72-Hour Grab & Go Kits
There are a variety of reasons that may require you to evacuate your home. Gas leaks, fires, storms and flooding are just a few examples that might require you to leave your home in a hurry. In my case, we have an active volcano in our back yard. You just never know.
There may seem to be some duplication with the 72-Hour Kits For Your Home and the 72-Hour Grab & Go Kits. I recommend you keep them separate and independent. There may be a time when you have to evacuate after you have started utilizing your 72-Hour Kits For Your Home. Stay out of the Grab & Go Kits unless it’s an emergency.
In the event you need to evacuate your home each member of your family should have a 72-Hour Grab & Go Kit. The pack needs to be readily available and easy to carry. It needs to be personalized for that person.
Keep in mind, in the event of a wide spread emergency, it may take time for emergency aid organizations and emergency shelters to get emergency provisions distributed. Even if you evacuate to a friend or relative, it’s best to be prepared.
In the event you don’t have the time or desire to put your own kits together Click HERE
First, get a backpack for each member of your family that can carry one. Backpacks are affordable and readily available. Make sure they are durable and small enough that your child can carry it when packed. JanSport makes a great affordable backpack and they can be found everywhere. Put a name tag on each backpack. Luggage tags are great for this. If your child is too small to carry a backpack, pack their items in your backpack. You are carrying for two so make your items count and make sure you can carry it.
WHAT TO PUT IN EACH GRAB & GO KIT
Each child’s backpack should have an emergency contact list and current family photo inside the backpack. It should have the child’s name and date of birth, address, guardian’s names and contact info, the name and contact info for a friend or family member out-of-state, any medical conditions, any medications that must be administered. This is necessary in the event you and your child are separated. The out-of-state contact is like a rally point for your family. Although local phones may not be working, you may be able to call out of state. You may be able to be reunited more quickly via your out of state contact. Be sure to keep this information current.
Cash -$20 in small bills, a roll of quarters and a pre-paid phone card. Remember if there is no power, the ATM’s won’t work and cell towers may be down. Some markets may be open on a cash only basis. Some pay phones may be operable and the quarters or the phone card can be used to contact friends and family.
Prescription Medications- Keep at least three days worth of prescription medications. Do no mix meds and keep them in their labeled container. Rotate you meds when you refill your prescription. ALWAYS KEEP MEDICATIONS OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN.
Extra Cell Phone Charger
Contact List – A printed list of important phone numbers and addresses for your use. Include local emergency numbers other than 911.
Water- at least 5- 20oz bottles of water in each adult pack. I know this is less than the 8-8 oz glasses you are supposed to drink per day but water is heavy. Conserve on consumption, but don’t get dehydrated. Keep the emptied bottles and refill them with clean drinking water as soon as possible. Keep in mind children require less water than adults. 6-8oz bottles of water may be enough for your child. If you need water to make formula for a baby, pack accordingly. You decide what you need.
Rain Poncho-Make sure it is big enough to go over a winter coat and the backpack. This will make sure everything stays dry even in the rain. These can be found at any sporting goods store, Wal-Mart and Emergency Essentials.
Emergency Blanket or Bag-Also known as a space blanket. Small and lightweight it reflects up to 80% of your body heat back to you. Can be found at any sporting goods store, Wal-Mart and Emergency Essentials.
Food- Enough for 72 hours. Granola bars, cereal bars, crackers, protein bars, nuts, dried fruit, beef jerky. Maybe some gum and mints. Your space is limited so make the most of your food. Make sure your child will eat it. BumbleBee came out with a great Tuna and Chicken salad . I added those to our packs. They were $1 at Dollar Tree.
Wet Wipes- These will come on handy for washing hands and faces.
Hand Sanitizer-A small bottle of hand sanitizer will help reduce the risk of illness.
Toothbrush and Toothpaste
Toilet Paper-when one of your rolls at the house gets to the half used point, remove the cardboard core, flatten it and put it in a ziplock baggy. I actually vacuume sealed mine, flattened a whole roll of toilet paper flat!!
If you have a female that has her monthly menstruation cycle, add feminine protection.
If you have a child that needs GoodNites, add them to their pack.
Towel- A medium weight bath towel or beach towel. This towel can be used for so many things, naturally a towel, a pillow for your head or butt, an additional blanket, to protect an injury. Make sure it is clean, roll it up small and tight and secured with a string or use a Space Bag.
Clothing-I like sweats. Buy them a couple sizes bigger so you can layer your clothing if necessary. Roll them up small and tight. Also, add an extra pair of socks, underwear, and gloves. A stocking cap is essential as most of your body heat is lost from your head. A spacebag is awesome for your clothing and towel. It keeps them compact and dry. They are very affordable and can be found at Organize.com, Spacebag.com, Ebay.com and most big retail stores.
Flashlight-Click HERE
Whistle with lanyard-This can help draw the attention of emergency services if you need help. This can be picked up at most sporting goods stores.
First Aid Kit-Adult packs should have a basic first aid kit. You can put it together yourself and put it in a ZipLock bag. Personalize this for your family. My husband has to have Blistex and I need antacids. What does your family have to have?
Entertainment-Each backpack should have something age appropriate to combat boredom. Card games, coloring books, a novel.
If you have an infant, make sure you have enough diapers, formula, food and bottles.
If you have a family member with special needs, make sure there is a plan in place and their needs are met.
If you have a pet, make sure you have food and water for them. Keep in mind that most emergency shelters (for people) do not accept pets.
Ziplock bags are great. They will help keep your items organized and dry. Ziplock has added new vacume system bag to their line. Cheaper than buying a FoodSaver or Seal-a-Meal. I found them cheapest at Wal-Mart.
You may want to make up an inventory checklist for each pack. That way when you check it every six months or so, you will know right away if something is missing and needs replaced.
While we are on the subject of evacuations….
Do you have all your important papers in one easy to find place. Birth Certificates, Passports, Insurance Policies and Marriage Certificates should be organized and easy to “Grab & Go.”
Do you know what your daycare’s emergency plan is?
What will your daycare do with your child if you can’t get there?
Do you know what your school’s emergency plan is?
What will your school do with your child if you can’t get there?
Do you know what your employer’s emergency plan is?
Does you child know what to do if they are home alone and you can’t get there?
If you have to evacuate do you know all the routes out of town? Note: You can’t get out of town on an empty tank of gas and fuel may not be readily available during an evacuation. Get in the habit of refilling when the tank is 1/2 empty.
Do you know where your emergency shelter’s are?
If you have pets, what is your plan for them? Most shelter’s will not accept pets.
If you do evacuate your home, leave a note somewhere where people can find it telling them where you went.
Shelter Safety – I want to take a moment and talk about shelter safety. Do you remember the horror stories about what happened in the Super Dome in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, assaults, rapes, robberies. Do not let your children out of your site for one second. Never leave your backpacks unattended. Keep in mind that the majority of the people at the shelter are not nearly as prepared as you are. Keep what you have in your backpacks to yourself. Be aware of your surroundings. Remember, your responsibility is to your family first and then others.
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