DISQUS

Terri-Ann Martin Gawthroupe · 1 year ago

Thank you for posting the food shopping list...and the storage idea. Our kits have been complete minus a real food plan for a long time, because I was at a loss at how to really accomplish this part.

jweiss08 · 1 year ago

Yes, this is the FOOD part of the plan. Make sure to check out the getting started page and print out the emergency plan checklist. That has the non- food items, like flashlights, blankets, change of clothes etc.

Tonja Kendrick · 1 year ago

Thanks so much for all of the specific details. It may seem small and insignificant to have to mention but for those of us who become overwhelmed easily by the idea of food storage, it certainly is helpful. Thanks for your hard work and efforts and sharing it with us.

Bethany · 1 year ago

Hello! Thank you for this very useful site. I put my 72 hr kits together finally and I am excited to get working on my 3 month supply. I just wanted to let you know that I clicked on the place you said to buy the wing stove and that website is no longer carrying them. I have found them on ebay for about $13 with shipping.

Give LDS Gifts · 1 year ago

Great idea! I have linked to this idea on my blog...http://giveldsgifts.com/2008/12/gifts-for-the-food-storage-junkie/

I love your blog! Thanks for all the great tips.

Jodi · 1 year ago

Hey Bethany, Your comment slipped through the cracks somehow. Thanks for letting us know! We found the same stove available on the Shelf Reliance website at http://www.shelfreliance.com/product/view/p209 and we have modified the link above. On sale for $3.73 including 3 fuel pellets. Awesome deal!

sarah · 11 months ago

I just went to order 4 wing stoves and noticed that just from when I went to site earlier today to just now..... the price has increased!! ($4.37)so must be high demand....hmmmmm

Tracy · 11 months ago

I've been looking for compact stoves and narrowed it down to one at REI that's on clearance. And then I found this information about the wing stoves. Why, other than being teensy weensy, do you recommend those rather than others? You'll learn that I have to weigh and REweigh EVERY option before spending the money. Drives me crazy sometimes.

Thanks sweeties!

Vera · 10 months ago

Is there a problem with the milk cartons breaking down? We live in Arizona and i know heat causes the plastic to deteriorate. How long have you had yours?

Jodi · 10 months ago

Tracy, We recommend these tiny ones because they fit so nicely into the kit and were only $3-4. This kit was based off of a handout we received at church and we loved how everything fit all in one carton and was fairly inexpensive to get started.

Vera, I've kept mine in the same milk cartons for about 3 years now. I'm too lazy to clean and cut new ones. I live in Utah so it's not as hot as Arizona, but the only problem I had was some of my jolly ranchers melting to the sides.

Lisa · 10 months ago

Just wanted to let you know about some info I found while getting stuff for my 72 hr kits. Mint gum and strong soaps can flavor your other food. Some hard candy, like jolley ranchers, can melt. Also, the "pop-top" lids are not as strong and some people have found they've exploded.
LOVE your site. Thanks for helping me get organized!

Todd · 9 months ago

Bug out bag. Try to take foods that do not take water to prepare, I see so many 72 hour kits with things like, instant oatmeal, hot chocolate & soups. The water should be for
drinking & take vitamins & protein bars. I also take a bottle of fiber, not only is
fiber needed but it also swells for a full feeling. I came across what is called
Lifecaps. They are a capsule that has everything needed to survive without food with
the exception of water. It is full of vitamins & minerals plus Iodine. Anyway, you take
three of them a day & drink water. I can actually take enough food in one backpack to
las 6 months because of these little Lifecaps, protein bars, fiber & water. I will run
out of water in a week so I do carry a small filter & a couple of those straw water
filters that filter the water as you suck.
You do not always have the ability or time to heat water to make soup or oatmeal. Anyway,
after I bought 25 bottles I found a coupon code & bought 75 bottles more. The coupon code
is... healthcap It will get you 33% off. There are also sites that have those filter straws
that are cheaper than any of the stores around here. (SLC) I think they are a really good
idea along with some purification pills. I cannot remember the sites off the top of my head
but you can Google for aquamira filter straw. Aquamira is the manufacture but do not buy
off there site because I have found them for almost 1/2 what they want on their own site
on other sites. Good luck, Gods speed & get serious about your bug out bag!
Todd in SLC

Cristyn · 9 months ago

I've been wanting to put together emergency kits and store food for quite awhile...thank you so much for your ideas!

My only question is: do you (or anyone) have ideas for emergency kits for infants/young children. We are due this May and she won't be able to eat any of the stuff for awhile. I understand that I can just breastfeed/formula for awhile, but I mean that in between time...after formula but before protein bars?? I can think of some basics...diapers, wipes, etc. but there are always things people don't think of.

Karen Young · 9 months ago

We like to use non-perishable, "no cooking required" foods in our 72 hour kits. So we have breakfast bars and Tang for breakfasts, Beef jerky, granola bars and apple cider to lunches and for dinner we have protein bars, V8 and hot cocoa. Fruit leather, hard candy and gum are included for fun. Granted it would be nice to have the cocoa "hot" but it's still edible if we have to eat it cold in case we're on-the-go. It may cost a little more, but we have less fuss when we eat it every 6 months to replenish with the new stuff. This fits inside a freezer gallon-size ziploc bag.

Lawrence Querin · 9 months ago

Suggest that you include Toilet Paper in your 72 Hr Kit
LQ

Cairen · 8 months ago

Why did you choose to put the kit into a milk jug?

jweiss08 · 8 months ago

It is cheap, free and easy. I actually have mine in a big sturdy plastic Tupperware now though. Anything that holds it should work.

Jessica Rancourt · 8 months ago

I have a 3 year old and a 6 month old. I'm thinking that the 3 year old could eat most of the things listed, except for beef jerky. That might be too tough.

Stage 3 jarred baby food would be easy enough to add for toddlers, and they have quite a variety in plastic so they're not too heavy. You might want to keep formula and a sippy cup for toddlers, even those who have outgrown regular use of formula, since it's a complete source of nutrition. Cheerios would be a good addition for the little ones as well, although not as compact as some other options.

Todd · 8 months ago

I am looking into different infant & young childrens foods. I came across a few receipes to make your own baby food. Anyway you got me curious & I am researching. I like to fully look into nutrition & make sure the products are only top of the line before I pass them on. I do not want to give bad info.
Cristyn, on March 3rd, 2009 at 5:53 pm Said:

I’ve been wanting to put together emergency kits and store food for quite awhile…thank you so much for your ideas!

My only question is: do you (or anyone) have ideas for emergency kits for infants/young children.

Give me 10 days or so & send me an email. todd@ekillerdeals.com
I will give you the list I have once I research the products fully. I like companies that make their own products completely & not getting peanut butter from.... well you get the Idea. I look forward to conversing about Toddler food.

Ron G · 8 months ago

My wife and my experience with 72 hour kits containing the gum taught us that the gum was not a good item to include. The essence of the gum penetrated all of the other food stuffs except the canned items. If you really wanted the gum, perhaps double sealing it in zip-locked bags might help.

Judi · 8 months ago

I am putting together some 72 hour kits for some friends, as gifts. The only problem I have is both are in the 70's & 80 and have false teeth. Jerky and gum is hard for them to eat. Any other suggestions for protient source. I can replace the gum with more hard candy; so no problem there.

Thanks to taking the time to share and do the videos
Judi

Karen Young · 8 months ago

I forgot to mention that if you wrap your gum in aluminum foil it will prevent the gum's smell from spreading to the other foods. (No one liked the year we had to eat mint-scented beef jerky!) It will also keep your gum soft.

Linda Hart · 8 months ago

suggested minimum requirement water per person is 2 liters per day

Annie · 7 months ago

This may be a dumb question but do i absolutly have to use the milk jug? I had already started to put a seventy two hour kit together and was using my favorite backpack. Also my husband and I never ever buy milk in one gallon milk jugs so IDK how we'd get them.
I really like the step by step directions, especially the food list. I had gotten all hung up on that part and couldn't decide what to put in mine. also i love that cute little stove.
Thanks
I

Jodi -- Food Storage Made Easy · 7 months ago

No need for the milk jug. It's just one option. I like them cuz you can just grab 'em by the handles, and they are nice and sturdy to keep in the car if you choose to keep a kit in the car. Plus for most people they have them on hand anyway, so it's convenient. I would recommend at least putting in some kind of tupperware or harder container as some of the foods might get squished. Julie keeps all three of her kits in a large animal cracker container from Costco. It's just your personal preference, and the contents are modifiable too. Don't get hung up, just find something that will work for your family. Doing SOMETHING is better than NOTHING!

Todd · 7 months ago

Hi Annie,
I have put together about 36 - 72 hour kits for friends & family. I have mainly used backpacks also. But I have also put them together in Fanny Packs & I had a couple of hunters ask me to put them together two kits & put them in 2 1/2" PVC pipe, with fittings on the ends that you screw the caps on.
I thought that was interesting. Then they put a strap on them so they could put them on their shoulder. They were 24" long.
They had enough food in them to last 2 weeks with the lifecaps & protein bars.
They could place these by camp & cover them with leaves or soil & not have to worry about bugs or moisture.

If they needed to get water from the stream they would empty the pipe, fill it with water & bring it back to camp.
Just an Idea, I thought was interesting.
Anyway, like Jodi says...
"Doing SOMETHING is better than NOTHING!"
Godspeed

Todd · 6 months ago

A couple things to add...
Ipecac, just in case someone eats or drinks something potentially harmful.
Hydrogen peroxide, even small cuts can get infected & cause illness, cause loss of a limb or even death.
Don't forget Life caps, they can keep you healthy & even sustain life in an emergency or under stress. lifecaps.net use coupon code "healthcap" to save 33%

All these items should be in your food storage also.

flips · 7 months ago

I was looking at the 72 hour kit contents list and noticed that on the first morning you have oatmeal for breakfast. But in your video you mentioned that you use the beenie weenies can to cook everything else. The only problem would be that you don't have your beenie weenies until lunch on the first day. So how do you cook your oatmeal if you don't have the can yet?

Angie Winward · 7 months ago

Here I am on babystep #1. We cleaned out our 72 hr. kits to find that everything expires April of 2009 not bad timing. The pants I had put in there are happily still two sizes too big. Phew, I'm glad they didn't fit. Now it's time to add more clothes for the young twins, diapers, baby food etc. I hope to rotate more than every two years. Thanks Jodi for moving me forward, it really does feel good to be making some progress. I guess Julie gets credit too. Thank you!

Jodi -- Food Storage Made Easy · 7 months ago

Angie, we did a post a few weeks back on 72 hour kits/ disaster kits for babies/toddlers. You might be able to get some good ideas for your boys in there. p.s. Hope Talmage is doing ok!

Rosie · 7 months ago

Is there any way to make these kits more nutritious for a person with diabetes?

Jodi -- Food Storage Made Easy · 7 months ago

This is just one sample of a possible kit you can use. You are always able to swap it out for things that work better for your particular situation. Hopefully we will be offering some other examples of kits soon.

Katie, St Helier · 7 months ago

I live on the island of Jersey in the Channel Islands and came across your website a month or so ago after a friend saw it on 'Facebook' Love the site but would like some more specific information for those saints in other areas...although we are pretty good at adapting your great ideas!

Here in Jersey we don't have the huge supermarkets that you have in the US or UK, and the ones that we do have don't all have warehousing on the island, which menas we are very vulnerable if the cargo ships don't get in for some reason.

To this end our Food Storage rep has bought some UK military ration packs. You can get these in various sizes and for our 72hr kits we have 3 each. The food in these kits can be eaten cold or hot, and there is enough to sustain one person for one day, with each kit having two hot and one cold meal - including a dessert. They also contain tissues, sweets and chocolate, tea and coffee for those that drink it and waterproof matches. The food is 'boil in the bag' so the only extras you need are a stove and water.

I would recommend these or similar US kits to anyone. Although they are more expensive than putting it all together yourself it is a quick way of starting your 72hour kits.

Katie

Shannon · 6 months ago

It's me again! :)

I purchased several wing stoves(not from where you suggested) and they arrived today. I tried them out, not lit of course. I cannot get an 10 oz can to sit on it properly like in your video. What would be your advice?

Thank you!

Jodi -- Food Storage Made Easy · 6 months ago

Shannon, I would try a few different small cans and see if they fit. Then just include that item in your kit and make sure to use it the first day so that you can use it for the other food items!

Susan · 6 months ago

I wanted to bring Lisa's comment to attention:

"Just wanted to let you know about some info I found while getting stuff for my 72 hr kits. Mint gum and strong soaps can flavor your other food. Some hard candy, like jolley ranchers, can melt. Also, the “pop-top” lids are not as strong and some people have found they’ve exploded."

These warnings are on almost every 72-hour kit preparation article I have found. You should revise your shopping list not to include them.

Jodi -- Food Storage Made Easy · 6 months ago

We haven't had any trouble with our pop-top lids exploding, and for me personally I loved not having to worry about a can opener and they are very small-sized cans. Some of my candies did melt a bit but they were still edible. And the gum didn't spread it's flavor throughout my kit. Everything is packaged separately so it's not much of an issue. We try to keep reiterating that this is just one sample of a kit, please feel free to modify it to suit your family's needs. This contents list came directly from a handout we received at our church and we thought it was a fun idea to share that might help some people.

Jessica · 6 months ago

flips, how about having a small can of mandarin oranges with the first meal and using that can the rest of the time. I've seen them as pop-tops and they're small enough to work.

Holly · 6 months ago

I found that 1 gal. ice cream cartons work really well for the 72 hr kits. They are sturdy and have a great handle. I also found the small stoves for less price ($3.50) on REI website. http://www.rei.com/product/785006
Thanks for all you guys are doing, it really is helping me get my act together.

Nicia · 5 months ago

Thanks so much for posting this! Last night around 10 pm I had car trouble right on the WY border (without my hubby...just me and the 2 year old), and kept thinking about how I should have made this kit to have in the back of my car. Now I know! I'm also putting together the heat source. Thanks so much!

Heather Temple Freeborn · 5 months ago

This looks like an awsome site. I have been trying to figure this stuff out for my self and for church. I am so glad that you have the 72 hour kit instructions. Thanks for all the hard work.

Jodi - Food Storage Made Easy · 5 months ago

Enjoy

lucetlady · 3 months ago

Hello! A quick question after watching (and ejoying!) the video - if you're using and re-using the beenie-weenie can for cooking, how are you cleaning it between uses?

Mickey Adams · 3 months ago

Great idea. Just wondering though, if you have actually tried to live on that amount of food for 3 days. I think that power bars instead of granola bars would be an alternative. especially for a grown ups, men especially. Also another question. what if you are in a church cultural hall, school etc. where you can't have a fire??? That is going to add to the stress level, to have to go outside to cook. And finally, I have had experience with mint gum ruining the whole #10 tin of food that I sealed in it. It was so gross. Inedible. So fruit flavored gum may not make such a disaster. Thanks again.

Jodi - Food Storage Made Easy · 3 months ago

Mickey, these are all great considerations. Honestly when we first made these we were just happy to have SOMETHING in place and it was nice to have detailed instructions how to do it. During the seven day challenge we may discover that it is just NOT a feasible solution. That's the point of the challenge! And we're excited (and nervous) for it :)

Allison · 2 months ago

Do you have any suggestions for canadian suppliers for the wing stoves and fuel?