Five-day emergency supplies
Water, food, light, a radio and first aid for five days at home, built from Ready.gov's basic kit list.
📖 Read the guide: build a basic emergency kit
Amounts below are for 4 people, 5 days. They are planning estimates; change any of them on your list.
Saves the 18 must-haves, 4 easy-to-forget items and 4 things to do to a list on this device. Upgrades are up to you. Then shop the list item by item and tick things off.
At a glance
- 🔎 Drinking and cleaning water20 gallons
- 🔎 Non-perishable food20 person-days
- 🛒 Manual can opener1 can opener
- 🛒 Weather radio1 radio
- 🛒 Flashlights4 flashlights
- 🛒 Batteries16 batteries
- 🛒 First aid kit1 kit
- 🛒 Whistle4 whistles
- 🛒 Masks8 masks
- 🔎 Plastic sheeting1 roll
- 🛒 Duct tape1 roll
- 🔎 Wet wipes100 wipes
- 🔎 Trash bags10 bags
- 🔎 Zip ties1 pack
- 🔎 Pliers1 pair
- 🔎 Paper road map1 map
- 🛒 Power bank4 power banks
- 🔎 Charging cables2 cables
🛒 9 exact products we picked · 🔎 9 Amazon searches, so you choose the brand and size.
Must-haves (18)
- Must-have
Drinking and cleaning water
1 gallon per person per day is the Red Cross and Ready.gov amount. Hot weather, nursing and illness can need more.
Get about 20 gallons
4 people × 5 days × 1 = 20 gallons · official amount
Amazon search: “gallon drinking water”
- Must-have
Non-perishable food
One person-day is a day of food for one person. Pick food your household already eats.
Get about 20 person-days
4 people × 5 days × 1 = 20 person-days
Amazon search: “non perishable food”
- Must-haveOur pick
Manual can opener
Mebotem heavy-duty manual can opener
Big handles and an easy-turn knob. No power needed.
Good for: Every pantry
Get about 1 can opener
1 can opener for the group
Ready.gov puts one in the basic kit.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Must-haveOur pick
Weather radio
Midland ER310 hand-crank NOAA weather radio
Weather alerts, plus hand-crank and solar charging.
Good for: Every home kit
Get about 1 radio
1 radio for the group
Ready.gov lists a battery-powered or hand-crank radio with NOAA alerts.
- Upgrade: Midland ER310PRO weather radio ↗The newer ER310 with a bigger battery and Bluetooth.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Must-haveOur pick
Flashlights
GearLight S1000 rechargeable flashlights, 2-pack
Bright flashlights that charge by USB-C, so a power bank keeps them going.
Good for: Outages
Get about 4 flashlights
4 people × 1 = 4 flashlights
One per person, so nobody is left in the dark.
- Budget pick: GearLight S1000 flashlights, 2-pack (AAA) ↗The same light on AAA batteries, sold without batteries.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Must-haveOur pick
Batteries
Amazon Basics AA batteries, 48-pack
A big pack of AAs for lights and radios.
Good for: Restocking
Get about 16 batteries
4 people × 4 = 16 batteries
Check sizes for your lights and radio.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Must-haveOur pick
First aid kit
First Aid Only 298-piece all-purpose kit
A stocked kit to start from. Add your own medicines.
Good for: Home and car
Get about 1 kit
1 kit for the group
- Upgrade: Surviveware comprehensive first aid kit ↗A bigger, organized kit in a tough bag.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Our pick
Whistle
Fox 40 Classic whistle with breakaway lanyard
A loud pealess whistle on a breakaway cord.
Good for: Go-bags and kids
Get about 4 whistles
4 people × 1 = 4 whistles
Ready.gov lists a whistle to signal for help.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Our pickCheck with a pro
Masks
3M 8210 N95 masks, 20-pack
NIOSH-approved N95 masks for dust and smoke.
Good for: Smoke and cleanup
Get about 8 masks
4 people × 2 = 8 masks
Ready.gov lists masks to filter contaminated air. EPA says a well-fitted N95 can reduce wildfire smoke; kids need their own sizes.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
Plastic sheeting
Get about 1 roll
1 roll for the group
- Our pick
Duct tape
Gorilla Tape, black, 2-pack
Thick, strong tape for quick repairs and sealing plastic.
Good for: Kits and repairs
Get about 1 roll
1 roll for the group
Ready.gov lists plastic sheeting and duct tape.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
Wet wipes
Ready.gov lists moist towelettes.
Get about 100 wipes (2 × 80-pack)
4 people × 5 days × 5 = 100 wipes
- Must-have
Trash bags
Our rule: half a bag per person per day; at least one per day.
Get about 10 bags (1 × 50-pack)
4 people × 5 days × 0.5 = 10 bags
Amazon search: “heavy duty trash bags”
Zip ties
Get about 1 pack
1 pack for the group
Pliers
Get about 1 pair
1 pair for the group
Paper road map
Get about 1 map
1 map for the group
Amazon search: “road atlas”
- Our pick
Power bank
Anker PowerCore Slim 10,000mAh power bank
Pocket-size backup charging for a phone.
Good for: Everyday bag
Get about 4 power banks
4 adults × 1 = 4 power banks
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
Charging cables
Get about 2 cables
2 cables for the group
Amazon search: “usb c charging cable”
Easy to forget (4)
- Must-have
Prescription medicines
Red Cross: a 7-day supply. Ask your prescriber or pharmacy what is possible.
Get about 4 one-week supplies
4 people × 1 = 4 one-week supplies · official amount
Amazon search: “weekly pill organizer”
Cash in small bills
Ready.gov: card readers and ATMs may be down.
Get about 1 envelope
1 envelope for the group
Amazon search: “cash envelope wallet”
- Our pick
Document bag
Flypal fireproof document bag with lock, XL
Keeps IDs and papers together, ready to grab.
Good for: Go-bag
Get about 1 bag
1 bag for the group
Copies of IDs, insurance and medical papers.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
Contact lens supplies or spare glasses
Ready.gov lists glasses and contact lens solution.
Get about 1 set
1 set for the group
Amazon search: “contact lens case travel”
Upgrades (5)
- Our pick
Headlamps
Energizer LED Headlamp PRO, 2-pack
Light where you look, and batteries included.
Good for: Outages and camping
Get about 4 headlamps (2 × 2-pack)
4 people × 1 = 4 headlamps
- Upgrade: Black Diamond Spot 400 headlamp ↗Brighter and waterproof, from an outdoor brand.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Our pick
Water storage container
Reliance Aqua-Tainer 7-gallon water container
A 7-gallon jug with a spigot for storing your own tap water.
Good for: Water at home
Get about 2 containers
2 containers for the group
For filling your own water. Two 7-gallon containers hold about 14 gallons.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Our pick
3-day emergency food supply
Mountain House 3-day emergency food supply kit
Freeze-dried meals for three days in one box. Add hot water.
Good for: Go-bag or a short outage
Get about 4 kits
4 people × 1 = 4 kits
A ready-made option; one kit per person.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Our pick
Gravity water filter
LifeStraw Family gravity water purifier, 12 L
Purifies larger amounts by gravity, no power needed. The maker rates it for viruses too.
Good for: A household
Get about 1 filter
1 filter for the group
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Budget pick
Portable power station
Jackery Explorer 300 Plus
Runs phones, lights and a small fan. Light enough to carry.
Good for: Short outages
Get about 1 station
1 station for the group
- Upgrade: Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 ↗A large battery for small appliances in longer outages.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
Spend less (2)
Instead of gravity water filter:
Unscented household bleach
For cleaning, and for making water safe using CDC's amounts.
Get about 1 bottle
1 bottle for the group
Amazon search: “unscented bleach”
Instead of portable power station:
- Our pick
Power bank
Anker PowerCore Slim 10,000mAh power bank
Pocket-size backup charging for a phone.
Good for: Everyday bag
Get about 4 power banks
4 adults × 1 = 4 power banks
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
Things to do (4)
- ✅ Make a family emergency planReady.gov: decide how you'll get alerts, where you'll meet and how you'll reach each other.
- ✅ Sign up for local alertsSearch your county's name and "emergency alerts". Turn on wireless emergency alerts on phones.
- ✅ Store copies of key documentsIDs, insurance, deeds, medical and pet records.
- ✅ Rotate stored food and waterCheck dates every six months.
Official guide: Ready.gov: Build a Kit ↗
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General planning information, not professional or medical advice. A list does not guarantee anyone’s safety. In any emergency, call your local emergency number and follow official guidance from local authorities.
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