Be Prepared: 72 Hour Emergency Kit from SurvivalBased.com ~ #Review

I received complimentary product(s) to facilitate this review from the sponsoring company. This is 100% my own honest opinion.

Since we are in the middle of hurricane season, and it won’t be long before a predicted long and cold winter falls upon us, emergency preparedness is quite on my mind! I admit, over the years I’ve taken it for granted living in a high rise  on our local hospital’s power grid. In other words, my power never goes out, and I never expect it to go out. Unfortunately this is not an ideal way of thinking. Last December a transformer at a nearby power station exploded (go ahead and YouTube search “Annapolis Apocalypse”), resulting in the entire city loosing its power. Yes, our entire city was in a black out. While the yes the power in my building was only out for 4 hours, it was still the wake up call I needed to readdress my family’s emergency preparedness.

Luckily the amazing folks over at SurvivalBased.com decided to help my family out with our preparedness plan with a 72 Hour Emergency Kit by Food Supply Depot. This kit, which includes “food, fire and filter” is just one of the many products offered by this awesome online emergency preparedness and survival retailer. However SurvivalBased.com does just offer products, but you can also find useful survival tactics and tips, as well as product reviews on their site.

What is in the bucket?

Now the kit comes inside a 6 lb 12 oz bucket that my little one just couldn’t wait to explore. He was all hands when we went through the items. I guess it is never too early to teach your kids about emergency preparedness and survival!

Let’s first chat food! The kit contains a Artisan Oatmeal 4 Serving Pouch, a Harvest 6 Grain Cereal 4 Serving Pouch, and a Texan Sunrise Skillet 4 Serving Pouch.

These pouches are perfect if you are a vegetarian because yes, the meals are 100% vegetarian. The pouches contain dry mix, so all you need to do is add water and heat. This is where the water filter comes in handy, but I’ll get to that in a minute!

Other food pouches in the kit include  a  Rotini A La Marinara 5 Serving Pouch, Nantucket Potato 5 Serving Pouch,  and a Rio Grande Beans 3 Serving Pouch. These meals are also 100% vegetarian. Again, all you need to create the food in the pouches is water. Now you may be thinking how would you heat the food up if you are without power? Simple! The kit also includes everything you need to heat your food.
In the bucket you will also find six (6) InstaFire Paper Pouches, a Folding BBQ Grill, a box of 50 waterproof matches, a cooking pot with detachable handle, and a 6-in-1 Detachable Utensil Set, which includes your fork, spoon, and knife.

When I first took out the grill, I thought it would be a little flimsy. I wasn’t sure how it would hold up compared to other camping grills and kettles I’ve encountered for heating for. The benefit is that the grill does fold up quite flat to fit in the bucket, or in your pack. This is super convenient when on the go! Once I put the grill together (which was super easy!), it was quite sturdy enough and help the included pot just fine.
As for drinks, the kit includes an Instant Low Fat Milk 4 Serving Pouch, and an Instant Orange juice 8 Serving Pouch. While water is great provides much needed nutrients, sometimes we need a little flavor (even when SHTF!). Plus with a not-so-understanding 2 year old in tow, he often asks for alternatives to water. These two pouches will definitely come in handy!

Now onto that water filter I previously discussed. The emergency kit also includes a Seychelles 24 oz. Water Filter Bottle. The plastic water bottle has a built-in filter, which claims to remove 99.999% of all contaminants. It appears to be very similar to other water bottle filters I’ve used in the past. If you use the water bottle to contain any of the instant milk or orange drink, remember to remove the filter first!

Also in the bucket is a 23 piece first aid kit. A first aid kit is a MUST when it comes to emergency preparedness. This small kit includes ten (10) waterproof bandages, four (4) alcohol cleansing wipes, a Castile soap towelette, two (2) sting relief pads, two (2) dressings for minor burns, medical tape, an elastic bandage, and a lens cleaning towelette. I would recommend throwing a few more items in there if possible especially more alcohol cleansing wipes. Luckily there is room in the small first aid kit to add in extras.
Overall, I think the kit is a great starter one for any family who wants to be prepared for an emergency. Now if you are a hardcore prepper, you may want to skip this kit and create your own using your knowledge and expertise from the amazing products that SurvivalBased.com has to offer! If you are new to emergency preparedness, or simply don’t have time to research and put a kit together, then this one is perfect for you! It contains essentials and can hold you over while you plan your next step. If you have a larger family, I recommend purchasing more than one kit. While you may get away with covering 2 people with this kit, if you have a family of 4 or more, definitely purchase more than one.

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Buy It: You can purchase this 72 Hour Emergency Kit from SurvivalBased right off their website. It retails fro $149.95. If you sign up for the SurvivalBased.com newsletter, you’ll receive a 15% off discount on your first order!

Win It: The giveaway is now live! Head on over to my 72 Hour Emergency Kit Giveaway post to enter.