72 Hour Kits

72 Hour kits to protect yourself and your family in case of disaster

72 Hour Kits Help You and Your Family Survive

Why are 72 Hour Kits so important?

Because, although the human race has made great strides in discovering and using the secrets of the universe to benefit ourselves, our power is not perfect.

This may sound too philosophical, but in the universe there's always a conflict between order and chaos -- between life and death -- between growth and entropy.

Within life there is always unrelenting competition for food and other resources.

The discovery of fire was a huge step forward for us because it allowed us to harness a greater power to bring light to darkness, for protection against night predators, as a hunting weapon, and to cook our food.

Yet for most of a million years we lived on the edge. Only one hard winter away from starvation. One scratch away from a deadly infection. One pregnancy away from death in childbirth. One instant of nonattention away from getting clubbed by an enemy from a rival clan group. One hunt away from catching the food we needed -- or becoming food for giant cat stalking us. One bear skin away from freezing to death. One spring away from dying of thirst.

That's why we went from hunting and gathering to agriculture when we learned how to grow rice, corn and wheat. Although in many ways farming is a harder life (once they've got the day's prey, hunters relax and loaf), it offers more control.

Of course, it doesn't eliminate danger. Rural people are just one locust swarm or one early freeze away from starvation. They're just one band of roving marauders away from rape, murder and theft.

Once those marauders stick around demanding taxes, feudalism is established, and the nobles are in constant competition. The duchy, kingdom or empire that's not busy expanding is busy beating off its neighbors.

It's a cliche. The tough, ornery, brave because desperately hungry barbarians/Mongol hordes/Huns take over a once all-powerful empire. Once exposed to the comforts of civilization, they turn soft and their children fall to a new tribe of tough and hungry people.

The United States used to be the strong, tough "new kid on the block" compared to the European world powers. Now we're the big cheese, and it remains to be seen whether we'll be able to compete with India, China and other developing countries.

Science and technology have given us all a much easier life.

When you live in a developed country, it's easy to just assume and believe that the human race is in control.

We are, partially. Only partially. But the long list of disasters shows that we still have our limits.

Fires. Pandemics. Earthquakes. Floods. Tornados. Hurricaines. Volcanoes. Man-made disasters (terrorism). Biochemical warfare attacks. Electrical blackouts. Food shortages. Gasoline shortages. Riots in the street. Civil war. Nuclear attacks. Dirty bombs. Tsunamis. Typhoons.

We need to have emergency food ready because we just don't know what the future may bring. One day, having an emergency food supply in your pantry, in your car or in your office may mean the difference between life and death.

I used to work for a social service agency in St. Louis. Several days after Katrina struck, a woman from New Orleans came in for some money. She and her boyfriend were not in the news, because they were smart enough to jump in his car and get the heck out. But her only income was her son's SSI check, due on September 1.

At first I assumed she had a problem because she got it through mail delivery, which of course wasn't happening. No, she had direct deposit she told me. Great, I said, just go to an ATM machine and withdraw your cash.

She told me she didn't have a debit card. Her financial institution was a rinky dink credit union with only one building, which was now underwater. No doubt the United States Treasury Department tried to send that credit union an electronic signal on September 1, but of course the telephone lines were down, and the credit union's computer service was in Davy Jones' locker.

So I was happy that my checks go direct deposit to a major bank. I can use my debit card to withdraw money from ATM machines around the country and even around the world -- I've used it in The Philippines. I just have to pay a service fee.

So your 72 hour kits should also include planning for all areas of your life.