The premise
The person who already thought about this leaves something behind for the person who has not had time to. That is what a kit actually is.
You are not building a store. You are building a decision you do not have to make later. The rule: enough food, water, and warmth for everyone under your roof for three days, plus the things that let you know what is happening and the things that let you see in the dark.
Three days is not a number plucked from nothing. It is roughly how long it takes federal, state, and local responders to reach most disaster zones. After three days, things either start to work again or you have a different problem on your hands. The kit buys you the first three.
What goes in it
Each line is one thing and one reason. Everything here should fit in a single backpack or duffel per adult, plus a shared container for heavier items.
- Water. Three liters per person per day, minimum. Not gallons. Liters, so you can count without converting. For three people over three days, that is twenty-seven liters.
- Food. Ready to eat. Things that do not need fire, fridge, or fuss. Peanut butter, canned beans, crackers, dried fruit, protein bars, nuts. A can opener if anything in the kit is in a can.
- Warmth. One wool blanket per person. A warm layer of clothes. A sleeping bag rated for the coldest night your region actually gets.
- Light. Two LED headlamps (hands free). A pack of spare batteries. Candles are a backup, not a plan.
- Information. A hand-crank or battery-powered radio, tuned to NOAA weather. The cell network may be down. The radio will not be.
- First aid. A real kit, not a box of band-aids. Bandages, sterile gauze, tape, scissors, tweezers, antiseptic wipes, pain relievers, tourniquet, and the medications anyone in the house takes daily.
- Documents. Copies of the things that would take weeks to replace. Insurance, prescriptions, IDs, a list of emergency contacts written down (not stored in a phone with a dead battery).
- Cash. Small bills. Power outages take ATMs and card readers with them.
- Tools. A multitool. Duct tape. A sturdy pair of gloves. A sharpie. A whistle.
- Comfort. One thing per person that is not useful. A deck of cards. A book. A piece of chocolate. A stuffed animal if there is a kid in your house. The difference between getting through three days and being calm for three days is often a thing that is not useful.
Three things people get wrong
They buy a kit and stop thinking. A kit in a box in the garage is not a plan. A kit is a thing you rotate, inspect, and actually know how to find in the dark.
They plan for the disaster they have seen on TV. The one that hits your actual address is usually less dramatic and more boring. Power is out. Roads are closed. The store is not open. Most people will be inconvenienced, not rescuers. Build for that.
They assume they will be calm. You will not be. You will be tired, cold, and quietly furious that the power is still out. The kit is not a test of character. It is a reason you do not have to have character for the first three days.
A kit is not a purchase. It is a decision made in advance about who gets to be calm when the power goes out.
The rule is not how much. The rule is whether you already decided.
Test Your Readiness
A mandatory evacuation order has just been issued for your area due to an approaching wildfire. You have 15 minutes before you need to leave. Your family is ready to go. What do you do first?
Be honest. No one's watching.
Pack it once
Pack it once. Put it somewhere you can find in the dark. Move on.