Hygiene Kits For Bug Out Bags

One of the hardest things for me when it comes to Preparing a Bug out Bag is keeping the weight down.  The most crucial thing about your bug out bag is that you can carry it.  No matter how much you have, or how little, you need to be able to grab it and go.  You can have a bag full of the most sophisticated equipment known to man and it will do you no good if you cannot carry it.  

In my quest to maintain a good ratio of items/space and weight I found that the hygiene kits were taking up more bulk than necessary.  While I think my family is FAR from the average Brady bunch, when it comes to hygiene I think Most families are like mine.  Everybody uses different product and has a different routine.  This one has to use anti-dandruff shampoo, that one has to have fixodent for their partial, this one doesn't leave the house without moisturizer, the other one needs a soft-bristled toothbrush, etc.

My first thought was to get sample sizes at the drugstore of each item.  That was harder than you might think.  Also it took up WAAAY too much space that should be dedicated to something else more important.  I had just picked up a food saver on sale that week.  (I think a food saver is something most preppers should have and if you don't I HIGHLY recommend one).  I saw this post about making your own Go-Gurt like packets on the cheap and thought...why not make my own hygiene go bag item packs!  

Using this method, I ended up fitting a LOT of things in a single quart sized ziploc bag.  The full kit ended up looking like this. (give or take a few things)

It ended up containing:

• Toothpaste x3
• Dental Floss x3
• Mouthwash x3
• Anti Antiperspirant / Deodorant x3
• Shampoo x3
• Conditioner x3
• Witch Hazel x1
• Hand & Body Lotion x3
• Body Wash x3
• Vaseline x1
• Baby Powder x3
• Blackhead Scrub x3
• Facial Cleanser x3
• Facial Toner x3
• Repairing Treatment x3
• SPF 15 Moisturizer x3
• Benzol Peroxide Gel x3
• Wash/Drying Cloth x2
• Mini Toothbrush x1 (not shown)
• Disposable Razor x1 (not shown
• Waterproof Sunscreen x3 (not shown)

For My AMPLE family of 6 it only took 1 afternoon.  And the best part is that everyone gets their own stuff!  So no one has to use shampoo that they hate, or soap that makes them itchy, or the wrong kind of toothbrush!  Everyone is happy, I'm happy, and most of all my WALLET is happy. 

For the labels I didn't really do anything special.  I just printed some (labels) on some inkjet paper and taped them on. As you can see above, I made bigger labels for the bigger ones and smaller labels for the smaller ones.  

For the facial kit (below) I did one single row with all six facial items.  

For the items that are more liquid (like the witch hazel and the mouthwash) I used my flat iron to gently seal the foodsaver bag before i turned it sideways  to put in the foodsaver.  In the end I just printed a list to go in the bag.

This is the link to the homemade yogurt tube post that started it all:

http://onceamonthmeals.com/homemade-yogurt-pops-aka-gogurt-fakes/

In the article she discusses how to use the foodsaver to make the tubes.