PURPOSE
AND CONTENTS OF THE PERSONAL 72-HR. KIT
from
Southwest Shooting Authority
In
turbulent times, we may be forced to leave our homes temporarily for
a few days. Depending on
circumstances, we may have to leave immediately at any time during
the day or night and having
the bare essentials at hand and ready to go at a moment’s notice
may mean the difference
between life or death to you and your loved ones.
We
see all manner of lists out there that are suggested as necessary for
a 72 hour kit. Many of these
are unrealistically elaborate, expensive and heavy. Please bear in
mind that a 72 hr. kit should
be something that you can carry comfortably if you have to evacuate
on foot and should contain
only a minimal amount of items. All a healthy adult needs to SURVIVE
comfortably for 72 hours is a change of clothes, a handful of Granola
bars and a couple gallons of water. Anything beyond this should be
considered carefully. Understanding that the possibility may exist
for a longer stay than planned, here are a few suggestions for your
kit. Keeping it minimal may even allow you to carry enough supplies
for 96 hours or more instead of 72.
Two
of the most important things to consider first, are water and a
comfortable means of carrying
your supplies. A durable, comfortable backpack is certainly the best
choice for our personal
kit and some families may want to include a medium sized duffle-bag
for a certain amount
of family items or things for the young or old that they cannot carry
for themselves. If
you are fortunate enough to be able to stay at or near your home, you
should have plenty of water
put away. If you have to leave on foot, you should make plans to
carry at least enough for one
day in your pack as 2-3 gallons of water would be too heavy for most
people to carry along with
the rest of their gear. Another option is to carry a water
purification system or tablets to purify
irrigation or rain water. Camelbak and HydraStorm make some
outstanding packs of various
sizes with built-in water bladders. There are military/law
enforcement models and recreational
models. The military versions are extremely well built and heavy duty
but more expensive
than the recreational models. An adult should be able to put everything needed in a pack
with a cargo capacity of around 1800 to 2100 cubic inches. Children
should have packs of from
750 to 1200 cubic inches depending on age and build. Naturally, the
adults will have to carry
a certain amount of the children’s gear but the children should be
able to carry quite a bit of
their own gear. It is essential that families plan training outings
of increasingly longer hikes at
least monthly with increasingly heavier packs to be certain that all
members are properly prepared.
The
following is a list of suggested items that should be included in
your personal kit.
•
Enough
food to keep you reasonably comfortable, but not necessarily full,
for 3 days. The average
adult should be able to easily get by on 2 MRE’s a day for 3 days.
The more hardy and
children may get by on one. The MRE’s should be stripped of
non-essential weight by removing
anything that you won’t eat or can’t use. Home-made meals can be
a simple as Spam,
jerky, dried fruit, crackers and Granola bars or something similar as
long as it provides
enough carbohydrates and protein to provide the energy to do whatever
physical
tasks
are required for your situation. Add some chocolate and hard candy.
•
One
change of clothing with 2-3 pairs of socks and a change of underwear.
Long johns, jacket,
coat, knit cap or ball cap, depending on season. Add a couple of
large plastic garbage
bags to keep your equipment dry and to store clothing and other items
in.
•
1-2
space blankets and a couple of disposable ponchos should be adequate
for shelter and sleeping
in moderate weather for most people but others may want to include a
light-weight
sleeping bag or a couple of blankets. Of course, additional
provisions will have to be
added for the very young, elderly and infirm.
•
Small
first aid kit - Various sizes of Band-aids, surgical gloves, topical
ointment, pain reliever
(Motrin, Advil, etc.), hydrocortisone cream, eye wash, gauze
and tape, sterile
compresses, elastic bandage, Super Glue gel, suture kit, tweezers,
antiseptic wipes, betadine
or iodine and burn cream. Chapstick or small tube of Vaseline (numerous uses). Additional items can be added for
individual needs such
as diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure, etc. but keep it
reasonable.
•
A
pair of goggles and a couple of N95 masks.
•
Personal
hygiene items (chapstick, sunscreen, toothbrush and paste, comb, hand
towel, wash
cloth, bar soap, shampoo, feminine hygiene items, etc.)
•
Toilet
paper and a few paper towels in a zip-lock bag.
•
A
small notebook and a pencil.
•
Wrap-around
sunglasses.
•
Small
sewing kit to include various sizes of safety pins.
•
Waterproof
matches and disposable lighter.
•
Good
quality flashlight and extra batteries. Also, a couple of large
candles may be helpful. Preferably
beeswax candles.
•
GPS
or compass.
•
Optics
(compact binoculars or monocular)
•
25'
of 5/16" or 3/8" nylon rope or mule tape and at least 25'
of strong twine for securing additional
items to your pack, building shelters, aiding in climbing walls or
lowering your gear
down an embankment, etc.
•
A
well-made multi-tool such as Leatherman or Gerber.
•
Heavy
duty non-folding knife and sharpening stone.
•
A
pair of light work gloves
•
A
pair of inexpensive FRS/GMRS or handheld ham radios and possibly a hand-held scanner
•
Handgun
and/or short barreled shotgun and ammunition for personal defense.
The
above list of supplies will be more than enough to keep a person
alive, comfortable and healthy
for 3 to 5 days. Those that have trained and practiced for such an
emergency may survive
much longer by supplementing their food supply by hunting or
scavenging and obtaining water
through other sources. This list will likely be modified for some
individuals in a more hostile or tactical
environment.
The
event or series of events that cause us to have to rely on our
emergency kits could very well be a situation that may last much more
than 3 days. Our 72 hour kit is primarily designed to provide us with
enough supplies to sustain us for the time that it takes for
emergency services to get organized. THIS WILL BE AN EMERGENCY, NOT A
VACATION! Public utilities and transportation
may be shut down or interrupted. Be prepared to make do without phone
service, water,
sewer and electricity. Stores, gas stations, schools and your job
will likely be shut-down. Emergency
services may be interrupted and hospitals full. It may also be
prudent to seek training in first aid, land navigation, firearms use,
edible plant recognition and ways to obtain water.
Long-term
survival preparations are much different than what is listed above.
Please don’t confuse
the two and have a bunch of stuff that you can neither carry or use
in 3 days as mobility may be essential.
In Liberty, Cope Reynolds (#Desertscout1)
Southwest Shooting Authority of Arizona
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