Water is HEAVY
To lighten the load take 2 quarts (four 16oz bottles) per person and a water filter.
Storage tip – have a pre-packaged pack of disposable water bottles ready to go in the back of your car, or in a handy location in your home.
Want to do pouches instead of bottles? Pouches of emergency drinking water are typically 4oz – you need 16 in your kit and a water filter.
Rotate pouch water every 5 years.
There are lots of water filters available. I personally recommend LifeStraw.
LifeStraw can be used in a water bottle or to drink straight from the water source.
Freeze-dried hiking/camping meals are recommended over MRE (Meals Ready to Eat) which are problematic for high salt and low fiber.
If you feel that you may need to use your 72 hour kit in a location where a heat source or hot water is not available, then consider packing a lightweight hiking stove, or buying meals you can eat cold.
Survival bars are made to be compact and provide high energy. They are vacuum packed for a long shelf life. My brand recommendation is Millennium Bars
Comfort food can go a long way in the middle of an emergency – include something small and sweet as a treat.
You may wonder why more traditional 72hr kit foodstuffs are not covered here, such as canned items (heavy), jerky (thirst inducing), and granola bars (short shelf life). Save some of these things for your 2 weeks prepared food storage. The goal here is short-term survival and portability.
Don’t forget a place setting – a light tin or plastic plate, knife, fork, spoon, and a metal mug with a foldable handles that can double as a small cooking pot.
If the disaster you are preparing for has a scenario where you are sheltering with lots of other people, then more food may be made available by charity groups, but the means to serve and eat it may be more difficult to come by.
Time to clean up after dinner – use a mesh laundry bag to drip-dry your bundle of dishes and keep them together.
Consider packing a small bottle of multi-functional wash-everything liquid soap, such as Campsuds. This can also double as a body and hair wash in the shower.
Be Prepared Seattle 