Whenever I talk about emergency preparedness, food storage or 72hr kits, people often laugh and ask me why I would bother with it as nothing bad ever really happens here in the UK.
Unfortunately, history tells a different story and there is a Wikipedia page which lists all of the natural disasters in the UK, in particular those which have happened in the past 20 years – some of them even I had forgotten about! It was also interesting to note that they seem to be occurring more frequently!
So here is a quick guide on 72hr Kits to get you started:
What are 72 hour kits?
72 hour kits are all the essentials you might need to survive for up to three days after an emergency, usually carried in a small bag so you can grab it if you have to leave your home in a hurry, so you don;t spend valuable time hunting for things.
But we don’t have disasters here, why do I need one?
On the contrary, in the past few years alone, the UK has suffered from devastating floods, heat waves and snow falls which have all caused numerous fatalities, plus we’ve had reservoirs which have completely run out of water for weeks because of a few burst pipes. There are also risks to individual homes like fires, gas leaks and police cordons which can prevent you from returning to your home for days.
Flooding in Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire in 2007.
Why 72 hours?
Although the Emergency Services might get to you quickly, it can take days for the local Council or organisations like the Red Cross to provide adequate food or shelter.
Why does it take so long? Don’t they have to look after people in need?
The local council does, but other groups are only charities which try to help as many people as possible. However, whatever is affecting you may also be affecting them AND their employees, slowing down or even preventing their response. There may also be many more people in need than they can cope with. Do you really want to take that risk or stand in that food queue?
Ok now I’m freaked out, what do I do now?
Simply spending some time planning ahead and preparing yourself NOW and in the right way will give you total piece of mind, so if something does happen, you and your family will be fine!
How much will it cost?
This will depend on whether you want to buy one already made such as this 72hr pack, or you can put one together yourself, although this will obviously take more time and effort. Many different ones can be found online, but often they are expensive and contain things you don’t need.
Where can I get a good one from?
Emergency Food Storage.co.uk is the UK’s leading supplier of emergency food, water purification and 72hr kit products. Everything you will need is contained in this 72hr pack which is currently on sale for £59.94.
What if I want to make my own?
This is also a good idea as it can be tailored to suit the needs of your family. Next week, part two of this blog post will list what you might want to put in your home made 72Hr kit…
Stay tuned for more on Monday…
