Blog 

A home emergency kit can hold water, food that needs no cooking, a radio, a flashlight with spare batteries, and a first aid kit. It can also hold a whistle, a manual can opener, local maps, and phone chargers. That is the short list. Below, each piece gets its own step, so you can pack one thing at a time. Start here.

Step 1: Pick a spot and a bin

Think of the moment the lights go out. You are standing in the dark, and you feel a little panic. Where is the flashlight? A kit helps most when it lives in one place. Use a bin with a lid. Put it in a closet or by a door. Tell everyone in the house where it is. Keep it easy to grab. A kit buried behind boxes is hard to use.

Step 2: Add water

Picture a cold evening when the tap stops working. You feel thirsty and worried at the same time. Plan one gallon of water per person per day. Count the people in your home. Start with a few days of water and add more if you can. Read the label on the water. Replace it as the label says. Start here.

Step 3: Add food that needs no cooking

Think about the moment your stomach growls and the stove will not work. You feel stuck. Pick food that needs no cooking. Choose food your family will really eat. Add a manual can opener. An electric one will not help when the power is out. It is a small tool, but you will be glad you packed it.

Step 4: Add light and spare batteries

Picture the dark hallway at night. You feel uneasy as you feel along the wall. Pack a flashlight. Pack spare batteries too. Light is the first thing most people reach for, so give it a spot on top of the bin.

Step 5: Add a radio

Think of the minute when the house goes quiet and you wonder what is going on outside. You feel cut off. A radio can bring you news when other things go quiet. Pack one in the bin.

Step 6: Add a first aid kit and a whistle

Picture a kid who trips in a dim room and scrapes a knee. You feel your heart jump. A first aid kit gives you bandages and basics in one spot. Keep it in the bin where you can find it fast. Add a whistle too. It is small, and it fits in any corner of the bin.

Step 7: Add maps and phone power

Picture the moment your phone shows one bar of battery. You feel a knot in your stomach. Pack local maps on paper. A map does not need a signal. Pack phone chargers too.

Step 8: Look inside the bin

Think of opening the bin on the night you need it. You feel relief if it is ready. You feel regret if it is not. Open it once in a while. Look at what is there. Replace the water as the label says. Write the date on a piece of tape on the lid. Then you will know when you last looked. Start here.

A note on what a kit can and cannot do

Feel unsure as you pack? A kit is a set of things you can reach for. It cannot promise an outcome. Follow local officials in a storm or outage. Start here.

What to do next

Pick one step tonight. Maybe you will feel a small win when the flashlight clicks on. Start with light, then add the rest a little at a time. When you are ready to pick a flashlight or a lantern, browse the lighting collection.

FAQ

Where should I keep my home emergency kit?

Feel worried when the lights go out? Keep your kit where everyone can find it fast, like a hall closet or a bin by the door. Tell each person where it is. Start here.

Do I need a radio if I have a phone?

Feel cut off when your phone is low? Pack a radio as well as your phone, chargers, and a backup battery. Start here.

Can a kit promise an outcome?

Feel unsure as you check the bin? No kit can promise an outcome. Follow local officials in any storm or outage. Start here.

Sources

• Source 1
• Source 2