For the last few years, it seems everyone has suggested having a  72 Hour Emergency Kit in your home, just in case.  People have a myriad of reasons to keep such a kit, such as weather-related emergencies, or possible terrorism.  Whatever the reason, an Emergency Kit for every member of your household is never a bad idea.

Generally, there are 10 items that should be in every kit, with enough to last for 3 days per person. They are:

Food, Water, Shelter/Warmth, Light, Cooking, First Aid, Sanitation, Communication, Personal Items / Clothing, & Important Papers / Money

Food: This could be as simple as canned, non-perishable food, but the latest trend is MRE’s.  Meals Ready to Eat  are based on the military food rations, but packaged and sold for civilian use.  The shelf life on MRE’s are great, they will last a few years when stored in a cool, dry place.  High energy food is great to have on hand, like peanut butter, trail mix, and granola bars.  These tend to stale after time, so it’s always a good idea to switch them out occasionally. Stress food is always good, like hard candy, cookies, and sweetened cereals. And it’s always important to have your vitamins, and staples like sugar, salt and pepper on hand.

Water: Numerous sources state that you should stock 1 gallon of water per person, per day.  You should plan on at least this much, with at least 2 quarts for drinking, and 2 quarts to accomodate cooking and sanitation. It’s best to store water in plastic containers, as it’s less likely to absorb smells and taste funny.

Shelter/Warmth: This could be a general as  a sleeping bag, blankets, raingear, sturdy shoes, hat/gloves, and/or a tarp.

Light: Always have a flashlight with extra batteries, emergency candles and waterproof matches.

Cooking: If you are using MRE’s, they can be eaten without cooking, or use a MRE heater.  If you need to boil water, a small stove is perfect, again, be sure to have matches, and fuel.

First Aid: Always a biggie. Just a box of bandages won’t work. There are plenty of options in first aid kits, but it’s a good idea to invest in one that has not just bandages, but antiseptic, gauze bandages, gloves, and a few baggies to dispose of soiled bandages.

Sanitation: If you’re in a situation where there’s no running water, you have to be able to take care of business. A portable toilet and extra bags are essential. Be sure to keep extra diapers on hand if there are infants/toddlers in the house.

Communication: This should consist of a battery or crank radio, with extra batteries if needed. 

Personal Items: A couple days worth of clothes, feminine hygiene products, toothbrush, are all worth having on hand.

Important papers: Be sure to have any insurance policies handy, wills, all pertinent papers.  It’s also a good idea to keep some cash on hand if needed.

There are several companies offering pre-made kits, or you can put them together yourself; this way, your kit is personalized to your family’s needs.  Whichever way you go, at least you’ll have the peace of mind that you’re prepared, just in case…

We had a great turnout this year for our annual Scout Night event.  Every year we host a special sales event for the area Boy and Girl Scouts and their families.  In honor of the 100th birthday of Boy Scouts of America, we decided to really blow up our event, and bring in outside organizations to help with the event.  Our newest employee, Jon, had been involved with Scouts growing up, and knew where to get started with contacts.  We attended the Denver Scout Show in late April, and talked to families about the event, handing out our coupon books and inviting them to come check it out.

We were able to bring several different organizations in to show to the Scouts.  The Colorado Division of Wildlife came with their Operation Game Thief trailer, and showed Scouts different animal pelts and educated them on the fight against poaching.  The Denver Tent Company brought one of their canvas wall tents and stoves to show, and we hope to be able to send customers their way.  The Colorado Mountain Club showed Scouts how to tie different kinds of knots that may be needed in their outdoor adventures.  Bill Binet, our local Lodge Cast Iron representative, brought some yummy chili and stew to show Scouts how to cook using Dutch Ovens.

Denver Tent Company

Bill Binet - Our Lodge Cast Iron Representative

 

Steve, our paintball specialist, monitoring our shooting range

One of the most popular attractions was our paintball shooting range.  Steve, our paintball specialist at Arvada Surplus, brought several of his guns, and set up the range on the side of our building. There was a line all evening as the kids, and the adults, took their turn firing paintballs at the targets.

The high point of the evening came at 7pm.  The Evergreen chapter of the American Legion brought an honor guard, and helped us retire a flag that had flown over the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.  It was an amazing sight to see all the Scouts in our parking lot, saluting the flag as it was lowered.  Taps was played and the Honor Guard offered a 21 gun salute.  It was a great official end to the evening, but the shopping continued until past 8pm.

Overall, this year’s Scout Night was the most successful we’ve ever had.  A huge THANK YOU goes out to all the organizations that came out and volunteered their time and talent.  They are the big reason this event was so successful.  And of course we thank all the Scouts and their families for coming out.  We hope to see everyone again next year!