What’s Your Must-Have Item for a 72-Hour Kit?

[MeadowWhisperer]

When putting together a 72-hour kit, I keep going back and forth between a solid water filter and a compact solar charger as my top must-have. I’ve read arguments for both, but space and weight are always a concern. If you had to pick one thing you wouldn’t go without in your kit, what would it be and why? Also, does anyone have experience with the newer mini solar panels—are they worth the space?

 

[TeaTimeTalisman]

Water filter, hands down—no contest for me. You can go without power longer than you can go without clean water. Has anyone tried those fold-up solar panels in cloudy weather?

 

[EchoTangoFox]

No argument that water is priority #1, but I lean toward the solar charger—mainly for keeping comms up. With a hand-crank radio, that solar backup really saves your energy for other things. Tried one of those mini panels last trip and honestly, they’re slow in cloudy weather but still managed to get enough juice for basic radio and a phone. Anyone find a filter that lasts more than a few weeks heavy use?