Tips to Teach Your Children How to Use Their Emergency Bags

I haven’t really talked about our specific bug out bags at our home (Actually – I have now – here is my Everyday Carry bag, here is my husband’s Get Home Bag and here is a good 72 hour emergency kit) or car ( Actually, I have here, too! Car Emergency Kit), but I do feel

it’s VERY important that when you create a bug out bag for your children, they know how to use each and every object that you include in their bags.

What is the point of including fire starting equipment for a 5yo if she simply doesn’t know how to use it?

 As I began to hunt for information for our children to help them feel like they weren’t alone out there (we’re pretty much the only people ‘preparing’ that we know), I’ve been collecting these Youtube videos of kids who know what they’re doing, and some ideas from adults on what goes into a bag:

5yo girl explains her bug out bag:

10yo boy explains his bug out bag

9yo shares his bug out bag (audio is bad on this one so listen carefully)

4yo shares his bug out bag (also poor audio)

Children’s bug out bags

So no matter what you put in your child’s bug out bag (or 72 hour kit), please please make sure they understand how to use all of the equipment inside – it just might save their life one day.

Tips to Teach Your Kids to Use Their Emergency Bags

1. Let your children help plan, purchase and store their emergency bag supplies.
2. Purchase duplicate items that may need to be used often to allow them to practice for play.
3. Take bags with you to do a day trip and use the items inside in real life as a test.

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