Easy 72-hr Kits

I was assigned by my church leaders to come up with a concept for a food 72-hr kit that is affordable and easy to throw together. The reason I was given this responsibility was to help families in our church get prepared for an emergency.

In order to accomplish this gigantic task, I took to the internet and Pinterest to come up with ideas on what a kit needed.

I made a list of items I thought would be good to have, and went to Sam's club and Wal-Mart to check quantity and pricing. While I was in Sams Club, I spotted a few things I didn't include on my list, so I wrote some of those down in the margins just in case I wanted to change or add to the menu.

Can you believe that 9 meals + snacks fit into one bag for $8? Pretty awesome! I figured we would let each person provide their own water since you can pretty much get it for free at home from your tap.

I happened to be at Dollar Tree and found that they carry 2.5 gallon bags, which happens to be the perfect size to hold all the food. You get 5 bags for $1. That is the best price I found.

Here is the final list if items, the quantity and pricing (these are Utah prices).

I made up a menu to put into each kit. People on the internet suggested to rotate the items once a year. Instead of throwing the stuff away, have a 72-hr kit picnic with your family, then replenish the kit with new stuff.

Remember that water is VERY IMPORTANT to have. The recommended amount per person per day is ONE GALLON.