What Should Be in an Emergency Kit: The FEMA List, Ranked

What should be in an emergency kit comes down to 14 core categories defined by FEMA’s Ready.gov program (2024), starting with water and food and extending to documents, tools, and sanitation supplies sufficient to last each household member at least 72 hours.

Why 72 Hours Is the Baseline

FEMA and the American Red Cross (2024) both use 72 hours as the minimum self-sufficiency window because that is typically how long it takes local emergency services to reach and stabilize affected communities after a major disaster. Some scenarios, including large-scale grid failures documented by the U.S. Department of Energy (2024), can extend isolation to two weeks or more, so building beyond the baseline is strongly encouraged.

The FEMA List, Ranked by Priority

The ranking below follows the survival rule of threes: a person can survive roughly three minutes without air, three hours in extreme weather without shelter, three days without water, and three weeks without food. Documents and communication tools are ranked after physical survival needs but before comfort items.

Source: FEMA Ready.gov, Basic Disaster Supplies Kit (2024).

Water: The Non-Negotiable First Item

FEMA (2024) specifies one gallon of water per person per day, with a three-day minimum for evacuation kits and a two-week supply recommended for sheltering in place. Nursing mothers, people with medical conditions, and households in hot climates should plan for more. Store water in food-grade sealed containers away from direct sunlight and rotate every six months.

Food: Calorie Density and No-Cook Options

The American Red Cross (2024) recommends high-calorie, low-sodium, shelf-stable foods that require no cooking or refrigeration. Good candidates include peanut butter, canned fish or poultry, whole-grain crackers, canned beans, and dried fruit. The USDA (2018) notes that refrigerated food kept at or above 40 degrees Fahrenheit for more than two hours should be discarded after a power outage, making no-refrigeration items essential.

Communication and Information Tools

NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (2024) broadcasts continuous warnings, forecasts, and post-event information across all 50 states, U.S. territories, and adjacent coastal waters. A battery-powered or hand-crank receiver lets households receive alerts even when cell towers are congested or down. FEMA also recommends registering all household members in local emergency alert systems before a disaster occurs.

Medical and Special Needs Additions

FEMA’s guidance for individuals with access and functional needs (2024) instructs households to add a seven-day supply of prescription medications, medical equipment and supplies, extra eyeglasses or hearing aid batteries, and written instructions for any medical devices. Infant formula, diapers, and pet food are also listed as household-specific additions that apply to many families.

Documents: The Most Overlooked Category

Replacing lost identity documents after a disaster adds days or weeks to recovery. FEMA recommends storing waterproof, sealed copies of the following in your kit:

1. Government-issued photo ID for every household member
2. Insurance policies (home, auto, health, and life)
3. Bank account numbers and contact information
4. Utility account numbers
5. Prescription information and physician contact details
6. Emergency contact list (printed, not only stored on a phone)

The FEMA financial preparedness page (2024) also recommends keeping a small amount of cash in small bills because ATMs and card readers may be offline for extended periods after a major event.

Sanitation and Hygiene Supplies

If utilities are disrupted, standard sanitation infrastructure may fail. FEMA (2024) lists moist towelettes, antibacterial hand sanitizer, garbage bags with plastic ties, and a toilet paper supply as minimum sanitation items. Households with infants or elderly members should also include adult briefs and baby wipes in sufficient quantity for the full kit duration.

How to Pack and Maintain Your Kit

1. Choose a portable, waterproof bag or container that all household members can carry or roll.
2. Place critical items (water pouches, documents, first aid) at the top for quick access.
3. Label every container with the expiration date of the perishable items inside.
4. Schedule a kit review every six months, aligning with daylight saving time changes, to rotate food, water, and batteries.
5. Store one kit at home and a smaller version in each vehicle.
6. Tell every household member, including children, where the kit is located and how to use it.

Comparison: Shelter-in-Place Kit vs. Go-Bag

Source: FEMA Ready.gov (2024) and American Red Cross (2024).

What to Buy First

If you are building a kit from scratch for two people, the Ready America 70280 72 Hour Emergency Kit, 2-Person 3-Day Backpack is a compact starting point that covers many of FEMA’s critical-tier items in a single grab-and-go bag, though you should supplement it with household-specific medications, documents, and additional water.

Methodology

This page draws on FEMA Ready.gov, American Red Cross, NOAA Weather Radio, USDA food safety, and U.S. Department of Energy datasets, all accessed in September 2026. Statistics and category lists reflect the most recent published versions of each agency’s emergency preparedness guidance at the time of extraction.

Updated: 2026-09-25