A 72-hour kit contains everything you need to sustain yourself for three days when normal services like running water, electricity, and grocery stores are unavailable. The core categories are water, food, first aid, sanitation, communication, tools, and important documents. Building one takes a few hours and costs less than you’d expect if you start with what you already have at home.
Water: The Most Critical Item
Store at least one gallon of water per person, per day for three days. That’s three gallons per person minimum, covering drinking, cooking, and basic hygiene like brushing teeth. A family of four needs 12 gallons, which takes up roughly two square feet of floor space.
Commercially bottled water is the easiest option since it comes sealed and dated. If you fill your own containers, use food-grade plastic and rotate the supply every six months. Keep a few extra gallons beyond the minimum if you live in a hot climate, have young children, or include pets in your plan.
Food That Doesn’t Need a Fridge
Plan for roughly 2,000 calories per day for women and 2,400 for men. If you expect to be physically active (clearing debris, walking to a shelter), add about 200 calories on top of that. For three days, that means packing 6,000 to 7,800 calories per person.
Good options include:
- Ready-to-eat canned goods: meats, fruits, vegetables, and soups
- Protein and granola bars
- Peanut butter and crackers
- Dried fruit and nuts
- Dry cereal or granola
- Canned juices and shelf-stable milk
Avoid heavily salted or very dry foods, which increase thirst and strain your water supply. Toss in a few comfort foods like chocolate or hard candy. Stress is a real factor in emergencies, and familiar snacks help more than you’d think, especially for kids. Don’t forget a manual can opener.
First Aid and Medications
A basic first aid kit handles the injuries most common in emergencies: cuts from broken glass, burns, sprains, and blisters. Stock adhesive bandages in multiple sizes, gauze pads, medical tape, antiseptic wipes, tweezers, and an elastic wrap bandage. Add over-the-counter pain relievers, antihistamines, and anti-diarrheal medication.
Prescription medications need special attention. Pack at least a one-week supply of every medication your household takes daily. If any require refrigeration, include a small insulated bag with a cold pack. Keep a written list of each person’s medications, dosages, and prescribing doctors in a waterproof bag alongside the pills. This list is invaluable if you need to get refills from an unfamiliar pharmacy during an evacuation.
Sanitation and Hygiene Supplies
When water mains break or power goes out, toilets stop working. A medium-sized plastic bucket with a tight lid doubles as both a storage container and an emergency latrine. Line it with heavy-duty garbage bags, and keep extra bags and ties on hand for sealing waste.
Beyond waste management, pack toilet paper, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, a bar of soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and feminine hygiene products. A small bottle of disinfectant spray is useful for cleaning surfaces in temporary shelters. A couple of washcloths and a small towel let you manage basic sponge baths. If you have space, a small shovel is helpful for digging a latrine outdoors.
Light, Communication, and Power
A battery-powered or hand-crank radio with NOAA Weather Radio capability is essential. NOAA stations broadcast continuous weather alerts and emergency instructions on dedicated frequencies, and they work even when cell towers and internet are down. Look for a model that also charges via USB or solar panel so you aren’t entirely dependent on batteries.
Pack at least one reliable flashlight and extra batteries. Headlamps are even better since they free up your hands. A whistle is a surprisingly important item: it carries much farther than a human voice and costs almost no energy to use, making it the simplest way to signal rescuers if you’re trapped.
Keep your cell phone charger and a portable battery pack in the kit. Charge the battery pack every few months so it’s ready when you need it.
Tools and Shelter Supplies
You don’t need a full toolbox, but a few items make a big difference. A wrench or pliers lets you shut off gas and water valves at your home, which can prevent fires and flooding. Duct tape and plastic sheeting allow you to seal windows and doors if authorities issue a shelter-in-place order due to chemical or airborne hazards. Scissors and a utility knife round out the basics.
A dust mask for each person helps filter contaminated air from smoke, dust, or debris. N95 masks work well for this. If you live in an area prone to earthquakes or tornadoes, sturdy work gloves protect your hands when moving rubble or broken glass.
Important Documents
In an evacuation, you may need to prove who you are, where you live, and what insurance you carry. Make photocopies (or store digital scans on a USB drive) of the following and keep them in a waterproof bag inside your kit:
- Government-issued IDs for every household member
- Insurance policies: health, home, auto, and renters
- Bank account and credit card information
- Medical records including immunization history and allergy lists
- Emergency contact list with phone numbers and email addresses for family, friends, and doctors
Include a local map. GPS relies on cell service and battery power, both of which fail in prolonged emergencies. A paper map of your county with evacuation routes marked is a reliable backup.
Extras for Infants and Young Children
Babies need formula or shelf-stable milk, bottles, diapers (at least a three-day supply, which is roughly 24 to 36 diapers for a newborn), wipes, diaper rash cream, and a few small comfort items like a pacifier or stuffed animal. If your child eats solid food, pack jars or pouches of baby food. Don’t forget any infant medications like fever reducers dosed for their weight.
Packing for Pets
The CDC recommends a two-week supply of food and water for each animal, stored in waterproof containers. That’s more generous than the human three-day standard because pet-friendly shelters and supplies are harder to find during disasters. Also include non-spill food and water dishes, a leash and collar with ID tags, any medications with written dosing instructions, a pet carrier with bedding, waste cleanup supplies, and copies of vaccination records and proof of ownership. Microchip information should be written down in case your pet gets separated from you.
How to Store and Maintain Your Kit
Keep your kit in a spot that’s easy to grab on your way out the door: a hall closet, garage shelf near the car, or by the front entrance. A large backpack or duffel bag works for one or two people. Families may need a plastic bin that can be loaded into a car quickly.
Date every perishable item with a marker when you pack it, and set a reminder to rotate food, water, batteries, and medications every six months. A good habit is to check your kit when you change your clocks for daylight saving time. Test your flashlight and radio at the same time, and update your document copies if anything has changed. Batteries lose charge sitting on a shelf, medications expire, and food quality degrades, so this twice-yearly check is the difference between a kit that works and one that lets you down.