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Keep   an emergency go bag   in your home. It’s a simple and very obvious move . It never hurts to be prepared .  But what will you pack in a basic seventy two hour family emergency kit .

Food and water is the number one priority and for each person in your family, you need to pack two- four cups of water per day.  You should buy  packaged   shelf stable water . Five years . In addition to drinkable water- get extra water purification tablets. They’re small and cheap and one will  make a drinkable liter of water

For food you have two basic choices . The first option is food bars that have a 5 year shelf life.  Buy a minimum of 800 – 1200 calories for each person, daily . Your other option is full freeze dried meals.  For a go bag , choose the bars.  For an in home emergency kit , high quality deydrated emergency meals are  the way to go .

Light and Communications Supplies  :  You need reliable emergency lighting and a way to stay in touch with    the rest of the world and you can start with a dependable   flashlight that’s rechargeable   by cranking, shaking or squeezing . At the very least, have a small scanning radio to listen for local news and weather alerts. For longer term lighting include an emergency candle -good for 30 hours . Be very careful with candles, especially near children and pets. They are a fire risk. Add a large box of waterproof matches and a   disposable lighter. One more vital piece of communication equipment is a very loud panic whistle or personal alarm and I’d recommend one for everyone in your family.

On the subject of family – if you have pets, be sure to have food, water and basic first aid for them as well .

First aid: As well as a supply of bandages, you should also be equipped with disinfectant, burncream, sunscreen scissors, safety pins, antibiotic ointment, finger splints and some mild pain killers. Have an emergency store of any necessary prescription medications for any family member. Rather than try and source everything individually, here is a case where you should definitely choose a prepared first aid kit and supplement as you see fit for your family. And this is important – find a good first aid guide  in your kit. 

For extra warmth your go bag should have some lightweight rain gear , emergency sleeping bags and probably even a small tent . They’re very affordable and compact.

Hygiene:  I read recently that the most frequently omitted item of an emergency kit is toilet paper. Don’t make that mistake – and include tissues as well as other essential hygiene items like toothpaste and a brush, shampoo, soap dental floss, lotion, a razor, deodorant washcloth, comb and women’s sanitary products. If you have kids – you’ll need wet naps for sure .

Tools are something else you should have and a great start is the venerable multifunctioning Swiss Army knife and a face mask . I’d add duct tape and garbage bags .

You’ll need a pen, paper and at least a deck of cards.

If this is all looking like a bit too much, you can purchase a complete emergency kit and it probably won’t cost you anymore than selecting all the pieces individually .

And last but not least – keep a copy of your Family Emergency Plan in your go bag and one copy in your home emergency kit.