A pre-packed emergency kit looks like the easy answer: one purchase, one box, done. Sometimes it is a reasonable start. But the official lists include things no box can contain, and the most important items are the ones you have to sort out yourself. Here is how to decide.
What no ready-made kit can include
Several of the items that appear in all, or nearly all, of the 24 national guides we compiled are personal:
| Item | Guides |
|---|---|
| Personal medication | 24 of 24 |
| Cash in small notes | 24 of 24 |
| ID and document copies | 19 of 24 |
| Important numbers on paper | 17 of 24 |
| Pet food | 17 of 24 |
| Infant milk and baby food | 14 of 24 |
| Spare glasses and hearing-aid batteries | 8 of 24 |
| Spare house and car keys | 7 of 24 |
Whatever kit you buy, you still need to do these yourself. They are also free or nearly free, so start with them either way.
What to check in a ready-made kit
If you are looking at a pre-packed kit, compare it with the core of the official lists:
- Water. How many litres? The guides plan 2 to 3 litres per person per day, so 12 to 18 litres for two adults over three days. That is heavy, and few bags can hold it.
- Food. How many calories, for how many people? An adult needs about 2,000 kcal a day.
- Radio. Does it work without mains power, by battery, solar or crank? All 24 guides list one.
- Torch. Is there one per person? Does it take standard batteries?
- First-aid kit. Does it include dressings, gloves, scissors, tweezers and a thermometer, or just a few plasters?
- Expiry dates on water, food and medical items, and whether replacements are sold separately.
If several of those answers are weak, you are paying for a bag and a few extras, not a kit.
The cost logic
You already own a lot of it
Most households already have blankets, warm clothes, a pocket knife, rain gear, a can opener, candles and a torch somewhere. A ready-made kit charges you for new versions. Building your own lets you count what you have first, then fill the gaps. Our checklist lets you tick off what you own.
Bulky basics are cheaper locally
Water, tins, dry staples, toilet paper and soap are heavy and cheap in any supermarket. Buy them a little at a time with your normal shopping. Our post on food you can eat without cooking covers what to choose.
Spend on the few things that matter
The items worth buying well are the ones you depend on when everything else stops: a radio, a head torch, a first-aid kit, a power bank, and a solid bag if you need one. A good version of each will last for years.
When a ready-made kit makes sense
- As the start of a grab bag. Sixteen guides recommend a bag packed and ready by the door. A pre-packed bag can be a base, as long as you add documents, medication, cash and clothes. See our grab bag checklist.
- As a gift for someone who won't build their own, along with a note of what to add.
- For a car, where space is tight and the kit stays put.
Treat it as a starting point for leaving home, not as your home supply. A home supply for three days is mostly water and food, which belong in a cupboard, not a backpack.
Building your own, step by step
- Today, for free: write important numbers on paper, copy your documents, put aside some cash, check your medication.
- This week: water and food for three days, a manual can opener.
- This month: radio, head torches, batteries, first-aid kit, power bank.
- Then: whatever your own country's guide adds, and a grab bag if you need one.
It takes longer than one order, but you end up with a kit that fits your household, your country's guide and the things you actually use. Our items every guide agrees on is a good place to start.