Emergency Preparedness Kit: Complete Guide and Checklist for 2026

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An emergency preparedness kit is a collection of supplies that lets your family get through a disaster without depending on stores, utilities or outside help for a while. Ready.gov recommends at least several days of food and water, and the American Red Cross recommends a 3-day supply for evacuation and a 2-week supply for home.

This guide covers what goes in the kit, how much to store, a complete emergency preparedness checklist you can work through, and where to keep everything so you can find it fast.

Home emergency kit list: the quick answer

Ready.gov says to store at least one gallon of water per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation, plus at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food. Ready.gov does not set an exact number of days. The Red Cross figures above, 3 days to evacuate and 2 weeks at home, give you a real target. The core list of supplies for emergency preparedness:

• Water and non-perishable food, with a manual can opener
• Flashlight, extra batteries, and a battery-powered or hand-crank radio
• First aid kit and medications
• Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery
• Whistle, dust masks, plastic sheeting, scissors and duct tape
• Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties
• Wrench or pliers and local maps

Why build an emergency preparedness kit now

On September 30, the Pentagon announced FORTRESS America, an initiative to make major U.S. bases able to run on their own power instead of the civilian grid. According to Pentagon documents reviewed by Fox News, major bases in the continental U.S. are being asked to plan to sustain essential operations for at least 90 days on their own. The Pentagon has not released the memo publicly, and Snopes rates the reporting “mostly true.” Around the same time, the U.K. government urged families to stockpile food and water.

None of that means disaster is coming. It does show that serious planners expect disruptions, and storms, outages and wildfires already happen every year. A basic kit is cheap insurance.

What is an emergency preparedness kit?

Ready.gov describes a disaster supplies kit as a collection of basic items your household may need in an emergency. In practice, most families end up with two layers:

• A grab-and-go kit: 3 days of supplies in a bag or bin you can carry out the door if you must evacuate.
• A home supply: 2 weeks or more of food, water and essentials for sheltering in place, like during a long power outage or winter storm.

A kit is one half of preparedness. The other half is a plan, which we cover in the checklist below.

Emergency preparedness kit essentials

These are the core categories. For a numbered item list, see what are 20 items in an emergency kit.

Water

Store at least one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation, per Ready.gov. Children, nursing mothers and sick people may need more, and in very hot weather water needs can double. Replace water you bottled yourself every six months. Our guide to emergency water storage solutions covers containers.

Here is what that adds up to by household size:

People	3 days	7 days	14 days
1	3 gallons	7 gallons	14 gallons
2	6 gallons	14 gallons	28 gallons
4	12 gallons	28 gallons	56 gallons
6	18 gallons	42 gallons	84 gallons

Treat these as minimums, since very hot weather can double the amount.

For a backup supply, the Alexapure Pro Water Filtration System is a gravity filter that works without electricity or plumbing. It has 2.5-gallon chambers, a filter made in the USA, and its maker says it has been tested against 220+ contaminants.

Food

Choose non-perishable food your family will eat, and include a manual can opener. Ready.gov suggests canned meats, fruits and vegetables, protein bars, dry cereal, peanut butter and dried fruit. Long-shelf-life emergency meals are the easy way to stretch past a few days.

• The 1-Week Food Supply Ammo Can feeds one person for a week or two people for 72 hours (14,860 calories) and fits a grab-and-go kit.
• The 4-Week Emergency Food Supply covers one person for four weeks, two people for two weeks, or a family of four for one week, with 250 servings in two stackable buckets.

My Patriot Supply lists a shelf life of up to 25 years for both when stored properly. Both are add-water-and-heat meals, so count their water (about 3 and 9 gallons) in your plan.

Power and light

Ready.gov’s basic list includes a flashlight, extra batteries, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio with a NOAA Weather Radio, and a cell phone with chargers and a backup battery.

For longer outages, pick a power station sized to your real needs. The Grid Doctor 300 (320Wh, 300W, with a 100W solar panel) handles phones, lights, a router or a CPAP, but not a full-size fridge. If you want to keep refrigeration running during a multi-day outage, the Grid Doctor 3300 is the one sized for it: 3300W output, a 2048Wh battery expandable to 16,384Wh, and a 200W solar panel. It weighs 57.2 pounds, so it’s a home unit, not something you carry.

Heat

Never heat your home with a gas stove or oven, and use generators, camp stoves and grills only outdoors, at least 20 feet from windows (Ready.gov). For one small room, the VESTA Self-Powered Indoor Space Heater & Stove warms spaces up to about 200 square feet without electricity and doubles as a stove. The maker says to use it with proper ventilation. Our power outage emergency kit guide goes deeper on this.

First aid, sanitation and documents

• First aid kit and at least a 7-day supply of medications (Red Cross)
• Glasses, contact solution, hearing aid batteries and medical device supplies
• Soap, hand sanitizer, moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties
• Copies of IDs, insurance policies and birth certificates in a waterproof bag
• Cash in small bills and a paper list of contacts

3-day kit vs 2-week home supply

Item	3-day grab-and-go kit	2-week home supply
Water	3 gallons per person	14 gallons per person
Food	3 days of no-cook food	14 days of food, plus a safe way to cook
Medications	At least a 7-day supply	As much as your pharmacy allows
Power	Flashlight, radio, power bank	Add a solar generator or extra batteries

The 3-day and 2-week figures follow Red Cross guidance. Start with the 3-day kit, then build the home supply.

Emergency preparedness checklist: kit, plan and practice

Ready.gov breaks preparedness into a simple process: meet with your family, assess your household’s needs, document your plan, and practice it. Use this checklist to work through it.

Build the kit

• Water: 1 gallon per person per day
• Non-perishable food and a manual can opener
• Flashlights, radio and extra batteries
• Phone chargers and a backup battery
• First aid kit and medications
• Whistle, dust masks, plastic sheeting, scissors and duct tape
• Wrench or pliers and local maps
• Documents, cash and hygiene supplies
• Baby, pet and medical extras as needed
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person
• Clothing for your climate and sturdy shoes
• Fire extinguisher and waterproof matches
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Mess kits, paper goods and plastic utensils
• Paper, pencils and activities for children

Make the plan

• Know which disasters are likely where you live
• Decide how you’ll receive emergency alerts and warnings
• Pick a shelter plan and an evacuation route
• Set a family meeting place and an out-of-area contact
• Plan for each person’s medical, dietary and access needs, plus pets
• Write it down using Ready.gov’s family emergency plan form

Practice and maintain

• Practice the plan with everyone in the house
• Install battery-backup carbon monoxide detectors on every level
• Replace expired items, and rethink your needs every year

For a step-by-step walkthrough, read our emergency preparedness plan guide.

Where to store your emergency preparedness kit

Ready.gov recommends keeping kits in three places:

• Home: a designated spot, ready in case you have to leave quickly. A hall closet near the door works well.
• Work: be prepared to shelter at work for at least 24 hours.
• Car: a smaller kit of emergency supplies.

Keep canned food in a cool, dry place and boxed food in tightly closed plastic or metal containers. Make sure every family member knows where your emergency preparedness kit is.

Once your basic kit is ready, stretch it to two weeks with our 14-day emergency kit list.

Want to go deeper? Read Free Government Survival Kits.

For more on this, see our guide: Hurricane Preparedness Supplies.

For more on this, see our guide: Prepper Supplies.

For more on this, see our guide: Prepper Checklist PDF.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most important items in an emergency preparedness kit?

Water, non-perishable food, a flashlight, a radio, a first aid kit, medications, extra batteries and a phone charger. Those cover most emergencies. Add documents, cash and hygiene supplies next.

How many days should my emergency preparedness kit cover?

The Red Cross recommends 3 days for an evacuation kit and 2 weeks for home. Ready.gov recommends at least several days of food and water. Many families start at 3 days and build up.

What is the difference between an emergency kit and an emergency plan?

The kit is your supplies. The plan is how your family will get alerts, communicate, shelter or evacuate, and reunite. You need both.

How often should I check my kit?

Ready.gov recommends replacing expired items and rethinking your needs every year. Replace water you bottled yourself every six months.

How much water does Ready.gov say to keep in an emergency kit?

Ready.gov says to store at least one gallon of water per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation. At that rate, a 3-day supply is 3 gallons per person and a 2-week supply is 14 gallons per person.

What is the list of supplies for emergency preparedness?

Ready.gov’s basic list is water, non-perishable food, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, a flashlight, extra batteries, a first aid kit, a whistle, dust masks, plastic sheeting, scissors, duct tape, moist towelettes, garbage bags, plastic ties, a wrench or pliers, a manual can opener, local maps, and a cell phone with chargers and a backup battery.

What should be on a home emergency kit checklist?

Add to the basic list: medications, glasses, infant and pet supplies, documents, cash, a warm blanket or sleeping bag for each person, and clothing for your climate. For sheltering at home, build toward 2 weeks of water and food, plus a safe way to cook.

The bottom line

An emergency preparedness kit doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated. Gather water, food, light, first aid and documents for three days, make a simple family plan, and practice it. Then build toward two weeks at home, one step at a time.

Sources: Ready.gov: Build a Kit, Ready.gov: Make a Plan, Ready.gov: Water, Ready.gov: Food, Ready.gov: Power Outages, American Red Cross: Survival Kit Supplies, Fox News, Fortune, Snopes. Product details are from My Patriot Supply product pages as of October 27, 2026.

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