72-hour food kits

Several years ago, I found an idea for putting your 72-hour food kits into clean, un-used paint cans. You can pick up the cans for way cheap at any paint store. (Also get the little gizmo that opens the can. Tape it to the side.) The paint cans are nice because they have handles, so if you have to walk out, you can carry your food. You'll want a jug of water to go with it.

For about $10 per person, you can fill a can with survival food. (You CostCo gals can probably do it for even less.) Not great cuisine and not lots, but enough to survive. Here's what I bought today:


Notice that I've taped a piece of sand paper to the inside of the lid. That's for striking matches on. Also note that I've printed out the contents of the can and a daily menu. You can view those here.


It takes a little planning to get it all in. I start with the largest thing, the soup can. (Mine's a pop-top, btw.) Then place things around it.


For the next layer, I put in the cup, filled with crackers and matches, then the juice box. Then fill around those.


Lastly, drop in the menu and the list of contents.


Close the tops, label, and Voilà! 72-hour food kits, ready for storage!