11thHHMM: 72 hr kit

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My camera will not upload pictures, so at the last minute I came up with this. Our church counsels us to be prepared. "If ye are prepared ye need not fear." Spiritually, physically, mentally. In the wake of this last hurricane (IKE) I thought I would share what we did yesterday.

We are encouraged to have (at least) 3 months of foods put back for times of need (financial, disaster, etc), including water.
{more info can be found at providentliving.org)

We are encouraged to follow the Red Cross guidelines and have what we call our 72 hour kit ready at all times. Red Cross has found, if you have necessities ready at hand in times of disaster, your needs will be met until help can arrive. Red Cross feels it should not take more than 72 hours to reach all and rescue.

Our 'kit' is a backpack full of necessities. With 5 children at home, and my husband and I, getting this together was hard (financially), and usually on the back burner. So one year I decided we were doing it no matter what! Research was done, lists were made, items were purchased, and bags where loaded. It was super fun! It DID NOT break the bank!
(Actually God blessed my determination with a HUGE return:).

But that was YEARS ago. We have moved several times, and these bags are always in my closet (safe from little hands-or so I hoped), always ready. When threat of a tornado was upon us, hubby instructed the kids to throw their bags and shoes in the tub, get completely dressed, and go to bed. No worries! What a blessing that man is to me! He is my brain when I don't have one.

So, since we didn't have church yesterday (our building was set aside as a backup shelter area), I promised myself we would go through our backpacks. (to give you an idea how old these are, FOUR children have graduated since we made these!) It was fun unpacking and re-organizing!

When we went through ours, I don't know whose was whose (or is it whose was whoms? or what was whoms? Oh well).
Daughter # 4 took hers when she moved out, it was pink-so it was easy to tell which was hers)
Son #3 perfect condition (he is currently in the Navy, in VA)
Son #5 perfect condition (his was sent home with him)
Son #6 perfect condition
Son #7 no food, everything else perfect condition
Hubby perfect condition
Mine NO FOOD-NO TOILETRIES-NO WATER!!!!

Some one had robbed me blind! I imagined being at a shelter, opening my bag and finding NO FOOD NO TOILETRIES! NO DEODORANT!!!! Scary!
(I went straight to the extra stash and found a deodorant and put it in my bag-I'm happier now).

We took out all the old food, made our list, and will be restocking today.
On person suggests having your family eat whats in their bags twice a year to force rotation, and keeping the food fresh. (eat it while you watch General Conference:) MY kids would have loved this idea!

We wrote our names on cards, Army National Guard Son suggested the following on cards:
Name
DOB
Blood Type (A pos, A neg NOT + OR - because sometimes those signs can get marked over)
Medicines
Allergies
Relatives



Some people put theirs in buckets (great idea), or trash cans with wheels. What ever you have is great, but it must be portable. Realize you might be separated if evacuated, and keep that in mind when deciding what goes where.

The Red Cross website suggests these 7 essentials:
1. water
2. food
3. flashlight
4. radio
5. batteries
6. 1st aide kit
7. medications
(our flashlight is also a radio, and is battery, solar, or crank charged)

From the Red Cross Website:
Are you Red Cross Ready?
What's your RQ (Readiness Quotient)? with the Council for Excellence in Government

Being prepared for emergencies is crucial at home, school, work and in your community.

Disaster can strike quickly and without warning. It can force you to evacuate your neighborhood, workplace or school or can confine you to your home. What would you do if basic services – water, gas, electricity or telephones – were cut off?

Local officials and relief workers will be on the scene after a disaster, but they cannot reach everyone right away. The best way to make you and your family safer is to be prepared before disaster strikes. We encourage you to:

* Get a Kit
* Make a Plan
* Be Informed

You can also Get a Kit, Make a Plan, and Be Informed by taking the Be Red Cross Ready online educational presentation.

"Red Cross Talk"
Straight talk from the Red Cross. Take a moment and listen to some simple, down-to-earth advice on how you and your family can become safer, healthier and more resilient in the face of an emergency.

Get a Kit - MP3 file
Make a Plan - MP3 file
Be Informed - MP3 file

Here is a great 'how to' site: http://lds.about.com/od/preparednessfoodstorage/a/72hour_kit.htm

If you don't have one of these for your family, I recommend you at least check out the websites sited here. AT LEAST you'll have the info. You never know when it may be needed, and will help your family through a tough situation. Be Smart-Be Prepared!
(disclaimer: photo above is a purchase available kit-OURS is NOT that fancy)

Thanks for joining me today!!!!