Here’s the file for the contents of the 72 hour Kits which were purchased through the church. You’ll need a copy of this with your kits to make sure you know what you have and what you still need to get.

72 Hour Kit Contents.jpg

Emergency mylar blankets can be a useful tool for keeping warm under the right conditions, but they do have their limitations. Under certain circumstances they may not be as effective as expected and when used under the wrong conditions, the result can be death. Their primary purpose is to keep you warm under limited conditions, not get you warm.

How They Work
It is important to understand that these emergency blankets work by reflecting a portion of your body heat. Therefore, you must have sufficient body heat to begin with for them to be effective. The colder you become before using the blanket, the less effective it will be. They are not as effective in long-term use or when in severe weather. They are completely ineffective in the case of hypothermia. In the case of hypothermia, external sources of heat are required for survival. Again, they will keep you warm under limited conditions, but not get you warm.

Things to Keep In Mind
With this in mind, it is prudent to use the blanket early in an emergency situation before body heat is lost. Most of your body heat is lost through your head, so keep your head covered with a good hat or alternative covering. Also, you can create body heat by exercising before covering yourself with the blanket. You will need to use prudence here, however, as moisture created from sweat and physical exhaustion are contributing factors to hypothermia. Dry clothing is also essential for maintaining body warmth. Do all that you can to keep dry or to change into dry clothes. Keep yourself hydrated. Try out the blanket in various conditions and for various lengths of time before needing one in an emergency.

Other Ideas for Keeping Warm
Be prepared to engage an alternative plan for creating heat and/or insulating. Other things that you may want to include in your 72-hour kit are waterproof matches, a can of Sterno, a change of clothes, a hat, mittens, and hand/body warmers. Keep warm blankets in your car for additional insulation. Should you get stranded in your car, you can use the foam in your seats to insulate your body by stuffing it inside your clothing.

Additional Uses
Besides keeping you warm under the right and limited conditions, your emergency blanket can provide some limited protection from the elements, be useful as a ground cover, as a reflector to signal for help, to collect water or for reflecting the sun away from you or toward something you want heated. Emergency mylar blankets can be a useful tool…just remember that any tool is only useful when used correctly and safely.

Click here for a printable PDF file of these warnings to insert into your 72 Hour Kits.

If you ordered kits for the 2nd round, we’ll be putting them together the end of this month.

What: We’ll be putting the kits together.
When: Tuesday, Feb 26, 2008
Time: 7pm
Where: Church Gym
Bring: a Backpack if you didn’t order one so we can fill it with your supplies.

If you have any questions contact info@pgward.org

We’re sorry but yes, it is too late to order a kit if you didn’t get to order one the first or second times. But we suggest you get kits on your own anyways. You can still purchase the items in the kit at Wal-Mart, the Dollar stores and REI. You can also get the supplies from other stores, those are just the stores we know have the supplies you need, exculing the water and food bars.

Make a disaster Go-bag for each of your pets, include the following:

• Sturdy leashes and/or carriers to transport pets. Animal shelters may require owners to provide a pet carrier for each animal.
• Current photos of your pets in case they get lost.
• Food and potable water, for at least one week. Bowls, cat litter and pan, plastic bags, can opener and pet toys. These items may not be immediately available in animal shelters.
• Information on feeding schedules, medical conditions, behavior problems, immunization records and the name and number of your veterinarian in case you have to board your pets.

What: We’ll be putting the kits together.
When: Tuesday, Jan 29, 2008
Time: 7pm
Where: Church Gym
Bring: a Backpack if you didn’t order one.

Here are images of the flier front and back sides, so you can see the exact things which will be included in each 72 hour kit. Just click on each picture to zoom in.

Remember, Monday Jan 21 is the deadline to turn in your orders and money for the kits.

What will you do for cash if the power is out, along with the internet connections to your local ATM? That means no debit card, no credit card and no check verification. Cash on hand is an important part of preparedness planning.

Put it in an envelope in your kit, seal it and forget it. It should be considered as spent, because we’ll use it when we need it and we’ll be glad because it’s there. It’s not if, it’s when.

We’re making it easy for you to get your 72 hour kits! We couldn’t find just 1 pre-made kit that had everything we needed in it. So we shopped around for a while trying to find the best price for each of the items we wanted each kit to have. We’re getting most of the supplies wholesale and a couple others from Walmart, REI and the Dollar Store. It’s so we can keep the costs down for each kit. We’ve also broke it down into 3 different sets, so you can decide what you need in your kit: Supplies & Equipment, Food Bars & Water and a Backpack. So 1 complete set would only be $55 total. You won’t find a better kit! Okay, well…you might, but it could take you a while and cost a lot more. We’ve listed the contents of the kit below.
continue reading "Order a 72 Hour Kit"

In our Jan 2008 Newsletter/Flier we’ve included a 72 Hour Kit Checklist. Use it and add anything else you might need or want to it. If you need help locating any of the items, just let us know. Feel free to comment below and let us know what you think.

View the Jan 2008 Issue of the Preparedness Minute Newsletter.

After a major disaster the usual services we take for granted, such as running water, refrigeration, and telephones, may be unavailable. Experts (people who have experienced it and government officials) recommend
continue reading "Why a 72 Hour Kit?"