#45 Emergency Preparedness: Make a legit 72-hour kit and acquire water storage

"It is better to prepare and prevent than to repair and repent."  I learned this little phrase as a teenager and it's stuck with me.  I've been into emergency preparedness for several years.  I mean, what 19 year old looks into hand crank wheat grinders (just in case the electricity goes out)?  Yeah, that's right.  ME.  weird.  I know.

But for all my ideals and internet research, I haven't actually gotten much.  I don't think it really makes sense for a semi-transient 27-year old to get pounds of wheat and a wheat grinder...so what  can I do? 72-hour kit and car trunk preparedness!

1. 72 hr kits and water storage

My 72-hr kits--the purchased one and the one I made to complement it

These are my two backpacks.  The one of the left was a present from my parents a few years ago, and has 3 days' worth of MREs, water pouches, and a flashlight (the kind where you generate the electricity with a little hand crank).  I realized that that was probably insufficient in the event that i really needed to leave my house for 3 days, so I prepared the 2nd backpack, which has:

• 3 days' worth of clothes
• 1 sweatshirt
• legit work gloves
• hygiene supplies
• waterproof matches
• emergency blanket
• 2 emergency ponchos
• baby wipes
• small first aid kit
• super glue
• sharpie
• deck of cards
• toothbrush and toothpaste
• contact solution and contact case

I also have a 5 gallon water container in my closet.  :)

2. Trunk Preparedness

Emergency supplies in my trunk

 The trunk has a blanket, good first aid kit, sweatshirt, spare tire, jack, & lug nut wrench, AND a container of wonders...

(container of wonders)

The container has baby wipes, duct tape, tylonol, IB profen, hand sanitizer, super glue, flash light with batteries in a separate plastic bag, various bars and food items, carpi suns, and tp.  Ya never know when you'll need something out of the container of wonders.

So far the trunk stuff has actually come in handy!  I've used the blanket and sweatshirt for unexpectedly chilly nights, the first aid kit when my cousin fell off the jungle gym, the flashlight multiple times, and the food has satisfied many a famished soul traveling with me.  Hooray for being prepared!  It makes me feel safe and confident.

My dollar for finishing this goal goes to Typhoon Haiyan relief.

Also I wanted to explain why this goal comes under the "living my religion" category.  It might seem funny that self-reliance and emergency preparedness are part of how I live my religion.  If you're interested, here's an article on it.