8 Things to Keep in Mind When Building a Survival Kit From Scratch

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Quick answer: a survival kit starts with water, food, first aid, shelter and warmth, a way to charge devices and get information, basic sanitation and a few tools. Ready.gov recommends being able to live on your own for several days. Build it in a bag or bin, store it where you can grab it quickly and review it every year. Skills and a plan matter as much as the gear.

A survival kit is a collection of the basic things you and your household would need if help could not reach you for a few days. You do not need to buy everything at once, and you do not need specialist gear. This guide covers eight areas to think about, based on the Ready.gov basic disaster supplies list, plus the skills that make the gear work.

1. Water

Water comes first. Store at least one gallon per person per day for drinking and sanitation, with a minimum of three days and a two-week supply as the goal, as the CDC advises. Replace home-filled water every six months. Learn at least one way to make water safe, such as boiling it for one full minute (three minutes above 6,500 feet), and keep unscented household bleach on hand as a backup. Our guides to storing water, purifying water and boiling water without electricity cover the details. If you have only seawater or salty water, read how to make salt and seawater drinkable and remember that drinking seawater makes you sicker.

2. Emergency food

Pack at least several days of non-perishable food that needs little or no cooking. Canned goods, nut butters, crackers, granola bars, dried fruit and ready-to-eat meals work well. Include a manual can opener and a few paper plates and utensils. Check expiration dates when you review the kit and swap items before they expire.

3. First aid

A first aid kit should handle cuts, burns, blisters, sprains and minor illness. Add prescription medicines, over-the-counter pain relievers and anti-diarrhea medicine. A small kit in the car is useful, but a more complete kit at home is better. Consider taking a first aid class, because the supplies only help if you know how to use them. See our list of survival medical supplies.

4. Shelter and warmth

Think about how you would stay warm and dry if the power failed or you had to leave your home. Blankets or sleeping bags, extra clothing, a rain poncho and a tent or tarp for evacuation all help. A thin emergency blanket is a light backup, but it does not provide much insulation by itself, so use it with real clothing. See our guides to building a shelter and heating a tent safely, and our look at the best survival ponchos.

5. Power and light

Pack flashlights, extra batteries, a power bank for your phone and, if you can, a hand-crank or solar charger. Flashlights are safer than candles during an outage. Keep your phone charged when a storm is coming.

6. Cooking

If you plan to cook without power, choose a camp stove or similar and use it outdoors only. The CDC warns that charcoal grills, camp stoves and lanterns should never be used inside a home, tent or camper because they produce carbon monoxide. For more ideas, see how to cook in a grid-down situation and our list of campfire cooking tools.

7. Sanitation

Pack garbage bags, plastic ties, moist towelettes, toilet paper, soap and hand sanitizer. A bucket with a lid and heavy bags can serve as a basic emergency toilet. Good hygiene prevents illness when normal services are down.

8. Communication and information

A battery-powered or hand-crank radio, ideally with NOAA Weather Radio alerts, keeps you informed when the internet and cell towers are down. A whistle can signal for help. Write down important phone numbers, and decide on a family meeting place and an out-of-area contact. If you want two-way radios, see our guide to survival walkie-talkies.

Survival knowledge and skills

Gear is only half the picture. Learn how to turn off your utilities, find safe water, give first aid, build a fire safely and navigate without a phone. Practice a few at a time, with your family. Our guide to long-term outdoor survival has more on skills, and our piece on why you should filter water explains why water safety is the one skill nobody should skip.

Packing and maintaining your kit

Ready.gov suggests storing items in airtight plastic bags and keeping the kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers such as plastic bins or a duffel bag. Prepare supplies for home, work and the car, because you will not know where you are when an emergency happens. Keep canned food in a cool, dry place, store boxed food in tightly closed containers, replace expired items and review your needs once a year. For a more detailed list, see our 72-hour kit checklist and our guide to the items worth stockpiling.

A staged shopping plan

If you are starting from nothing, build the kit in layers. First, water and a few days of food. Second, light and information: flashlights, batteries and a radio. Third, first aid and medications. Fourth, warmth: blankets, a poncho and a change of clothes. Fifth, sanitation. Sixth, tools and a way to charge devices. Seventh, cooking equipment for outdoor use. Finally, documents, cash and a written family plan. Each step takes a small amount of money, and each makes your household noticeably more resilient.

Special considerations

Think about the people in your household. Babies need formula, diapers and wipes. Older adults and people with chronic conditions need medications, backups for medical devices and a plan for refrigerated medicines. Pets need food, water and a way to be carried. Children may need comfort items and activities. Ready.gov recommends rethinking your needs every year, since a family’s needs change.

Common mistakes to avoid

Buying lots of gear but too little water.
Packing food your family does not like or cannot prepare without power.
Forgetting to rotate batteries, food and medicine.
Putting the kit where nobody can reach it, such as the back of a packed closet.
Never practicing with the equipment, such as the stove, radio or water treatment.

Relying on a single method for anything important, such as one flashlight or one way to purify water.

Where each kit should live

Home: a full kit in a cool, dry, easy-to-reach spot, such as a hall closet or the garage shelf near the door.
Car: a smaller kit with water, snacks, a blanket, a flashlight, a first aid kit and a phone charger. See our car emergency kit checklist.

Work: supplies to shelter for at least 24 hours, plus comfortable walking shoes, as Ready.gov suggests.
Go bag: a lighter pack with the essentials for each person if you must leave on foot.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most important item in a survival kit?

Water. You can survive much longer without food than without water, and unsafe water can make you very ill.

How big should my survival kit be?

Big enough to cover several days for everyone in your household, but small enough that you can carry it or move it quickly if you need to leave.

Do I need a different kit for the car?

Yes. Ready.gov recommends keeping a portable emergency kit in your car in case you get stranded.

How often should I update my kit?

Review it once a year and replace expired food, medicines and batteries.

Where should I start if I am on a budget?

Start with water and a few days of food, then add a first aid kit, a flashlight, a radio and extra batteries a few items at a time.

Bottom line

A good survival kit is built in layers: water and food first, then first aid, warmth, light, sanitation and communication. Add skills and a plan, store it where you can reach it, and check it every year.