The Revolutionary Way to Look at 72-Hour Kits That Will Change Your Life

Think to yourself about the following scenarios and if they have ever happened to you:

1. You get a phone call (or in my case family members show up at your door) telling you someone has been in a serious car accident.
2. You have unexpectedly stayed in the hospital for a few days with someone else.
3. You or someone in your home has needed to visit the Emergency Room in the middle of the night.
4. You’ve been driving home from a long car trip and the car breaks down.
5. …or you run into a California wildfire or bad accident which has either stopped traffic or severely slowed it down…and you have a child who needs to use a bathroom.
6. When flying you’ve had your luggage lost.

If you’ve never experienced one of the scenarios listed above, you will.  It’s simply a matter of time. Personally, I’ve experienced all of the above.

The truth is life gets a little topsy turvy sometimes and can throw you some well placed curve balls.

Can we get personal for a moment?

About two years ago I was in my kitchen preparing a spread for a luncheon we were having after the blessing of my new baby.  I had a lot of family in town with a few more coming into town that morning and my house was eerily still and calm for all of the hubbub going on.  I remember distinctly (isn’t it funny how you can remember every detail in moments like this) pulling the last pan of rolls from the oven and placing the last lid on my tupperware when there was a knock on the door.  I assumed it was my brother and his wife who had offered to come in the morning to help me prepare.

However, when I opened the door and saw their faces, I knew it wasn’t because they were there to help.  “Your mom has been in a serious accident and from what we can tell she is in critical condition.  We need to go to the hospital right away,” they said.

I’m pretty sure my jaw hit the floor.

I stood there stunned and frantic.  I knew she had left to pick up my brother from the airport so I knew it must have happened on the freeway and that it must be bad.

Seriously.  I couldn’t think but I knew I needed to move fast.

“BABY!”

I knew I needed to take my baby so I ran upstairs to get him.

“CHANGE YOUR CLOTHES!”

I was still in my pajamas, wasn’t showered and I’m pretty sure I hadn’t even brushed my teeth yet that morning. So I ran upstairs to change and back down the stairs…

“DIAPER BAG!”

I ran back upstairs and grabbed the diaper bag and quickly jetted back down the stairs.

“DO I HAVE ENOUGH DIAPERS?!”

I ran back upstairs to grab some more diapers and quickly back down.

“KEYS!”

Where in the world were my keys?! Back up the stairs I went.

“THE VAN IS GONE!”

Oh, that’s right my husband had taken a load of food down to where we were having the luncheon.  Back down the stairs I went.

“WHERE DOES HE KEEP THE KEYS TO HIS CAR?!”

I ran all over the house. Surprisingly, I could not think where my husband kept his extra set of keys even though I routinely go to that spot to use his extra set of van keys for reasons I won’t explain in this post ;).

My mind was blank and I was in total shock.  People kept asking if they could help but I was unable to direct anyone because I couldn’t think clearly.  I must have run up and down those stairs at least 10 times as I tried to think of the basic items I might need for the day.

The lesson I learned that day is…

You can’t count on your brain to help you when you’re in a situation like that.

Can you relate?  It’s probably why when people are evacuating in a hurry they grab things like Velveeta cheese and dedicate entire Facebook pages to the strange things people grab after evacuating.

The Reality of an EVERYDAY Grab-and-Go Bag

The reality is you need an everyday emergency bag in addition to your regular 72-hour kit because chances are you’re going need that everyday emergency bag sooner than you think.

Can you imagine how differently your own experiences would have been if you could have grabbed a bag you knew had everything in it that you needed?

Can you see how different my own experience would have been?

The Differences between a 72-hour kit and an Everyday Grab-and-Go Bag in just 5 MINUTES.

We know you’re busy, so let Debbie explain the differences to you in just FIVE MINUTES.  Debbie was recently on Good Things Utah sharing the basic differences between a regular 72-hour kit and an Everyday Grab-and-Go bag and why a bag lined cereal bin may just save you (or your child) from some serious embarrassment in the car!

Bonus Class: The Revolutionary Way to Look at 72-Hour Kits and Beyond!

Is your interest piqued?  Do you want to learn more about what should be in your regular 72-hour kit (including some major Pinterest pitfalls to avoid) as well as the essentials in your everyday Grab-and-Go bag?  Then watch Debbie’s latest class (We apologize in advance for the sound, technical difficulties always rear its ugly head when you can’t retape.  You all know what that is like, right? We will have it fixed for Debbie’s next class.  😉

Grab Debbie’s Handouts for the class:

• Essentials for a 72-Hour Kit Handout
• Everyday Grab-and-Go Bag Essentials Handout
• The Idea behind the Grab-and-Go Bag Handout

You can do this!

Getting prepared doesn’t have to be complicated, in fact it should be practical and help you today as well as when the world ends.  Now you and your family will be prepared for something as large as a major catastrophe and as small as the emergency that does not reach beyond your own walls.  Now, no matter what happens you’ll have all of the essentials whether you’re traveling and having a good time, stuck in traffic, have a family emergency or beyond.  It’s a great feeling, right?  Go chase it.