72 hour kits

[jumpsteady]

I am working on putting together a 72 hour kit for my family and I. That includes my wife and 9 month old daughter. Just curious what you guys have in your kits, and what kinds of things do you think that I should add to the list, and what should I keep off the list. Any and all opinions are welcome.

[DCRthe3rd]

72 hrs where? in your house? car?
heat/light/food/water/meds/comms with the outside world
thats the short answer i suppose
turn off all power to your house for 72 hrs and youll find out , its alot like camping
oh and of course , youll want the always present answer to any survival question , a firearm , you know , to keep whats yours and defend yourself , etc

[bilmac]

I assume a kit for your car since 72 hours at home wouldn't be any strain. I used to carry sleeping bags and still do carry old ones, but for more than one person blankets or unzipped bags let you share body heat. I have insulated coveralls in my vehicles in the winter. They would take lots of room rolled up in a kit, but I leave mine stretched out behind a seat. You wouldn't need food for 3 days, but it's a lot nicer with. The Wal mart brand name trail mixes are tasty, and would keep for a long time without worry about freezing.

[jumpsteady]

I was thinking more down the lines of what some people call a "bug out bag". I want something that I will be able to use and moved, and survive for at least 3 days. Not really for in the house or car. Its more for if you had to leave your house and your car was inoperable. What would you take?

[bilmac]

That puts a different spin on it, and I would say your local situation will largely determine what you put in it, you probably aren't going far on foot. I would recommend you get a GOOD backpack to haul your stuff though. I have an old camp trails pack board with removable pack. It has a foldable shelf on the bottom to help support your load, and is cross braced so that it is not dependent on the strength of it's welds for rigidity. A rig like this is versatile. Take the pack off and you can tie a lot of firewood to the frame.I have packed most of an elk,downhill, on mine.

[tbull55]

If your wife is not breast feeding, you need to pack a can of powdered formula for the baby.  Bay items are usually overlooked when thinking about a 72 hour BOB.  Oh yeah also a big tube of BUTT PASTE for the little one, it can also come in handy for the adults!!

Tbull