The 72-Hour kit
Most of an emergency kit is camping gear: water treatment, light, a stove, a first aid kit, a way to stay warm. If you camp, you already own half of it. Here's the checklist the agencies recommend, translated into gear, plus the items worth buying even on a $50 budget.
How to read this guide: these are researched gear classes and examples, not firsthand product tests. Purchase links are paused until exact models and retailer destinations are verified.
How this guide was built: this checklist follows FEMA's Ready.gov and American Red Cross guidance. Gear choices come from specs and long-term owner reports. We haven't lab-tested these items. Your local emergency management office's advice for your region comes first.
The checklist
Ready.gov's basic kit, grouped the way you'd actually pack it. Keep a go-bag (what you can carry out the door) and a stay-bin (sheltering at home for longer).
Water: 1 gallon per person per day, at least 3 days for evacuation and about 2 weeks at home
Water treatment: a filter plus chemical tablets as a backup
Food: 3 days of non-perishable food that needs little or no water, plus a manual can opener
Radio: battery or hand-crank, ideally with NOAA weather alerts
Light: a headlamp per person, plus spare batteries
Power: a charged power bank and phone cables
First aid kit, plus 7 days of prescription medications and copies of prescriptions
Whistle, N95 or dust masks, plastic sheeting and duct tape
Wrench or pliers to shut off utilities (a multi-tool covers this)
Warmth: an emergency bivy or blankets, rain shell, hat and gloves
Documents: copies of ID, insurance and contacts in a waterproof bag; some cash
Paper maps of your area, since phone maps fail when the network does
Water: the part people get wrong
Water is heavy, so stored water belongs in the stay-bin. The go-bag gets treatment. Hollow-fiber filters such as the Sawyer Squeeze (0.1 micron, backflushable) and straw filters such as the LifeStraw Personal remove bacteria and protozoa. They don't remove viruses or chemicals, and those risks rise after floods. Pack chlorine dioxide tablets as well, and don't let a filter freeze once it's wet, because ice can crack the fibers without any visible sign.
| Option | Weight | Removes | Weak spot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squeeze-style filter | ~85 g | Bacteria, protozoa | Freezing; slow when clogged |
| Straw filter | ~60 g | Bacteria, protozoa | Can't fill bottles for others |
| Chlorine dioxide tabs | ~10 g | Bacteria, protozoa, viruses | 30 min–4 h wait; taste |
| Boiling (stove) | stove + fuel | Everything biological | Fuel use; no chemical removal |
Radio, light and power
When cell networks are overloaded, broadcast radio is how you hear evacuation orders. Hand-crank and solar radios like the Midland ER310 combine an AM/FM/NOAA receiver, a flashlight and a USB output. The crank is a backup, so keep the radio charged. For light, a headlamp per person beats a single flashlight, because you'll need both hands. Our headlamp guide covers which ones hold brightness, and the power bank guide covers sizing for outages.
First aid: buy a base kit, then fill it
Pre-built kits such as Adventure Medical Kits' Ultralight / Check water rating line are a good base. They come in a waterproof pouch and are packed by use. Then add what the kit won't have: your prescriptions, an extra 7 days of daily medications, blister care, a tourniquet if you're trained to use one, and nitrile gloves. A kit you know how to use beats a bigger one you don't, so a weekend first-aid course is the best $100 in this guide.
Under $50: the high-value buys
Filter + tablets
Why: the one item you can't improvise
- A squeeze-style or straw filter, plus a strip of chlorine dioxide tablets
- Together they cover bacteria, protozoa and viruses
- Store the filter dry; replace it if it has ever frozen wet
Crank / solar weather radio
Why: works when the cell network doesn't
- NOAA weather alert band, AM/FM, flashlight and USB out
- Keep it charged; use the crank as a backup
- Store it with the go-bag, not on a shelf in the garage
Base first aid kit
Why: organized, waterproof, easy to grab
- Choose one packed by use (wounds, blisters, meds)
- Add prescriptions, gloves and blister care
- Check expiry dates every spring when you change your smoke alarm batteries
Bivy, whistle, headlamp
Why: about $30 for all three
- A reflective emergency bivy holds heat far better than a flat foil blanket
- A pealess whistle carries further than your voice and uses less energy
- A spare headlamp lives in the bag, so you're never looking for one in the dark
Expensive gear, honest reviews. Buy it once.
Maintain it twice a year
A kit that's two years stale is worse than you think: dead batteries, expired meds, a filter that froze in the garage. Twice a year, when the clocks change, rotate the food and water, charge the radio and power bank, check the meds and update the documents. Set the reminder now.
What owners say: Reddit and forum reports
We read owner threads on r/Ultralight, r/preppers, r/PacificCrestTrail, r/CampingGear and city preparedness threads. These are patterns that came up again and again, not our own tests. Owners don't always agree, and where they split we say so.
Store it properly or it clogs
- Owners often report a Sawyer Squeeze that 'froze up' and wouldn't flow after months in storage.
- The common fix is soaking it in diluted vinegar overnight, then backflushing. Store it clean and dry.
- Never let a wet filter freeze. The damage can't be seen, and Sawyer advises replacing a filter that may have frozen.
Earned their place in long outages
- In outage and hurricane threads, owners say a crank or battery radio was their only news source when cell service dropped.
- Tip: write your local NOAA Weather Radio frequency on the radio now.
Survival gear, not a sleeping bag
- Owners who've slept in foil-type bivies say they keep you alive and out of the wind.
- Condensation soaks you or your bag in anything but warm weather. Treat it as a backup, not a plan.
Threads we read (sample): Sawyer clogged after storage · Squeeze clogging overnight · Squeeze vs Mini · Is a weather radio worth it? · What's in your kit · Bivy condensation · Emergency bivy overnights. Last checked October 17, 2026.
FAQ
What should be in a 72-hour emergency kit?+
Ready.gov recommends water (1 gallon per person per day), 3 days of food, a battery or crank radio, a flashlight, a first aid kit, extra batteries, a whistle, a dust mask, plastic sheeting and duct tape, wipes, a wrench or pliers, a manual can opener, local maps, and a phone with chargers and a backup battery.
What are the best emergency items to keep in a backpack?+
Prioritize water treatment (a filter plus tablets), a headlamp, a crank or solar radio, a first aid kit with your medications, an emergency bivy, a power bank, copies of documents and some cash. Stored water and extra food belong in a home bin, since they're heavy.
Does a water filter make flood water safe?+
Not on its own. Hollow-fiber and straw filters remove bacteria and protozoa but not viruses or chemicals. Use chemical treatment as well, and avoid water that may be contaminated by fuel or sewage.
How much water should I store?+
At least 1 gallon per person per day: 3 days for evacuation, and about 2 weeks for sheltering at home if you have the space. Add more for hot climates, nursing mothers, sick people and pets.
Can I build an emergency kit for under $50?+
You can cover the essentials. A water filter, chlorine dioxide tablets, a whistle, an emergency bivy and a basic headlamp fit within about $50. A crank radio and a fuller first aid kit are the next buys.
Does a water filter go bad in storage?+
Hollow-fiber filters like the Sawyer Squeeze can clog in storage if they were put away wet or dirty. Soak it in diluted vinegar and backflush. A filter that may have frozen while wet should be replaced, because the damage can't be seen.
Is a hand-crank radio worth having?+
Owners who've been through long outages say yes. When cell networks are down or overloaded, radio is often the only way to get local news and weather alerts.
Is an emergency bivy enough to sleep in?+
Only in an emergency. It blocks wind and holds heat, but owners report heavy condensation that soaks clothing and sleeping bags in cool weather.
Product purchase links are paused until exact models and retailer destinations are verified.
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