Emergency kit checklist for your household

What goes in an emergency kit

Official lists from different countries are remarkably alike. They all start with water and food that keeps, a way to see in the dark, a way to hear the news when the power and internet are down, first aid, the medicines you rely on, money and copies of documents. The table shows the core items and who lists them; the builder adds the rest for your household.

How much water and food for 72 hours

Water is the one item where the figures differ, mostly because they measure different things. Ready.gov’s gallon (3.79 litres) a day covers drinking and sanitation. The UK’s 3 litres a day is for drinking only, and the checklist says more is needed for cooking and washing. Canada says about four litres a day, Get Ready Queensland at least 10 litres per person for three days, and the Dutch government’s campaign 3 litres a day. The EU’s Preparedness Union Strategy, published on 26 March 2025, aims for households to manage on their own for at least 72 hours but gives no water figure.

Worked example: the card above is for two adults, a child of 8 and a dog, for 72 hours under US guidance. Three people × 3 days × 1 gallon is 9 gallons, or 34.1 litres. The dog adds 12 litres at Canada’s figure of 4 litres a day per average dog, the only official per-pet number we found, making 46.1 litres (12.2 US gallons). Under the UK figure the same family would store 27 litres of drinking water, plus the dog’s share. Food is counted in days, not calories: three days of non-perishable food that needs no cooking for three people. The water calculator turns any household into bottles and weight, and the food calculator into a menu and shopping list.

Stay-at-home kit or grab bag?

Most emergencies are sat out at home, so the big kit stays there: Ready.gov says to keep it in a designated place that everyone knows about, in one or two easy-to-carry containers. The grab bag is smaller and ready to go, because evacuations give little warning. Ready.gov also suggests a work kit with enough for at least 24 hours and a kit in the car; the go bag checklist weighs yours, and the winter car kit covers the car.

Adjusting the kit for your household

• Babies: the UK checklist says ready-to-feed formula is best, because you may not be able to boil water to make up powdered formula safely. Add nappies (diapers), wipes and a sling for the grab bag.
• Medicines: every agency lists them, but none gives one figure that suits everyone. Speak to your pharmacist or doctor about an emergency supply, and keep a written list of medicines, doses and allergies. Ready.gov says that if the power is out for more than a day, medicine that should be refrigerated should be discarded unless the label says otherwise, and to ask your doctor or pharmacist for a new supply.
• Medical equipment: talk to your medical provider about a power cut plan. In the UK, join the Priority Services Register; in the US, Ready.gov says you can ask your power provider about priority restoration. Our sister site Watt Cottage sizes generators and battery backup.
• Older relatives: Ready.gov suggests medicines, medical supplies, batteries and chargers, copies of insurance cards, and a support network of people who can check on them.
• Pets: Ready.gov lists several days of food and water, medicines, records, a collar with ID and a carrier, and warns that many public shelters and hotels do not allow pets inside.

Extras for local hazards

Tick your hazards in the builder and it adds the extras each agency names. Winter storms bring extra blankets, a working carbon monoxide alarm on every level, and, in the US and Canada, the National Weather Service’s advice to refuel heating oil before you run low, as deliveries may not reach you for days. Floods bring a waterproof box for documents and, in the UK, signing up for flood warnings through Floodline, 0345 988 1188, a 24-hour service for England, Scotland and Wales. Wildfire areas get N95 masks, which Ready.gov says to store if available; earthquake areas get secured furniture and Drop, Cover and Hold On; hurricane coasts get an evacuation zone and route. If you will be away visiting family over Thanksgiving (Thursday 26 November 2026) or Christmas, check the kit before you go so it is ready when you get home in the middle of winter.

Keeping the kit up to date

Set the “packed or last checked” date and the card gives every line a check-by date. Food, water, batteries, medicines and the first aid kit get six months, matching the UK checklist’s advice to check expiry dates every six months and Ready.gov’s and the CDC’s rule to replace water you bottle yourself every six months. Everything else gets a year: Ready.gov says to rethink your needs every year, and Canada says to replace anything that might expire at least once a year. Your household, ticks and date stay in this browser only, so you can come back and tick off the list as you pack.

Common mistakes

• Drinking water only. The UK figure leaves out washing and cooking; plan extra if you use it.
• No manual can opener. A cupboard full of tins is no use without one.
• Candles for light. The UK checklist says torches are safer than candles.
• Documents only on a phone. Keep paper copies of ID, insurance and important numbers too.
• One kit, never checked. Batteries run down and water goes stale; the check-by column is there for that.

This is general information, not medical, veterinary or legal advice. In an emergency, call your local emergency number and follow instructions from the emergency services and your local authority.