72 Hour Kit week #10: Sanitation

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Welcome!Week #10 in a step by step 72 hour kit series. Makes building a robust, personalized 72 hour kit affordable and do-able!

Welcome to week #10 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?Build a robust, personalized 72 hour kit one week at a time over 26 weeks

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!

Last Week

I hope that you were able to add some items to keep you warm to you kit last week.

Week #11: Sanitation

If a member of your family is injured or hurt, you will need to be able to care for them on your own. Obviously, first aid supplies are essential in an emergency. But before you can use bandages and such, you need to be sure the cuts and / or wounds you are covering are well cleaned. This will reduce the risk of infection and scarring as well as promote faster healing.

In addition, you can prevent many problems / illnesses by staying clean. This week, add sanitation supplies to your kit.

Ideas / Suggestions:

First, I like this article (from WebMD) about how to clean a wound. I would suggest printing it out and keeping it with your sanitation / first aid supplies: Cleaning and Bandaging a Wound. Then, consider the following list when deciding what supplies to add to your kit:

  • Clorox Wipes
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Antiseptic Towelettes
  • Water (in boxes or pouches).
  • Soap.
  • Alcohol pads
  • Latex Gloves
  • Saline Solution
  • Neosporin

What we have done in our family:

I have antiseptic towelettes and alcohol pads, hand sanitizer and soap. I also have a box of distilled water and latex gloves. We have saline solution with our personal care supplies.

Many have asked why I have additional water here in my kit. My answer is that I simply like to have it separated out in my mind: some water is for drinking; other is for cleaning wounds if needed. I like packaging it with my first aid supplies so that it would be easily accessible were I to need it quickly. Most of our drinking water is at the very bottom of our packs while this water sits with our first aid supplies right near the top.

 

How About You?

Leave me a comment and tell me what sanitation items you will be adding to your kit. Why? Do you know how to use them?

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Week #9: Staying Warm Week #11: First Aid Week #1: Packaging Your Kit Series Into: Survival Kit Series, A Week by Week Approach
Rebecca Britton
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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.

166 thoughts on “72 Hour Kit week #10: Sanitation”

  1. My understanding is that bleach has a shelf life of 6 months…you can buy granular chlorine at the pool and spa supply store. I appreciate your website!

    Reply

  2. I do know how to clean wounds, but in the event that I am unable or unavailable, I think a printout of basic wound care LAMINATED in with the first aid box, and with each person’s bag would be good.

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  3. So glad I found your blog! Love your ideas.

    I’ll be starting this week! Also here to look at the Home Binder I saw on Pinterest.

    Thanks~

    ~Michelle

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  5. Right now I have a large bottle of rubbing alcohol in my bag. I thought that it has multiple uses so I put in a large bottle as it is cheap enough. My son’s bag has some hand sanitizer and he has a small hygiene kit that has a bar of soap in it. I also have castile soap in my bag (for hand/body/hair/dishes/clothes). I also have lots of gloves in my bag (as a nurse I always have an abundance of these). My sons bag has two pairs of gloves.

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  6. I have just recently stumbled upon your site, and fell in love with it! Being prepared is something I am very passionate about.

    I haven’t read any of the other comments, so I don’t know what others have said to you, but this may come in handy. I have a two year old, so we have tons and tons of plastic wipes boxes. These are PERFECT for making individual first aid kits for different bags. They are water proof, and easy to open. They are sturdy, so you don’t have to worry about things leaking (ointments getting squished). My whole pack is pretty much separated into little wipes boxes, and then labeled on the sides and tops in permanent marker with what each box contains exactly.

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  7. We already bought a pre-assembled first aid kit, but we’ll be adding Clorox wipes, hand sanitizer, and soap!

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  8. I know this isn’t regarding disinfecting or sanitation but what type of backpack do you have for the adults? I have started to gather supplies and currently they sit in an empty tub but I want to start packing them into something more portable.

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  9. I think this is by far my favorite part of the series (the first aid kit). I am new to this whole kit thing in the past week but with First Aid items I can easily ask my husband (an EMT) exactly what we would need and he can help me. This week I have purchased backpacks for my 6 and 3 year old. We bought food for each of my 5 family members, bottled water, a crank weather radio, Millennium bars, safety whistles, 3 crank flashlights, boxed water for the kiddos, cute little sporks, 2 filter water bottles, water treatment solution. Maybe even more. I am trying to play catch up but I went overboard. I love your site!

    My husband recommended a pen light for our kit. They are super small and light weight but important to check pupils in case of concussion. And he has rave reviews for Quik Clot from another week!

    Reply

      • The Target deal that I mentioned had a little set with medical shears. A small one a pen light and something else for like 3 or 4 bucks. I don’t know if the deal is still going or not but worth a look.

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      • Any medical supply store sells them. They are normally $1-$2. I buy a lot of my medical supplies from galls.com. I can verify they sell very high quality items. My husband stocks his personal EMT kit from there. They have neat things like little first aid guides, clothing shears, and some really cool first aid kits (with useful stuff, not just 300 band-aids). They supply police, fire, ems, etc so you can grab pepper spray, window break tools for your car, multi purpose tools, and even body armor all from the same place. Definitely some crazy stuff, but all very interesting. Check out the SAM splints too. They are a soft splint that is rolled up and light weight. When you unroll it and slightly bend them you just wrap gauze around it to secure it to an arm or leg that is broken. They are cheap and used by the professionals. Very good immobilization when needed.

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  10. I have lots of hand sanitizer, soap, and disinfecting wipes, but I need to get antiseptic wipes and more gloves. I’m also investigating the use of pool shock as an alternative to storing liquid bleach.

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  11. I just added a bottle of water and a small hotel size bar of soap to my personal kit. I need to refill our big bottles of hand sanitizer in each of the vehicles too now that I think about it.

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  12. i still need to buy my pre made first aid kits, once i do ill know better what i need to get and will add these to my list if there not inculded.

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  13. i didn’t even think about disinfecting!! i bought a first aid kit on sale then added to it but never thought about cleaning up afterwards. i’ll be getting some clorox wipes during my shopping trip monday. Thanks for this blog!!

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    • Of course Chonte! I’m so glad to know it is helpful!

      And I’m sorry I took so long to respond. I’ve been on vacation!

      Reply

  14. We have hand sanitizer, bar soap, and a few towelettes. I would like to at least add some gloves and possibly replace the bar soap with something like Dr. Bronner’s so it is easier to use it for bodies and dishes as well as wounds.

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  15. Just happened to grab a box of alcohol wipes while at the store the other day. A couple people have asked about the gloves, I was able to pick up couple boxes with 8 in it at Walmart the other day for about $1 each. I need to get some more Clorox-y wipes and some separate water, then we’ll be good.

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  16. This week I will be adding water to my kit. Something so simple, but never really thought about putting it in there. Great idea! Would love to win this giveaway!

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  18. I finally feel somewhat prepared for this week already! Our moms group has put together first aid kits the last couple years so I have a good start, but I am going to separate out some water to add in. Thanks for the link to print the article too…I never thought about printing out references to have at a moments notice.

    Reply

    • I think I’d be missing a LOT of stuff if I didn’t have access to the internet! I’m thinking of doing an article soon with a list of all the things we should print out…..once I actually get around to doing it myself! (-:

      And I’m sorry I took so long to respond. I’ve been on vacation!

      Reply

  19. I was just at Target and if u buy 3 first aid items on their list starting at 1.57 u get a free first aid case. I spent 5 bucks on items that I needed any way and got the free case to pack for my pack. It isn’t a big osha kit by any means but I wanted to have a bigger kit in my husbands pack and a medium one for my pack in case we were seperated for any reason. We have those dollar first aid kits everywhere but those r really just over priced bandaids. My mother in law buys them with free bucks at pharmacys. Any way I didn’t want to buy three big first aid kits for each bag and the car so this worked for me. Thought I would share.he acohol pads were a 1.57 so I added two packs of those and an ace bandage because I didnt have one. And I always try to have at least two or three things of bleach in the house and two lysol or clorox wipes as well.

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  20. Water! What a great idea to have some set aside just for the first aid kits. I’ll add a bottle to each until I can order some in boxes. Thanks!

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  21. Good thought on the soap. We already have most of the other add-ons for the first aid kit since I used to work in a lab and was well aware of hazards both in the home and away. Hand sanitizer is always with us in the diaper bag. I think I will add a small hotel sized bar of soap to each backpack.

    Reply

    • I just got some small hotel soaps while on vacation this week Kelli! Great minds think alike!

      And I’m sorry I took so long to respond. I’ve been on vacation!

      Reply

  22. This blog has truly been influential in my gaining momentum and planning. For almost 6 months it’s been on my “to-do” list but yet it’s so overwhelming where to begin. I began to panic of – of I can even plan how in the world would I ever function in a real emergency?!
    Thank you.

    Reply

    • You are welcome Mairin! I love it when people take the time to leave such comments! I’m glad it has been helpful!

      And I’m sorry I took so long to respond. I’ve been on vacation!

      Reply

  23. I just discovered your site thanks to Pinterest, and I’m enjoying reading through your survival kit suggestions. I can’t wait to get started on my own kit! Thanks for including such great information!

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  24. I can see how this are needs attention in my family. I have the first aid kits, but the water and clorox wipes and soap are things I need to get together. I never thought about them. Thanks for the reminders!

    Reply

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