It’s the first thing you read on emergency preparedness websites: “How to make a 72-hour kit. And it’s good advice. Having the supplies and items to keep us safe and comfortable in case of a disaster, all in one easy-to-remember spot, makes a lot of sense.
But there are some practical difficulties. Just check out government websites, personal blogs and commercial sites selling prepackaged kits; some items are on every list and in just about every kit, in varying quantities and quality. Others show up on only a few lists. And some kits give you near infinite variety.
Of course, the easiest way to prepare your 72-hour survival kit is to order one ready-made, complete with carrying bag or backpack, and store it somewhere easy to grab and go. And that certainly is a viable option, since assembling all the components of a 72-hour kit can be time-consuming.
However, when it comes to disaster preparedness, one size may not fit all. As you assemble your survival kit or decide which kit to buy, it might be a good idea to stop and assess your needs.
For example, the needs of a family with small children are going to be different than that of an elderly couple living by themselves. Beyond the obvious stuff like diapers and prescription medications, children are going to want different foods, have different hygiene needs, and so on.
Another question to ask is what kind of emergency is your family most likely to deal with? For example, tornados, brush fires, flash floods and man-made disasters like train derailments are likely to require quick, maybe even frantic evacuation. You need to have your 72-hour kit where you can literally grab it and run out the door.
Hurricanes and non¬–flash floods might require evacuation as well, but you are likely to have more notice. However, you may be away from home longer and have more comprehensive needs to fulfill and for a longer time, since a hurricane can impact a larger region than a more localized disaster like a tornado. Also, after a major storm, power and other utilities could be out for an extended period of time, so while you may not need to evacuate, you might have to provide for your own needs for several days.
If a major threat in your area is earthquakes, placement of your survival kit(s) becomes important. The best kit in the world is useless at the bottom of a collapsed structure. So putting it on a ground floor is better than in the basement, or even out in a backyard shed. It should be somewhere where you are confident the building won’t be collapsed, or where you can at least dig it out.
Geography could play a role as well. Water is the number one short-term need in just about every emergency, but if you don’t live near easy-to-purify water sources, you will need to have more on hand. And people living in cold environments will need to make heat more of a priority than someone in Florida or Arizona.
The most important consideration when assembling or buying a survival kit is tailoring the basics to you and your own family. Make your 72-hour kit yours.