Week TEN: 72-Hour Kit Challenge
*This post includes a FREE printable to help you stay organized with week ten of this challenge; you can get the printable HERE!
Hey there! Whether you’re new here or a returning visitor, I’m thrilled to have you stop by my site, Modernfoodstoragemama.com. I’m Brittany, and I want to help you with your emergency preparedness goals!
This blog article will discuss two essential emergency preparedness supplies to include in your 72-hour kits (bug-out bags) for week 10 of my 12-week 72-hour Kit Challenge!
If you haven’t already, I highly recommend signing up for my FREE 72-Hour Kit Guide; you can sign up through THIS LINK. The links to weeks 1-9 of this 12-week challenge are at the bottom of this post!
If you have already started the challenge, I would love to hear about your progress with your 72-hour kits. I don’t care if you are on week one, week 10, or anywhere in between; I would love to hear about your progress and help you however I can!
Now, let’s begin WEEK TEN of this challenge! It’s time to get to work and continue our journey towards preparedness.
This week, I’d like you to add the following items in your kits-
We stocked our kits with Emergency Weather Radios during Week Eight of the 72-Hour Kit Challenge. The radios I suggested came with a solar charger that you could use to charge your phone. I recommend having at least one emergency radio per family. However, in an emergency, more than one solar option for charging your phone may be required, especially if you are putting together kits for your entire family. That’s why I am suggesting that you purchase a second solar charger.
When you buy and pack your solar charger in your 72-Hour Kit, make sure you also include a cord that will work with your particular phone brand. A charger will only do us good with a cord!
Why should you have a solar charger in your 72-hour emergency evacuation kit?
A solar charger is essential to your 72-hour emergency evacuation kit for several reasons. First, it ensures that you have a reliable power source even when traditional power outlets are inaccessible due to natural disasters, power outages, or other emergencies. This means you can keep your phone and other essential devices charged, allowing you to stay connected with loved ones and emergency services.
Secondly, solar chargers are highly portable and designed to be lightweight and compact, making them easy to carry in your emergency kit without adding significant weight or bulk.
Lastly, owning a solar charger provides peace of mind, ensuring a sustainable and reliable backup power solution. A solar charger can be especially crucial in a remote area or during an emergency lasting longer than 72 hours.
Water is our most crucial resource because we can only survive a few days without it. However, storing enough water for three days in your 72-hour emergency kits can be challenging. We discussed the importance of water at the beginning of this challenge—you can find more information about emergency water in Week Three’s blog post!
If you still need to add emergency water, filters, and water bottles to your kits, now is a great time to do so!
I recommend including a filter and collapsible water bottles in your 72-hour kits to ensure that you have enough water or the means to purify it. You could also get a water bottle with a built-in filter.
Why do you need emergency water in your 72-Hour Kit?
Water is a critical component of any emergency kit, particularly in a 72-hour kit, where you need to ensure that you have enough essentials for at least three days. It’s important to include water in your emergency kit because accessing clean drinking water during a crisis can be challenging.
As you build your emergency preparedness supplies for your home, I recommend having at least one gallon of water per person daily for emergencies and at least a two-week stockpile of emergency water. While having one gallon of water per person daily, carrying and storing three gallons of water in your 72-hour Kit is quite challenging.
By diversifying our water storage options and incorporating purification methods, we can better prepare ourselves to stay hydrated during unexpected situations. Remember, staying hydrated is essential for maintaining our health and well-being in times of crisis.
Here are the links to weeks 1-9 of the 72-Hour Kit Challenge-
Week ONE: This week, we focused on clothing for your kits. We spent no money on week one; we only searched our closets for clothing.
TWO: This week, we got bags to use or our kits, either by finding a bag you already had or by purchasing bags.
THREE: This week, we focused on Emergency Water!
FOUR: This week, we focused on toiletries. Can you imagine being in an emergency and not having a toothbrush and toothpaste for days? Yuck!
Search your home for toiletries you have on hand and could use in your kits. You may have some travel-size items left over from a recent trip.
FIVE: This week, we gathered first aid supplies, bought a first aid kit, searched our homes for a flashlight, or purchased a flashlight.
SIX: We started gathering or purchasing foods you can use in our kits this week.
SEVEN: We stocked our kits with an emergency whistle, an emergency blanket/sleeping bag, and an emergency tent.
EIGHT: We purchased Weather Radios (with a solar flashlight & ability to charge a phone) and rain ponchos for our kits.
NINE: We purchased emergency road maps and weather proof matches for our kits.
This blog post about 72-Hour Kit Foods will help you as you start to gather and purchase foods for your kits.
REMINDER-
During the 12-week challenge, we are focusing on the essentials. By the end of the 12 weeks, you will have the critical items but not all of the suggested items. You can add optional and fun items, like a deck of cards, to your kits once the challenge is complete or even now if you’d like. It’s vital to include fun things in your kits. I will share a blog post with ideas for this in the future! First, let’s focus on sorting out the essentials for our kits. You can do this! Take it one week at a time, and you will successfully assemble 72-hour kits for you and your family!
xoxo,
Brittany
P.S. If you haven’t received the email with the 72-Hour Kit Guide or if you have any questions, please email me at [email protected].
