When is the last time you went through yours or your kids 72 hr kit(s)?
Have the kids outgrown clothes, or learned some new skills? Have the kids gotten bigger, and are now able to carry a bit more than they used to? How about you, have you learned some new things, and just haven't taken the time to get those new idea's into your bag?
Has equipment been upgraded, and now the old stuff needs to be replaced?
Have you recently added new kids to the flock that need to have their own 72 kits or B.O.B.'s?
When was the last time you went through your B.O.B.? Have you checked to make sure no filled containers are leaking? How about anything that may have expired? Do you keep medications in your 72 hr kit, or your B.O.B.? Have you checked to make sure they are still viable?
Have you or a family member recently been diagnosed with anything that would put you in a position of needing medications? Have you remembered to add those new medications to your gear?
How about a battery check? How many tools do you have that require batteries? Do you have extra batteries? Have you tested them?
Do you have hearing aids, or other medical tools that will require back up batteries, or a place to charge them? Have you searched, or do you already know how your going to take care of those tools and their batteries?
Are you able to carry your 72 hr kit or B.O.B.? If you can't drive to a separate location and can't carry your kits, do you have a way to carry them with wheels? You could consider a deer cart, wagon, bag with wheels, wheel barrel, bike with a trailer, ATV, horseback, other transportation.
I know it's hard to think that you may have to leave after the fact, but what if you do? Have you thought about your routes out from where you live, where you work, or where you may be visiting at the time of an emergency? Have you thought of what you might need to carry, or how far you may need to walk if roads are collapsed, or closed?
Do you have a game plan in case you have to pick up kids from day care, school, or work, in an emergency?
Have you gone through your kids bags with them? Do they know why they have a bag for emergencies, and how their gear works?
If you had a test emergency, this very second, would your family be ready to grab their bags and go within five minutes?
