A practical home emergency kit starts with enough water for every person, at least three days of non-perishable food, a way to receive warnings, light, first-aid and sanitation supplies, basic tools, and copies of essential information. FEMA’s Ready Campaign calls this a starting point—not a complete one-size-fits-all kit—so add items for medical needs, infants, pets, likely hazards, and the places your household spends time.
The quantities below follow the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Ready Campaign checklist (a 2021-era checklist file indexed and accessed October 13, 2026). Guidance is U.S.-oriented; local emergency-management instructions may require additional supplies for your area.
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The three-day baseline FEMA recommends
FEMA states: “Everyone should have some basic supplies on hand in order to survive for at least three days if an emergency occurs.” Its checklist gives two core quantities:
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| Supply | Baseline amount | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Water | One gallon per person per day | Keep enough for at least three days; FEMA includes drinking and sanitation. |
| Food | At least a three-day supply | Use non-perishable foods suited to the people who will eat them. |
Calculate the water total by multiplying the number of household members by three gallons, then account for anyone who may join you during an emergency. A larger reserve can be sensible where storms, wildfire, flooding, winter weather, or infrastructure failures could prevent resupply, but the three-day figure is FEMA’s baseline rather than a guarantee that every emergency will end in 72 hours.
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Water and food: make the quantities usable
Water
Store potable water in containers that household members can lift and use. Keep some water available for drinking and some for basic sanitation, because FEMA’s gallon-per-person figure covers both purposes. Include water for every person who normally lives in the home, and review the calculation when someone moves in, a baby is born, or a household member’s needs change.
Non-perishable food
Choose at least three days of food that does not require refrigeration. Account for allergies, medical diets, age, texture, and foods household members will actually eat under stress. If you select canned food, add a manual can opener; an electric opener may be unusable during a power outage. Group food by meal or day so one person can find it quickly without opening every package.
FEMA’s 2025 National Preparedness Month toolkit also highlights non-perishable foods when preparing for power outages. That reminder does not replace the Ready Campaign’s three-day human-food baseline; it emphasizes why shelf-stable food belongs in the kit.
Information, warnings, light, and charging
Radio and batteries
Pack a battery-powered or hand-crank radio that can receive NOAA Weather Radio tone alerts. Keep extra batteries with it even if the radio has a crank, because charging by hand may be slow or impractical for continuous monitoring. Test the radio where the kit is stored and learn how to select local alert channels.
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Flashlight and spare power
Include a flashlight and extra batteries. Store batteries in their original packaging or another arrangement that prevents accidental contact and check for corrosion during inspections. The 2025 National Preparedness Month toolkit separately calls out flashlights, spare batteries, and a portable phone charger for outage readiness. A charger is a useful addition, but it does not replace the radio or flashlight.
Local information
Add local maps. Printed maps remain useful when mobile service, internet access, or navigation apps are unavailable. Mark major roads, alternate routes, shelters or meeting points identified by local authorities, and locations where household members may need to go.
First aid, signaling, shelter, and sanitation
First aid and signaling
- First-aid kit.
- Whistle for attracting attention if your voice cannot carry or you are trapped.
- Dust mask to reduce inhalation of airborne particles.
Keep the first-aid kit accessible rather than buried beneath heavy water containers. Check medical supplies against the actual needs of household members and replace used or expired contents.
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Shelter-in-place materials
FEMA’s baseline list includes plastic sheeting and duct tape. Together they can help create a temporary barrier or seal openings when authorities direct residents to shelter indoors. They are not a substitute for evacuation when officials order you to leave.
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Sanitation and waste
Pack moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties. These support hand and body cleaning and allow waste to be contained when normal plumbing is unavailable. Keep sanitation materials in a separate, clearly marked bag so they can be reached without unpacking food or medical supplies.
Tools, utility shutoffs, and navigation
Utility control
Include a wrench or pliers for turning off utilities. Know in advance where your water, gas, and electrical shutoffs are located and which shutoffs your household is expected to operate. Utilities should only be turned off when appropriate for the hazard and according to local or utility guidance; never experiment with unfamiliar gas equipment during an emergency.
Food access
If any stored food is canned, place a manual can opener in the same container. Do not assume a kitchen appliance will work when the power is out.
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Keep local maps with the kit even if every adult carries a phone. Include enough orientation information for a person who does not normally drive or navigate the area. If your household has an evacuation plan, store a printed copy with the maps.
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Additions for household members
FEMA’s additional-items checklist asks households to consider needs beyond the generic baseline:
- Prescription medicines and copies of prescriptions where appropriate.
- Glasses or other essential vision aids.
- Infant formula and diapers.
- Important family documents, including copies of insurance policies.
Protect documents from water and carry them in a portable, sealed folder or container. Include identification, contact information, and any instructions a caregiver would need, while limiting copies to information that is genuinely useful during an emergency.
Review the kit with every household member. A person who uses medical equipment, relies on a special diet, has mobility limitations, or needs communication support may require supplies and an evacuation method that a general checklist cannot specify.
Build a separate plan for pets
Pets need their own food, water, medication, transport, and sanitation arrangements. Ready.gov pet guidance lists a collar with identification tag, harness or leash, food, water, medicine, grooming supplies, a first-aid kit, sanitation needs, a travel bag, a crate or sturdy carrier, and familiar items. Choose quantities and equipment for the particular animal; a small dog, cat, bird, and large animal will not use the same supplies.
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FEMA’s 2025 pet-preparedness messaging uses a seven-day supply of food and water as an example for pets. Treat that as pet-specific preparedness guidance, not a change to the human three-day water and food figures. Store a current photo and veterinary information with the pet supplies if those records would help identify or treat the animal.
Keep a full home kit and portable kits
Store the main kit in a location that is dry, accessible, and known to all adults. Avoid a locked area that may be inaccessible after structural damage or a power failure. Keep smaller portable kits at work, in a vehicle, or anywhere household members regularly spend time, as FEMA’s additional-items guidance recommends.
A portable kit should be light enough to carry and should contain the information, medication, light, communication, and immediate sanitation items needed if a person must leave before reaching the main home supply. Do not assume that a vehicle kit can replace the water and food stored at home.
Adapt the kit to likely hazards and time away
Use the baseline as a decision framework rather than buying a generic box and stopping there:
| Question | What to adjust |
|---|---|
| Could roads or utilities be cut off for longer than three days? | Increase water and non-perishable food beyond the FEMA minimum, following local emergency-management advice. |
| Is severe weather common? | Confirm the radio receives NOAA Weather Radio tone alerts, keep maps current, and place the flashlight where it can be reached in darkness. |
| Could evacuation be required? | Keep documents, medicines, leashes or carriers, and a portable version of the kit ready to take immediately. |
| Does anyone spend substantial time away from home? | Place a smaller kit at that location or in a vehicle instead of relying on one central box. |
| Are there infants, pets, or medical needs? | Add their specific food, water, medicines, equipment, and sanitation supplies; recalculate whenever needs change. |
Follow instructions from local officials during an incident. A kit supports those instructions; it does not determine whether you should shelter, evacuate, or shut off a utility.
Assemble and maintain the kit
- Inventory the household. Count people, identify medical and dietary needs, list pets, and note workplaces, vehicles, and other regular destinations.
- Calculate the baseline. Multiply the number of people by one gallon per person per day for at least three days, then select at least three days of non-perishable food.
- Pack by function. Use labeled containers for water and food; information, radio, light, and charger; first aid and signaling; shelter and sanitation; tools and maps; and household or pet supplies.
- Make critical items reachable. Put the flashlight, radio, first-aid kit, medicines, and documents where an adult can find them quickly without moving heavy containers.
- Test equipment. Turn on the radio, check the NOAA alert function, test flashlights, inspect spare batteries, and verify that the manual can opener works.
- Review on a schedule. Replace expired food, medicines, and batteries; update documents, contact details, maps, infant supplies, and pet items; and recalculate water when the household changes.
- Practice the plan. Show everyone the kit location, utility shutoffs, meeting points, evacuation routes, and the communication method to use if phones or internet service are disrupted.
Common omissions and practical fixes
- Only storing food: Add the full water calculation, sanitation supplies, and a way to receive alerts.
- Relying on a phone: Keep a radio, printed maps, flashlight, spare batteries, and a portable charger.
- Choosing canned food without access equipment: Add a manual can opener.
- Putting everything in one inaccessible place: Add portable kits at work or in vehicles and keep the home kit reachable.
- Forgetting changing needs: Review prescriptions, glasses, infant supplies, pet equipment, and documents whenever circumstances change.
- Treating a generic list as complete: Check local hazard guidance and expand supplies when your area or household requires it.
A home emergency preparedness kit is most useful when its contents match the people, animals, hazards, and locations it is meant to serve. Start with FEMA’s three-day baseline, then maintain the kit as a living household system rather than a box that is packed once and forgotten.
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