A toilet that needs no water
Germany's BBK lists large, sturdy bin bags to hang in the toilet bowl, toilet paper and a camping toilet. Sweden's Krisinformation adds compost litter or sawdust to go in the bag.
BBK checklist: source
Hour zero
Emergency kit for home
Your home emergency kit is what you live on when you stay put. The American Red Cross asks for 2 weeks of water and food at home, against 3 days in the bag you take when you leave, plus light, warmth, a radio, medicine and a way to use the toilet without running water.
Read7 min read
Updated11 Nov 2026
TopicHour zero
Official sources12
Two kits, two jobs
For long spells of sheltering at home, Ready.gov's advice is to manage your water and food so the household has what it needs to get by, and that takes more than a backpack holds.
So plan two kits. The go-bag is light, sits near the exit and lasts 3 days: our 72-hour kit list covers it item by item. The home kit stays in a cupboard or a corner of the basement, lasts 1 to 2 weeks, and can be as heavy as it needs to be.
Go-bag or home kit
The same basics, different amounts
Go-bag
3 days
For when you have to leave. One easy-to-carry bag, kept near the exit.
- Water
- 1 gal per person per day
- Food
- Non-perishable, easy to prepare
- Medicine
- 7-day supply
Home kit
14 days
For when you stay. Bins in a cupboard everyone in the house knows about.
- Water
- 1 gal per person per day
- Food
- Non-perishable, easy to prepare
- Medicine
- Refills planned ahead (see below)
What goes in the home kit
Grouped by job. Amounts are for two weeks unless the line says otherwise.
| Job | What to keep | How much |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Bottled water, plus containers you fill | 1 gal (3.8 L) per person per day: 14 gal (53 L) each |
| Food | Non-perishable food, a manual can opener, plates and utensils | 2 weeks for everyone |
| Light | Flashlights and extra batteries | One flashlight per person |
| Warmth | Sleeping bags or warm blankets, warm clothes | One each (Ready.gov); Romania says 2 blankets or a sleeping bag per person |
| News | Battery or hand-crank radio, NOAA Weather Radio | One, with spare batteries |
| Phones | Chargers and a charged power bank | Kept charged |
| Toilet and hygiene | Garbage bags and ties, moist towelettes, toilet paper, soap, hand sanitizer | Large, sturdy bags for the bowl |
| Health | First aid kit, prescription and everyday medicines, glasses | Prescriptions for about 2 weeks (Canada) |
| Cooking | Camping stove or grill and fuel, used outdoors only | Fuel for the days you plan to cook |
| Fire and air | Fire extinguisher, smoke alarm, battery-backed CO detector | A CO detector on every level |
| Shelter in place | Plastic sheeting, duct tape, scissors, dust masks | Sheeting pre-cut for one room |
| Utilities | Wrench or pliers to turn off gas and water | One, kept with the kit |
| Money and papers | Cash in small notes, copies of ID and insurance, a paper list of phone numbers | Cash for basic needs for a few weeks (Canada) |
From Ready.gov's kit and power-outage pages, the Red Cross, Canada's Get Prepared kit page and Germany's BBK checklist. Water for your exact household: the water calculator.
Two weeks at home, family of four
56 gallons
4 people×14 days×1 gal
Water weighs the most
Everything else is counted per person too: one light each, one sleeping bag or warm blanket each.
Source: Red Cross and Ready.gov
4 lightsone per household member
4 bagssleeping bags or warm blankets
14 daysthe Red Cross home target
The parts people leave out
A go-bag list skips these, because you only need them when you stay.
Water for washing
Romania's DSU says to clean and fill bathtubs and other containers ahead of a water cut. The BBK checklist keeps extra containers for washing water or putting out a small fire.
DSU, fiipregatit.ro: source
A way to cook
A camping stove or gas grill and its fuel, from the BBK list. Ready.gov is clear that camp stoves and charcoal grills are for outdoor use only, and never a gas oven for heat.
Ready.gov, food: source
Medicine beyond a week
Canada asks for about two weeks of prescriptions. Sweden's health board and Romania's DSU both say one month for anyone on long-term medication.
Government of Canada, emergency kits: source
Fire and CO protection
A fire extinguisher (Ready.gov kit list) and carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup on every level of the home (Ready.gov power outages).
Ready.gov, power outages: source
Cash for weeks
Canada says cash for basic needs for a few weeks. Sweden's central bank suggests 1,000 kronor per adult, meant to cover a week of essentials.
Krisinformation.se: source
Sheltering in place with it
Some emergencies mean sealing yourself in for a few hours. Ready.gov's steps:
01Close the house
- Bring your family and pets inside.
- Lock doors, close windows, air vents and fireplace dampers.
- Turn off fans, air conditioning and forced-air heating.
Source: Ready.gov, shelter
02Pick the room
- Take your emergency supply kit, unless you think it has been contaminated.
- Go into an interior room with few windows.
- Follow local media for official instructions.
Source: Ready.gov, shelter
03Seal it
- Cover windows, doors and air vents with thick plastic sheeting and duct tape.
- Tape the corners first, then all the edges.
- Do the cutting now: sheets several inches wider than each opening, each one labelled.
Source: Ready.gov, shelter
Make the supplies last
Romania's DSU and Sweden's Krisinformation give the same kind of advice for a long stay.
- Power cut: turn the fridge and freezer as cold as they go beforehand and keep the doors shut. Light with battery or crank flashlights and glow sticks, no open flames.
- Heating off: gather in one room, hang blankets over the windows and cover the floor with rugs. Dress in layers. More in staying warm in a winter outage.
- Gas cut: keep food that needs no cooking, such as cans, and never use a camping gas bottle or grill inside.
- Water cut: fill the bathtub and spare containers while you still can (DSU). That covers washing, so the bottled water goes further for drinking.
Other governments' home lists
The window and the water figure, from each government's own page.
| Country | How long | Water per person |
|---|---|---|
| United States (Red Cross) | 2 weeks at home | 1 gal (3.8 L) a day |
| United Kingdom (Be Ready) | 3 days | 3 L a day to drink, more for cooking and washing |
| Canada (Get Prepared) | At least 72 hours | About 4 L a day |
| Germany (BBK) | 10 days where possible, at least 3 | 2 L a day, 0.5 L of it for cooking |
| Switzerland (BWL) | About 1 week of food | 9 L in total, enough to drink and cook for 3 days |
| Sweden (Krisinformation) | At least 1 week | 3 to 5 L a day |
| Romania (DSU) | At least 3 days at home | 4 L a day |
Pages opened 11 Nov 2026; links in the sources below.
Keep it current
Two dates a year cover it.
- Every six months: check expiry dates and swap what needs replacing (UK Be Ready). Replace stored water every 6 months (Romania's DSU).
- Once a year: replace food, water, batteries and medicines that may expire (Canada), and rethink the kit as the household changes (Ready.gov).
- Each time you cook from the kit: put the new stock at the back.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between a home emergency kit and a go-bag?
The go-bag is what you carry out, sized for 3 days. The home kit stays behind and is sized for sheltering, up to 2 weeks in the Red Cross list.
How long should a home emergency kit last?
At least 3 days in most government lists, 10 days in Germany's, about a week in Sweden's and Switzerland's, and 2 weeks in the American Red Cross list.
Where should I keep it?
Somewhere cool and dry that everyone in the house knows, in one or two containers. Keep the go-bag separate, near the exit.
What do I do for a toilet if the water stops?
Line the bowl with a large, sturdy bin bag, as Germany's BBK suggests, and add sawdust or compost litter (Sweden).
How much cash should I keep at home?
Canada says enough for basic needs for a few weeks. The UK says it depends on what your family needs for essentials, in a mix of coins and notes.
Read next
Sources
- Ready.gov: Build a Kit
- Ready.gov: Shelter
- Ready.gov: Power Outages
- Ready.gov: Food
- American Red Cross: Survival kit supplies
- Government of Canada: Emergency kits
- Be Ready (UK Government): Be ready for emergencies
- BBK (Germany): Checklisten zur Vorsorge für Krisen und Katastrophen
- BBK: Vorsorgen für Krisen und Katastrophen (guide)
- BWL (Switzerland): Kluger Rat, Notvorrat
- Krisinformation.se (Sweden): Hemberedskap
- DSU (Romania), fiipregatit.ro: Rucsacul de urgență, Provizii