An earthquake kit is a collection of supplies that keeps you alive and functional when utilities, roads, and stores are knocked offline. The baseline goal is 72 hours of self-sufficiency for a grab-and-go bag, and two weeks of supplies at home. Building one takes a few hours and a trip to the store. Here’s exactly what goes in it.
Water and Food
Water is the single most critical item. Store one gallon per person per day. That means three gallons per person for a portable evacuation kit, and 14 gallons per person for your home supply. A family of four needs 56 gallons for the two-week target. Store-bought sealed water jugs are the easiest option. If you fill your own containers, use food-grade plastic and rotate them every six months.
For food, stock non-perishable items that require no cooking or refrigeration. Canned vegetables, peanut butter, protein bars, dried fruit, granola, and crackers all work. Don’t forget a manual can opener. Choose calorie-dense options and aim for the same timeline: three days’ worth in a go-bag, two weeks at home. Date everything with a permanent marker when you buy it, and keep a written list of when each item needs to be inspected and replaced.
First Aid and Medications
Earthquake injuries tend to involve cuts from broken glass, dust inhalation, and impact from falling objects. A standard first aid kit covers the basics: adhesive bandages, sterile gauze, medical tape, antibiotic ointment, tweezers, scissors, and elastic bandages for sprains. Add a few pairs of medical gloves and a basic first aid handbook if you’re not confident treating wounds. For bleeding, the key technique is direct pressure with clean gauze or cloth.
Medications matter more than most people realize. Pack at least a week’s supply of any prescription drugs your household takes, and rotate them before they expire. Include over-the-counter pain relievers, antihistamines, and any allergy medications. Dust masks or N95 respirators protect your lungs from debris and particulate matter after a quake, and they’re cheap to stockpile.
Lighting and Power
Power outages after earthquakes can last days or longer. LED flashlights and lanterns are the best options because they draw very little battery power and last far longer than older bulb types. Most LED lanterns offer a low and high setting, and run times vary dramatically between them, so don’t assume you’ll get the maximum advertised hours at full brightness.
Keep extra batteries stored separately from your lights. Standard alkaline batteries lose power quickly below 20°F, so if you live in a cold climate, lithium batteries are a better choice for your kit (only use them in devices rated for lithium). A headlamp is worth adding too, since it frees both hands for clearing debris or carrying supplies.
Emergency Radio and Communication
Cell towers often go down or become overloaded after a major quake. A hand-crank emergency radio that receives AM, FM, and NOAA weather bands is one of the most important items in your kit. NOAA weather radio broadcasts continuous emergency updates from the National Weather Service and is often the fastest source of official information during a disaster.
Look for a model with three power sources: a built-in rechargeable battery, a solar panel, and a hand crank. Many also include a USB port for charging a phone in short bursts, plus a built-in flashlight. Keep it accessible, not buried at the bottom of a bin.
Tools and Safety Gear
A gas shut-off wrench should be stored right next to your gas meter, not inside your kit. Natural gas leaks are a serious post-earthquake fire risk. The wrench fits standard half-inch and three-quarter-inch gas service valves. You turn the valve a quarter turn until the handle sits crosswise to the pipe, which stops the flow. Some models include reflective tape so you can find them in the dark. Attach it near the meter with a zip tie so it’s always within reach.
Beyond that, your kit should include:
- Work gloves for handling broken glass and debris
- A multi-tool or basic toolkit with pliers, a screwdriver, and a knife
- A whistle for signaling rescuers if you’re trapped (far more effective than shouting)
- Sturdy closed-toe shoes stored near your bed, since earthquakes often strike at night and floors get covered in broken glass
- A fire extinguisher rated for multiple fire types
Sanitation and Hygiene
When water systems go offline, toilets stop working. This becomes a serious health hazard fast. Commercial sanitation bags are the simplest solution. Some are designed for liquid waste and turn urine into a gel. Others contain chemicals that break down solid waste and make it safe for regular garbage disposal. Stock enough for your household for at least five days.
Toilet paper is easy to forget. Buy compact rolls without a cardboard core, or reroll a few yards from a regular roll and seal them in zip-top bags to keep them dry. Pre-moistened wipes are useful for a final cleanup step and can double as a body bath when showers aren’t available, but throw them in the trash rather than flushing them, even if they’re labeled flushable.
Also include hand sanitizer, a bar of soap, trash bags with ties (for waste containment and dozens of other uses), and feminine hygiene products for anyone who needs them.
Important Documents
After a disaster, you may need to prove your identity, access bank accounts, or file insurance claims with no internet and no access to your home. Store copies of birth certificates, Social Security cards, passports, and insurance policies in a waterproof container inside your kit. Keep credit cards and cash (small bills) in the same container. A USB drive with scanned copies of everything adds a backup layer that weighs nothing.
Supplies for Infants and Young Children
Babies need their own dedicated supplies, and those supplies change as they grow. Pack at least five days’ worth of disposable diapers, even if you normally use cloth, because cleaning cloth diapers without running water is impractical. Stress can cause diarrhea in young children, so pack extra beyond what you’d normally need. Include wipes, diaper rash cream, a thermometer, infant pain reliever, and copies of vaccination records.
For feeding, ready-to-feed formula in single-serving containers is safer than powdered formula during a disaster, since clean water for mixing may not be available. Small disposable cups work better than bottles when you can’t properly wash and sterilize. If your baby eats solid food, pouch-style baby food doesn’t require a bowl or refrigeration. Update your kit every few months as your child moves into the next diaper size or food stage.
Supplies for Pets
The CDC recommends a two-week supply of pet food stored in waterproof containers. Beyond food, your pet kit needs a leash, collar with current ID tags, harness, and an appropriately sized carrier with a towel or blanket inside. If your pet takes medication, pack the same buffer supply you’d pack for a human family member.
Documentation matters if you end up at a shelter or need to board your pet. Photocopy your pet’s veterinary records, rabies certificate, vaccination history, and proof of ownership or adoption. Include your microchip number and the microchip company’s contact info, a physical description of each pet (breed, sex, color, weight), and a recent photo. Store all of it in a waterproof bag alongside your family documents.
Where to Store Your Kit
Keep your home supply in a cool, dry, easily accessible spot on the ground floor or in a garage. Avoid attics (hard to reach after structural damage) and basements (flooding risk). A separate, smaller go-bag should be ready to grab in under a minute. Some people keep a third mini-kit in their car with water, a flashlight, sturdy shoes, a blanket, and a few food bars.
Keeping Your Kit Current
An earthquake kit you built three years ago and never checked is a kit full of expired food, dead batteries, and medications past their potency. Set a calendar reminder to inspect your supplies every six months. Replace water, rotate food using a first-in-first-out system, test flashlights and radios, and update medications. Check that children’s supplies still match their current size and needs. Date every item when you buy it so you’re never guessing.