Are You Prepared? What if Chicken Little is right and the sky starts falling? Will you be ready? Maybe you'll be running around like a chicken with your … (you know the rest). Either way, you must be prepared. Do you know that a 72 hour kit could save a life and is easily prepared?
What are 72 Hour Kits?
You may have heard 72 hour kits referred to as B.O.B (Bug Out Bag) or G.O.O.D. (Get Out of Dodge) kits. But no matter what name you choose, the primary purpose is to provide you and your family with the items that are deemed essential for your short-term survival. As you might guess, the 72 hours refers to the duration the contents are designed to be used under optimal conditions. This period is the time most consider it could take for first responders to get to people in remote areas.
Many of us feel that we do not live in a remote area and help is just a couple of blocks away. This is normally true, but a natural disaster could quickly change your local neighborhood into a lake or an ice coated wonderland. Living in Texas, I have personally experienced flooding caused by rain. hurricanes, ice storms, snow and tornadoes. Those are all natural disasters and don't take into account situations like a pipeline getting broken due to construction, or other man-made situations.
If you are still unsure about the concept of disaster kits, think of this scenario. It's early December and a winter storm is heading your way. To make a long story short, the freezing precipitation forms ice on trees and power lines. Soon, both are falling down and you are at home with no electricity and possibly no heat. At this point, a kit with disaster supplies might start looking real good.
I know most of us have a flashlight around the house, but what about batteries? How much food could you or your family make if the stove and can opener were both electric? Do you have a radio that runs on batteries or does everything seem to be plugged into the wall?
Basic Contents
Items you might find as you look through a basic kit could include; extra clothing, ready-to-eat food, extra water, a flashlight, extra batteries and related disaster supplies. You might also have some type of communication device, like a radio, to get a weather report. Are you beginning to see how just a few well-thought items could make a big difference? Just a few matches and a candle could provide a much needed glow as night falls.
The First Step
I hope you have a better understanding of the basic concept behind 72 hour kits and how having just a few basic items could really change a situation. Now, take a couple minutes to think about where you would put a kit in your home. To learn more about "preparedness kits" and related items, subscribe to the RSS feed or newsletter for this site. If you have suggestions, please leave a comment below or contact us.
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