A premade emergency kit is the fastest way to go from nothing to ready. One box gets a household water, food, light, first aid and shelter basics for the first 72 hours after a disaster, the window Ready.gov asks every household to plan for, because that is how long it can take for help to reach everyone after a big storm or earthquake.
No premade kit is complete, and the good ones don’t pretend to be. They give you a solid base, and you add the things only you can: medications, copies of documents, glasses, phone chargers, pet food, and whatever your children need. We compared the kits by what is actually inside (water and calories per person, the quality of the light and radio, a real first aid kit rather than a handful of plasters) and by how they hold up in a closet for years.
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Best organisedRedfora Complete Earthquake Bag (2 people)Check price
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Best for a family of fourReady America 72-Hour Deluxe Emergency Kit (4 people)Check price
EVERLIT Storm II 72-Hour Emergency Kit (2 people)
For: a couple, or a parent and child, who want the most complete kit
- For2 people, 72 hours
- Food2 × 3,600-calorie bars
- Water24 × 125 ml pouches + tablets
- Pack1000D MOLLE backpack
The most complete kit we found. Per the listing, it pairs the food and water with a 200-piece first aid kit and a CAT tourniquet, a hand-crank flashlight that is also a radio and phone charger, an emergency shelter, thermal blankets, ponchos, goggles, gloves, a knife and a compass, in a tough 1000D backpack with four main compartments.
The 7,200 calories work out at about 1,200 per person per day, above the 1,000-a-day minimum the listing cites from FEMA, and the water purification tablets mean you can treat more water once the 3 litres of pouches run out.
What we like
- Real first aid kit, with a tourniquet
- Crank radio, light and phone charger included
- Durable, well-organised pack
Watch out for
- Costs four times a basic kit
- Still only about 1.5 litres of water a person: store more at home
Redfora Complete Earthquake Bag (2 people)
For: anyone who wants to find things fast in the dark
- For2 people, 3 days
- Water24 pouches + 20 tablets
- ShelterTube tent, sleeping bag
- RadioNOAA crank radio
Redfora's kit is packed in colour-coded, resealable waterproof bags by category, so food, water, first aid, tools and hygiene each have their own pack. The listing counts 40-plus supplies, including a NOAA hand-crank flashlight-radio-charger, a multi-tool, a 2-person tube tent and sleeping bag, 30 feet of rope and a full hygiene kit.
It is the kit we'd choose for an earthquake zone, where you may be sheltering outside, and the maker's video guide walks through every item.
What we like
- Colour-coded waterproof packs
- Shelter and sleeping bag included
- NOAA radio, tablets and hygiene kit
Watch out for
- Pricier than the Ready America kits
- Food bar count isn't stated on the listing; check the contents list
Ready America 70280 2-Person 3-Day Emergency Kit
For: a first kit at a small price, or a second kit for the car
- For2 people, 3 days
- Food4,800 calories
- Water12 sealed pouches
- First aid33 pieces
The classic budget kit, and one of the most-reviewed on Amazon. It covers the Ready.gov basics at their simplest: food bars, water pouches, ponchos, survival blankets, a 33-piece first aid kit, dust masks, gloves, lightsticks and a whistle, in a small backpack.
It has no radio or flashlight and only about 800 calories per person per day, so treat it as the base: add a crank radio, a headlamp and more water.
What we like
- Very low price for two people
- Compact enough for a car boot
- Long track record
Watch out for
- No radio or flashlight
- Thin on food and water
Ready America 72-Hour Deluxe Emergency Kit (4 people)
For: a family who want one bag that covers everyone
- For4 people, 3 days
- Food4 × 2,400-calorie bars
- Water4 × 1-litre cartons
- PowerCrank radio, light, charger
Ready America's deluxe kit scales the basic one up for four and adds what the cheaper kits leave out: a hand-crank power station that is a flashlight, AM/FM radio, siren and phone charger, plus a 107-piece first aid kit, leather work gloves, goggles, a multi-tool, duct tape and hygiene supplies.
As with every kit here, the water (a litre a person) and food (about 800 calories a person a day) are a start, not a supply.
What we like
- One bag for four people
- Crank radio and charger included
- Work gloves, goggles and multi-tool
Watch out for
- The radio is AM/FM; no NOAA weather band listed
- Heavy for one person to carry far
Emergency Zone Family Emergency Kit
For: a go-bag that doesn't look like one
- Size19" × 15" × 10"
- FoodS.O.S. ration bars
- First aid121 pieces
- ExtrasEmergency guidebook
A plain-looking backpack rather than a red bag with a cross on it, which matters if you are evacuating through crowds. Inside are US-made S.O.S. food rations and water with a five-year shelf life, a 121-piece first aid kit and an emergency guidebook covering first aid and disaster planning.
What we like
- Low-profile backpack
- S.O.S. rations, Coast Guard approved
- Guidebook for beginners
Watch out for
- The listing doesn't say how many people or days it covers; check the contents before you rely on it
- Expensive for what's listed
Ready America 70180 1-Person 72-Hour Kit
For: a kit in every car, desk drawer or dorm room
- For1 person, 3 days
- Food2,400 calories
- Water6 sealed pouches
- First aid18 pieces
The one-person version of our best-value pick: a food bar, water pouches, a blanket, a poncho, an 18-piece first aid kit, gloves, a lightstick and a whistle in a small backpack. Cheap enough to keep one in every car.
What we like
- Very inexpensive
- Small enough for a glovebox or under a seat
Watch out for
- Basic: no radio or light
- One person only
Blue Seventy-Two 72-Hour Emergency Backpack (1 person)
For: one person who wants a slightly better bag
- For1 person, 3 days
- Food2,400 calories
- Water5 × 4.22 oz pouches
- First aid36 pieces
A one-person kit in a triple-pocket reinforced backpack, with food bars, water pouches, a mask, a 36-piece first aid kit, a whistle-compass and a flashlight. The roomier bag leaves space to add your own medicines and documents, which is exactly what a single-person kit needs.
What we like
- Better backpack than most budget kits
- Room to add your own items
Watch out for
- About 0.6 litres of water in total
- Costs more than the Ready America 1-person kit
What a 72-hour kit should contain
Ready.gov’s basic list is the benchmark every kit below is measured against:
- Water: one gallon per person per day for at least several days, for drinking and sanitation. No backpack can carry three gallons a person, so kits pack emergency water pouches for drinking and leave the rest to you: store more at home (see our water storage guide) and add a water filter.
- Food: at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food. Kit food bars are dense, about 400 calories per bar; check the total calories per person, not the “servings”.
- A battery-powered or hand-crank radio with NOAA Weather Radio, and a flashlight with spare batteries.
- First aid kit, a whistle to signal for help, dust masks, plastic sheeting and duct tape to shelter in place, moist towelettes and garbage bags for sanitation, a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, a manual can opener, local maps, and a phone charger with a backup battery.
Then add the personal layer: prescription medicines, glasses, infant formula and nappies, pet food, cash, and copies of insurance policies and ID in a waterproof bag.
Premade or build your own?
Buying a kit is quicker and usually cheaper than buying every piece separately in small quantities. Building your own lets you choose better versions of the pieces that matter most (the light, the radio, the water filter, the first aid kit). The sensible middle ground is to buy a kit and upgrade two or three items, which is what our family emergency kit does.
Where to keep it
Keep the main kit somewhere you can grab on the way out: a hall closet near the door, not the back of the garage. Keep a smaller kit in each car, and a light one at work. Store it cool and dry; heat shortens the life of food bars, water pouches and batteries.
How we rate
We score every pick out of 10 on four things, weighted for what matters when the power is out or the trail is long: whether it does the job when you need it (40%), meaning a filter's rated capacity and what it removes, a radio's reception and charging options, a kit's contents rather than its piece count; build and reliability (25%), including seals, batteries and shelf life and what owners report after months in a closet or a pack; ease of use under stress (20%), whether it can be set up in the dark, with cold hands, by someone who has never used it; and value (15%).
We have not tested these products ourselves. We read the manufacturer's specifications, certifications and instructions and look for the patterns in verified owners' reviews, both the praise and the recurring complaints. No brand pays for placement, and a commission cannot buy a higher rating. When a pick changes, we will say so on this page.
Frequently asked questions
What should be in a 72-hour emergency kit?
Water (one gallon per person per day), non-perishable food, a hand-crank or battery radio with NOAA weather alerts, a flashlight and batteries, a first aid kit, a whistle, dust masks, plastic sheeting and duct tape, sanitation supplies, a wrench to turn off utilities, a can opener, maps and a phone charger. That is the Ready.gov list; add your own medications, documents, cash and pet supplies.
How long do emergency kits last?
The food bars and water pouches in most kits carry a five-year shelf life. Batteries, first aid supplies and anything with an adhesive age too. Check the kit once a year and replace what has expired.
Are premade survival kits worth it?
Yes, as a starting point. They are cheaper and faster than buying every item separately, but the lights, radios and first aid kits in budget kits are basic. Upgrade the pieces you would rely on most and add personal items.
How many kits does a family need?
One main household kit sized for everyone, plus a small kit for each car. Kits sold as 2-person or 4-person are scaled versions of the same contents, so a family of four can buy one 4-person kit or two 2-person kits, which are easier to carry.
