Guide, United States

72-hour kit list: what to pack for a family, with a free printable checklist

How we wrote this: researched from the official sources listed at the end of the page. General information only, not medical or legal advice. Last checked 1 November 2026.

Last reviewed: November 1, 2026

A 72-hour kit is a set of supplies that lets your household look after itself for three days: water, food, light, a radio, first aid, sanitation items, documents, cash, phone power, basic tools and something warm to sleep in. The federal preparedness site Ready.gov calls for one gallon of water per person per day and at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food, and the list on this page follows it.

Holdline Provisions sells packs and gear for this, so we say so up front. The list below comes from the official sources at the bottom of the page, not from our catalog, and you can build every item yourself. If you would rather start with a head start, the 72-hour packs are sized by household and days.

The list on one screen

Category	What to pack	Where the list comes from
Water	One gallon per person per day, for drinking and sanitation	Ready.gov
Food	A several-day supply of non-perishable food, a manual can opener, eating utensils	Ready.gov
Light	A flashlight for every household member, plus extra batteries	Ready.gov
Radio	A battery-powered or hand crank radio, and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert	Ready.gov
First aid	A first aid kit, prescription medications, and any non-prescription medicines your household uses	Ready.gov
Sanitation	Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties, soap, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes	Ready.gov
Documents	Copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records, saved electronically or in a waterproof, portable container	Ready.gov
Cash	Cash or traveler's checks	Ready.gov
Phone power	A cell phone with chargers and a backup battery	Ready.gov
Tools	A wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, a whistle, a dust mask, plastic sheeting, scissors, duct tape, local maps	Ready.gov
Warmth	A sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person, clothing for your climate, sturdy shoes	Ready.gov

The quantities and the items for specific people follow below.

What the less obvious items are for

Most of the table explains itself. A few items do not, so here is the reason Ready.gov gives for each:

The whistle is "to signal for help".
The dust mask is to help filter contaminated air.
Plastic sheeting, scissors and duct tape are to shelter in place.
The wrench or pliers are to turn off utilities.
Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties are for personal sanitation.

Ready.gov also lists a fire extinguisher, matches in a waterproof container, mess kits, feminine supplies and a sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person among its extras. Add them as your household needs.

Why three days

Ready.gov says you may need to survive on your own for "several days". It does not give an exact number. We build our packs to 72 hours as a minimum. That is our product choice, not an official rule, and if you have the space, store more.

Here is why the number is not small. The Texas Comptroller's office reports that during the February 2021 winter storm, power blackouts spanned most of the state from February 15 to 18, and the grid did not normalize until February 19. A University of Houston survey cited by the Comptroller found that 69 percent of Texans lost power at some point from February 14 to 20, and the average outage among them was 42 hours, 31 of them consecutive. That is a record of what happened, not a forecast. The average of 42 hours fits inside 72 hours, and the blackouts across the state ran from February 15 to 18, so size the kit for the event and not for the average.

The first step costs nothing: choose a spot in the house for the kit and write down who is in your household. Everything else on this page hangs off those two answers.

Water and food quantities

Water

Ready.gov says to store at least one gallon of water per person per day, for several days, for drinking and sanitation. For a 72-hour kit that is the arithmetic below.

Household	Water for 3 days at one gallon per person per day
1 person	3 gallons (about 11 liters)
2 people	6 gallons
4 people	12 gallons (about 45 liters)
6 people	18 gallons

The three days is our pack size, and the gallons come from multiplying people by days. Ready.gov also notes that a normally active person needs about three-quarters of a gallon of fluid daily from water and other beverages, that individual needs vary, and that children, nursing mothers and sick people may need more water. In very hot temperatures, it says, water needs can double. If you live somewhere hot, size up.

For storage, Ready.gov says to keep commercially bottled water in its sealed original container in a cool, dark place. If you fill your own containers, buy food-grade water storage containers. Water that has not been commercially bottled should be replaced every six months.

If your tap water may not be safe, follow your health department. The CDC's boiling step is to bring clear water to a rolling boil for 1 minute, or 3 minutes at elevations above 6,500 feet. Water contaminated with fuel, toxic chemicals or radioactive materials cannot be made safe by boiling, according to the CDC, so use bottled water and contact your health department. Read the full CDC page before you rely on any treatment method. General information, not medical advice.

Food

Ready.gov asks for at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food. It suggests ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables, protein or fruit bars, peanut butter, dried fruit and non-perishable pasteurized milk, and it tells you to remember any special dietary needs. It also says to include a manual can opener and eating utensils.

Stock foods your household will actually eat. That part is our advice, and it matters: food nobody likes stays in the box. Store canned food in a cool, dry place and boxed food in tightly closed plastic or metal containers, as Ready.gov advises. Do not eat from cans that are swollen, dented or corroded, which is also Ready.gov's guidance.

By person

Adults

Ready.gov tells you to add items based on your individual needs, starting with prescription medications. It notes that about half of all Americans take a prescription medicine every day. It also lists prescription eyeglasses and contact lens solution, and non-prescription medicines such as pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medication, antacids and laxatives. Ask your doctor or pharmacist what is right for you. General information, not medical advice.

Children

Ready.gov lists books, games, puzzles or other activities for children. A familiar comfort item and a change of clothes are our suggestions, not Ready.gov's. Remember the water note above: children may need more water.

Infants

Ready.gov's kit list includes infant formula, bottles, diapers, wipes and diaper rash cream. On formula, its food page says to use ready-to-feed formula, and that if you must mix formula you should use bottled water or boiled water as a last resort. We add nothing to that. Ask your pediatrician about feeding. General information, not medical advice.

Seniors

Ready.gov's page for older adults says to include items that meet individual needs, such as medicines, medical supplies, batteries and chargers, and to make copies of Medicaid, Medicare and other insurance cards. It also says to plan how you will have your assistive devices with you if you evacuate, and to create a support network of family, friends and others who can help.

Pets

Ready.gov recommends two pet kits: one larger kit if you are sheltering in place and one lightweight version in case you need to evacuate. Its list includes several days of food in an airtight, waterproof container, a water bowl and several days of water, an extra supply of regular medicine in a waterproof container, a collar with an ID tag and a harness or leash, a carrier, and copies of registration papers in a waterproof container. It also warns that many public shelters and hotels do not allow pets inside. Our pet emergency kit checklist goes through it item by item.

Home or go: two kits and a car copy

Ready.gov suggests packing your kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers, such as plastic bins or a duffel bag, and keeping it in a designated place, ready in case you have to leave home quickly. That gives you the stay kit. For leaving, Ready.gov's evacuation page says to prepare a go bag you can carry on foot or on public transportation. A lighter version of this list is what goes in the go bag, and our kids go bag checklist shows how to split it by child.

Ready.gov also says to keep a kit in your car in case you are stranded. Its vehicle extras are jumper cables, flares or a reflective triangle, an ice scraper, a car cell phone charger, a blanket, a map, and cat litter or sand for tire traction. It adds that a well-stocked gas tank helps in an evacuation or power outage.

Where to store it, and when to check it

Pick a designated place, as Ready.gov says, and pick one you can reach in the dark. Replace expired items as needed, and Ready.gov asks you to re-think your needs every year and update the kit as your family changes. Water you filled yourself has a shorter clock: every six months.

We suggest one habit: check the whole kit on the same day you swap the water, twice a year. That is our habit, not an official rule. It is easier to remember one date than two. Ready.gov also says pet kits should be reviewed regularly so food and medicines stay fresh.

The free printable

We built a 72-hour kit checklist you can print. It shows on screen straight away, and you can also have it sent by email. If you ask for the email, we use your address to send the checklist and related preparedness emails, and every email carries an unsubscribe link. You do not need to give an email address to read this page.

Build it yourself or buy a pack

Building your own gives you control over the food, the brands and the timing, and you can spread the cost over weeks. A pack saves the shopping and puts the basics in one container. Neither route finishes the job on its own. A pack is a head start: you still add prescription medicines, copies of documents, cash, and anything specific to infants, seniors or pets.

If you buy one, read the contents list on the pack page and compare it with the table above. Anything missing is the gap you fill. If you have four people, start with the family-of-4 pack and check its contents list.

FAQ

How much does a 72-hour kit cost? It depends on what you already own and what you choose to buy. We do not print a figure here. Live prices are on the pack pages.

Where do I put a kit in an apartment? Ready.gov says to pack a kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers, and those can sit in a closet. Keep canned food somewhere cool and dry, and keep the kit where you can grab it quickly.

Do I need a radio? Ready.gov lists a battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert among its basic supplies. When the power is out, a radio is one way to keep hearing local instructions.

Is 72 hours enough? Ready.gov says several days and does not set a number. Seventy-two hours is where we start. For storms, outages and evacuations, see our power outage emergency kit list and the water guide.

Start tonight

You do not need a free weekend. Do it in this order, and stop whenever you run out of evening:

Count the people and pets in your household, and write the number at the top of the checklist.
Put your water number in the cart or on the shopping list: people times days times one gallon.
Take photos of your ID, insurance cards and key records, and save them electronically, as Ready.gov suggests.
Find the flashlights and the radio you already own, put fresh batteries in, and put them in one container.
Pick the spot where the kit lives, and tell everyone in the house where it is.

That is a kit you have started, and it is a better position than a perfect list you have only read.

Next step

Print the checklist, then see packs sized by household and days.

Sources and last checked

All pages opened on November 1, 2026. Page update dates are as shown on each page.

Ready.gov: Build a Kit, updated July 1, 2026.
Ready.gov: Water, updated February 22, 2021.
Ready.gov: Food, updated March 12, 2026.
Ready.gov: Prepare Your Pets for Disasters, updated March 20, 2026.
Ready.gov: Older Adults, updated March 26, 2026.
Ready.gov: Evacuation, updated March 20, 2026.
Ready.gov: Car, updated March 12, 2026.
Ready.gov: Power Outages, updated June 4, 2026.
CDC: How to Make Water Safe in an Emergency, dated September 19, 2024.
Texas Comptroller: Winter Storm Impact, Fiscal Notes, October 2021.

We could not open the American Red Cross survival kit page (the site refused the request), so nothing on this page comes from it. If you find an error, tell us through the contact page and we will check it against the source.