72-Hour Pack
On New Year’s Day, 2014, almost a foot of snow was forecast for the New York area, potentially snarling travel across the Northeast following the holiday. The storm was to give way to the coldest temperatures to date for the 2013/2014 seasons.
Two systems were forecast to merge, bringing as much as 10 inches (25cm) of snow to New York and 14 inches (36cm) to Boston, according to the National Weather Service. Snowfall started in the early morning hours and continued throughout the day.
In New York City, the worst of the storm affected the Thursday ride home. Most commuters weren’t able to leave their offices on Thursday evening. Anticipating that driving conditions would deteriorate, the state closed several roads and expressways.
The storm affected more than 70 million people in the Midwest and Northeast combined and had a major negative impact on travel for people returning from holiday destinations.
Be prepared for flight delays and cancellations because of direct and indirect impacts from a far-reaching storm. You may need to be prepared to stay at home, stay at the office, or stay in a hotel until streets are cleared and safe to travel. You need to be prepared to take care of yourself, and potentially, others if you are stuck in one location. At home, this should not be too much of a problem—you should be able to sustain yourself for more than a few days. If you are at work, traveling for work, or on a vacation this might prove more difficult if you are not prepared. Plan for contingencies all the time. During the winter months, expect storm delays, adverse weather, and delayed travel that could last for days. During thunderstorm season in the midwestern United States (hurricane season during the summer months), these events occur fairly regularly and should be part of your thought and planning process when you are in your home and away from it.
If you are away from home, you should bring a survival kit with you. What size, what configuration? How long should you be ready to weather the storm? We recommend a 72-hour kit. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends having a three-day supply of food and water as a minimum in your 72-hour kit. During most severe weather events, things typically wind down within a day or two but sometimes it takes longer to return to normalcy. Be prepared to either stay where you are or abandon your current location for longer if necessary; however, a 72-hour supply should be your starting point.
This is a bag designed to truly survive a 72-hour emergency event. You won’t find any playing cards and chewing gum in this bag. This bag is designed for people who want to survive a true grid-down event such as an earthquake, tornado, hurricane, or other weather-related event. If you are in a survival scenario for more than three days, this kit provides six days of food for one person.
If you live in an earthquake zone, tornado alley, hurricane zone, or an area that has potential civil unrest, this is the bag for you. Leave nothing to chance, especially your life. Carry this kit in your car and bring it into your office on work days for a worst-case scenario. Have peace of mind knowing you can get through a bad situation and know you can hunker down in the office or anywhere else if you need to.
Use a pack that can carry all of the recommended gear. Make sure your pack is hydration compatible, meaning that it can accomodate a water bladder. Also look for one that has lots of storage and is comfortable. You want to be able to access gear quickly and efficiently, so look for one with easy-to-access pockets on the outside of the pack. You also want easy access into your pack by means of a zipper, drawstring and clips.
72-Hour Pack
Gerber Profile Knife
Look for a military- or field-tested pack. Check manufacturer websites and blogs for what experts and laymen are saying about the pack you are considering. Go to your nearest outdoor, survival, or camping store and try out the pack for fit, user friendliness, features, and comfort.
For the 72-hour kit you want a beefy knife. Make sure it is a knife that has a full tang blade. A full tang blade means that the blade and handle are one solid piece of steel. This makes the knife much stronger so it can be used to skin an animal, protect yourself, chop down trees, or make a spear. This is going to be one of the more useful tools you can have in the kit. Look for durability and quality.
Just like the compact that a woman carries in her purse, this mirror is something every survivalist and every person should have in their kit. You want a mirror that has a focus point where you can aim the mirror toward a target. The focus point will concentrate energy from the sun and send a nice bright flash as a signal. Look for a mirror that is small, lightweight, and compact, preferably one that’s 2 to 3 inches (5cm to 8cm) in size.
A multitool is a must in your 72-hour kit. Look for one that is versatile and has the following functions: needle-nose pliers, regular pliers, hard wire cutters, wire cutters, wire stripper, knife, serrated knife, saw, spring action scissors, ruler, can opener, bottle opener, wood/metal file, diamond-coated file, large bit driver, small bit driver, and a medium screwdriver.
Most multitools are small and compact and do not weigh much. A good multitool is perfect for any job, adventure, maintenance, or everyday task, and it can prove especially useful in a survival situation.
A survival whistle is another must in the 72-hour kit. It can be used for signaling to call for help, warn of danger, or to fix your position. By simply blowing your whistle, you can easily let people know of your position with minimal effort if you are injured and can’t move or if someone in your party is injured. Other people will then be able to navigate to your location. Ensure you have a whistle that can generate a loud shrieking sound and can be operated when wet. A whistle is useful in any environment.
Survival Whistle
A reliable compass is an essential piece of gear, especially in extreme conditions. Choose a compass that consistently works and is easy to read. Look for one with the following features: fixed declination correction scale, detachable snap lock in the lanyard so it’s easy to work with the map, luminous bezel and markings for ease of use in low light and dark conditions, centimeter scale for measuring distances on a map, and a baseplate with magnifying lens. These features will help you orient yourself so you can move to a safe and secure environment.
Handheld Compass
Headlamp
Look for a headlamp that is lightweight, compact, and comes in a tactical model. The tactical version should have the option of a red lens filter. This lens can be used to preserve your vision when you are operating at night. You want to have a light with a strong, bright lumen white beam that allows you to distinguish between colors. Make sure the LED module is sealed, and look for a headlamp that uses AAA batteries and burns for over 100 hours at a minimum. There are headlamps on the market that are lightweight and can burn for 150+ hours on just three AAA batteries. The headlamp can obviously help you see at night and in low-light conditions. It can also be used when moving and operating in buildings with little or no light or as a signaling device.
This pocket-sized, reasonably priced, lightweight, compact mask can be carried in a briefcase or pocketbook. It can be used to breathe in a burning building, where there is an airborne chemical irritant, and if the air is unclean. This is not a military gas mask, but a mask that can help get you to a safe environment. It can give you 15 to 20 minutes of breathable air to get out of a bad situation. If you work in a city, a high-rise, warehouse, or very large office building, this mask needs to be in your pack.
Hand-Crank Radio
Make sure you get a hand-crank radio for your 72-hour kit. Either batteries or the hand-crank can power the radio, and the hand-crank can recharge the batteries. This is an essential piece of gear for your kit.
The radio should be good for AM/FM and weather bands. This is great on camping trips, for weather updates, and when there is a power failure, grid-down scenario, or some type of natural disaster. Your radio should also be able to receive emergency broadcasts. Some hand-crank radios not only charge the radio batteries but can also be used to recharge most common cell phones. Some additional features to look for when choosing your radio include a built-in 3 LED flashlight, digital clock with alarm, and thermometer with freeze alert.
When choosing your fire starters, make sure you have some redundancy built in with multiple types of starters, including:
Remember that having multiple fire-starting options is key. There is nothing wrong with throwing a normal lighter in your kit as well.
Stormproof Matches and Fire Paste
Water treatment-drop kits allow you to treat up to 30 gallons (113 liters) of water. Water treatment drops will kill pathogens in water and make it safe to drink. If there is a great deal of sediment or floating particles, filter the water first using a cloth, shirt, or cotton balls to remove the debris. Once the water is filtered, it’s okay to treat. You don’t want to be drinking a bunch of dirt and wood chips when you can make a quick filter. You just need to have a container to pour the water into your filtration material.
Iodine tablets can also be used to treat water. The iodine tablet is added to water and then you wait the instructed amount of time. The water is then typically safe to drink. There is the iodine taste to contend with so you could add some flavored drops or vitamin C tablets to the water to offset the taste of the iodine.
Both of these water purification tools can be found in a camping, survival, or outdoor store. They are light, easy to pack, have a long shelf life, and can be used to treat large volumes of water. Both are great for hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, boating, white water rafting, RV travel, home water storage, and emergency kits.
The Aquamira water bottle comes with a built-in filter. The filter will clear out pathogens and particles and make your water safe to drink. From one bottle, you can safely drink up to 5,060 ounces (150 liters), which is equal to about 40 gallons of water. This is a very valuable item to have in your kit. This filter is durable and can last a long time. In theory, you could use this to drink for 40 days, if necessary.
Make sure you have a repellant that offers long-lasting protection against black flies, ticks, chiggers, mosquitoes, deer flies, and other biting insects. There are many on the market. Put your repellant in a large ziplock bag so it does not leak into the rest of your gear.
These are basic bathing wipes you would have in a diaper changing kit. You can use these on your hands, face, neck, armpits, genitals, and other areas of your body to remove dirt and grime. A little cut or scrape can turn into a big problem if not taken care of, and a rash from heat or fungus can make things very uncomfortable in a survival situation. Clean yourself daily. If you can’t shower or bathe, use your bathing wipes to wipe down the areas described above, shave, brush your teeth, wash your hands, put on some powder, and you will feel brand new. You will be practicing good personal hygiene in a survival situation, which will ensure you keep going for a long time and don’t get sick. Don’t let a small wound fester and grow into something that can’t be managed or treated with basic first aid and good hygiene skills.
Your basic hygiene kit should be appropriate to your gender and you don’t need both unless you are packing a 72-hour kit for a man and a woman. Also, think about including some type of medicated powder or antifungal cream. Both of these can be useful in a hot, humid environment. Medicated powder can also be used as foot powder and cooling powder in the armpits and on genitalia.
Another inexpensive lightweight piece of gear is the bug head net. This is useful when you will be sleeping outdoors to keep mosquitoes, bugs, and pests away from your head and face when you are trying to rest. It is simply an over-the-head bug protection net.
Make sure you have something to keep you out of the elements such as a bivy sack or a tarp. A bivy sack is a thin-shelled, waterproof zippered bag you can crawl into for shelter and warmth. You can sleep in it and it will keep you warm and dry. You can put your sleeping bag inside a bivy sack for more protection and insulation from the weather. Look for a bivy sack that is lightweight, waterproof, and has easy access. Also, make sure if you plan on using it with your sleeping bag that it is large enough for you and your sleeping bag to fit inside.
A tarp is another option and can be fastened into a shelter. It will not offer the benefits of a good bivy sack; the tarp is going to be heavier and you might have to sacrifice gear to carry your tarp. A large tarp and a bivy sack are close to the same price point, so opt for the lightweight bivy sack.
Bivy Sack
You can have 550 paracord in your bootlaces to use in a survival situation. There are now survival bracelets made from durable 550 paracord that have fishing equipment integrated into the bracelet. This and/or some type of cordage that is strong enough to lash down gear, branches, or a tarp is something your 72-hour kit should have. This can be found at most survival, camping, and outdoor stores.
This is another option to get you out of the elements that is very lightweight and easy to carry. This is exactly what it says it is, a poncho/shelter combination. It be worn as a poncho or constructed into a shelter by closing the hood and hanging the poncho off the ground to make a roof. Many military personnel do this with their military-issued ponchos. There are eyelets in the corners of the poncho that you tie rope/cordage to and then you can anchor the poncho.
Water packets and nutrient-dense bars are what you get with the Emergency Food and Water brand. The package can provide you with up to six days or more of food in the form of bars and water packets. You are going to need water and nutrients. Emergency Food and Water is lightweight, compact, and can fit into your pack well. This is another great addition to have in your 72-hour kit.
The key here is to select a spray that disperses the most active ingredients in the shortest amount of time. There are many products on the market, but look for one that can get the ingredients out quickly and with high volume. The spray can be used on a bear, person, or an angry or unruly mob that is after you. Make sure you are upwind when you disperse the spray so you don’t incapacitate yourself when you are trying to ward off an attack.
A monkey fist is a dense ball of 550 paracord formed around a ball bearing. It has an attached lanyard with a loop that you can fit around your wrist. A monkey fist can be used as a weapon to hit an attacker and it can be used for what it was originally designed and intended for: to add weight to the end of a rope to be able to throw it into an area. It was developed in the Navy and is still used today to heave lines for mooring to a pier, ship, vessel, or object. In a survival situation, if you are not on water, you can use it to throw lines over trees, across water, etc.
Monkey Fist
This might not be something you can keep in your office or something that can be attached to your hip at all times. A pistol should be part of your 72-hour kit and you should have at least 120 rounds of ammunition. This is something that can save your life, ward off would-be attackers, kill game, and protect others in your party. It is essential that you refer to your local regulations for carry laws and rules about having a firearm in your possession.
One recommended book for every large survival kit is the SAS Survival Handbook. This handbook covers a wealth of information from fire starting, constructing a shelter, food gathering, edible and poisonous plants, cleaning an animal, basic land navigation, and celestial navigation. You can even get the book in a waterproof version. Anything and just about everything you can think about for survival is covered in the book. We can’t retain everything, so it is an excellent reference tool to have in your 72-hour kit.
Maps of the Area
Make sure you have maps of the local and surrounding areas. Don’t rely on Google Maps and your phone. Look for street maps, topographical maps. Make sure you have maps of potential locations you might need to travel to and from. Many outdoor stores and gas stations have maps of local areas, and they’re inexpensive.
You need to have a first aid kit in your gear. You can get a prepackaged kit with many types of bandages, gauze, sterile dressings, gloves, moleskin, and over-the-counter medicines. Make sure it has these supplies so you can treat cuts and scrapes, sprains, headaches, muscle aches, allergic reactions, and larger wounds.
There are many courses you can take to better prepare you for a survival situation. Something that is often overlooked is first aid and basic life support skills. With first aid in a survival situation there will probably be a time when triaging the wounded, sick, and dead will more than likely be necessary. Will you be prepared to do all or any of those things? A basic first aid course is a good place to start.
In survivalist circles, the term “bugging out” basically means abandoning your current location (often your home) due to a natural or human-caused disaster. “Bugging in” means hunkering down in your current location for survival. In either scenario, you have to make sure that you will be safe and will have enough supplies to survive. We cannot predict when or where a problem will occur, but we can control how prepared we are to meet a survival situation when it comes.
If you are out in the woods, you or someone in your party should have these skills. Asthma inhalers and EpiPens should be in a survival kit as well.
Your emergency 72-hour kit needs to be right for you and the environment you are in. Plan for contingencies, the weather in your area, and an ever-changing, chaotic situation. Make sure you have the things you need for 72 or more hours and that you have the tools to go well beyond that so you can get home to your family and loved ones.