Best Emergency Kit for Home: What Prebuilt Go-Bags Pack and What to Add Yourself

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The best emergency kit for home is the one you can grab in a minute and live from for three days, and no prebuilt bag does that on its own. Most 72-hour kits pack food bars, small water pouches, a blanket and a first aid pouch. Few pack enough water to meet the one gallon per person per day that Ready.gov and the Red Cross recommend, and none can include your prescriptions, documents or cash.

We compared seven listings sold by Amazon.com or the brand’s own store: one-, two-, three- and four-person go-bags, a car kit, a gear-only survival kit and a long-shelf-life food bucket for sheltering in place. For each, we quote what the listing says is inside, do the water math where the listing gives volumes, and flag what is missing.

In Ohio, the likely reasons to use a kit are floods, severe storms and long power outages. Treat a prebuilt bag as a head start, then fill the gaps.

Our Top Emergency Kit For Home Picks at a Glance

Price key: $ under $50 · $$ $50–$100 · $$$ $100–$175 · $$$$ $175+. Prices change often; check Amazon for today’s price.

1. Ready America 70280 2-Person 3-Day Backpack: Best Starter Kit for Two

Ready America’s 70280 is a small red backpack packed for two people for three days. Inside, according to the listing, are two emergency food bars totaling 4,800 calories, 12 sealed drinking water pouches, two ponchos, two survival blankets, a 33-piece first aid kit, dust masks, nitrile gloves, two 12-hour lightsticks and a safety whistle.

Day to day, it is meant to sit in a closet or by the door until you need it. The listing pitches it for home emergency kits, car kits, office preparedness and bug-out bags, and names earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, severe weather and power outages as uses. At a listed 9.5 by 6 by 12 inches and 7.75 pounds, it is small enough to keep in a hall closet or a car trunk.

The contents cover the shelter and protection basics well: rain gear, blankets, masks and gloves. Lighting is limited to the two lightsticks plus a whistle for signaling. The listing doesn’t give the volume of each water pouch or the shelf life of the food and water, so check the dates printed on the packages when it arrives and note when to replace them.

It suits couples and small households that want a ready-made starting point and plan to add a flashlight, a radio, more water and their own medications. The manufacturer is listed as Quakehold!, and Amazon.com is the seller.

Why we like it

• Two people covered in one bag
• Compact and light
• Masks and gloves included

Watch out for

Add a real flashlight and radio, and check the printed dates on the food and water, since the listing doesn’t give a shelf life.

Check Price on Amazon →

2. Blue Coolers Blue Seventy-Two 1-Person Kit: Best Budget One-Person Go-Bag

Blue Seventy-Two is a one-person, three-day backpack kit from Blue Coolers. The listing says every bag comes with a triple-pocket reinforced grab-and-go backpack, a 2,400-calorie pack of food bars, five 4.22-ounce emergency drinking water pouches, a mask, a 36-piece first aid kit, a whistle and compass combo, a battery-free crank flashlight, a tissue pack, an emergency blanket and a rain poncho.

Both the food and the water are listed with a five-year shelf life, which gives you a clear date to plan around. The crank flashlight needs no batteries, so it won’t be dead when the bag comes out of a closet after a few years. Blue Coolers says the kit includes food, water and emergency blankets, the three basics it says the American Red Cross recommends.

Because each bag covers one person, families can buy one per member and keep them together by the door, or split them between home and car. The listed size is 14.8 by 9.9 by 4.4 inches. The brand names hurricanes, wildfires, floods, tornadoes, earthquakes and power outages as uses.

It suits individuals, students and families who want a separate bag for each person. Plan to add water: five small pouches are a start, not a three-day supply.

Why we like it

• Battery-free light
• Five-year shelf life stated
• One bag per person

Watch out for

The water is about 21 ounces in total by our math, far short of a three-day supply, and the listing repeats one bullet, so read it carefully.

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3. Emergency Zone 4-Person Family Emergency Kit: Best Kit for a Family of Four

Emergency Zone’s Family Emergency Kit puts supplies for four people into a single backpack. The listing highlights SOS brand food rations and water, made in the USA, which it says are US Coast Guard approved and carry a five-year shelf life. The brand describes the bars as calorie dense and non-thirst inducing, needing no water or heating.

First aid comes as a 121-piece basic survival kit in a compact pouch, and the bag includes an emergency guidebook covering basic first aid, emergency planning and how to handle disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes and wildfires. Emergency Zone describes the backpack as compact and lightweight at 19 by 15 by 10 inches, with a plain, discreet look.

Day to day, a single family bag is easier to store and remember than four small ones, and one adult can carry it out the door. The trade-off is that whoever has the bag has everyone’s supplies, so it pays to tell every family member where it lives.

It suits families of four who want one grab-and-go bag instead of several. The listing bullets don’t say how many food bars or water pouches are inside, so open it when it arrives, count the supplies and compare them against the Ready.gov list.

Why we like it

• Four people in one bag
• Five-year rations
• Includes a printed guidebook

Watch out for

Food and water quantities aren’t stated in the bullets, so count them on arrival and add water to reach a real three-day supply.

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4. EVERLIT STORM II 3-Person 72-Hour Kit: Best Premium Family Go-Bag

EVERLIT’s STORM II kit is a heavy-duty tactical backpack packed for three people for 72 hours. The brand says it was designed and hand-picked by survivalists, experts and veterans, and it is the fullest bag on the list by contents. The listing names 36 packs of 125 mL drinking water, three 3,600-calorie food bars, water purification tablets, 200 pieces of medical supplies and a CAT tourniquet.

Gear goes beyond the basics: a 3-in-1 hand-crank flashlight that doubles as a radio and phone charger, an emergency shelter, thermal blankets, a poncho, goggles, gloves, a camping knife, a compass and glow sticks. EVERLIT says the water and food are approved by the US Coast Guard with a five-year shelf life, and that the food meets FEMA’s guideline of at least 1,000 calories per person per day.

The backpack is 1000D polyester, which EVERLIT describes as tear and water resistant, with four main compartments, inner pockets, padded shoulder straps, a waist strap and MOLLE panels for extra pouches. At a listed 25 pounds and 17 by 12 by 12 inches, it is a full load, so make sure whoever will carry it can manage the weight.

It suits households of three, or two adults who want extra margin, and anyone who wants a radio and water treatment in the same bag. A tourniquet is only useful if someone knows how to apply it, so consider first aid training.

Why we like it

• Radio, light and phone charger in one
• Water treatment tablets
• Organized MOLLE pack

Watch out for

At 25 pounds it’s a heavy carry, and the stated water still falls well short of a gallon per person per day.

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5. EVERLIT Survival Car Emergency Kit: Best Car Emergency Kit

EVERLIT’s Survival Car Emergency Kit is a roadside bag rather than a home go-bag, built around the two problems that strand drivers most: a low tire and a dead battery. The listing pairs a digital 12V tire inflator with 12-foot, 8-gauge copper-clad aluminum jumper cables rated at 300 amps, which EVERLIT says are UL listed.

Using the inflator is straightforward according to the brand: plug it into the car’s 12V outlet, attach it to the tire valve, preset the pressure and press power. It shuts off when the tire reaches the preset level, has an LED light for night use and comes with three extra nozzles for items like air mattresses.

The rest of the bag covers waiting it out safely. EVERLIT lists repair cable ties, bungee cords, electrical tape, a space blanket, a rain poncho, a reflective warning triangle, a glass breaker, a seatbelt cutter, safety gloves and a tow rope, along with a 108-piece first aid kit with bandages, wound pads, a CPR mask and more. EVERLIT says its products carry a one-year satisfaction warranty and a 60-day return.

It suits any driver, especially in Ohio winters, who wants the roadside basics in one 8-pound bag. Add water, snacks, a warm blanket and a phone charger for a long wait.

Why we like it

• Tire inflator and jumper cables together
• Reflective triangle for visibility
• Large first aid kit

Watch out for

There’s no food or water, so pair it with a few bottles and snacks, and swap them out seasonally.

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6. Ready Hour 120-Serving Entree Bucket: Best Shelter-in-Place Food Supply

Ready Hour’s Entree Bucket isn’t a go-bag at all; it is a stock of freeze-dried meals for staying put. The bucket holds up to 120 servings split across 22 resealable pouches, so you can open one meal’s worth at a time. Ready Hour says the food is designed for emergencies but tasty enough for everyday use.

Storage is the selling point. The brand says the food lasts up to 25 years when kept somewhere cool and dry, requires no refrigeration, and comes in a durable, flood-safe container with a handle. Once a pouch is opened and resealed, the listing says it lasts up to a year.

Freeze-dried meals are normally rehydrated before eating, and the bullets don’t say how much water each serving needs, so check the directions on the pouches and store extra water alongside the bucket. Ready Hour says it manufactures and packs its food in Salt Lake City, Utah, from domestic and imported goods.

It suits households planning for long outages or winter storms when staying home is safer than leaving, and anyone building toward the Red Cross’s two-week home supply. At a listed 20 pounds, it belongs in a pantry or on a basement shelf, not in a backpack. Keep it off the floor if your basement takes on water.

Why we like it

• Long stated shelf life
• Resealable portions
• Stackable bucket

Watch out for

Plan water for preparing the meals, since the listing doesn’t state how much each serving needs.

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7. RIKOJUXI 262-Piece Survival Kit: Best Gear-Only Survival Kit

RIKOJUXI’s 262-piece Survival Kit is a gear bag rather than a food-and-water kit. Everything packs into a crossbody bag with multiple compartments, MOLLE-compatible straps and D-rings, and a detachable strap so it can clip onto a larger backpack. The brand says it was developed with survival experts, outdoor professionals and mountain guides.

Inside, according to the listing, are a red first aid pouch with tweezers, scissors, pins, non-woven pads, a triangular bandage, cotton swabs and adhesive strips, plus an emergency information card to record your basic details. For light, there is a flashlight, a camping lamp and glow sticks, which the brand says provide up to 72 hours of lighting.

Shelter and tool items include an emergency tent and blanket, rope, a compass, a wire saw, a fire starter, a fishing kit, a multi-use spoon and a collapsible water container. The biggest pieces are a detachable carbon steel axe with hammer and a 2-in-1 shovel with pick, each 17 inches long. Keep those out of reach of kids.

It suits households that already store food and water and want a compact tool and light kit, or campers who want a backup. The listing claims every item was rigorously tested against disaster-agency guidelines; that is RIKOJUXI’s statement, not a named standard.

Why we like it

• Top seller in its category
• Light, shelter and tools in one bag
• Emergency info card

Watch out for

There is no food or drinking water inside, and the axe and shovel add sharp, heavy items to store safely.

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How We Chose the Best Emergency Kits for Home

We kept to listings in stock and sold by Amazon.com or the brand’s own store, then compared each against the basic kit lists from Ready.gov and the American Red Cross:

• People and days covered: one, two, three or four people, and whether the listing says 72 hours.
• Water and food: stated volumes, calories and shelf life, with water math against one gallon per person per day.
• Light, radio and first aid: what is inside versus what you need to add.
• Weight and bag: whether one adult can carry it out the door.
• Listing quality: sales rank, warranty field and any placeholder values. Piece counts are the brands’ own and weren’t used to rank picks.

Emergency Kit Buying Guide

Best 72 Hour Emergency Kit: Do the Water Math

Ready.gov’s basic disaster supplies list calls for one gallon of water per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation. The American Red Cross survival kit page uses the same gallon figure and adds a 3-day supply for evacuation and a 2-week supply at home. By that standard, three people for three days need about nine gallons. The EVERLIT STORM II’s 36 pouches of 125 mL work out to about 1.2 gallons by our math, and Blue Seventy-Two’s five 4.22-ounce pouches total about 21 ounces. Every prebuilt kit here needs extra water stored alongside it.

Best Emergency Go Bag Size: One Bag or One Per Person?

One-person kits like Blue Seventy-Two let each family member carry their own supplies. Family bags like Emergency Zone (four people), EVERLIT STORM II (three) and Ready America 70280 (two) keep everything together but put the whole load on one carrier. EVERLIT’s bag is listed at 25 pounds; Ready America’s at 7.75 pounds.

Best Survival Kit for Family: What to Add Yourself

Ready.gov tells families to add items based on their own needs, including prescription medications, prescription eyeglasses, infant formula and diapers, pet food and extra water for your pet, cash, and copies of important documents such as insurance policies and identification, kept in a waterproof container. The Red Cross list adds a 7-day supply of medications, a cell phone with chargers and family contact information. No prebuilt kit can supply those for you.

Best Emergency Preparedness Kit for Sheltering at Home

Not every emergency means leaving. During a long outage or winter storm, a home supply matters more than a backpack. Ready Hour’s bucket stores up to 120 servings with a stated 25-year shelf life, and Ready.gov’s list adds a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert, a flashlight and extra batteries. Our guides to the best weather radio, best flashlight for emergencies and best first aid kit cover those pieces in depth.

Best Car Emergency Kit

Ready.gov’s car safety page suggests keeping an emergency kit in your car in case you are stranded, with jumper cables, flares or a reflective triangle, an ice scraper, a car cell phone charger, a blanket, a map, and cat litter or sand for tire traction. The EVERLIT car kit covers the jumper cables, triangle and a space blanket; add the scraper, charger, traction sand, water and snacks yourself.

Check Dates and Rotate Supplies

Ready.gov says to replace expired items as needed and to rethink your kit every year as your family’s needs change. Blue Seventy-Two, Emergency Zone and EVERLIT STORM II list five-year shelf lives for their food and water; Ready America’s listing gives none. Write the expiration date on the outside of each bag and set a calendar reminder.

Floods, Outages and Keeping Documents Safe

Ready.gov’s flood page calls floods the most common disaster in the United States, advises gathering non-perishable food, cleaning supplies and water for several days, and says to keep documents in a waterproof container and make password-protected digital copies. It also warns: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown!”, noting that six inches of moving water can knock you down. For Ohio-specific steps, see preparing your Ohio home for flooding.

A copy of your insurance policy belongs in the kit, too. Whether flood, storm or outage-related damage is covered depends on your policy and any separate flood coverage, so ask your agent rather than assuming. Our Ohio homeowners insurance guide and renters insurance cost guide explain the basics.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best emergency kit for home use?

For a complete prebuilt bag, the EVERLIT STORM II packs food, water, purification tablets, first aid and a crank radio flashlight for three people. For a simple start for two, the Ready America 70280 is sold by Amazon.com. Either way, add water, medications, documents and cash.

How much water should a 72 hour emergency kit have?

Ready.gov and the Red Cross both say one gallon per person per day. For three days, that is three gallons per person. None of the prebuilt kits here comes close, so store extra water next to the bag.

What should I add to a prebuilt emergency go bag?

Ready.gov lists prescription medications, glasses, infant supplies, pet food and water, cash, and copies of important documents in a waterproof container. The Red Cross adds a 7-day medication supply, phone chargers and family contact information.

What is the best car emergency kit?

The EVERLIT Survival Car Emergency Kit pairs a 12V tire inflator with 12-foot jumper cables, a reflective triangle and a 108-piece first aid kit. Ready.gov also suggests an ice scraper, phone charger, blanket, map and sand or cat litter for traction.

How long do emergency kit food and water last?

It depends on the kit. Blue Seventy-Two, Emergency Zone and EVERLIT STORM II list a five-year shelf life, Ready Hour says up to 25 years for its freeze-dried food, and Ready America doesn’t state one. Check the printed dates and replace expired items.

The Bottom Line

The best emergency kit for home is a prebuilt bag plus what only you can add. The EVERLIT STORM II is the most complete bag here, the Ready America 70280 is an easy start for two, Blue Seventy-Two gives each person their own bag, and the Emergency Zone kit covers four in one pack. Put the EVERLIT car kit in the trunk, keep the Ready Hour bucket for long outages at home, and use the RIKOJUXI kit for tools and light if you already store food and water. Then add water to reach a gallon per person per day, plus medications, documents, cash and pet supplies.

Putting a copy of your policy in the go-bag and not sure what it covers in a flood or storm? Call Jeff Smith’s State Farm office at (740) 354-7747 or schedule a free coverage review.