72 Hour Kits

In honor of the Great Utah ShakeOut, to be held today at 10:15a.m., I am posting our family's gourmet menu for when we eat out of our 72-hour kits.

Some people might simplify the whole 72-hour kit thang by buying pre-packed backpacks full of MREs. I've never eaten an MRE myself, but I've heard horror stories...

Since I use food not just for nourishment, but also for comfort, and the time in which using a 72-hour-kit would likely be a time I need comfort, I have decided to pack it with food that serves both purposes.

While my system ain't simple, per se, it is functional in another way.  Because the food is perishable, it requires us to unpack and re-pack every six months (or so) which gives us a prime opportunity to review all the contents of the kits (not just the food) and have low-pressure discussions as to why each item is included and how it is used.

So here goes the list:

BEVERAGES:
Bottled water
bags of hard candy (to suck on to trick the mind about thirst)
juice boxes
boxed milk

PROTEINS:
tuna/chicken salad -- in little cans, boxed with crackers, from the dollar store
trail mix
nutter butters
beef jerky (this is unreasonably chewy so we only include it in Daddy's!)
vienna sausages
pudding
cashews

FRUITS:
apple sauce
raisins
 
GRAINS:
crackers
granola bars
cheddar cheese dip
sandwich cookies
pop-tarts
bottled water