72 Hour Evacuation Kit

There are 72 Hour Emergencies at Home, and there are 72 Hour Emergencies that require an evacuation.  This page is dedicated to the latter.  Most of the items are useful for either situation.

There are many things we need for a mini-emergency, which most people define as 72 hours or less.  There are things we need for a 72 Hour Emergency that would be needed for longer term emergencies as well.  For example, a short-wave radio.  Thus, when purchasing items for the 72 hour kit, I am thinking long-term as well.  For example, in regard to a radio, we will be getting a self-powered short-wave radio instead of a battery powered AM/FM radio.

Also, for many things it is impractical to buy a 3 day’s supply.  Therefore, we are going to purchase a year’s supply (or more).  For example, Tylenol.  There will be a year’s supply of Tylenol in our 72 Hour Kit, not ziplock bags carrying a 3 day’s supply.

In regard to an evacuation kit, our goal is to be somewhat organized in how we store things.  If in an evacuation, we may need access to items while driving; thus, smaller storage bins are easier to maneuver and make it easier to find what we need.  Also, we plan on rotating our inventory as we go.  For example, when we are done with Tylenol in our normal medicine supply, we will pull the Tylenol from our emergency stock and then refill the emergency stock the next time we go to the store.  Having the items separated into smaller bins and organized makes stock rotation easier.

Once we have purchased all the items we need, I am going to see what can fit in our two adult backpacks (or what we can reasonably carry in regard to weight).  This will generate a separate list for if we have to evacuate by foot.  Just winging the “evacuation by foot” list is not a good idea.  If adjustments need to be made to what we buy based on size or weight, we need to know that ahead of time.

Clothing. These items are needed for each family member.  We plan to store all the clothes in one storage bin and then keep this bin with the car kit prepared just for evacuations.  This presents a logistical challenge for us since we have 3 growing children.  I have made a note in my planner to evaluate the items in this storage bin every 6 months.

1. Hats
2. Gloves
3. Waterproof ponchos
4. Shoes
   1. may need to walk long distances if roads are blocked or car breaks down
   2. keep feet warm
   3. keep feet dry
   4. need to be worn in prior to use to avoid blisters
5. Warm coat
6. Thermal underwear – 2 pair in case one gets soiled or torn
7. Athletic Pants – 2 pair in case one gets soiled or torn
8. Shirts
   1. Think in terms of layering since there might be significant shifts in temperatures during the day or person might need to wear fewer clothes if called upon to walk, run, prepare a campsite, etc.
   2. Might want to spend extra money on clothing that dries quickly
   3. Short sleeve Tee shirts – 2
   4. Long sleeve Tee shirts – 2
   5. Sweatshirt – 1
9. Socks – 5 pair each (extras in case some get wet)
10. Underwear – 3 pair
11. Backpack

Shelter / Staying Warm and Dry.  This stays with evacuation storage items.  Heaven forbid we ever need this.  The idea here is that if we are on the road and need to stop for the night or we can no longer use the van for whatever reason (roads blocked, van broke down), and we are on foot, we can have a shelter to protect us from the elements.  Therefore, the items below (at least the significant ones) need to fit in a backpack in case we are on foot.

1. Tent large enough for family.
2. Plastic Sheeting (25′ x 60′, 4mm thickness)
3. Tarp (10′ x 12′, waterproof)
4. Rope (150′)
5. Rubber Mallet (needed to drive in stakes)
6. Regular Hammer
7. Spare Stakes
8. Spare Tent Poles
9. Duct Tape
10. Tent Repair Kit
11. Lightweight wool blanket or emergency reflective blankets – enough for family
12. Sleeping Bags
13. Self-powered LED lantern

Food and Water. Supposedly we need 1 gallon of drinking water per day per person.  That sounds extreme to me and very impractical for travel – especially if we are on foot; water is heavy.  Also, I am not concerned with eating healthy in a situation like this.  We just need enough carbs to make it through 3 days, and I don’t want to fight my kids about eating.  Therefore, we have found some healthy and tasty foods that we can use for an evacuation situation.  These are also packaged such that can easily be eaten in a vehicle.

1. Qty: 3 2-liter bottles of water per person
2. Water purification device (typically found wherever camping gear is sold)
3. Snack Food.  Bagged snacks (pretzels, goldfish, hard candy, etc.)
4. Meals
   1. Breakfast:  Pop Tarts
   2. Lunch:  Cliff Bars / Z bars
   3. Dinner:  MRE’s (meals ready to eat)
   4. Is the cat coming with us?  If so, we need some food for him.

Communication.  Chances are that communication lines (TV, Radio, Internet) will not be down during a 72 hour emergency.  However, if the electrical power grid goes down for any reason – ice storm, terrorist attack, bad maintenance, etc. – then communication could be lost, at least temporarily.   Also, if on foot, it might prove to be necessary to have some source of information.  Finally, if in an emergency shelter situation, we might need to go in separate directions for a short period of time (collect firewood?, lookout?, etc.) – thus, a set of walkie-talkies are going to be needed.

1. Self-powered short-wave / fm / am radio
2. AM / FM battery powered radio
3. Spare batteries for radio(s) – rechargeable
4. Solar powered battery charger
5. Walkie-Talkies (family radio frequency)
6. Spare batteries for Walkie-Talkies.  Ideally the batteries for the radio and walkie-talkies would use the same batteries so that the same charger could be used.
7. Whistles for each family member

First-Aid / Medicine / Sanitation. There is a lot to think through here.  There are adult medicinces and children’s versions.  How do we get a spare inventory of prescription medicinces?  What about things that require a power source such as a nebulizer?  Having to evacuate (especially if we are on foot) with one or several of us being sick sounds like a nightmare.  So, we want to be as prepared as possible.   Not having the right medical supplies could make all the difference.

1. First-Aid book
2. Ibuprofen – Adult
3. Ibuprofen – Children
4. Acetaminophen – Adult
5. Acetaminophen – Children
6. Aspirin – Adult
7. Aspirin – Chidlren
8. Rubbing Alcohol
9. Antibiotic Ointment
10. Hydrogen Peroxide
11. Laxative – Adult
12. Laxative – Children
13. Diarrhea Medicine – Adult
14. Diarrhea Medicine – Children
15. Cough / Cold / Flu Symptoms  Medicine – Adult
16. Cough / Cold / Flu Symptoms Medicine – Children
17. Sunscreen
18. Chap-stick
19. Elastic Bandages
20. Band-aids
21. Gauze pads
22. First-aid tape
23. Antacid – adult
24. Antacid – children
25. Antihistamine – adult
26. Antihistamine – children
27. Cotton balls
28. Small scissors
29. Tweezers
30. Thermometer
31. Tampons
32. Small splints (popsicle sticks or tongue depressors)
33. Measuring Cups (small, plastic for dispensing doses)
34. Safety pins
35. Needle and Thread
36. Pocketknife
37. Small flashlight
38. Spare batteries for flashlight
39. Waterproof matches
40. Asthma Inhaler
41. Albuterol
42. Battery powered nebulizer
43. Spare batteries
44. Solar charger for batteries used in nebulizer
45. Diapers
46. Plastic Bags for storing waste
47. Wet wipes / Towelettes
48. Toothpaste
49. Toothbrushes
50. Hand sanitizer

Comfort / Entertainment. Of course, like every other category, you want the bare minimum here – but especially here.  Imagine being stuck in traffic for 12 hours – not moving.   These items will be included in the “list of things to pack at time of evacuation”, but we need to have spare batteries for these items already packed.

1. Spare batteries for whatever toys or comfort items we take

Reminder List. There are everyday use items that we will want to take with us on any evacuation.  We will have a laminated list stored with our evacuation items that reminds us to pack these things and where they are typically located.

1. Comfort / Entertainment.  This needs to be thought through specifically before-hand.  D
   1. Nintendo DS / DiDj
   2. Games for Nintendo DS / DiDj
   3. Portable DVD Player
   4. DVDs
   5. Books to Read
   6. Crayons
   7. Coloring Books
   8. Paper
   9. Pens
   10. Books for Chris
   11. Headphones for mp3 players – 2 sets
   12. Fully loaded iPod
   13. Box of legos
2. Pillows
3. Paperwork
   1. Birth Certificates
   2. Marriage License
   3. Passports
   4. Social Security Cards
4. Cell Phones
5. Cell Phone Chargers
6. Cell Phone Car Chargers
7. Power Adapter for Van (currently in my car).  Allows you to plug-in 3 car-charging devices at the same time.
8. Billfolds
9. Storage Bin with Cash
10. Love Bunny (stuffed animal for 2 year old daughter)
11. Sunglasses
12. Gun
13. Bullets
14. External Hard Drive with Pictures on it
15. External Hard Drive – all backups
16. Laptop Computer – Chris
17. Car Charger for Laptop – Chris
18. Wall Charger for Laptop – Chris
19. Laptop Computer – Colleen
20. Wall Charger for Laptop – Colleen