can put alcohol in a spray bottle and spray the bed linens if you are unable to wash them to prevent reinfestation. Where can you get activated charcoal? I like the info on the bead bags so that it is easier to restock the first aid kits!
I got some activated charcoal on amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_9?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=activated+charcoal&sprefix=activated%2Caps%2C303
I’m sure you could find it at most drugstores!
Misty, you can also get activated charcoal anywhere that sells fish supplies. They use it in aquariums.
We use essential oils at home but I never would have thought about adding some to the kit. Great idea! Also, Activated Charcoal is far superior to Ipecac in mitigating additional damage in the event of something toxic being ingested. That is one thing that is always kept in my company’s safety kit in the lab. It can also be used to help remove additional impurities from drinking water if you have a filter or cloth to put some in and allow the water to slowly pass through the activated charcoal.
Thanks for the additional info about activated charcoal Kelli!
I was excited to stumble upon the Equate (Walmart) brand of medications. They had several decent sized packages for under a buck each…children’s chewable tylenol, motrin, allergy meds, cold meds….you name it, they probably had it. Picked up several things I should probably have had on hand, but just hadn’t accumulated.
Make sure you watch the expiration dates on the meds, sure they will provide some of the intended results after they expire, but the potency will decrease over time. Try to keep them in rotation to be used and replaced preferably before they expire.
You are right Tiffany! Week #26 will be all about rotation and will include meds!
I just bought a first aid kit recently, but I need to add some of the extras that you have suggested. None of us take medication regularly, and I really don’t even have anything handy except for Tylenol, so they wouldn’t be bad to have around the house. I do have some essential oils, but I’m still a little too intimidated to use them for medicinal purposes…I need to get on the ball with that. 🙂
I’m still pretty intimidated too Melissa! It took a LOT of persuading from my Mom to get me to use them with my daughter! (-:
We make little 3 day packs of common meds that we might need with little bead zip pouches you get from the craft stores. I want to say ours are 1.5 x 2.5 or so inches, works great. We wrote out the med name, the dosage and any more pertinent information and stuck that in the zip bag with the pills. Works perfect for us. I want to upgrade the info labels to printed and laminated ones but havent gotten around to it. I find its much cheaper than buying the one time use packs of meds.
GREAT idea Meredith! Thank you!
I was so excited to see that you included my comment in the post, that just made my day. I hope everyone gets as much out of the tip as we do.
It was a great comment Meredith!
Ok. I am starting to get the hang of this now! Thanks for the email!
Of course Kari!
What about adding your form of birth control, if you use it, and for us girls, some Midol too!
Great ideas Amy! I’ll be sure to add them in next time I cycle around to this post!
I’ve really enjoyed all these Survival Kit posts, they are very well done. I would like to make a suggestion to this list. Replace the Syrup of Ipecac with Activated Charcoal. Now a days they are saying Ipecac does more harm than good, especially if a chemical that was digested kinda burns on the way down…when they throw it up it does more damage. With the Charcoal they drink it and it absorbs the chemical or poison so it can no longer harm the individual as it passes through their system. It will probably make them vomit as well but won’t harm them because the chemical will be mixed with the Charcoal.
Thanks Brea! I’ll add that to the list and encourage people to read your comment for more details!
I take prescription meds and it worries me about the future if anything happens. I can’t get anymore than a months supply of them, and cannot stock up on them. Any suggestions?
My other favorite website:
https://www.backdoorsurvival.com/index.php/2012/01/11/getting-prepared-month-4/
gives some great suggestions about getting extra medications. The Survival Mom uses 3″ x 3″ baggies for packaging meds that can be found on amazon.com. They can also be used for storing seeds from your garden.
THANK YOU Marcia!
my favorite site for all around survival info, food storage, etc also has a connection to a Dr that will(for a fee, of course) get your medical info and allow you scripts for antibiotics, etc to store if you feel the need
http://www.survivalblog.com
He has quest writers daily and contests with emergency prep prizes also, but I like the site for ideas from across the world about emergency preps- check it out.
PS an alternative for head lice is to smother the head with cheap 89 cent tub of margarine- cover with plastic wrap or bag(be sure to supervise kids) leave on 20 minutes and wash and comb hair- removing all nits- Its like a spa treatment for your hair- kills live lice and lets nits slide off easily- with no chemicals needed!! and your hair feels great after too.
We added to our kits- adult and infant tylenol, colic calm for the baby, meds to soothe upset adult stomachs and digetive systems, and some antihistimines.
Wonderful Michael! Great call on the colic calm. I’ve had one colicky baby and that is tough. It would only be more so in an emergency situation I’m sure.
I have a lot of medications for allergy, diarrhea, cold, headache, stomach ache, and eye drops. We generally don’t use a lot of medications since our family is very healthy but I felt we needed to add a lot of things in the event we would need to use them since there could be some very stressful situations ahead.
What essential oils are you using for eczema? What essential oils should we add? What alternative medications should we add in the event that modern medicines aren’t available or run out? For example, urinary tract infections? ear infections? common cold? sinus issues? Just curious what others have to say on this alternative look at how to heal our bodies. It is just hard to know how much to stock especially if you’re not use to using it!
I don’t know much about alternative medicine. It is on my “bucket list” of things to learn more about. Hopefully another reader will have some tip! My Mom has studied / uses essential oils, and we found a couple that work for my daughter’s eczema when NOTHING else would…and we tried EVERYTHING! We mix a few drops of geranium and lavender in with her Cetaphil lotion.
read awhile back that lavender and tea tree oil are good for killing head lice. Need to take a trip the the Natural Food Store in our area. I remember seeing a big fat book there a few years ago about herbal remedies.
I know this is an old post but in case anyone needs to know. You can buy cranberry pills in the natural vitamin section and were that sells meds, which is the only thing that works for uti’s in my opinion. I had one for 3 years straight that docters and meds didn’t fix. A month or two on cranberry pills fixed the problem. I still take them ocasionally to stay heathly but its been 4 years and it didn’t come back. Hope this helps anyone.
I would suggest argon oil! It works amazingly well for my daughters’ skin. It’s a dry oil, so you don’t need much, and it doesn’t make a horrible mess. ( I know this is old…. But I’m thinking that if I’m reading this, others probably will too. Lol.)
Thanks Abby! The person who posted the original question will get an email with your response, so I’m sure it was very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to help me out!
Thank you Misty! I am so excited and feel so BLESSED to win! 🙂
Oops! So excited I forgot to check the box that I was human! LOL