Why are 72Hr emergency packs still important? Is it Fearmongering or just good sense?

 What's so important about 72Hrs?

By Sindy Wakeham

Look, I'm not going to tell you the news, or hypothesise about what is or isn't imminent or likely to happen. I don't have a crystal ball and if I did, it would make a lovely garden ornament. 

Doom and Gloom news has always been the main focus for getting views because its what people react to most. People love drama! We can't help it. That's because we personalise things. We put ourselves in the shoes of others and feel compassion for them or fear it would happen to us. Both compassion and fear spur us on to action, not always action in the right direction.

You've seen me discuss scarcity and positive mindset before too. THIS is where I want to give you some perspective and a new spin on prepping, including 72hr emergency packs. 

WHY?

Why the packs and why the 72hrs is the right question.  72 Hours is literally if you need to get out of your home immediately in an emergency and this is the amount of time generally it takes, 3 days, to get out, organise help and get back to deal with issues once the initial crisis is over. That is, if you can go back.

The idea is not new. Many organisations have been encouraging the use of 72hr emergency packs for decades. It's good sense preparations. 

The type of crisis that requires you to get out varies from a house fire, flooding or chemical spills if there are factories nearby. I remember instances where a shop in one area and in a industrial unit in a different area (not at the same time) went up in flames in the UK. Nearby homes were evacuated. 

Nant Morlais in Pant, Merthyr Tydfil (Dec 2024) in Wales and Godstone High Street in England people were evacuated because of safety concerns when sinkholes appeared in their streets. According to the Smithsonian Institute, "47 volcanoes were in continuing eruption status as of 2 May 2025".

One of the most important reasons to have an emergency bag is for mental and emotional resilience in a crisis. Having something you can grab immediately and know that you have some essentials to keep you going, prove your identity, your vital records protected and in date meds at least, could be the difference in falling apart or keeping it together. Keeping it together is especially essential when you have young children or vulnerable family to think about and how the situation is affecting them. 

Here in the UK there are houses sliding into the sea as the coastline is eroded. That would be a permanent get away rather than a 72 hour emergency unless you didn't know about it. In that situation, it's not my emergency pack I'd be worried about but where the family are in the house! In reality, I'd have left the house long before the erosion reached it.

What goes in the pack?

72 Hours are not enough in those circumstances.  Whatever nature the crisis, I'm sure anyone would be grateful to have at least something to grab and go. 

It's what we put in the bag or pack that matters and what goes in depends on where you live, what possible crises are more likely in your area and the season, or possibly local or global politics. It will be different for every home. The UK government's Prepare website which I have mentioned before has generic ideas of what to put in your bag. 

Because every situation and home is different, here is the best place to find ready made kits if that helps.

Otherwise, in a suburban or urban setting, I would suggest:

• Water (1L per day per person and a life straw and water purification tablets if you are in a more outdoor situation)
• Identity, other vital records and insurance documents on a USB stick in a waterproof bag along with a map (fully charged mobile phone and battery pack are great if there is signal but not useful if there isn't), paper and pen.
• medication in date (with at least 6 months to spare before use by date) and first aid kit.
• Clothes (1 set of season appropriate clothing and especially clean socks and walking shoes/boots.
• Cash (in emergencies and if power is down, cash will be king)
• Food ( high energy, high fibre food. Ready to go and no preparation/cooking needed. Enough for 2 simple meals each a day - 3 for children) This is if you aren't going to be at family or in a normal urban setting to buy food and you're in a real 'bug out' situation.
• Both wind up and battery operated torch and radio and batteries (in an emergency, you aren't going to want to spend 5 minutes winding to get 2 minutes of light).  
• Rope and ponchos (together they make a good canopy or water catchment tools).
• Keep mobile phones and battery packs charged at all times and ready to go. 
• Don't forget your pets. Think food, hygiene, leads and meds.

Depending on the situation, if you don't have anywhere particular to go like family or a second home in another area, think outdoor sleeping, security and cooking as well as hygiene. Most of the time, it's events like flooding, fire, nearby chemical leaks, local sink holes and so on that require immediate evacuation and these will need a quick grab and go pack as mentioned earlier. You might not be able to come back within only 72 hours. It may take longer so have a back up plan.  Make sure to have a rehearsal with all who live in the house so all know what to do and where to go.

Isn't it all just scaremongering?

That depends on who's bringing you the news! There is an element of propaganda, public manipulation and bigger agendas at play now.  If 'they' want to justify their policies and agendas, they  need to look like they are the good guys and have the facts. They definitely want to appeal to the emotions of those they wish to manipulate and that WILL include some fearmongering. 

Sabres are rattled in every generation. Wars are waged and in between all that, nature and life happen too. It's not all doom and gloom though. There are plenty of good times in between those events and times. Use them to prepare for and minimise the effects of the not so good times. A 72 hour emergency kit is one of them (better if it were good enough for a week) but something is better than nothing and the difference between surviving and thriving. 

I love the scripture: "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear" (Doctrine and Covenants 38:30 of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) and in the King James Version of the bible, "Therefore be ye ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh". To personalise that one, we could say: 'in such a time as ye think not, (the unexpected happens)'.

Joseph in Egypt, though sold as a slave by his brothers, ended up being the means of saving his family in the 7 years of famine because he had the people he had charge over prepare during the 7 years of plenty. So it's when times are good that we wisely make preparations for when there will be need for immediate relief.  It doesn't mean all our focus should be on possible negatives at the expense of the good times. It means prudent and appropriate planning and preparations WHILE enjoying the good times.

I told you, fear and drama sells! Not for me. Why be a sucker for punishment (or stress)? Why give up your freedom and ability to act and choose your actions rationally? That's why I  love those scriptures. It reminds us that even a little preparedness in some or other way, can remove the fear in a situation or at least minimise it. 

So!...What can you do to "keep calm and be ready" without being a victim of propaganda, real geopolitical threats, natural disasters and everyday occurrences (or clickbait for that matter)?  

1. Get a 72 hour emergency kit packed or buy one here...
2. Do your own personal stock take of your home, family and financial situation.
3. Decide what you could not live without in likely situations and begin by stocking up slowly, sensibly and within your budget (no one needs a year's supply of loo roll immediately...unless you fail to prep). 
4. Make a plan for fire escape and medical emergencies. 
5. Grow a garden and build a strong community around you. 
6. And get this book.

All of the above preparations help to remove the fear and uncertainty. Once you have begun and made even small preparations, it's a weight off your shoulders and you are more ready to act  if and when needed. 

Once preparations have begun, you don't need to worry about the doom and gloom news or propaganda. You are being proactive. More importantly, you will begin to love having that peace of mind and getting home and life in order. You can live abundantly with less fear and worry. 

Do it for the love of it. From now on you aren't prepping for hard times or uncertain scenarios. You prep for good times, for being able to pay the bills if you lose your job or get sick and if something breaks down, it's all good. 

If you have a 72hr kit, and need to get out in an emergency, you already have everything ready to go, no running around or stressing and regrets. You'll have more confidence and control over your handling of situations. Of course you need more than 72 hours because what comes after also needs beyond normal responses, but it's a start. 

If you would like deeper delving into appropriate prepping and self-reliance, you can find more here.

If you want more about suburban self-sufficiency gardening and preserving, visit here.

 

I look forward to your comments, contributions and feedback. Until next time...