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72 Hour Survival Kit

Search the web for survival kits and one thing you are likely to come across is the "72-hour" survival kit. And if you have a few hundred bucks to shell out you can buy one ready made. However, having looked at many of them I'm convinced that many are low quality kits filled with inferior products. Anyway, I truly believe that no kit - even one to last a whole(!) 72-hours (after which, presumably, you are on your own!) - should cost hundreds of bucks! Many kits are simply profiteering off of recent events and advice given out by some governments and have little or no survival training.

Basic 72-Hour Kit

NOTE - What makes this kit 72-hour is the food, water and medical supplies it contains. Other items can be expected to last a lot longer. If you want to extend the timescale of the kit, add more consumables.

This survival kit should be prepared and kept ready in the event that it is needed. Place it in a safe spot at home, in a shed or the trunk of your car.

This kit contains the essential things that you will need to live for 3 days. You can design it to fit your needs but it should contain the following as a minimum:

Bottled water (minimum of 3 gallons per person)
Water filter and purification tablets
High-energy food (non-perishable) that requires little or no cooking (ration packs are great and have a long shelf life)
Camping plates and utensils
Vitamins and energy food bars, salt, honey
Backpacker's cooking stove and fuel
Flashlight and spare batteries and spare bulb (unless it's an LED one)
Candles and matches (strike-anywhere type)
3 x 12 hour chemical lightsticks
First aid kit, medicines (allergies, asthma, diabetes, etc), spare eyeglasses
Emergency medical book
Seasonal clothing (rain gear, jacket, boots, etc.)
Tool box, pry bar, pliers, screwdriver, hatchet, etc.
Folding camp shovel (for latrine and garbage)
Pocket knife/pocket tool (multipurpose, sharp)
Roll of Duct Tape
10 x bin bags
Fire extinguisher
Local area maps
Tissues, toilet paper, etc
Soap, toothbrushes, personal care kit
Plastic, foil, emergency space/wool blanket
Sleeping bag
Battery or solar powered radio
Cash (small denominations)
Plastic tubing for siphoning gasoline

Keep all in a plastic container with a tight lid. A large plastic bucket is a good idea.

For total peace of mind, create separate ones for the home, car and office - I doubt that even three of four of these DIY kits would cost as much as one commercial one!

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Adrian Kingsley-Hughes