So what are the things that keep us alive? At the very base level, all humans need in order to stay alive is shelter, water, food, and fire (the “Core 4”). Most people want to experience more in life than just keeping their pulse going. A good 72 hour kit will help you do that. But a great 72 hour kit will help you live a much more satisfying life and even rebuild civilization if it comes to that. We’ve therefore included several items from the other 18 components of self reliance to build the Ultimate 72 hour emergency kit.
[BRICS is the starting point of any survival kit. BRICS is an acronym that stands for Blade, Rope, Ignition, Container, Shelter. The reason this subset of survival items is so foundational is because they are some of the most vital components needed to address the Core 4 of survival (shelter, water, food, and fire). In almost any wilderness emergency situation, you will want to have packed BRICS in your kit.]
Want a simple checklist you can use to put together your 72 hour kit? Download and print a copy of The 72 Hour Kit Checklist to keep with each kit in your family or group. It makes assembling your kit and assessing contents a breeze.