Yay-- I made the first set of 72-hour survival kits

I am so glad I got around to this, finally.

I made the first set of 72-hour survival kits.

I am giving two kits to A.J. and C.E.'s father tonight when we do the kid-exchange for the weekend, because I highly doubt he'll ever get around to making them and I will have peace of mind knowing they have these under their beds at his house, as well as at ours.

I did some research online and learned not to use pop-top tin cans (they can explode) and not to use things that go rancid quickly (crackers, chocolate, etc.).  My kits do not have shoes, a poncho, a metallic "magic" blanket, a mini radio, or other things I'd ideally like to have, but I am so glad they aren't too heavy for the kids to carry out in the event of an earthquake or something.  I am glad I did this and I am going to be content.  For now.  Here's what I put in each waterproof-ish canvas bag:

72 hour kit (for one person)

6 bottles of water (2 per day)

1 roll of toilet paper (in a big ziploc bag to keep it dry)

approx. 6,000 calories: 2,000 per day:

1 can beans

1 can spaghettios

1 can spam

1 can evaporated milk

1 honeybear bottle

1 jar peanut butter

1 flashlight with batteries

1 small blanket

1 bag of candy worms (oil-free to keep from going rancid)

IN A ZIPLOC BAG:

1 mini-pack of pain reliever

some band-aids

a box of matches

a pencil

an "info" paper with medical insurance numbers, relatives' names, emails, phone numbers, etc.

a very mini hand sanitizer bottle

a small, simple can opener

Emergency Prep

http://preparedldsfamily.blogspot.com/2009/04/72-hour-kit-grab-and-go-container-ideas.html

I found this blog that gives lots of good tips for emergency preparedness.  I do have wheat, rice, canned goods, baking supplies, a big barrel of water and bottled water in our basement, but it's nowhere near a year's supply.  Maybe two months' worth. 

I decided to start with the 72-hour emergency packs.  I am trying to think long-term, since so many things get rancid fast (trail mix, cheese-n-crackers packs, etc.)  So, I got us each a little honeybear bottle (950 calories each--very compact and long lasting food source), and some tuna cans, evaporated milk cans, and canned beans (high protein sources).  I also got us each a $1 can opener because I read that the easy-open pop top cans are quick to explode on their own.  Plus, a can opener can be a handy tool for many things.  I also bought bottled water, and will put six bottled in each duffle bag.  I'm on my way.  I just feel better, having started.

These 72-hour duffles will be portable, so any kid could take it and run if there was a flood, earthquake, etc.  Next, I'm going to put a plastic bin with each person's name on it, to keep by our basement food storage supplies.  This will have longer-term stuff:  bedding, more water, first aid supplies, etc.

I hope we will never have to use these.  But creating them gives me a feeling of power against the unknown and a feeling of trying to help protect my family.  It gives me the ability to watch scary true news on t.v. without panic.  I will do whatever I can, and then I will trust the Lord to do the rest.  Spiritual preparation is just as important as physical.  Without faith, hope, and love, we are lost!

Well, I've been filling my own spiritual bucket. I've been reading stories from the lives of the modern-day prophets --and they are so inspiring.  I think, next, I will either find links to these stories and put them here, or type in a few.  They are so great.

That was easy to find online!  Here's one to begin:

Inspiring Stories:  From the Life of President George Albert Smith

In November 1945, President Smith called on Harry S. Truman, then president of the United States. President Smith described the visit this way:

"When I called on him, he received me very graciously -- I had met him before -- and I said: 'I have just come to ascertain from you, Mr. President, what your attitude will be if the Latter-day Saints are prepared to ship food and clothing and bedding to Europe.'

"He smiled and looked at me, and said: 'Well, what do you want to ship it over there for? Their money isn't any good.'

"I said: 'We don't want their money.' He looked at me and asked: 'You don't mean you are going to give it to them?'

"I said: 'Of course, we would give it to them. They are our brothers and sisters and are in distress. God has blessed us with a surplus, and we will be glad to send it if we can have the co-operation of the government.'

"He said: 'You are on the right track' and added, 'we will be glad to help you in any way we can.'

"I have thought of that a good many times. After we had sat there a moment or two, he spoke again: 'How long will it take you to get this ready?'

"I said, 'It's all ready.'

"The government you remember had been destroying food and refusing to plant grain during the war, so I said to him:

" 'Mr. President, while the administration at Washington were advising the destroying of food, we were building elevators and filling them with grain, and increasing our flocks and our herds, and now what we need is the cars and the ships in order to send considerable food, clothing and bedding to the people of Europe who are in distress. We have an organization in the Church that has over two thousand homemade quilts ready'." [George Albert Smith, in Conference Report, October 1947.]