It’s been on our todo list for a long time to put together some kind of emergency kit (in case of earthquakes or other natural disasters). It all started with a trip to the Container Store a few weeks ago. While we were there, we decided to buy an extra 41.2qt watertight tote for that emergency kit we’d always been talking about.

I figured I’d find a list on one of those emergency prep websites, pick up a few things, and be done with it. Turns out it was a little more challenging than that. They all basically say the same thing: “In an emergency it could be several days before basic services are restored. A good rule of thumb is to have supplies for about 3 days, or 72 hours.” Think about that for a second. Imagine all the food you’re going to eat over the next 3 days. Now make it all non-perishable. Multiple that by two or more if you’re a couple or have kids. Yikes!

The ah-ha moment was when I realized that staying alive for 72 hours is kind of like camping—which is something I have experience with! Which meant instead of buying a bunch of canned goods and a can opener, we got a bucket of Mountain House meals, a pot, a stove, and a gas tank. Hot chocolate, tea, and instant espresso were our treats. Of course there’s the usual array of toiletries and first-aid items. The most exciting purchase (and something I’ve never bought before) was a fire extinguisher. In fact I ended up buying two: one for the kitchen and one for the kit.

After several weeks, we finally picked up everything on our list. Figure this might be helpful, informative, and/or amusing to someone else out there thinking about doing the same thing.