LDS: Do you have your 72-hour kit prepared and ready to go?

We are dirt poor (on food stamps).

We try to buy a little bit for our 72-hour-kits each month, but only have them about half done for us and our 2 older kids. Currently, the baby's is her diaper bag (which is huge and stocked for 3 days with diapers and formula and 2 outfits).

We also spend birthday and Christmas money for the adults on our kits, which is when we can get the bigger ticket items. This year we're going to get a tent and hiking backpacks (just in case we ever have to walk out of the area).

Whenever the local grocers have case lot sales, we buy as much as we can, too. That helps the 72-hour-kits and the 2-year supply.

For the past 3 years, we've been asking family to buy us items for food storage and emergency kits, but so far, no takers.

Lds 72 Hour Kit

Mine is a bit rubbish. We had a presentation in RS about how you can get all the food you need in two 2-litre bottles concertinaed together, but because it's round it was basically all tins. I think there was a tin of all-day breakfast (baked beans with sausages, bacon and bits of egg in) and a tin of tuna and sweetcorn in mayonnaise. I had the bright idea once that a very large bar of chocolate (and Cadbury's did a 1kg bar of Dairy Milk at the time) was a great thing to put in a 72 hour kit because it basically keeps forever and contains lots of calories. Can you see the flaw in my thinking yet? Yep, next time I had a chocolate craving I snarfed the whole lot in one sitting. Why did one guy think 72 hour packs were a nutty idea? I think they're a great idea! OK, so we've never had a hurricane, earthquake, wildfire or tornado over here in the UK, but you never know when you'll need it all the same.

We actually had a stake meeting to discuss this idea. We were advised to have them, but to really focus on building up longer term food storage. They gave us (a challenge) until the end of 2009 to have a year's food storage in place.

They were directed to do this by the first presidency they said. They also pointed out that we are not saving food for these small week long emergencies. We are saving it because of some of Joseph Smiths prophecies- the great hailstorm that will destroy crops before the second coming and the famines that will happen also.

Yes but.......

The food in it is nasty- It might take the first 24-36 hours to work up an appetite

The wife says that we need a gallon of water apiece per day for 14 days- we have enough for 12. That much water is heavy. Some is in the closet but there is a 3 day supply in each car so we have some no matter which car we bug out in.

What types of things go in it and where do I get them?

Never seem to have enough money for it.