72-Hour Emergency Kit: What to Pack and How to Keep It Fresh
What a family's 72-hour emergency kit should hold, how to split it across backpacks and how often to check it so it doesn't fail when you need it.
A 72-hour kit is what your family needs to get through three days when nothing works the way it normally does: no water from the tap, no power, stores closed. Three days is the minimum preparedness agencies plan around, while help arrives or services come back.
It doesn't have to be perfect. An incomplete kit sitting by the door is worth more than the ideal list you never finished buying.
One pack per person, or at least well divided
If everyone carries their own, nobody depends on someone else making it home. Adults take water and food; kids get something light, like a change of clothes, a small toy and a little flashlight. Keep the packs where you can grab them in seconds: the entry closet, behind a door, the trunk of the car.
What goes in
Water. One gallon (3.8 liters) per person per day, so three gallons each. Add more for kids, heat or pets. Here is the full water math.
Food. Three days of things that need no refrigeration and little cooking: canned tuna and sardines, crackers, nuts, bars, peanut butter, cereal. Don't forget a manual can opener, the thing people forget most. Pick what your family already eats; an emergency is a bad time to try new flavors. And if what fails is the power, here is what to do with the food in your refrigerator.
First aid and medicine. Bandages, gauze, antiseptic, scissors, gloves and pain relievers. Plus daily medications for several days with the dosage written down, and a spare pair of glasses if anyone wears them.
Light and communication. A flashlight with spare batteries (better than candles), a battery or hand-crank radio for official alerts, a charged power bank and a whistle. If you want to go beyond the power bank, see which one fits: power bank, power station or generator.
Papers and cash. Copies of IDs, insurance and contact numbers in a sealed bag. Small bills: when the power is out, card payments fail.
Hygiene and warmth. Wet wipes, toilet paper, trash bags, soap, masks, a thermal blanket and a change of clothes. If it's rainy or cold, rain gear and dry socks.
What's specific to your home. Diapers and formula for babies, particular medicines, a spare cane, pet food and a leash. A kit really works when it's built for the people who live with you.
The plan goes in the pack too
Write down a meeting point, an out-of-town contact and the routes out of your area, and carry it printed. Phones die exactly when you need them. If you want to work that out calmly, we have a guide to building your family plan step by step.
The mistake of packing it and forgetting it
A kit at the back of a closet spoils quietly: food expires, batteries drain or leak, the kids' clothes stop fitting. Set an alarm every six months (a change of season is a good moment), check dates, swap the water and adjust sizes.
If you'd rather carry it in the app
Despendo has the 72-hour kit as a checklist with a progress bar: you tick what you already own and see how much is left. Once your family is registered, quantities adjust to how many people you are. The barcode scanner helps log food without typing, and you can export your emergency plan to keep on paper.
Sources and further reading
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By subscribing you accept our privacy policy.Despendo is an independent app. This guide is general information: adapt it to your family, climate and medical needs, and always follow local authorities' instructions.
