Pitfalls

Gear you don't know how to use.

This is probably the biggest trap that people fall into when buying a kit. A large kit is selected (what we like to call the "kitchen sink" approach) that is loaded with all sorts of goodies that you're just certain you need and you are now glad you have! Then one day your need your kit, and you grab it and take off only to realize that you have absolutely no idea how to use a animal snare... or that fishing line with hooks and sinkers. And even if you caught a fish, do you have any idea how to clean and cook it?

It's imperative to know how to use the gear in your kit. If you don't know how to use it, you might as well throw it out because it's just dead weight at that point. If you want to keep those items, great! Take them out and practice! Never used a flint and steel? Pull it out and try it! What about that ultralight camp stove? Put it through its paces! The only gear you should have with you are things you've tried and know how to use.

"Borrowing" Items From Your Kit

Don't you hate it when someone borrows something from you and then doesn't return it? We do too. When it comes to 72-hour kits, that person tends to become ourselves. It's far too easy to fall into the trap of "Oh, this would be handy for our upcoming camping trip, we'll just use it" and then discovering that when you need your kits, the items are no longer there. If you must borrow things from your kit, MAKE SURE you put them back when you're done!

An easy way to facilitate this is to include a small inventory in your kit pocket. Refer to this list when you do your annual inspection to ensure you don't miss anything.

Untested Equipment

This is very similar to not knowing how to use items. But in this case, there are far too many times I've seen kits with radios that have never been taken out of their packaging, batteries that are untested, etc. People will buy something off the shelf, then just drop it in their kit without even taking off the blister packing. Do you know if that radio works? Wouldn't you like to know before you need it? Make sure to test everything to make sure it's working and (again) you're familiar with how to use it.

We actually had someone come to an emergency callout once who came to the command tent and said "could you program my radio for me?" We said "nope, it's too late for preparing" and turned him away. When you need your gear, the time for preparation has long passed.

Expired Items

"Nothing lasts forever." This is expressely true in 72-hour kits. Batteries die (even without being used), electronics age, food expires, medicine expires, clothes get too small... There are a number of things that will be in your pack that may not work for you today if you haven't poked your head in your kit for a while.

In addition to "field testing" your kit periodically, we absolutely suggest that twice a year (spring and fall) you go through your kit, remove expired items, and replenish with new ones. This is also a good time to cycle out warm/cold weather gear to fit the upcoming season. Plus, you never know what has happened to your kit while in storage.

An easy idea is to keep an inventory with each kit of what should be in it. Then you can compare what's on the list to what's in there.

I once found that some mice had happily devoured all my dry goods in my pack, as well as chewing holes in the pack itself so they could get through the winter. If I hadn't caught that and expected things to be there in an emergency, I would have been sorely disappointed.

Buried or Lost Kits

This does happen from time to time. Someone will build up a nice kit, then to save space they'll stash it somewhere "safe" that they then won't remember. This happens really easily if you've built a very small kit (like with a gallon zip loc bag.) Or worse, your kit ends up at the back of your cold storage buried under a hundred other things so that you forget where it's at OR you simply have to spend a long time digging to get it out.

Find a place that's accessible and that you'll remember to save yourself some headaches down the road. If you're replenishing your kit every year, as suggested, this will become even easier to stay on top of.

Kits you Can't Carry

Ideally, everyone in your family should be able to carry their own kits. Of course, this isn't always the case. Unfortunately, what I see too much of are people suggesting getting rolling bags - or worse, rolling storage bins. These seem like great ideas because it removes the need to carry items. However, if you've ever seen the aftermath of an earthquake, you'll know that trying to drag a wheeled anything through branches, rubble, etc. is an effort in futility. If you can't carry your kit, you're going to find yourself leaving things behind you wish you could take with you.

Additionally, it's easy to build up super kits that aren't practical to carry. That fully-loaded, 60 pound kit might be more than you bargained for. Make sure you take your kits on some field trips to ensure everyone can carry what is planned. Odds are you'll end up making a lot of tweaks after seeing how everyone does.

Forgetting the Pets

A very overlooked member of the family when making emergency preparations are the little furry ones that rely on us to survive. Consider their needs when building your list. Things like collapsible water bowls, leashes, etc are things that should make it on there if you aren't planning on the animals fending for themselves. (Please avoid that.)