As the LDS conference came and then went, the thought kept coming that I needed to write about a tradition our family started several years back that has changed the way my children view conference and the way we prepare for it. I got this idea from a dear neighbor/friend/visiting teacher/adopted grandmother to my children who has since passed on but who we still hold very dear in our hearts. It has worked so well for our family and has helped my children be excited for conference. And it brings peace of mind.
We
had a 72-hour kit, but it was very outdated. My friend suggested
that every conference we pull the emergency kits out, replace any
clothing that is too small and all food and snacks that will go outdated
before the next conference. Then during conference, the kids could
snack on the treats as they
watch. I loved this suggestion and decided to implement it one family
home
evening. The next time conference drew near, my kids kept asking me when
it was
going to finally come. I had forgotten about the emergency kits, but
they had
not. They were so excited to open up their kits and pull out the treats
that I
had put in there. I was quite surprised at how much they looked forward
to
this. I thought that maybe this was a one-time excitement but they
continue to
look forward to conference every time!!! Plus, it keeps them pretty
entertained
through the hours. I have improved things over the years to make it a
little
easier. I started small and each year try to add something to make it a
little
better.
We have a backpack for each family member and a family kit.
Individual backpacks:
At first, I just used old school backpacks that we “retired” for some reason. (This
year, I bought all new backpacks because we had a store go out of business and
I got them for a great price.) These backpacks contain a few of the essentials in
case they get separated from us. It doesn’t contain all the essential though.
Each backpack contains . . .
A thin blanket (I got these from family dollar for $3.)
A roll of toilet paper in a bag (I just use a grocery bag
and it doubles for a garbage bag.)
A flashlight
4 bottles of water (about 2 cups each)
Utensils (Plate, Bowl, Fork, Spoon, Knife and cup)
A change of clothes (Updating
this every conference works perfect because in April, you put in summer clothes
and in October, you put winter clothes in.)
Individually needed medicine
*Treats (This is the part my kids LOVE and totally look
forward to conference for.)
A toy or some kind of small entertainment (like cards,
stuffed animal, magnetic drawing board, something to help ease the anxiety of
an emergency situation.)
Lifestraw water filter
(because 4 water bottles just isn't enough. I actually don't have these
yet but hope that next year, this will be the thing I focus on. These
have been on my want list. Again, I started small and did what I could
and each year have added something to make it what it is.)
Treats that I
include in each individual pack are . . .
A box of crackers (my kids LOVE Cheezits and they don’t
usually get them so it makes it extra special and extra excited for conference.)
A box of cold cereal (Again we usually don’t get this, especially
the kind I buy for the emergency kits because they usually have more sugar than
I like, but I figure every six months is ok. I choose cereal that can be eaten
by hand, without milk.
Peanuts (These are a really good filler treats and provides
protein that sticks with them longer.)
Fruit snacks or dried fruit
Granola Bars
Beef Jerky
Tip: When picking out different boxed items, CHECK THE DATE
on EVERYTHING!!! Sometimes I forget and then as I am putting them in the kits,
I find out they expire in one or two months. That has been a little
frustrating, so definitely check the dates.
Our family kit is one my parents made for us one Christmas
(except for the food). They decided to get each one of their children a
backpack full of emergency items for a 72 hour kit. I have been incredibly
grateful for it. This is our main family emergency kit. What I love too is that
they included a list on the backpack of everything they put in it. If you don’t
know what’s in it, you won’t be able to use it. I suggest making a list so that
in an emergency, you can glance and know exactly what you have.
Family backpack contains,
Head lamps and flash lights
Batteries
Garbage bags that double as rain protectors
Note pad and Pen
Multi-tool w/ knife
1 Large plastic stake
1 Aluminum stake
Glow sticks
Canteen
Hot Pocket hand warmer
Tarp for tent or ground and a light blanket rolled in the
tarp.
100’ Rescue rope with carabiner
Twine
Candles/fire starters/Matches
Vinyl coated gloves
Flagging tape
24” machete
Utensils
Dish soap
Aluminum water bottle
Salt and pepper
First aid kit including pain medications
Radio
Emergency blankets
Water filter
Small one burner stove with propane bottle
3 Buckets of food
When I first started this, I had a duffle bag that I had our
meals in. I would plan out meals for three days and then every conference, go
through it and pull out anything that was going outdated and replace it. After
several conferences of this, and having our emergency kits strewn all over our
living room for sometimes several weeks at a time to go through them, I
realized I needed to simplify this process so that the task didn’t seem so
daunting to me. When our family went on a hike with my dad, he gave each of us
some Mountain House backpack meals. Normally I don’t like those pre-made meals
like that but these weren’t bad at all. And the big seller to me was that they
could last up to 25 years!!! I wouldn’t have to go through that part of the
emergency kit for a long time and that would alleviate a lot of the difficulty
of keeping these kits updated. So, I looked up the product and found that you
can buy a bucket full, ready to go. It cost me a pretty penny to get a
three-day supply (for a family of 7), but for me, it was well worth it as now
it doesn’t take so much prep time before conference and so much repacking time
as we organize it all. I bought three buckets, one for breakfast, one for
lunch, and one for dinner. In all, it cost me a little under 300 dollars. (I
know, ouch!! But it has been well worth it.) They are super light and ready to
grab and go. I LOVE them now. Plus, they cook right in the package they come in
and all you need is boiling water. Super easy!
5 Gallon water container with water
Life Straw hanging water filter
Start
with what you can do. Decide today what you can afford and what you may
already have, you just have to gather it together and start adding each
year until you have everything you may need. My hope for next year is
the individual lifestraw's for each backpack. We do have the family
lifestraw filter but the individual ones are on my list for next year.
