Most emergencies don’t give you time to pack. A 72-hour emergency kit — supplies for three days of self-sufficiency — means you’re ready whether it’s a storm, a blackout, or an evacuation order. Here’s how to build one, piece by piece.
Start with the basics: water and food
Water is the first priority. A common rule of thumb is roughly one gallon per person per day, split between drinking and basic hygiene. Store it in clean, sealed containers and rotate it every few months.
For food, choose items that need no cooking or refrigeration: canned goods with pull-tops, protein bars, dried fruit, nuts, and ready-to-eat meals. Add a manual can opener — a can you can’t open is just a paperweight.
Light, heat, and communication
A flashlight with spare batteries, a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, and a power bank for your phone cover the essentials. Candles work in a pinch, but a battery light is safer around kids and pets.
First aid and medication
A basic first-aid kit (bandages, antiseptic, gauze, tape, pain relievers) plus a week’s supply of any prescription medication. If you wear glasses or use medical devices, keep spares here too.
Documents and cash
Copies of IDs and insurance policies, plus a small amount of cash, kept in a waterproof bag. In a prolonged outage, card readers may not work.
One step further
This checklist covers the first 72 hours. If you want a plan that goes well beyond it — food and water for weeks, shelter, in-depth first aid, and how to handle every major emergency — the Doomsday Survival Guide is a 50-chapter, calm, practical reference you can keep on your shelf and use when it matters.