For years, my father and father-in-law would tell us that they had everything under control to handle the natural disasters common to their areas. Healthy pantries, stored gasoline and propane, plenty of firewood, tractors to clear debris or snow, four-wheel drive vehicles for movement and most importantly generators for their wells and freezers. Yet, after each big weather event both of them would tell of what they didn't quite have ready or of supplies that they should have had.

I got into the practice of calling them before inclement weather to ask if they had water and fuel ready or to see what we could do to help them get ready in case the storm impacted their area. Most times, our subtle reminders or outright offers to help prepare were rebuffed. Over and over at a surface level each side of our family "seemed" to be prepared to pull through short-term disruptions to their lives. Yet, after event each would tell me about their circumstances during, while I silently groused over how much harder they made the time on themselves and our mothers by not planning. This has been the status quo for a couple of decades in the ongoing effort to have my father and father-in-law ramp up their preparedness games.

The harsh reality I finally came to accept was that neither of these men would invest more than a cursory effort into readying themselves for a disaster. As a result of this recognition, my wife and I decided to build basic emergency preparedness kits and leave them with our folks. A third kit was prepared for my sister's family who lives near our parents, recognizing that they will be with mom and dad if the situation warrants the need for additional help. These were not designed as end-all be-all mega kits, but each included supplies that would provide for our loved ones for at least two weeks and likely much longer, when used in tandem with the supplies and tools we knew were in our parents' homes. What follows is a description of these kits and the reasoning behind the contents.