What a sad and interesting week this has been; so much destruction and devastation. As I’ve read about the tsunami and earthquakes, among other things, one thing keeps popping up; the emphasis on EVERYONE EVERYWHERE having a 72 hour emergency kit.
As I listened to an interview with a family who had relatives in Japan, how happy they were to hear that their family there had survived, but how worried they again became to learn that there was no food or water available where they were at in Japan and they furthermore stated that they were hoping food and water would be delivered soon. What a sad situation to be in; to be dependent on others for your survival.
This situation has really brought home to me the importance of emergency supplies of our own. Regardless of how meager, something is better than nothing. I wouldn’t mind so much being without any food, but watching my children or grandchildren go without would be devastating.
I also realize that so many people who give suggested lists of food and other items to put in a kit really try to make it a minimal list, with just the basics. I’m all for putting in what you absolutely need to have to survive, then putting anything else you can fit it your kit so that there is plenty of food. Three-days isn’t really a very long time in a disaster. Hopefully if we were in an emergency we would only need three day’s worth but you never know.
I hope you have decided what kind of food you are going to put in your kit; foods that need to be cooked or heated to be prepared or the basic foods-to-sustain-life supplies. I will list a few suggestions which hopefully will spark other ideas as well as you put your kits together. Choose one main food (like canned meat) and another food to go with it (such as canned soup or fruit or a granola bar or jerky) for each person for lunch and another for dinner for three days – that’s 6 lunch and dinner meals for each person’s kit. As you decide which foods to gather, think about the protein content, the calories and how filling it will be if that is all there is to eat. Also remember to make sure it is something your family will eat. One of my favorite suggestions was to include an individual jar of peanut butter in each person’s kit which I think is a very good option.
One thing to remember is that this is a survival kit. You will want to be comfortable but not extravagant. The food you place in here, due to its convenience, will cost more than you desire to spend, however, you can keep the cost very reasonable. Below are some suggestions. Choose carefully, trying to put mostly the same things in each person’s pack except for young children or those with special dietary needs.
Canned albacore tuna (solid pack)
Saltine Crackers
Canned chicken
Corned Beef Hash
Soup-for-One
Roast Beef Hash
Beef Stew
Chili
Ravioli
A Jar of peanut butter
Vienna Sausages
Cheese & Crackers
Oyster Crackers
Dried Beef
Fruit Cups
Applesauce Cups
Pudding Cups
Bread Sticks
Cookies
Canned Milk
Powdered Milk
Fruit Rolls
Fun Fruits
Beef Jerky
Packages of Raisins
Packages of Peanuts
Granola Bars
Beef Sticks
Box Juices
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