The best emergency kits
Ready-made emergency kits and survival kits for 72 hours and longer.
Updated October 6, 2026
A 72-hour kit covers the first three days after a disaster. Ready.gov advises at least one gallon of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation. It advises a several-day supply of non-perishable food. Most kits on this list pack stored food and water for three days.
Ready.gov's basic list also names a radio and a flashlight. It adds a first aid kit, spare batteries and a whistle. Not every kit on this list includes a radio. Weight matters when one person has to carry the bag. Contents and shelf life are the maker's figures.
The shortlist, ranked
How the score works- 1
Entry-level 2-person 72-hour backpack with food bars, water pouches and first aid.
- People: 2
- Days: 3
- Water included: Yes
- Food included: Yes
Why it is here: Two 2,400-calorie food bars and 12 water pouches are rated for a 5-year shelf life.
- 2
1-person 72-hour system in a floating waterproof 32L pack with a water filter.
- People: 1
- Days: 3
- Items: 24
- Water included: No
Why it is here: The 600D tarpaulin pack is waterproof and the maker says it floats.
- 3
2-person 72-hour system in a 36L waterproof Barron pack with crank radio and water filter.
- People: 2
- Days: 3
- Items: 25
- Water included: No
Why it is here: The Barron 36L pack is waterproof and has a pouch for a water bladder.
- 4
Earthquake-focused 1-person kit in a backpack or roller bag for 3 or 7 days.
- People: 1
- Days: 3
- Water included: Yes
- Food included: Yes
Why it is here: A 7-day variant is available for those who want more than three days of cover.
- 5
2-person 72-hour backpack with a hand-crank radio, flashlight and phone charger in one unit.
- People: 2
- Days: 3
- Water included: Yes
- Food included: Yes
Why it is here: The hand-crank Emergency Power Station covers light and radio and phone charging in one unit.
- 6
1-person version of the Prepster in a hands-free canvas and leather backpack with NOAA radio.
- People: 1
- Days: 3
- Water included: Yes
- Food included: Yes
Why it is here: A backpack keeps both hands free on the move.
- 7
2-person 72-hour MOLLE pack with 3600 kcal rations and water pouches and a crank radio.
- People: 2
- Days: 3
- Water included: Yes
- Food included: Yes
Why it is here: Two 3600 kcal rations give more calories than the 2400 kcal bars in several kits here.
- 8
1-person 3-day Red Cross backpack with a collapsible 3.5-gallon water container.
- People: 1
- Days: 3
- Water included: Yes
- Food included: Yes
Why it is here: The collapsible 3.5-gallon container holds extra water if you fill it in time.
- 9
2-person 72-hour backpack with 12 water pouches, 12 food bars and a dynamo radio.
- People: 2
- Days: 3
- Water included: Yes
- Food included: Yes
Why it is here: The 4-in-1 dynamo unit combines radio and flashlight and charger.
- 10
2-person 72-hour kit in a discreet tactical backpack with SOS rations and water.
- People: 2
- Days: 3
- Water included: Yes
- Food included: Yes
Why it is here: SOS rations and water are described as US Coast Guard approved with a 5-year shelf life.
- 11
2-person 72-hour kit in a canvas and leather bag with a solar and hand-crank NOAA radio.
- People: 2
- Days: 3
- Water included: Yes
- Food included: Yes
Why it is here: The solar and hand-crank NOAA radio carries a 2,000 mAh battery.
- 12
1-person 72-hour grab-n-go backpack at a listed 4.75 lb with five water pouches.
- People: 1
- Days: 3
- Water included: Yes
- Food included: Yes
Why it is here: The maker says it is light enough for a child to wear.
- 13
1-person 72-hour backpack with a Gerber knife, a sleeping bag and a multi-function radio.
- People: 1
- Days: 3
- Food included: Yes
- Radio included: Yes
Why it is here: A multi-function emergency radio and a Gerber knife are included.
- 14
1-person 5-day backpack with 64 items and freeze-dried meals instead of ration bars.
- People: 1
- Days: 5
- Items: 64
- Water included: Yes
Why it is here: Five days of cover rather than the usual three.
- 15
2-person emergency backpack from the maker of the food bars used in other kits.
- People: 2
- Water included: Yes
- Food included: Yes
- First aid included: Yes
Why it is here: The food bars come from the same maker that supplies other kits here.
- 16
2-person 72-hour earthquake backpack with food, water and first aid at a listed 9 lb.
- People: 2
- Days: 3
- Water included: Yes
- Food included: Yes
Why it is here: Food and water and first aid are all in one backpack for two.
- 17
2-person 72-hour backpack with 10-year food bars and a 107-piece first aid kit.
- People: 2
- Days: 3
- Water included: Yes
- Food included: Yes
Why it is here: The 107-piece first aid kit is among the larger ones on this list.
- 18
2-person 72-hour backpack with four 1 L waters and a 107-piece first aid kit.
- People: 2
- Days: 3
- Water included: Yes
- Food included: Yes
Why it is here: Four 1.0 L AquaLiters hold more stored water than the small pouches in many kits here.
- 19
Pared-down 1-person 72-hour pack with 22 items in a water-resistant roll-top backpack.
- People: 1
- Days: 3
- Items: 22
- Water included: No
Why it is here: The same instruction insert as the Seventy2 comes along.
- 20
18-item power outage kit built around an AM/FM dynamo radio flashlight.
- People: 1
- Items: 18
- Water included: No
- Food included: No
Why it is here: An AM/FM dynamo radio flashlight covers news and light.
Head-to-head comparisons
Preppi The Prepster Backpack vs Ready America 2 Person Emergency Kit
Uncharted Supply Co. Seventy2 Survival System vs Uncharted Supply Co. Seventy2 Core
Uncharted Supply Co. Seventy2.0 Pro Survival System vs Emergency Zone Stealth Tactical Bug-Out Bag 2 Person
Ready America 2 Person Deluxe Emergency Kit vs Redfora Ready For Anything Emergency Kit
All emergency kits side by side
Specs from the makers. Scroll sideways on a phone to see every column.
Frequently asked questions
What should be in a 72 hour emergency kit?
Ready.gov advises one gallon of water per person per day for several days. It advises a several-day supply of non-perishable food. The basic list names a battery-powered or hand crank radio and a flashlight. It adds a first aid kit and extra batteries. A whistle and a dust mask are on the list too. So are a manual can opener and a cell phone with chargers and a backup battery.
What is a 72 hour emergency kit?
A 72-hour kit holds what a person or a household needs for the first three days. The Government of Canada recommends a kit that lasts at least 72 hours. It counts two litres of water per person per day for drinking and cooking and hygiene. On this list a 72-hour kit usually means stored food and water plus first aid in one bag.
What is on a power outage kit list?
A power outage kit covers light and communication rather than three days of food. Ready.gov names a battery-powered or hand crank radio and a flashlight with extra batteries. It also lists a cell phone with chargers and a backup battery. On this shortlist the Emergency Zone Power Outage Emergency Kit Premium follows that idea. It packs 18 items around an AM/FM dynamo radio flashlight and leaves out food and water.
Which 2 person 3 day emergency kits come with a backpack?
Several kits on this list are sized for two people over three days in a backpack. The Ready America 2 Person Emergency Kit and its Deluxe version are two of them. The Everlit STORM II Emergency Kit 2-Person adds a hand-crank radio. So does the Stealth Angel 2 Person Emergency Kit. The Uncharted Supply Co. Seventy2.0 Pro Survival System also fits but carries a water filter instead of stored water.
Shopping in the UK or Ireland? See the UK shortlist of survival kits
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