FIELD NOTES / EMERGENCY KIT
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Why these amounts
- Water: 1 gallon per person per day. That covers drinking and basic sanitation. The CDC says to store at least 1 gallon per person per day for 3 days, and to aim for 2 weeks. This kit is the 3-day floor. Two weeks is 14 gallons a person, which is a bigger project than most apartments can hold. The Red Cross draws the same line: 3 days if you have to leave, 2 weeks at home.
- Before you fill the jug: the CDC says to wash it, sanitize it with 1 teaspoon of unscented bleach in 1 quart of water, label it "drinking water" with the date, and keep it cool and out of sunlight. Replace the water every 6 months.
- The filter is the plan B. It treats water from a tub or a stream when the jug is empty. Microfilters like it don't reliably stop viruses, per the CDC Yellow Book. When in doubt, boil the water for 1 minute (Ready.gov).
- Food: no cooking, no tools. Ready.gov says to have at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food. Food bars are the lowest-effort way to cover 3 days in one box. If you have a pantry full of canned food, add a manual can opener, which is on Ready.gov's kit list.
- Light and news: a lamp each, one radio. Ready.gov's power outage advice is a flashlight for every household member. NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts official warnings around the clock from more than 1,000 transmitters (weather.gov/nwr), and a hand-crank radio still works when the cell network is down.
- The rest comes from Ready.gov's list. A first aid kit, a whistle to signal for help, dust masks and duct tape are all on the Build A Kit checklist.
- Where it goes: everything is a jug, a small box or a pouch. For 1 to 2 people it fits under one bed or in a closet corner.
- Not included, and worth adding: your prescriptions and any medicine you take, copies of your documents, cash, a phone charger and power bank, a change of clothes, and supplies for pets or kids. Ready.gov has the full list.
- Check it once a year. Replace anything that expires or has gone bad.
Why these amounts
- Water: 1 gallon per person per day, for 2 weeks. The CDC says to store at least 1 gallon per person per day for 3 days and to try for 2 weeks if you can. The Red Cross says the same: a 3-day supply if you have to leave, a 2-week supply for home. A house has the room, so this kit goes for the 2 weeks. That is one 2-pack of jugs (14 gallons) per person, and it is the biggest cost here. Want to start smaller? The CDC floor is 3 gallons a person, so you can uncheck the water and buy fewer jugs on your own.
- Before you fill a jug: the CDC says to wash it, sanitize it with 1 teaspoon of unscented bleach in 1 quart of water, label it "drinking water" with the date, and keep it cool and out of sunlight. Replace the water every 6 months. The CDC also says to keep a bottle of unscented household bleach (5% to 9% sodium hypochlorite) on hand for disinfecting water. We don't sell one, so grab it at the grocery store.
- The filter is plan B. Microfilters like it don't reliably stop viruses, per the CDC Yellow Book. If in doubt, boil the water for 1 minute (Ready.gov).
- Food: 2 weeks of things you don't have to cook. The Red Cross asks for non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food, 2 weeks for home. We kept it no-cook on purpose: the CDC says never to use a portable gas camp stove indoors or burn charcoal indoors. One tuna pouch a person a day plus peanut butter is a floor, not a full diet. Add the shelf-stable food your family actually eats (canned goods, crackers, cereal), plus a manual can opener, which is on the Red Cross list. Check dates once a year.
- Light and news. Ready.gov says to have a flashlight for every household member. NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts official warnings around the clock from more than 1,000 transmitters (weather.gov/nwr), and a hand-crank radio still works when the cell network is down. The lantern lights a room so you never reach for a candle.
- Carbon monoxide. The CDC says to install battery-operated or battery back-up CO detectors near every sleeping area, to check the batteries each spring and fall when you change the clocks, and to replace the detector per the maker or about every 5 years. We count one alarm for every 2 people; if you have more bedrooms, buy more.
- If you own a generator. We don't sell one. The CDC says to run it only outdoors, more than 20 feet from windows, doors and vents, never inside the house or garage, even with doors and windows open, and to have a battery-powered CO detector in the home.
- Fire and utilities. A fire extinguisher, and a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, are both on Ready.gov's Build A Kit list. Find your water and gas shutoffs before you need them. Ready.gov's list also has garbage bags and plastic ties for sanitation, a whistle, dust masks and duct tape.
- Warmth. The Red Cross lists an emergency blanket for each person. Mylar blankets are cheap and take almost no room. Real blankets or sleeping bags are better; Ready.gov lists one for each person.
- Not included, and worth adding: a 7-day supply of your medicine (the Red Cross list says 7 days), copies of your documents, cash, phone chargers, a change of clothes and sturdy shoes, and supplies for pets, babies or older relatives. The Red Cross also lists maps of your area.
- Check it once a year. Replace anything that expired or went bad, and swap the jug water every 6 months.