Essential Ingredients of a 72-Hour Survival Kit for the Home

Are you prepared to survive an emergency situation in your home? If disaster strikes and you and your family have to wait for rescue, experts say it is important to focus first on the survival basics and move on from there. In a disaster situation, many of the utilities we take for granted living in cities or town, like heat/refrigeration, running water and gas may become contaminated or unavailable, and phones may not be working either. Be prepared and put together a kit with the essentials of survival for at least three days. This kit should be easily accessible in an emergency and everyone in the household should know where it is. Make sure your storage container is watertight and can be easily moved. Large plastic garbage cans with lids and wheels work very well, as well as camping backpacks or army duffels. A basic disaster survival kit should include the following:

-Water: One sealed gallon of clean water per day for each person for at least three days. This will be both for drinking and for sanitation.

-Food: At least three days worth of ready to eat non-perishable food. Canned food or packaged army surplus rations work well, but be sure your food does not require too much water or heat to prepare.

-First Aid kit: With instructions on how to use it in case of injuries.

-Radios: A hand crank or battery powered radio and a NOAA weather radio with tone alert tone and extra batteries for both units. These will keep you informed of outside conditions and let you know if rescue is headed your way or if it's time to evacuate quickly.

-A flashlight and extra batteries: You and your family may not have any electricity or lights.

-Personal sanitation: moist towelettes, hand sanitizer, plastic garbage bags and twist ties. You can store these in a small bucket or trash can which can double as a latrine when lined with the plastic bags.

-Cooking and feeding supplies: plates, cutlery, cups, etc. as well as anything necessary to prepare the food in your kit

-A shrill whistle: to signal for help

-Dust masks: to help filter contaminated air

-Plastic sheeting, cutting blade, and duct tape and: to cover broken windows and/or seal out contamination in case of fallout, toxic contamination, or bio-hazards.

-Tools: a sharp knife, a manual can opener for canned food and a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities in case of leaks or contamination. It might be a good idea to also include a crowbar, hammer and nails and bungee cords.

-Local maps: for planning escape routes in case of evacuation or helping to guide rescue teams in via phone.

-Special needs items for children (formula, diapers, etc.), for those on prescription medication, pets (food, water), feminine hygiene supplies, etc.

The following are also highly recommended for an emergency kit, although it is possible to survive without them:

-Heavy work gloves

-Blankets/sleeping bags

-Complete change of clothing for each person, layers for warmer and cooler weather, sturdy shoes and rain gear (emergency ponchos are effective, cheap and compact) for each person

-Copies of important phone numbers and documents such as insurance contact numbers and policies, bank account records, personal identification documents, all in a portable, waterproof container.

-Household chlorine bleach and eyedropper: Bleach can be used as a disinfectant when diluted one part bleach to nine parts water. In case of emergency, it can also be used to treat drinking water with sixteen drops bleach per gallon of water. Use only plain bleach--no scents, detergents or color safe bleaches!

-Fire extinguisher

-Matches in a waterproof container

-Cash or traveler's checks

-Paper and pencil, books, games/activities for children.

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