Skills
How to Build a 72-Hour Emergency Kit
A practical, affordable starter kit that covers the first three days after any disruption — without fear or guesswork.
Most emergencies are local and short. The single most useful thing a household can do is prepare for the first 72 hours — the window when you are most likely to be without services and when help may be busy elsewhere. This guide keeps it simple and affordable.
Start with water and light
Before anything else, store water and a way to see after dark. These two cover the most common, most immediate gaps in any outage or supply shock.
Rule of three
The core checklist
- Water: 3 L per person per day, for at least 3 days (store more if space allows).
- Food: ready-to-eat items needing no cooking or fridge.
- Light: one rechargeable lantern per main room + headlamps.
- Power: a charged power bank for phones.
- Comms: a battery/crank weather radio.
- Medical: a first-aid kit and any personal medicines.
- Warmth: blankets or sleeping bags.
- Docs: IDs and key papers in a waterproof pouch.
- Cash: small notes for when card machines are down.
Make it a go-bag
Put the kit in a backpack or tub that you can grab quickly. One per household member is ideal; at minimum, one shared bag plus a document pouch.
Key takeaway
A 72-hour kit is not doom prep — it is three days of ordinary comfort that turns a bad day into a manageable one.
Rotate, don't hoard
Use and replace items on a schedule so nothing expires. A kit you actually eat from is a kit that works when you need it.
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