Let’s face it. No matter how much we hope we will never have to evacuate the comfort of our homes, there is always a possibility that circumstances will require that we gather our emergency supplies and leave on a moment’s notice. Alternately, when a disruptive event occurs while we are away from home, we want to be prepared with whatever we need to get back home safely.
These days, everyone on the planet is telling us that we need a well stocked bug-out-bag, or go-bag, with enough gear to get you by for at least 72 hours. So where do you start?
If you are like me, at some point you put together a very basic kit using items you already owned. From there, you advanced to a more robust pack filled with the esoteric items of survival: an emergency radio, a tactical knife, some form of rudimentary shelter, a first aid kit, and fire-making supplies.
As easy as it may be to be smug in the knowledge that you now have a Bug Out Bag, over time you are going to want to refresh and renew, or even start over. You are also going to want to add kits to each vehicle and if you work, keep an additional kit at the office or in your plant locker.
Today I am thrilled to introduce you to the Nitro-Pak Two Person 72 Hour Survival Kit . This is an all-in-one kit that is filled with all of the essentials that two people will need to get by for a three days following an emergency, disaster, or what I call
Not only that, the nice folks at Nitro-Pak are providing the same Survival Kit valued at $149, to one lucky Backdoor Survival reader. More about that in a moment.
The Nitro-Pak 72 Hour Survival Kit – Observations
My first observation when I took the Nitro-Pak Kit out of its box was that everything arrived, all at once, pre-packed in a brightly colored, fluorescent orange and black nylon backpack. At first I was put off by the color but upon thinking about it, I realized that the bright color makes the pack easy to identify in the dark when you may be in a hurry to find your kit and LEAVE. It is easily identifiable.
Something else I notices was that unlike other kits I have ordered for testing, all of the components arrived together, nicely packed inside the backpack. Nothing is more annoying that to order a kit only to find that the piece parts arrive over a period of weeks and then, when they do, they do not come together in the pack the way I had expected.
Another observation is that there was sufficient room in the kit to add personal items such as a jacket, clean socks and underwear, meds, and even a tablet computer. It helps that there are lots of zippered pockets, making organization a cinch.
On the trail with my Nitro-Pak 72 Hour Emergency Kit
Although I did not have a problem hiking a local trail with the pack onboard, I did put it on the scale to get some idea of the weight. It came in at just under 18 pounds before adding extras. The weight of an emergency kit is not something to trivialize because if the pack is too heavy, at best you won’t get far and at worst you will hurt yourself while carrying it.
I took a 2 mile hike with the loaded pack and had no problems whatsoever. Granted, 18 pounds is not a lot of weight but at 105 pounds, I am on the small side and was concerned about carrying even 18 pounds without straining or tiring.
I need not have worried. The design of the pack is such that you can adjust the straps so it fits perfectly. The only issue I had is when I donned the pack while sitting down near the edge of the lake. Perhaps it was my age or the terrain, but I had a problem getting up. My recommendation is that you stand up first and then put the pack on. Common sense, really.
The Gear
Some of the item in the Nitro-Pak Kit – a few items left out of the photo
Here is a complete list of what is included in the Nitro-Pak Kit, organized by category.
Warmth & Shelter
2 – Emergency SPACE® Brand Blankets
1 – Deluxe Heavy-Duty Tube Tent
2 – Emergency Rain/Wind Ponchos
Cooking, Heating, & Light
1 – 36 hr. Emergency Candle with 3 Wicks (use 1 to 3 wicks for more light or heat)
1 – Industrial “AA” Size Flashlight with Batteries
2 – Pair of Hand/Pocket Warmer Heat-Paks
1 – 12 hr. Instant Lightstick
1 – Box of Waterproof Matches (45 matches)
Water & Hygiene Items
24 – Purified Drinking Water Pouches (4.2 ounces each)
1 – Water Filtering Bottle (mine was this Aquamira CR-100 Filter Bottle )
18 – Wet-Wipe Packets
2 – Compact Sanitation/Toilet Tissue Packs
2 – Compact Facial tissue Paks
2 – Disposable Sanitation Bags
1 – Trash Bag
First-Aid
1 – 60 Item First Aid Kit w/ Instruction Book
Food Items
2 – 3600 Calorie Cookie Tasting Ration Bars
2 – Rolls of Lifesavers Candy
6 – E-mer’gen-C® Energy Drink Packets
Miscellaneous
1 – Premium Heavy Duty Nylon Backpack
1 – 15-Function Pocket Knife
1 – Deluxe AM/FM Radio with Batteries (mine is the Kaito Voyager Trek Solar/Crank with SW NOAA Weather Radio)
1 – Emergency Survival Whistle
1 – 50′ Nylon Cord
1 – Pair of Leather Gloves
1 – Writing Pad, Pencil, and Ink Pen
1 – Deck of Playing Cards
2 – N95 Hospital Grade Dust Masks
My kit also came with a nice welcome letter and a thank you pouch of Mountain House food. I thought that was a nice touch and definitely something I have not seen from other vendors.
What’s Missing?
No pre-packaged emergency kit will be 100% complete. With the Nitro-Pak survival kit I will want to add few personal items such as a flash drive with copies of important documents, a selection of essential oils, pet food, No-Rinse bath wipes, prescription meds, my personal weapon, and the aforementioned clothing. I will also add a SunJack Portable Solar Charger for my electronic devices,
In addition, although packs of water as well as water filtering bottle is included, my personal comfort zone dictates that I add a Lifestraw as well. I will also add at large hank of Paracord which will be stronger than the included nylon cord.
The Giveaway
Here is the part you have been waiting for. A 72 Hour Survival Kit has been reserved for one lucky reader. To enter the giveaway, you need to utilize the Rafflecopter form below.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The deadline is 6:00 PM Pacific next Tuesday with the winner notified by email and announced on the Rafflecopter in the article. Please note that the winner must claim their book within 48 hours or an alternate will be selected.
Note: If you decide to purchase a kit and are subsequently declared the winner, Nitro-Pak will issue a refund on your purchase.
About Nitro-Pak
I am proud to announce that this giveaway launches a new relationship between Backdoor Survival and Nitro-Pak. For the past couple of months I have been coming up to speed on their product line and look forward to reviewing more items and especially coming through with some fabulous discount opportunities on Mountain House products.
They are a great company to deal with and I look forward to sharing the best of Nitro-Pak with Backdoor Survival readers.
The Final Word
When I first started prepping way back when, the availability of decent, well priced kits was non-existent. I still have the original pack I put together myself but honestly, this pack, with a few exceptions, beats it to heck.
I plan on ordering this kit for my brother and his wife, my nephew, and my niece and her husband. None of them prep so with this kit, I will have some comfort in knowing that at the very least, they are all set with the basics.
This is a great giveaway every item in the pack specially selected for the Prepper with usefulness in mind. Good luck!
Enjoy your next adventure through common sense and thoughtful preparation!
Gaye
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8 Essential Items: The Perfect Portable Survival Kit
Bargain Bin: Below you will find links to the items related to today’s article.
Mountain House Food from Nitro-Pak: For the best prices on Mountain House, shop Nitro-Pak. Their prices are great plus they offer a 110% price match guarantee.
No Rinse Bathing Wipes: These wipes are perfect for keeping yourself clean when running water – or showers – are not available. A pack or two would be perfect in a bug out bag.
SunJack Portable Solar Charger: SunJack® helps mobile users stay charged on the go anywhere the sun shines. The SunJack® is able to fully charge its internal battery pack in about 5 hours of direct sunlight, or directly power any USB device. When the sun isn’t shining, users can still energize their devices from the powerful SunJack® battery, which holds enough charge to power up to 4 iPhones.
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter: The LifeStraw is considered the most advanced, compact, ultra light personal water filter available. It contains no chemicals or iodinated resin, no batteries and no moving parts to break or wear out. It weighs only 2oz. making it perfect for the prepper. There is also a larger sized LifeStraw Family currently available with free shipping.
Paracord – Made in the USA: An ideal all-around utility cord in the field, paracord is tough and long lasting. It is made from 550-pound test nylon and features a seven-strand core for maximum strength. Also, it is manufactured in the United States. Note that some colors may be more expensive than others. Need ideas? See 44 Really Cool Uses of Paracord for Survival.
Kaito Voyager Trek Solar/Crank AM/FM/SW NOAA Weather Radio with 5-LED Flashlight: This simple to operate radio can be powered by three AAA batteries or the built-in rechargeable Ni-MH battery which in turn can be charged by hand cranking, by solar panel or even by a PC. . The 7-weather channels are pre-programmed and numbered from 1-7, you can easily and conveniently tune into the stations by adjusting the switch. Note that not all emergency radios include the NOAA weather band so this is an important feature.
Aquamira CR-100 Filter Bottle: It’s easy to filter water anywhere and take a clean drink when you’re carrying the Aquamira Capsule Water Bottle and Filter. This BPA-free water bottle is equipped with a built-in activated carbon filter that rids any water of taste, odor, and harmful bacteria like Cryptosporidium and Giardia. Filters up to 100 gallons of water. Holds 25 oz. of water.
Blocklite Ultra Bright 9V LED Flashlight: A Backdoor Survival claimed that these work great. So I bought one. Then I bought another. All told, I now have 8 of these spread out in drawers, in emergency kits, the car, everywhere. This is my number one pick for a small, but effective flashlight.
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I am very excited to introduce you to products from Nitro-Pak. They are a top notch provider of all things preparedness including my favorite freeze dried food from Mountain House. You might want to check out this 72 Hour Emergency Kit it is a great value an includes everything 2 people will need for 3 days following an emergency, including food and water.
Shop Nitro-Pak for the Best in Emergency Preparedness
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Emergency Preparedness Items from Amazon.com
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Help support Backdoor Survival. Purchases earn a small commission and for that I thank you!
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Spark Naturals has introduced “Deals of the Month”. This is great news for all of us because it gives us time to place a single monthly order and still take advantage of the specials.
Of special note this month is the brand new Bamboo Diffuser which I will be ordering this week. Two other favorites are LEMONGRASS (a must have that I will be writing about this month, and AMEND+.
SPARK NATURALS DEALS OF THE MONTH
As always, let me know if I can advise you on the use of essential oils; if I do not know the answer, I will find it. Also, be sure to like my Strategic Living Facebook Page where I will be posting tips on using both essential oils and natural remedies.
The Nitro-Pak 72 Hour Survival Kit Review and Giveaway by Gaye Levy first appeared on Backdoor Survival.