72 hour kits melanie papworth plan for awesome 143 insta 1.png

The Red Cross recommends 72 hour kits be at the top of our emergency preparedness list. That tells me it should probably be at the top of my list of things to have ready in my home. Figuring out what to put in your kit and how to go about the whole project can be very daunting, especially if you want your kit to be tailored to you and your family. This is why I’m so happy we have our emergency prep super star: Melanie Papworth from Plan for Awesome, back on the podcast with us today!!

Melanie has an awesome guide to 72 hour kits that takes us through the whole process. AND THE MOST EXCITING THING!!! THIS WEEK (as in August 2022 when we are re-releasing this episode) Melanie came out with a COURSE to help get us from start to finish on 72 hour kits!! I have already started the course and it’s FANTASTIC!! Go find that HERE!!

On this podcast she walks us through every age and stage and what items are helpful from babies to adults. Listen below or through your favorite podcast app!

This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links, meaning that if you choose to click through and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission for sharing at no cost to you.

Show Notes:

The Red Cross recommends 72 hour kits be at the top of our emergency preparedness list. That being said, if you feel an urgency in a different area- start there!!

One nice thing about 72 hour kits, is it is the type of thing you can cross of your list and just check on periodically, unlike food storage that goes on and on.

One of the biggest steps to success is to keep yourself organized in the process. Figure out where you are going to store your items. Melanie converted her coat closet into the evacuation closet. She has a picture in her guide of how she organized hers.

When you get home from purchasing things, put them right into the packs. The other part is to see it through. Finish what you start!

There are some decisions you want to make before you begin:

Look at the quality of items you plan to put in. Where does quality matter? Maybe purchasing a cheap toothbrush will work, but you probably don’t want to skimp on your scissors.
What are you going to store your things in? Bags, backpacks, rolling backpacks, etc.

72 hour kits plan for awesome melanie papworth 143 pin 2.png

Ages and Stages:

Babies:

Melanie puts most of her baby items on her grab list.

make sure everything is covered for your baby between your kit and your grab list
put adult stuff in the baby kit so it can be ready as they grow

Toddlers and Kids:

Melanie uses cheap rolling backpacks so they can roll their own bag
Another way to do it is to use older school backpacks that your kids aren’t using anymore
We added cinch sacks for the food items so it is easy to rotate and you don’t have to dig through your bags
You can also put the things that expire near the top of your pack
We put a spare “blankie” in my son’s pack who really loves that for comfort.
Link to Lily and Thistle Paper dolls

Random bag:

Adults: blank checks, cash, copies of drivers licenses, etc things that don’t have a place anywhere else
Kids: fun things - special items, games, entertainment, comfort items. Some ideas are packing dice, crayons and paper, deck of cards, rubber bouncy balls- don’t rely on electronics. You might be at a shelter and these things will help other children that are around you as well.

Grab list: It’s very personal!! - this goes hand in hand with the pack - these are things you grab at the last second.

Melanie likes to use trash bags- they lay flat and save space, and also expand as much as you need, they are super cheap!
Print out your grab list and store the list and the trash bags next to your 72 hour kits
Organize you list room by room what you need to get so you’re not running up and down the stairs and wasting time.

Things that might be on our grab list:

coats
pillows/blankets

medications
baby items - diaper bag - keep it well stocked
sentimental - photo albums, heirlooms, etc.

Practice Run:

Melanie and her family did a practice to make sure everything would fit in their car.
They time yourself and make sure its realistic. Sometimes when you have to evacuate, you only have 15 minutes, 5 minutes or no time at all.
They made sure the items listed on each bag would fit- maybe you need 2 bags for pillows, etc.

Food items Melanie suggests:

One meal that doesn’t require anything. This is her meal: 1 can Spagetti O’s (with a pop top), spoon, mandarin oranges, lollipop. Make sure it’s something your kids will eat.
Freeze dried yogurt and fruits - purchase those here!!