The List Revisited
A colleague at work asked me if I knew anything about earthquake kits. I guess it’s time to publish the list I recommend for your 72 Hour Bag. At the bottom are some items for your home.
2 2 Cans of Fix O Flat
3 Hydration Insert (Platypus Big Zip Recommended)
4 Dust Masks in 1 gal ziplock baggie
6 Fuel for stove
7 Fire starter: Magnesium & Steel, Matches, steel wool (Know at least 3 ways of making fire).
8 Potable Aqua iodine pills or a filtration system. I prefer the Sawyer Mini Filter, it’s $25 and tiny:
9 9 Volt light + spare batteries (ebay 9 volt light, mine cost $1)
10 Compass + Map of area you live in.
11 Small notepad w/pencil, pen & Sharpie
12 100’ 550 Cord (Para or Mason line)
13 Toiletries & Medications (personally as needed)
14 Hand Sanitizer
15 Moist Towelettes
16 Small First Aid Kit (Adventure Med Kit .7 Recommended)
17 SOL Bivy Sack
18 Some type of edged tool
19 Wind/Rain Jacket preferably lined for warmth
20 Wind/Rain pants, (Frog Togs or heavier if you routinely wear shorts to work)
21 Wide Mouth H2O Bottle (the narrow mouth ones are hard to fill in shallow water, if you don’t use it for water think of it as a waterproof vault.)
22 Bandanna (30 uses, one major use is primary water filter)
23 Food, enough for 72 hours at 2000 cal per day
24 Datrex 2400 Calorie pack (this is a good on the go snack for 3 days, taste like shortbread)
25 Datrex Emergency Water Packets (As many as you can fit, I pack 6 but always have a case of bottled H2O in my trunk that I rotate)
26 Gloves
27 Spoon
28 Multiplier
29 Spare pair of thin wool socks (they’re good in any weather, hot or cold)
30 Spare Batteries for flashlight (I carry a flashlight on set daily so these are for that. If you can get a light that uses lithium batteries, they have a shelf life of 10 years)
31 Cup (large enough to boil water for the size of meals you get, 2.5 cups)
32 SOL Emergency Bivy ($17) or SOL Escape Bivy ($60) at REI
33 2” Spare Velcro male & female 6”-1’ (It’s unbelievable what you can do with it)
34 Starbuck Singles or Tea Bags (really who wants to start the day without coffee?)
35 Duct Tape (Wrap 5-10’ around the Sharpie)
36 Whistle
37 Signal Mirror
38 Zip Ties
39 2 Large Trash Bags
40 Cyalume Light Sticks (get the ones made in the USA)
Container for home. I recommend something like this and store it outside of the house away from the main structure, a shed or bungalow that way if the house is damaged it is easier to retrieve it even with debris on it rather than the structure of the house.
Contained within should be canned goods with can opener, personal items like hygiene and clothing, cooking supplies to last for 10 days. Not 10 days of luxury, but 10 days of surviving. Candles are not a good item to put in here because of the SoCal heat they will melt, there are small tea candle size emergency lights that are better.
WATER For Home rule of thumb is you need 1 gallon of water per person per day – including pets. I have two 55 gallon drums secured outside my house in a shed.
72 Hour Bag • • • - - - • • • 