Babies and small children
Infant formula, bottles, diapers, wipes and diaper rash cream. Books, games or puzzles for the waiting.
Hour zero
72‑hour emergency kit list
A 72-hour kit holds enough water, food, light, first aid and papers for everyone in your home to manage three days on their own. Plan 1 gallon of water per person per day, a few days of food that needs no fridge, and one light per person.
Why three days
Ready.gov and the CDC both plan around a household getting through the first days on its own supplies. The CDC asks for water for at least 3 days and, if you can, a 2-week supply.
Three days is the floor. Build that first, then add to it as space and budget allow.
The core kit, per person
Start with these. Amounts are per person unless the row says otherwise.
| Item | Amount | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 1 gallon per day, so 3 gallons for 3 days | Drinking and basic washing. Store more for anyone pregnant or sick, for pets, and in hot weather. |
| Food that needs no fridge | A several-day supply | Canned and boxed food you already eat, plus a manual can opener. |
| Flashlight | One per person | Ready.gov asks for a flashlight for every household member during an outage. |
| Spare batteries | Enough for every flashlight and the radio | Batteries run out before the outage ends. |
| Sleeping bag or warm blanket | One per person | Heat may be off along with the power. |
| Change of clothes and sturdy shoes | One full set, for your climate | Wet or damaged clothes, or a walk out over debris. |
| Prescription medicines | What you take daily | Keep them organised and protected. |
| Glasses and contact lens solution | A spare pair if you have one | Hard to replace when shops are closed. |
Water and food amounts from Ready.gov and the CDC. Water per person per day: 1 gallon (about 3.8 litres).
Shared items for the household
One of each covers the whole home.
- Radio: hand-crank or battery powered, plus a NOAA Weather Radio with a tone alert.
- First aid kit, with non-prescription medicines such as pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medicine, antacids or laxatives.
- Whistle for signalling for help.
- Dust masks to filter contaminated air.
- Plastic sheeting, scissors and duct tape to shelter in place.
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for sanitation.
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities.
- Local maps on paper, in case phones are down.
- Phone chargers and a backup battery.
- Fire extinguisher and waterproof matches.
- Soap, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes.
- Mess kits, paper cups and plates, paper towels and plastic utensils.
- Cash, since card readers need power.
- Paper and pencil.
Add these for the people you live with
A kit is only complete for your household when it covers each person in it.
Medical needs
Daily prescriptions, a plan for medicines that need cold storage, and a backup plan for any medical device that runs on power.
Pets
Pet food and extra water. Count pets when you work out how many gallons to store.
Hygiene
Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items for each person.
Family papers
Copies of important documents, saved electronically or in a waterproof container.
Contacts
A written list of phone numbers. A dead phone takes your contacts with it.
Pack it so it gets used
A kit that is hard to find or hard to carry tends to stay where it is.
01Pack
- Put items in airtight plastic bags.
- Pack the bags into one or two containers you can carry.
- Keep canned food in a cool, dry place, and boxed food in tightly closed plastic or metal containers.
Source: Ready.gov: Build a Kit
02Place
- At home, keep the kit in one agreed spot that everyone knows.
- At work, be ready to shelter for at least 24 hours: food, water, medicines and comfortable walking shoes in a grab-and-go case.
- In the car, keep a smaller kit in case you get stranded.
Source: Ready.gov: Build a Kit
03Keep it current
- Replace anything past its date.
- Replace water you bottled yourself every six months, and follow the date on store-bought water.
- Once a year, rethink the kit as your family changes: a new baby, a new pet, a new prescription.
Source: CDC: Emergency water supply
Questions people ask
What are the most important items in a 72‑hour kit?
Water first: 1 gallon per person per day. Then food that needs no cooking or fridge, a flashlight and batteries, a radio, a first aid kit and any medicines you take every day.
How much food should be in a 72‑hour kit?
Ready.gov asks for at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food. Pick foods your household already eats, and pack a manual can opener.
How often should I check my emergency kit?
Replace expired items as you find them and review the whole kit once a year. Home-bottled water gets replaced every six months.
Where should I keep my emergency kit?
In one spot at home that everyone knows, ready to grab. Ready.gov also suggests a kit at work and one in the car.
Do I need a separate kit for each person?
The shared items (radio, first aid kit, tools) can be one per household. Water, food, a light, a blanket and clothes are counted per person.
Read next
Sources
- Ready.gov: Build a Kit
- Ready.gov: Power Outages Flashlights for every household member.
- CDC: How to Create and Store an Emergency Water Supply
- Ready.gov: Water