Build your kit. Make your plan. Guides and resources. Evacuee guidance. Following a disaster, you may need to: Stay at home with an emergency kit or Leave immediately with a grab-and-go bag Building an emergency kit or grab-and-go bag doesn't need to take a lot of time or money.
On this page: Emergency kit supply list Make a grab-and-go bag Have plenty of water Videos Emergency kit supply list Put supplies in one or 2 containers, such as plastic bins or duffel bags.
Non-perishable food: minimum three-day to one-week supply, with a manual can opener Water: four litres per person, per day for drinking and sanitation Phone charger, battery bank or inverter Battery-powered or hand-crank radio Battery-powered or hand-crank flashlight Extra batteries First-aid kit and medications Personal toiletries and items, such as an extra pair of glasses or contact lenses. Include: Food ready to eat and water Phone charger and battery bank Small battery-powered or hand-crank radio Battery-powered or hand-crank flashlight Extra batteries Small first-aid kit and personal medications Personal toiletries and items, such as an extra pair of glasses or contact lenses Copy of your emergency plan Copies of important documents, such as insurance papers and identification Cash in small bills Local map with your family meeting place identified Seasonal clothing and an emergency blanket Pen and notepad Whistle.
Water must be safe to drink. You should not: Open the water until you need it Use water that's past the expiry or "best before" date printed on the bottle Use water from toilet tanks or bowls, radiators, waterbeds, swimming pools or spas If your regular water supply becomes contaminated, you can purify and bottle your own water.
Build an emergency kit. It's not a pretty picture, but since you're reading an article on how to make an emergency kit, you've already taken the first step to avoid that scenario. We'll go over all of the emergency kit items and emergency essentials you'll need to stay safe. First , consider how many people and animals your survival kit will need to support and what their specific needs are. An emergency kit for a young, single adult will look different from an emergency kit for a family with little kids , or for an older couple.
Second , what kind of emergency are you expecting? If you live in California, an earthquake or wildfire is a possibility. If you live along a coastline, you may want to prepare for hurricanes or flooding. Does the emergency typically require you to shelter in place stay at home or would you possibly need to evacuate?
If you think there's an evacuation possibility, you may want to consider creating a portable survival kit that you can easily throw in your car.
If you already spend a lot of time on the road, or if you're worried about an emergency while you're at work, you may want smaller emergency kits just for your car or office. If you have answers to these questions now, great. But it's also okay if you don't. Most big disasters have a few things in common, and you can't go wrong by preparing for those.
Read on to find out what they are and how to be ready for them. Make sure you have these supplies for this particular pandemic:. Read full disclaimer. Fires, floods, earthquakes, and a variety of other situations can impact your clean water supply. Plan on having at least one gallon of clean water on hand per person per day, for both drinking needs and sanitation bathing and washing dishes. You can purchase gallons of purified water at your local grocery store, or, in a pinch, you can wash and reuse empty soda and juice bottles and fill them with tap water.
If you're making a survival kit for travel or evacuation, it's probably not reasonable to carry more than a gallon of water with you and even that might be a stretch , so you might want to consider using a portable water filtering straw, like the LifeStraw. Filtering straws are small, packable, and lightweight, so you can take them pretty much anywhere—and you can use them just like straws to drink from any water source. Pro tip: If you're preparing a kit to serve more than one person and you want something that can purify larger amounts of water, look for a filter with a high capacity, like the Platypus GravityWorks filter.
We like the gravity-fed design because it's hands-free, so it's great for conserving your energy in an emergency situation.
Filters like these are also great backups for your home water storage. When an emergency shuts down the power grid, it also shuts down most grocery stores and restaurants.
In an emergency situation, when it comes to food, easier is better. In your preparedness kit, include easy-to-eat foods like energy bars, beef jerky, nuts, and dried fruit. But don't just grab whatever is cheapest—be sure to keep foods on hand that you and your family like. Eating unappetizing food is a real morale-killer when you're already under pressure. When you're planning your food, be sure to include food for babies and pets as well, if needed.
If you want to expand your kit to include options for hot meals, canned foods are inexpensive don't forget to put a can opener in your kit , or you can get freeze-dried meal pouches for a lighter, more portable option. Remember: anything can move, fall, or break during an earthquake or its aftershocks.
Examine the structural safety of your house. If your house is of conventional wood construction, it will probably be relatively resistant to earthquake damage, particularly if it is a single-story structure.
For information on structural safety standards and qualified contractors in your area, contact your city or county government office on community development or building code enforcement.
If you want to do the work yourself, many hardware or home-improvement stores will assist you with information and instructions. American Red Cross Earthquake Safety external icon. Earthquakes — Ready.
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Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Syndicate. By Erica Puisis. Erica Puisis. Erica Puisis writes about home products for The Spruce and specializes in interior design and plant care.
Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process. Our Top Picks. Best Overall:. Choose from a survival pack for a single individual or larger kit equipped for up to six people. Best Budget:. Get a simple start to disaster preparedness with this budget kit that includes practical tools for the aftermath of an earthquake.
Best Splurge:. The 26L backpack houses a compact carry case for survival gear but still provides enough room for a change of clothes and shoes. Best for Families:. Designed for families, this self-contained kit is stored in a bucket and includes basic food and personal items for four people.
Best with Food:. Packed with nutrient-dense meals that are ready to cook on the included stove, this kit meets basic needs of two people for 72 hours. Best with Water:. Ready-to-drink water pouches plus purification tablets will provide essential hydration in the after-math of an earthquake.
Best for Long-Term:. This kit focuses on making your home secure and sanitary with items like plastic sheeting, bucket toilets, and waste bags. Best for Car:. This emergency first aid kit focuses on just the essentials but is compact enough to squeeze in your glovebox. In This Article Expand.
Our Picks. What to Look for. Why Trust The Spruce. Our Ratings. Redfora Complete Earthquake Bag Review. What We Don't Like Expensive. View On Amazon. What We Like Inexpensive Compact and easy to store. The 21 Best Emergency Kit Essentials of What We Like Lightweight and easy to transport Works well for any disaster situation. View On Equipdirect. What Testers Say "I could hardly lift the Mayday when I first tested it, but once I realized how much water it holds 24 pouches, each weighing 4.
Best with Food: Sustain Supply Co. Comfort2 Emergency Survival Bag. Sustain Supply Co. Comfort2 Emergency Survival Bag Review. The 7 Best Fire Starters of View On Everlitsurvival. What We Like 5-year shelf life Durable bag.
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