Comments on: Disasters Kit

By: Munchkin Minders

Munchkin Minders — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:35:15 +0000

Let's get prepared!

By: DAWN RIGGS

DAWN RIGGS — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:31:06 +0000

For people like me who live outside the U.S.A. it would be great if we knew what was in the 72 hour kit. I know you have them in Utah but not in Africa. Thank you for a v. useful site. Regards, DAWN RIGGS.

By: Kristian

Kristian — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 03:33:21 +0000

For durability, you can't beat Army surplus. They were designed to last longer than one school year and survive combat. I live near Fort Bragg, NC and the surplus stores here are a gold mine. You can find a lot of surplus on ebay, but they are a bit more expensive.

By: mdyj108

mdyj108 — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:22:20 +0000

Thanks for offering such a great site! My question is: where can I find a good backpack or bag for a survival kit or 72-hour kit? What do you store yours in? Maybe this is already addressed on this site, but I didn't see it.
Thanks!

By: onepreparedmama

onepreparedmama — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:11:24 +0000

I use a silicone-type menstrual cup. It will easily last 10 years if not way more. It is about 2″ deep and 1″ in diameter. I love it because it doesn't leak unlike other disposable products. Plus, it pays for itself in about 4 months of not having to buy disposable feminine hygiene products. I can swim and bathe with it..no problem. It is so easy to put in and I only have to take it out and empty it 2-3x/day. If you can use a diaphram, then you'd have no problem wiuth this as it is way smaller. Mine is called a Diva Cup, but I've also seen ones called “The Keeper.” The thing I like in regards to preparedness is that it is a single small item which one could keep in a 72 hour kit, then just take it out and use each month. That way you'd be sure to have it with you when needed. I got mine about 6 years ago and am pretty sure it was under $20…well worth the investment!

By: geriB

geriB — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 18:30:13 +0000

wagon? rolling garbage can? rolling foot locker? babies one in front pack and the other in back pack would leave hands free. I have done a lot with many little ones. Practice is the key.

By: Jencuevas

Jencuevas — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:19:47 +0000

Hey Jodi,
I have a Question about Babies?
I have two babies and I know that all this is important to have but how do I get all this together and diapers ready to run out the door if needed or in an earthquake even if it's all ready to go I only have two hands and no car my babies take up my hands?
Any ideas?

By: angela1104

angela1104 — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 15:54:54 +0000

When we camp we use the butane filled fire starters, they are kid safe and work in damp and windy conditions…I purchase them at the dollar tree…another thing we have used in steel wool and a 9 volt battery…you just rub the steel wool over the 9 volts connectors and the steel wool will spark…this is a chemical reaction so it works well in adverse conditions…just remember to always, always store the steel wool away from the battery, if it touches the connectors it will spark.

By: leia_tyndall

leia_tyndall — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 20:15:46 +0000

I have both a backpack & a Rubbermaid tote which have camping/emergency supplies in them. The tote is mainly supplemental stuff & includes cookware (including a collapsible silicone bowl), a solar-powered battery charger (for my NiMH batteries), & other goodies (extra first aid stuff, water filters, etc.). I also bought a folding cart w/ large wheels (large wheels roll over rough terrain better than small ones–I got mine @ Costco) to transport my stuff (I have cables to attach the tote to the cart). Because the tote is flat on top, I can also bring a sleeping bag/blankets/tent w/ me, while leaving my hands relatively free. W/ regards to my backpack, I managed to save room in it by buying one of those bottled emergency kits & clipped it to a strap on my backpack. Another thing–I worked at a state park this summer, & met a family who was practicing their 10 min. evacuation plan. They forgot some things, but now that they've practiced, they'll be better prepared for the real deal. I thought it was great to see them actually “evacuating” (to the park)–the kids had a blast & it was a good learning experience. It's something to consider actually DOING in the near future.

By: Kristian

Kristian — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:47:40 +0000

I cannot emphasize how important a "swiss-army-knife" is for any kit. I have one for each family member. be sure to get one with the following:
- blades (of course)
- scissors
- small saw
- can opener (always good to have)
- bottle opener
- screwdriver
- magnifying glass (to start a fire with sunlight - save those matches!)

The ones I purchased (the Explorer model) had all these features and more. The are about $40.00 each, but make great Christmas gifts.

By: pukwudjivc

pukwudjivc — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:20:57 +0000

Disaster supplies: You missed something important in the parenthetical portion of the entry for hygiene products. Feminine hygiene products. The last thing you need in any type of emergency, major or minor, is to deal with the added stress of not having what you need and not being able to go get some at the store.

For those members who aren't female, they are still suggested for two reasons; you never know who you are going to be with when something bad happens and they have a host of other uses. For instance, pads are made for absorbing blood. If you have a wound which is bleeding sanitary pads are great on top of a little gauze to help stop bleeding.

By: mgariley

mgariley — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 23:53:48 +0000

i need to update my binder. i last updated it two years ago. i have to input my latest tax return!

By: Jodi - Food Storage Made Easy

Jodi - Food Storage Made Easy — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:46:03 +0000

Jan, I haven't heard of it, but I am definitely not an expert on camping/emergency prep type stuff. This is something we are working on learning more about. So thanks for sharing the tip! We will definitely look into it more.

By: Jan Rasmussen

Jan Rasmussen — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 19:58:52 +0000

Have you seen or heard of Insta-Fire? – this stuff is amazing – You can use it to cook your food and just a little of it – like a half cup will burn for 15 – 20 minutes. We have found this to be plenty of time to cook our food, boil water etc. And has a shelf life (they claim) of 30 years. We use it to camp, hike, snowmobile and store in our food storage. We have used it on the snow, in the rain, windy conditions. We really like it. I know they sell to the military and survival places and are just starting to sell it retail. We have put it in our food storage and our 72 hour kits. I would like to know your thoughts and if you know anything about it. Is there any negatives about it?

By: Jodi - Food Storage Made Easy

Jodi - Food Storage Made Easy — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 04:11:30 +0000

Jennifer, think of the car kit as something you will have in case you have car trouble and are stranded somewhere. You would want first aid, maybe some snacks, things for kids to do, etc. Your disaster kit MAY be similar. If you have a car at home during the day then you may not need to double up and first aid kit, etc. because if you evacuated you would be going in your car. However, I don't have a car at home so I would want to have those items separate in my disaster kit at home so I can take them with me and evacuate on foot, with a neighbor, etc. Does that help clear things up a bit?

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 22:07:53 +0000

This is a great site. Thanks for all of the wonderful info! I'm working my way through the babysteps and I'm on # 2. I'm confused about the difference between a car kit and disasters kit? It looks like the same stuff. Are you suggesting I make two very similar kits and keep one in the car and one in the house?

Jennifer