The 72-hour kit is the cornerstone of family resilience. Its goal: let your household survive 3 days without outside help during an event that disrupts daily life. Here's the exact contents, updated 2026 prices, and alternatives to know.
Why exactly 72 hours?
This is the average time before organized rescue reaches a disaster zone during a major event. Beyond that, help arrives; before, you're on your own. Preparing for 72h solves 80% of real-world scenarios.
The 6 pillars of a 72h kit
1. Water (absolute priority)
- 3 liters per person per day = 9 L/person for 72h
- For 4 people: 36 liters minimum
- 1.5 L bottles stacked in a cupboard, away from light
- Rotate every 6 months (write the date with a marker)
- Bonus: purification tablets (~$18, treats 100 L)
2. Food
- 7 days of dry reserve + long-shelf-life cans
- Favor: pasta, rice, legumes, UHT milk, ready-to-eat cans
- Manual can opener ($10) — often forgotten
- Special diets: infant, allergies, medical
3. Energy & light
- 2 LED flashlights ($18 each) + headlamp
- Fresh AA/AAA battery pack ($14)
- 20,000 mAh power bank ($45) — covers 5 phone recharges
- Avoid candles in insulated rooms (CO + fire risk)
4. Communication
- Battery or hand-crank FM radio ($30) — works without 4G
- Backup SIM from another carrier
- Paper list of emergency contacts in the bag
5. Health & first aid
- Full first aid kit ($40): antiseptic, dressings, painkillers, scissors, tweezers
- 30 days of regular medications
- Photocopies of prescriptions in waterproof pouch
6. Documents
- Waterproof A4 pouch ($10)
- Paper copies: ID, family record, health card, insurance, IBAN
- 1-page medical summary per member (allergies, treatments, blood type)
Total budget
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Water (36 L) | $30 |
| Purification tablets | $18 |
| 7-day food reserve | $90 |
| Stove + cartridges | $50 |
| Lights + batteries + power bank | $80 |
| FM radio | $30 |
| First aid kit | $40 |
| Document pouch + prints | $15 |
| Total | ~$355 |
The go-bag
Different from the 72h kit! The go-bag is ready to grab in 2 minutes, 8-10 kg max per adult. Contains:
- Full document pouch
- 1 L of water + 1 day of compact food
- Headlamp + phone charger
- Change of clothes + emergency blanket
- Mini first aid kit
- Cash ($200)
Common mistakes
- ❌ Buying a $250 pre-made kit poorly suited to you → prefer custom
- ❌ Storing in a flood-prone basement
- ❌ Forgetting pets
- ❌ Never opening the kit for 5 years
- ❌ Relying on smartphone alone for contacts
Want to check your kit against real conditions? The ResiHome test assesses your level on 12 dimensions and tells you exactly what's missing. 5 minutes, free, no signup.