Need 72 Hour Kit ideas?
I have many people ask me for 72 hour kit, survival kit or three day bug out bag suggestions. In other words, you want something to help you and your family survive on the go for 72 hours (3 days). Building such a kit is no simple task and can be quite overwhelming. The organization, planning and prep can seem daunting and so can the cost.
Looking for an easier way?
Here is the good news: I’ve made it easier for you! I’ve broken down a portable 72 hour kit list into weeks that add up to 6 months. So each week, you will only have to purchase and organize a very small part of your kit. Sound more do-able?
Each week for 26 weeks in 2011 I addressed an overall topic / theme for you to focus on. If you are new here, start at week #1 this week. Work on just that one piece of your kit and leave a comment letting me know how it went. Then come back next week and work on week #2 and the week after to work on week #3 and so on. In 6 months, you will have a complete kit that is personalized to your family!
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!
Weekly Topics:
You can use the list below to work your way through the weeks. Be sure to read all the comments each week as there are many pearls of wisdom there from my fantastic readers! I’d love to have you add your own thoughts and ideas as well!
- Week 1: Water to Carry
- Week 2: Making Water Safe
- Week 3: Plan Your Food
- Week #4: Purchase & Organize Food
- Week #5: Food Prep
- Week #6: Eating
- Week #7: Clothes
- Week #8: Shelter
- Week #9: Warmth
- Week #10: Sanitation
- Week #11: First Aid
- Week #12: Medicine
- Week #13: Personal Care & Hygiene
- Week #14: Light
- Week #15: Communication
- Week #16: Tools
- Week #17: Important Documents
- Week #18: Religious Needs
- Week #19: Entertainment
- Week #20: Babies and young Kids
- Week #21: Pets
- Week #22: Cash
- Week #23: Packaging Your Kit
- Week #24: Organize and Pack
- Week #25: The List
- Week #26: Rotate, update, test & review
Even if you already have a 72 hour kit, you can use this series to add to it, or double check the items you have in that category one week at a time.
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Hi I was just wondering if you had a single download for all the pdfs and files? My husband and I are duel military so while we dont need all of it, 99% of it we do need and downloading one at a time would be a little bit of a hassle, if not I understand but I thought I’d ask. Some of the things we need no one has a document for lol.
Sorry, no, though that is a great idea! I should create one!
We absolutely love your blog and find most of your post’s to be precisely what I’m looking for.
Would you offer guest writers to write content for you personally?
I wouldn’t mind writing a post or elaborating on a few of the subjects you write with regards to here.
Again, awesome blog!
Can you please post a link to week 13? It doesn’t seem to be working on this page anymore.
Hi Winnie! I am actually in the process of trying to make the weeks match what I did in the e-book. It ended up being more of a project than I intended it to be and it will likely be a week or two until it is done, but I am working on it!
Touring airline tickets to los angeles this city is through its fine
cuisine. 4 Look for travel packages.
I need to do this I wish I had been in on the first part of it.
You can start anytime Ruth! You can go back to week #1 and start there, or follow along as I re-post the weeks each Wednesday!
Hi Misty. I have been following along for several months now and am going through my first 26 week cycle right now as you revamp. I’ve found a few things on sale that I picked up a head of schedule, so I’ll get to take a few weeks off here and there, which will be nice. I hope to see the Wednesday posts resume so I can continue to follow along. I wish you and your family all the best for the upcomming holidays. Love your blog and can’t wait to get some of my own Thrive goodies! Thanks for all you do.
Hi Misty, I’m sure someone has asked this before, but how much does your 72hr kit weigh? I am 75% complete with mine and it weighs in at 38 pounds, although I think I can improve on this. I put in on and hiked for 30 minutes one night this week, definitely not used to that type of exercise. Please advise, thanks! Jason
well, as for meds we need most of the ones you mention. our insurance will allow 3-5 days ahead of time, but some of the meds cant be filled till a specific date due to the category they are in. (ie: narcotics, ADHD meds) for those we always have an extra prescription, paper, on hand. prescriptions, both in the bottle and on a script paper, are good for 1 year from the date it is written. I love, love, love the idea of the bead baggies for other types of meds. buying generic is also a good way to save money. thanks for all the good info. I don’t know if this is the right sight to be posting to to get in the drawing, any way you could provide a link on future posts?
You can just comment on that week’s post Eileen! If you are reading the current week’s post (as it looks like you have), just scroll to the bottom and leave a comment on THAT week. That is why there is no “link.” You are already there if you are reading the post! (-: I hope that helps!
Think this is great idea cant wait to start the binder and read all the other weeks and get started on them as well… Thank you so much for sharing your great idea’s and organizing..
You are welcome Rebecca. Glad to have you here!
For my family I found some camping supplies (lanterns, multitool, dog water bottle/bowl and a combo spoon/fork/knife) all for like $1-3 at the target dollar spot this week.
I’m looking forward to starting this with you for the next 6 months. Stumbled on your site thru pinterest yesterday. Kind of excited when I read today’s that you will be starting over, now I dont feel like I’m behind 🙂 This is going to be fun and helpful and make me a better wife and mother.
How about a section on security of your person and belongings? When traveling I have occasionally used a money belt (flat discrete, with a zipper) to carry extra cash and emergency numbers in. I have sometimes even kept extra money in my shoe! I know some security specialists advise caution in your clothing–sometimes you want bright colors in order to be found easily; in other situations you want to blend in and be unnoticed. Is there a way to secure a backpack so it is not easily snatched off your back?
In a disaster or emergency, most people are looking out for themselves, I want to be reasonably secure without skulking around in camouflage or packing weapons–just need some common sense suggestions.
Hi there!
I emailed you last year to see if you were going to do a printable -emergency- kit -by -week, and you replied ‘hopefully by february’, so I looked back at the website and I couldn’t find a link for it, but i may have missed it. Did I?!
Thanks,
Amy
No Amy, you didn’t miss anything. I haven’t gotten to it yet. It is in the works, but life is always busier than you think it will be, right?
Amy, The printable / e-book is FINALLY done! Sorry it took so long. It was FAR more work than I originally anticipated. (-: I think you will really like the results though!
https://simplefamilypreparedness.com/your-own-72-hour-kit-plan/
Misty
thanks so much for this post , I am passing it on to friends
Hi MIsty,
After the birth of my son in 2006 we decided to get our family prepared. I wish I had your site then. I found when starting mine there was no where with a comprehensive emergency preparedness plan, list and tips. I decided to combine what I found and create my own. We do have 72 hour packs in the car but also have 5 plastic tubs with other supplies like clothes, tools, hygiene & towels etc.
I noticed that some people have asked for a list of everything to collect for an emergency in messages. I don’t claim to have everything but I do have a pretty exhaustive excel spreadsheet list. If you would like to have it and make it available or use it in any way helpful I would be happy to send you a copy. My list is pretty long and has items from babies to grandparents. I tell people not to remove items but to just highlight the items pertinent to them and their family now. But as time goes by things change and you may be caring for an elderly adult and need to add items to your supplies. You may find yourself caring for an aging parent, have a baby or you yourself may get older and require these items to be added later.
Something that I mention to people when the ask for me to help them get prepared is that Emergency Preparedness is so much more than preparing for an earthquake, flood, tornado etc. An emergency can be something like an unexpected job loss, unexpected medical expense or a number of other unexpected things that can happen in your life that create an emergency situation. And I hope we don’t have to actually use these supplies in an emergency situation but if we do it will provide comfort and stability at a time when these will be scarce. Also if you never need to use them then an opportunity may arise that you can use your supplies to help someone who is dealing with an emergency.
Thanks for your site and all your helpful information.
Hi! I’m just getting started building my 72 hour kits and your site has been incredibly helpful! I’ve been meaning to do this for awhile (think YEARS haha), but I never knew how to get started. Your site has made it foolproof! I’m now on week 7 and I already feel so much more prepared! I do have a question/request though: How did you fit everything into backpacks! Again, I’m only on week 7 and I feel like I’m already running out of room in our packs! Is there any way you could do a post on how to organize the bags and/or post pictures of your completed packs?
Thank you!
Forget the folder, just scan everything and transfer it to a thumb drive. Complete all the forms, add photos and documents as suggested, scan the pages to your PC, then transfer the pages to a thumb drive and password protect it. Be sure at least one friend or family member who lives outside your home has the password. Keep the drive somewhere easily retrieved – a safe, safe deposit box, on top of the frig in a baggie (in case of flood), etc. I would also include everyone’s medical information (current prescriptions, pharmacy, allergies, surgical and medical history, etc.), Wills, attorney’s name, and where the original documents can be found. For good measure I’d make a copy of the thumb drive and keep it outside my residence. God forbid something happens you can just hand the drive to the police to save time.
Hope I didn’t repeat someone else’s idea but there were too many posts to go through them all. God bless.
Thank you for sharing your list for survival packing. I love how you have broken it down into easy managable steps. Just thought you might want to add items for home/self defense. ie. guns and ammo. If there were a time that you would need emergency supplies, you would need a way to protect those valuable assets from those who would want to steal. Just thinking.
I know lots of people recommend that Lisa and my husband and I have many discussions about it, but I’ve chose not to address it here b/c of how controversial it is. (_:
Hi Misty, this is a wonderful resource – thank you!
Hey Sue! I’m glad you found it! (-: Miss California!
Thank you so much for this information I am going to start my own notebooks and info. This is very helpful especially being single I will tell my family where to find this and they will know where to look and have my information.
You are welcome Kimberly! I’m so glad it was helfpuL!
This is AMAZING. This year my husband and I are putting together our 72 hour kits/food storage/emergency preparedness for our little family of three. Your website, and each link above has helped IMMENSELY. Thank you thank you so much for putting all the work and time into this. You might have just saved our lives with this wonderful information. We’ve gone through each link and made a 52-week plan of getting everything together (still starving students, so we had to spread them all out between $5-10 a week purchases). Thank you SO much for this incredible resource.
Thank you for your very kind comment Mandy! It is people like you that keep me going! I’m so glad it has been helpful! I hope you enjoy the “preparing for less” series I’ve started on Fridays as well!
I love all your weekly survival kit to do’s. It definetly makes it much easier to gather a 3 day BOB together. I do have a questions about the MONEY. Is there a certain amount you want to get up to past $100, or just keep collecting?
Thank you for all your tips and research.
Sorry about the delayed response Sherie. Life has been a bit crazy this last month. My personal goal is to collect / maintain about $75-$100 per person in my family. I don’t know that I have a specific reason for that. It is really hard to guess what prices and / or needs will be…I want to have a good amount of cash, but not go overboard. Some of that is in $5 bills and I even have a few $10 bills….
Congratulation on your TV debut! You are officially super cool!
Thanks Amber!
So I recently became interested in having a 72 hour kit, and I just found your amazing website today. But as I was thinking about a kit for my situation, I also have to think about having a kit for my two small dogs. An idea that I thought of was also packing doggy coats for both of my dogs. (They are used to wearing them during cold winter days) Both are very small and one is very thinned haired. I just wanted to throw that out there.
Week #22 is all about pets Sam! You can find it here: https://simplefamilypreparedness.com/survival-kit-ideas-week-22-prepare-for-your-pet/
I don’t have pets, so my advice was a bit limited, but there are a bunch of great comments from readers too!
A few things I wanted to add… Mini m&m containers fit quarters perfectly and one can be put in each pack, the mini bags for meds are sold at craft stores. Putting clothing in gallon zip locks keeps them dry and the air can be squished out to make it smaller same for a small light fleece blanket. An empty wipe box can be thrown in to hold delicate food items like granola bars, crackers, etc and it keeps it all in one place. Altoid tins or travel soap containers are great for mini first aide kit, sewing kit, or activity stuff. Quite books are great for toddlers and hold some novelty for young kids. Stainless steel cooking stuff is light weight and works well. 100% polyester fleece is water resistant and has tons of uses besides warmth, a small blow up swim ring has lots of uses especially for lil ones in flood situations or for keeping an infant in place if you have to sleep outside or where a playpen or crib isn’t available. Use a key ring, a carabiner and a small laminated card with your & hubby’s info and ICE numbers to attach to the kids in case they get separated anywhere so an adult can help them find you. (I do this when we go to any public place where depredation is possible my kids are runners and are easily distracted). A small pup tent for every 3 people is good too for emergency shelter in case you evacuate and can’t get indoors. Gallon zip locks have a ton of uses too! Also sunblock and aloe are a must no matter the time of year. I’d also look into the bug repellent bracelets. I usually use skin so soft oil for bug repellent but that could get messy in a kit. Love love love the whole series. I just read the entire thing!!! I have lots of this stuff around our home I just need to get it into packs for everyone! Oh and any twin sheet and 2 large heavy duty rings can be made into a sling for a baby or small toddler there are tons of tutorials on making them and how to use them properly!
Almost forgot… Pedialyte packets or freeze pops are a must for small kids and babies. The freezer pop ones are great and relatively inexpensive and do not have to be frozen, I buy them and then just use one as needed much less waste then a whole bottle. The dry mix packets would be less space and weight but cost more and can be harder to find. Mio type drink mixes are decent too for flavoring water. You can also use those tiny zip bags to make your own individual drink packets from kool-aid or any instant drink mix. Though plain water is still healthier.
A small can of playdoh is a good activity item. So are pony beads and a shoelace.
Rain ponchos and aluminum foil are good items too you can make a small stove or even a water purifier with aluminum foil.
For the caffeine addicts you can also buy energy strips at the dollar tree.
Bandanas serve tons of purposes and take up minimal room.
Make sure each person who can handle a hike is wearing cargo pants or has them.. All those pockets are very handy. Also a fishing vest would be a good investment.
A spare set of keys for vehicle, home, lock box or anything else important for each adult and older child. Accidents happen and searching for lost keys could be a huge disaster.
Bobby pins and diaper pins are useful in many ways too.
I also recommend anyone old enough be certified in CPR & First Aid for all ages.
A bottle/cup tether is awesome for small kids and babies too.
For baby clothes I’d pack onesies and sleepers and a thick lined hoodie. Maybe a thin pair of pants and shorts go at least 1 size big then what they just now fit into. You’ll more than likely be carrying them so you want their weight minimal as possible. I’d pack a pair of long socks and rain style boots for older babies who walk again at least a size too big.
A thick necklace chain for your rings is a good idea too. I often can’t wear mine but I can’t imagine not having them on me either. It’s a good way to hide them if necessary too.
They now sell a reusable baby food pouch that would be very helpful if you have to make your own baby food.
Glucose tablets for anyone prone to low blood sugar is good too.
Dry rice (not instant) will hep dry out a cell phone and can be put in a sock and warmed for a heat compress. I even keep a container of it in my car in case I drop my phone in a puddle!
It’s good to keep in mind to that a lot of times if you are forced to evacuate you may be out for more than 72 hours or there may not be shelter available. Serious disasters would cause roadways to be unusable or seriously congested and you should always keep in mind that not everyone out there is friendly and you need a way to defend yourself from predators (animal or human) if necessary. You may also need basic skill in how to find your own food sources and know what’s safe and what’s not. And the proper way to gut something if you have to hunt or fish. All those old enough should be able to do this because its not a gaur enter that you will be together at all times or that someone isn’t going to get sick or injured and need to be cared for.
Okay I think that’s all lol sorry for flooding the comments. I just thought some of these could be added or useful.
Thank you Melissa! Many of these are addressed in each individual week’s post, but some are not. I appreciate your experience!
And sorry my response was so delayed. I was in Costa Rica for a week and I’m just now getting caught up!