A question for LDS: What in the world is a 72 hour kit?

Saw a question posted on this and everybody else seemed to know what it was.... Well, I DON'T and the way someone answered, it almost sounded like a doomsday kit or something. Please enlighten me.

venus_smrf2008-10-15T14:11:25Z

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Ha! No, not a doomsday kit, though that's hilarious. It's nothing more than an emergency kit with enough food, medicine and whatnot to last for 72 hours in case of an emergency. And I don't think it's just a Mormon thing, though we do try to be prepared. I live in SoCal, and a lot of people here have them, regardless of religion.

Then again, with all the earthquakes, floods, and fires that we have here, emergency preparedness is just plain common sense.

shmaem2008-10-15T21:19:45Z

The definition has been well stated! That's pretty much what I understand a 72 hr kit to be...a backpack with food, medicine, personal care items that will last for 72 hr (in case of emergency).

The United States Government has encouraged all citizens to have a 72 hr kit as well.

Anyway, here is the .gov website with a basic list of items. Your list will vary depending on what you personally need:

http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/

Lots of places sell 72hr kits of different shapes & sizes.

Some helpful things we have included in our kits are cash & a laminated picture of our family picture which includes medical allergies and phone numbers. I certainly hope I will never have to use my kit but it's a good feeling to know that I have it (and that I know exactly where it is if needed)!

sunnyannie2008-10-15T15:36:21Z

I'm Mormon, and we are all encouraged to have a 72 hour kit as part of our general focus on being prepared and self sufficient.

Basically, 72 hours is the average amount of time it takes for help to arrive in the event of an emergency - flood, tornado, terrorist attack, etc. So we have a 72 hour kit which includes everything we need to survive those first 72 hours. Non-perishable food, drink, warm clothing, matches, etc, and even things like photocopies of ID documents, a photograph of our family (in case we get separated) and something for shelter. My 72 hour pack is in a rucksack in my garage, and if some kind of emergency is declared and we have to evacuate our home, I can just grab it and go. My kids also have little packs so if the worst comes to the worst, my family can survive for 72 hours until help arrives.

The prophets have also encouraged us to store a year's supply of food, to have a good education (so that we can support ourselves in work) and to avoid debt. It's all part of being prepared and responsible for ourselves.

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Shahrazad2008-10-15T13:59:57Z

Er.. I'm not LDS, but what I know as a 72 hour kit is a kit designed for evacuation, or taking shelter from a disaster. Things like food, water, maps, and other essentials.

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