Practical 72-Hour Kits
"If it ain't practical, it's practically useless."
Why does this site exist?
Having been involved with multiple evacuations during the past few years (as an emergency worker, fortunately) and generally being interested in emergency preparedness for a number of years, I wanted to distill down some of the more common needs for 72 hour kits. I've seen plenty of kits, ranging from ones that can fit in your pocket (if you're Bear Grylls, that's great) to weekend-warrior kits that include a shotgun and pistol. (Try taking those into a Red Cross evacuation shelter.)
We are building this site to help guide you down the path of building the most practical kit for you and your family. Please look around and feel free to email questions and suggestions - we are always learning more!
As such, this site will be considered a work in progress for some time. If you have any questions or ideas you want to share, please email team@practical72hourkits.com and we'll try to include them! Thank you so much for visiting!
There are certain things that every kit, big or small, should have. This will get you started! (And most can be carried by a single adult.)
Once you've nailed down your basics, refer to our longer list with should and nice-to-haves.
With so many options for pre-built kits, should you just get one off the shelf? Read this before you pull out your credit card.
Still feeling overwhelmed? This month plan will give you a rock solid kit that you can build over the course of a year.
Suggestions for finding the perfect bag for your kit.
There are some very common pitfalls some people fall into when purchasing or building a kit. We'll try to help you avoid those.
Can you build a basic kit with a trip to the dollar store? Well, not entirely, but we were shocked with how much you can do!