72-Hour Emergency Kit Checklist
A simple, practical checklist to build a 3-day emergency kit for your household.
Quick answer
FEMA, the Red Cross, and most state emergency-management agencies use the 72-hour target as the floor for individual preparedness. The kit you build should be tailored to your most likely disasters (earthquake, hurricane, winter storm, wildfire, extended grid outage) and to the people in your home. The framework below is the universal starting point; the special-situations section near the end covers what changes when you have infants, pets, prescription medications, or mobility constraints.
Water
Plan for 1 gallon per person per day: half a gallon for drinking, half for hygiene, food prep, and light cleaning. Pets add 1/2 to 1 gallon per day depending on size. Hot climates, illness, breastfeeding, and physical exertion all push the requirement higher; in summer outages, 1.5 gallons per person per day is closer to realistic.
- 3 days, 1 person: 3 gallons minimum, 4 to 5 gallons comfortable
- 3 days, family of 4: 12 gallons minimum, 18 to 20 gallons comfortable
- 3 days, family of 4 plus a 50-lb dog: add 2 to 3 gallons
- Storage: factory-sealed bottled water (long shelf life), or food-grade 1, 5, or 7-gallon containers refilled with tap water and rotated every 6 to 12 months
- Backup purification: unscented chlorine bleach (16 drops per gallon, wait 30 minutes), water purification tablets, or a portable filter rated for bacteria and protozoa
Food
Target 1,500 to 2,000 calories per adult per day. Prioritize foods that need no refrigeration, no cooking, and minimal water for prep. The 72-hour kit is not the place for fancy: simple, dense, familiar foods reduce stress and avoid GI upset during an emergency.
- Ready-to-eat: protein bars, granola bars, trail mix, jerky, crackers, peanut butter, single-serve fruit cups
- Canned (high calorie, no-cook): tuna, chicken, beans, soup, ravioli, fruit in syrup, vegetables; include a manual can opener
- Dry pantry (cooking required): instant oats, instant rice, ramen, dehydrated meals; only useful if you have a way to boil water (camp stove, propane burner)
- Comfort: hard candy, instant coffee, tea bags, electrolyte powder; small psychological wins matter during long outages
- Special diets: account for allergies, gluten-free, vegetarian, infant formula, soft foods for elderly family members
Light and power
Headlamps beat flashlights for hands-free work in the dark (cooking, first aid, packing). At least one flashlight per person plus one shared lantern for ambient room lighting is the standard. LED tech makes both bulb life and battery life much better than older incandescent options.
- Per-person: headlamp (200+ lumens), or flashlight (200-500 lumens) with wrist strap
- Shared: LED lantern with 360-degree spread, ideally rechargeable
- Batteries: AA and AAA pack of 12+; lithium variants store longer than alkaline
- Phone power: two power banks (10,000 mAh minimum) per adult phone, kept charged via monthly top-up
- Larger backup: portable power station (300 to 1,500 Wh) for CPAP, medical devices, fridge cycling
- Solar input: 100W foldable solar panel pairs well with a power station for outages over 24 hours
Medical
The medical block is where corner-cutting causes the most preventable suffering during an emergency. A 7-day supply of any prescription is the floor; some pharmacies allow vacation overrides for longer supplies, ask before you need them.
- Stocked first aid kit (assorted bandages, gauze pads, medical tape, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, tweezers, scissors, gloves, instant cold pack)
- Pain reliever (acetaminophen and ibuprofen), antihistamine, anti-diarrheal, antacid
- 7-day supply of every prescription medication, in original labeled containers
- Spare glasses or a current eyeglass prescription, contact solution and lenses if used
- Medical summary card: conditions, medications and doses, allergies, doctors, pharmacy, insurance information
- Thermometer, blood pressure cuff if relevant, blood glucose meter and strips for diabetics
- EpiPen, inhaler, or other emergency-specific medications based on family conditions
Communication
Your phone is the primary tool until the cell network is congested or down, which happens fast in major events. Backup communication is what bridges the gap between "I can text my sister" and "I have no idea what's happening outside this room."
- Battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA weather radio (also receives AM/FM)
- Backup phone charger and cables
- Whistle (signaling rescuers takes far less energy than shouting)
- Local paper map of your area; cell-based GPS often fails when towers do
- Pre-printed family contact card with phone numbers (don't rely on a dead phone's contacts)
- Out-of-state contact: someone everyone can text to relay messages, since long-distance lines often work when local lines are jammed
Hygiene and sanitation
Sanitation is the silent component most kits get wrong. Three days without hand-washing, in close quarters, with food and possible injuries, is exactly the conditions that produce GI illness and infected wounds.
- Hand sanitizer (60%+ alcohol) and soap
- Wet wipes and disposable hand towels
- Toilet paper (1 roll per person, double-bagged)
- Heavy-duty trash bags and twist ties for waste disposal
- Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, dental floss
- Feminine hygiene products
- Diapers, wipes, rash cream for infants
- 5-gallon bucket plus toilet seat lid for emergency toilet (when sewer or plumbing is offline)
- Unscented chlorine bleach (also doubles as water disinfectant)
Documents, cash, and tools
ATMs and card readers go down with the power grid. Cell-based ID apps fail when networks fail. Paper copies of the right documents are how you prove who you are, where you live, and what's covered when you reach a shelter or insurance adjuster.
- Photocopies of: driver's license, passports, insurance cards (medical, home, auto), social security cards, birth certificates, deed or lease, recent tax return cover page
- Cash: $200-500 in small bills (5s, 10s, 20s) and quarters for vending
- Sealed waterproof bag or freezer bag for the document set
- USB drive with scanned documents and family photos as a digital backup
- Multi-tool with pliers, knife, screwdriver bits
- Adjustable wrench or pliers for utility shutoffs (gas, water main)
- Duct tape, work gloves, N95 dust masks, plastic sheeting (for damaged windows or shelter-in-place)
- Warm clothing layer per person, hat, sturdy closed shoes, rain shell
- Mylar emergency blanket or sleeping bag rated for your climate
Special situations
The base kit assumes able-bodied adults. The people in your house add columns:
- Infants: formula (powdered or ready-to-feed), bottles, diapers (24+), wipes, rash cream, infant medications, change of clothes
- Children: child-size N95s, comfort item (small toy or book), age-appropriate snacks, paper and pencil, simple games or cards
- Elderly: medication list with doses and timing, mobility aids (cane, walker), extra blankets, hearing-aid batteries, denture care kit
- Pets: 3-day food, water, leash or carrier, vaccination records, current photo for re-identification, plastic bags for waste
- Medical-equipment-dependent: portable power for CPAP, oxygen, dialysis, or IV pumps; medical alert info; backup batteries
- Mobility-limited: accessible flashlights and lanterns within reach, evacuation plan that doesn't require stairs alone, neighbor or family check-in agreement
Packing math by household size
| Household | Water | Food calories | Container size | Approx. total weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo adult | 3 to 5 gallons | 4,500 to 6,000 | 30L backpack | 30 to 40 lbs |
| Couple | 6 to 10 gallons | 9,000 to 12,000 | One 27-gal bin or two backpacks | 60 to 80 lbs |
| Family of 4 | 12 to 20 gallons | 18,000 to 24,000 | Two 27-gal bins plus a backpack | 120 to 180 lbs |
| Family of 4 + 1 pet | 14 to 23 gallons | ~24,000 + pet food | Two bins plus pet carrier | 140 to 200 lbs |
Family-sized kits exceed what one person can comfortably carry. If evacuation by foot is a real possibility (high-rise, urban setting, no vehicle), a separate go-bag per adult with the bare minimum (water purification, food bars, headlamp, documents, meds) is the right structure, with the bulk kit staying home for shelter-in-place.
Three scenarios, three kit shapes
| Scenario | Form factor | Distinctive items |
|---|---|---|
| Winter ice storm, multi-day grid outage, shelter in place | Storage bin in basement or main-floor closet | Heat source (propane heater + CO detector), extra blankets, candles, indoor-safe cooking method |
| Hurricane evacuation order, 24-48 hours notice, leave by car | Pre-packed bin in vehicle plus go-bag per adult | Cash, full gas tank, paper road maps, hotel reservation list, pet carriers, family photo backup |
| Earthquake or wildfire, leave on foot in minutes | Backpack go-bag by the door, one per adult | Sturdy shoes, N95 mask, headlamp, water filter (less weight than bottled), documents, family contact card |
For the printable version of this checklist, see the emergency preparedness checklist, and for water-specific math, the water needs calculator.
Simple setup method
- Choose a container that matches your scenario: backpack for evacuation, 27-gallon bin for shelter-in-place, both if your scenarios are mixed
- Pack water and food first, since they take the most volume and weight
- Add medical, communication, and lighting next, the failure-mode-critical layer
- Add hygiene, documents, cash, and tools, the comfort and continuity layer
- Layer in special-situation items for infants, pets, elderly, or medical conditions
- Label the bin clearly, list the rotation due date on the label
Maintenance schedule
| Item class | Check frequency | Replace interval |
|---|---|---|
| Tap-filled water containers | Quarterly visual inspection | Every 6 to 12 months |
| Sealed bottled water | Annual | By stamped expiration |
| Canned and packaged food | Every 6 months | Before stamped expiration, 2 to 5 years typical |
| Batteries (alkaline) | Annual | Every 2 to 3 years |
| Batteries (lithium) | Annual | Every 5+ years per manufacturer |
| Prescription medications | At each refill | Per pharmacy expiration |
| First aid supplies | Annual | Replace expired items, sealed bandages, antiseptic |
| Documents | After any address, insurance, or family change | Reprint and replace |
| Whole-kit review | Twice yearly (daylight saving time changes are an easy anchor) | n/a |
FAQ
Why 72 hours specifically?
Three days is the federal benchmark for the gap between a major disaster and the arrival of organized outside help. FEMA, the Red Cross, and most state emergency management agencies all use a 72-hour target as the floor for individual preparedness, with the expectation that you may be on your own for that long during the most acute phase of a hurricane, earthquake, severe winter storm, or extended grid outage. Some agencies now recommend a 7 to 14 day kit for areas prone to earthquakes or remote regions, but 72 hours is the universal starting point.
Should the kit go in a backpack or a storage bin?
It depends on the scenario. A backpack works for evacuation kits (wildfire, hurricane evacuation order, urban quick-departure), where you must carry the kit on foot or in a single vehicle trip. A storage bin works for shelter-in-place kits (winter storm, extended outage, earthquake aftermath), where you stay home and access the kit repeatedly over several days. Many households keep both: a stocked bin in the basement or garage and a smaller go-bag by the door.
How often should I rotate the contents?
Water: every 6 to 12 months for tap-filled containers, longer for commercially sealed bottled water. Food: check every 6 months and rotate before stamped expiration; canned goods last 2 to 5 years if stored cool. Batteries: every 2 to 3 years (alkaline) or check annually (lithium). Prescription medications: per your doctor's refill schedule, since these are the items most likely to expire silently. First aid supplies: replace expired antibiotic ointment, bandages with damaged seals, and any single-use items annually.
What about pets, infants, and family members with medical needs?
Each adds a per-person column to your packing list. Pets need food, water (1/2 to 1 gallon per day depending on size), leash or carrier, vaccination records, and a current photo for re-identification. Infants need formula, bottles, diapers, wipes, and a weather-appropriate carrier. Family members on prescriptions, oxygen, dialysis, or insulin need a 7-day supply of medication and a medical summary card listing conditions, doses, doctors, and pharmacy. Mobility-limited family members need extra blankets, accessible flashlights, and clear evacuation routing.
Where should I store the kit?
Accessible, climate-stable, and not behind anything you'd have to move during an emergency. The best spots are an interior closet on the main floor, an entryway storage bench, or a labeled bin near the door. Avoid the attic (heat damages food and meds), uninsulated garages (freezing degrades water containers and electronics), and the trunk of your daily-driver car (heat plus theft risk). For evacuation-prone households, a kit in the trunk of a backup vehicle or a sealed garage bin works well as long as you rotate twice yearly to manage temperature exposure.
Simple takeaway
A 72-hour kit is your first layer of preparedness. Start simple, build gradually, and focus on essentials first.