Could you survive 72 hours in an emergency?
By Michelle Warren • Bankrate.com

Living in Canada, we're used to the idea of having to rough it every now and then when the power goes out. Ice storms, floods, blizzards, stifling heat, forest fires -- Mother Nature puts us through the paces.

The one that sticks out for me is the Great Blackout of 2003, which left 55 million people in parts of Canada and the U.S. in the dark. As I trudged home from work, dutifully stopping at a convenience store to line up for batteries, only to discover I didn't actually have a flashlight, I was struck by the sense of community. Between selflessly polishing off a carton of melting ice cream for dinner and later cruising the dark, blissfully calm city streets by bike, it all had the feel of a delicious summer day rather than an emergency.

But by morning, with no water for the shower, the battery-powered radio having run dry and not even a cup of coffee to speak of, the novelty had worn off. It was hot, I was thirsty, the cupboard consisted of little more than a box of cereal and stale crackers, and I had things to do. Reality set in: I was living in the middle of a widespread emergency and was woefully unprepared.

These days, the cupboards are better stocked, but other than a few cans of chickpeas, there's not much we could consume without cooking it first. While ice cream was a fine dinner option on that balmy August evening in 2003, it wouldn't quite cut it with a 2- and 5-year-old in the mix. 

With the hype surrounding the recent Emergency Preparedness Week, I decided it was finally time to get my act together. Public Safety Canada encourages all Canadians to put together an emergency kit to sustain them and their families for a minimum of 72 hours in the event of an emergency.

Emergency essentials
At first glance, requirements for an emergency kit seem pretty straightforward. A lot of items most people already have on hand; however, the idea of a kit is actually assembling it in one place so that it's easily accessible and transportable should you have to evacuate. Some people recommend putting everything in a suitcase with wheels, a back pack or a plastic tub you can throw in the trunk of a car.

Here's what you need:

• Water. You need two litres per person per day, including small bottles that can be easily carried should an evacuation occur. Replace water reserves once a year. Cost: about $10 to $12 per person.
• Food. Look for things that won't spoil, such as canned items, energy bars, fruit bars and dried foods. Replace food once a year. Three cans of tinned spaghetti, powdered milk and a box of granola bars, cereal bars or other of fruit bars should see you through. Cost: about $20 per person.
• Manual can opener. Cost: $1 to $20.
• Utility knife. Cost: $30 or more.
• At least one flashlight and batteries -- consider having a flashlight for each member of your family. Cost: $15 or more per flashlight.
• Battery-powered or wind-up radio. Cost: $30 to $100.