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If you are new to disaster preparedness, you may have come across a checklist. Both FEMA, through Ready.gov, and the American Red Cross have disaster preparedness checklists (as well as many local emergency management offices and others). These are an ok starting point, but I would always argue that preparedness is personal. A checklist is literally a starting point to give you an idea of where to start.

Checklists Are General and May Vary

Most checklists include items of food, water, clothing, medications, and paperwork essentials. Some checklists include plans for evacuating (I highly recommend this, and I’ll share stories over time for why), some include places to record important phone numbers.

Most checklists are now standardized to follow FEMA approved guidance – which covers everything generally. Even more specific guidance still leaves room for PERSONAL improvement. What I mean by that is that you need to consider you and your family’s unique needs for each item. Think through disasters in your area to help give you an idea of what will work best. BUT – don’t get too dragged down by this, I talk more about ways to test your disaster preparedness in this article.

Quick Note On General Kits

General kits are a GREAT start for your preparedness kits. These frequently have items you’ll need, but rarely do they have EVERYTHING you need. Using a disaster preparedness kit list helps fill in the gaps. Additionally, many general kits have average-quality items (or less). When disaster strikes, you’ll want to make sure your items are reliable – so upgrade flimsy items you find in general kits. I included some of the better-rated kits above or you can check Amazon here.

Checklist Quick Links for Your Disaster Kit

If you want to skip to a specific section to get an overview of that item on the checklist, just click the name and you will jump to that section. Please note that my sections may not say the exact same thing as the Ready.gov checklist, but this list is from the Ready.gov checklist.

• Water
• Food
• Weather Radio
• Flashlight
• First Aid Kit
• Extra Batteries
• Whistle
• Dust Mask
• Plastic Sheeting, Scissors, Duct Tape
• Moist Towelettes
• Wrench or pliers
• Manual Can Opener
• Local Maps
• Cell Phone with chargers and a backup battery
• Soap, hand sanitizer and disinfecting wipes
• Prescription Medications
• Non-prescription medications
• Prescription eyeglasses and contact lens solution
• Infant formula, bottles, diapers, wipes and diaper rash cream
• Pet food and extra water for your pet
• Cash or traveler’s checks
• Important family documents
• Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person
• Complete change of clothing appropriate for your climate and sturdy shoes
• Fire extinguisher
• Matches in a waterproof container
• Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items
• Mess kits, paper cups, plates, paper towels and plastic utensils
• Paper and pencil
• Books, games, puzzles, or other activities for children
• Bag for the disaster kit(s)

Why A Checklist Is A Starting Point

To give you an idea of why the checklist is a starting point, I think of my grandparents. They are in their 90’s at the time I write this (mid-nineties). My Grandma suffers from multiple medical issues and my Grandpa is usually deaf (he has hearing aids, but I don’t know many people with hearing aids that claim they are easy to use and function well all the time…unless they are selling them). They are like most elderly (don’t worry – they will never read this) people and are more delicate.

Consider that the checklist includes a gallon of water per person per day (formerly this was for 3 days, so lets go with that for now), and that’s for your GO BAG. My Grandpa could probably carry 3 gallons of water, but not for long (I mean, maybe across a room). If he’s trying to help my Grandma, then he will not be able to carry 3 gallons of water and help her. But, that 3 gallons is for one person. Grandma can’t carry hers! So, he’ll have to carry 6 gallons of water if they need to “bug-out” (leave quickly due to a crisis or disaster). Even if he can carry 6 gallons, it’s not going to be easy and he wont be able to also care for my Grandma.

Identifying Potential Challenges Is Essential

So, understanding that there are challenges based on unique needs, abilities, and even desires – the checklist really is just a starting point. There are a lot of opinions and ideas on how to best prepare. The reality is that preparedness is personal. You have to decide what is best for you considering your needs, abilities, desires, and the personal and community disasters you may face (more on that in another article). You also need to consider if you live in a rural area, a suburb, or a city.

The Checklist – Disaster Kit

The disaster kit checklist does not vary much based on the source. This has been fairly standardized. Disaster kits are intended to go with you if you need to evacuate. For shelter-in-place for longer periods (such as for a pandemic), this list would only be part of your needs, but you can still use this in those situations. Let’s look at the basics. For each section, I’ll link to an article that discusses each of these in greater detail. I’m using the Ready.gov checklist for guidance and organization, so grab that checklist if you want to follow along.

Water

Traditionally, this was 1 gallon of water per person per day, for 3 days (for drinking and sanitation). Now, the guidance is “several days”. Keeping in mind my story above of my Grandparents, more than 3 days may be difficult.

Something to consider is if you can access water easily such as from a river or lake. If so, you can consider other options such as water filters to help supplement beyond 3 days. I’ll dive into this in greater detail in it’s own article, but you should consider better storage than the plastic bottles from the water bottling companies (plenty of articles that suggest these are not the best, plus…they tend to break under extreme situations). These 5 gallon water storage containers may be a great option.

If you want to filter water, consider water testing kits and water filtration. This is an amazing personal water filtration option that has over 117,000 reviews with a 4.8 star average, and this water filtration option is great for larger needs. Filtering water is valuable in many situations, not just disasters. Plenty of communities issue boil water notices or even tell the community not to drink the water if the situation is unhealthy enough.

Hurricane Helene – Boil Water Order For A Month

In the image above, this is a…um…tweet (I’m not sure if it’s still a tweet) on X illustrating that some residents still had a boil water order 2 months after Hurricane Helene. Even with boiling water, I think I’d want to use a filtration process like reverse osmosis to clean up potential remnants (plus, I love the taste of reverse osmosis water). This is a countertop reverse osmosis system that can also plug into an appropriate backup power source if needed.

Water Disaster Preparedness Is Personal

It’s probably getting easy to see why preparedness is so personal. I live in a desert. Flooding can happen, but access to water is basically through the city pipes. If that access is shut off for some reason, it’s going to be difficult to get water. It’s also hard to CARRY a gallon of water per person per day. We have 6 people in the house, with 3 of them kids that cannot carry 1 gallon of water let alone 3 or more.

I’m working on a system where we have water in our house that we can grab and take with us, but then also stored in a storage unit down the street. The conditions in the storage unit are not ideal, but if something happens to the house…we can at least go somewhere close and get some more water. So, I want water filtering options along with water testing options.

Food

This also used to be non-perishable food for 3 days per person but now the guidance is a “several-day” supply. The biggest consideration here is dietary needs. I can’t eat wheat or peanuts, so I don’t want to include anything with wheat or peanuts (my daughter also can’t eat wheat or peanuts, so that makes it easy). We used to say to include canned foods, but the cans tend to make the kit heavier.

Instead of cans, consider pouches of food. For example, tuna comes in pouches now (they call them packets). Some people may be able to eat prepared meals, but be sure to check the ingredients and nutritional information. Many of these are high in sodium or include ingredients we don’t normally eat. Choose foods you will eat. If you choose to eat the prepared meals, I recommend getting some to eat before committing to store them as your emergency food. This premade emergency food option has over 11,000 reviews on Amazon and a 4.7 average star rating. I’ve seen this brand around for a while and it has over 9,000 reviews on Amazon and an average 4.4 star rating.

We’ll explore food in other posts, but you can also see some recommendations from Ready.gov. One last thing to keep in mind – be sure to store the food properly. Even though we pack non-perishable foods, many foods still need storage within a temperature range (not too cold, not too hot, but just right).

Battery-Powered Radio

This can also be a hand crank radio, but almost all of the ones I have used do not last long without a lot of cranking. I recommend a radio with multiple ways to charge it like this one on Amazon (also pictured above). The point of the NOAA Weather Radio is to have something specific for notifications. We had one when I worked at the American Red Cross because we responded (along with taking cover) to disasters in our area. The notifications helped us identify the jurisdictions we needed to contact to make sure we could respond safely.

I’ve had some discussions with people who think this is not critical because we can get emergency notifications on our phones. While the technology for emergency notifications on cell phones has improved, it’s not perfect and there are always opportunities for challenges. A couple of years ago, I was on vacation with my family at Lake Almanor, CA. There were 13 of us there and maybe 10 of us had cell phones. A fire had started not far from us. We could see and feel the ash falling on us, but could not get a lot of details.

The Emergency Notifications

After a little while, some cell phones received emergency notifications. Others did not. We were all in the same house, but only part of us received evacuation orders. It didn’t help that the emergency notification was vague and included details about an area we weren’t in. We contacted the local police who indicated that the evacuation was not mandatory but recommended because all of the roads were shutting down due to 3 wildfires surrounding the area (this later turned into what is now referred to as the “Dixie Fire”). No responders would be available if we stayed. With my Grandparents in their 90’s and we also had small children with us, we decided to evacuate.

In that case, we had the ability to contact the local police to get more details. In large disasters, it is unlikely that you will have the ability to contact someone with information. Any information available will go out through proper channels, including radio communications. Cell towers burn in fires and get knocked over in floods.

What About Satellite?

Even when satellite services partner with cell phone companies, many major disasters have challenges with satellite communications. The smoke and poor air quality during wildfires creates a challenge for reception and severe weather can block satellite connections. Radio communications remain a great backup. Of course, Starlink is a major game changer for communication once the initial disaster passes (but not necessarily during the disaster – like during a Hurricane). Plus, it’s awesome for camping or when traveling to locations with less than optimal cell service.

Flashlights for Disaster Preparedness

Flashlights come in handy in many different situations. Situations like when you’re trying to find something under the bed, when you’re looking for big foot in the forest (that’s a long story), or when the power goes out. I have a love-hate relationship with most flashlights. When you’re looking for big foot, you need a strong light that shows a good amount of the area ahead of you. Not only does it help you see potential creatures, you also get a better idea of the rocks and holes in front of you.

For disasters, you may also need a strong light. Depending on the type of disaster and if you shelter-in-place or evacuate, you may need different types of flashlights. You want at least 1 dedicated flashlight that you can either replace batteries (and then you need spare batteries) or recharge with something like solar. Then, you can have additional options like a battery backup with a flashlight built-in. The NOAA Weather Radio that also has a flashlight function can come in handy for multiple functions.

I highly recommend multiple flashlights and that you test these prior to a disaster. That way you’ll know if you like the functionality. Splurge on at least one and get a good quality. Low-cost flashlights rarely survive very long and you want something reliable during a disaster. Amazon has some big brands like DeWalt and Makita that offer very well rated flashlights. This brand also has several lighting products with amazing reviews.

First Aid Kit

Basic first-aid kits will work, but I highly recommend creating your own based on your own skills. For example, if you have first aid training, you likely know how to use a tourniquet. In another article, I’m going to dive into the details of items to consider for a first aid kit. Consider that many of these items are also temperature-sensitive (are you catching the theme here?).

This category requires it’s own article to go into depth, but here are a few quick tips.

1. If you decide to get a tourniquet for your kit, make sure you get a quality one like the C-A-T. You can get them on Amazon here.
2. A friend of mine is an EMT and he highly recommends a SAM Rolled Splint for your first aid kit.
3. Consider a variety of types of bandages, such as these knuckle and fingertip bandages. I use the “knuckle” bandages as fingertips bandages (they look like little diapers on the end of my fingertips). Having a variety of bandages can make it easier to bandage small injuries and function easier (I can mostly use my fingers with my “diapered” fingertips while it’s much harder with other bandages that don’t stay on when I’m trying to do things).
4. Triangle bandages like these on Amazon come in handy! We include some in the CERT bags we provide to academy graduates. We teach how to use them for splints, but they come in handy for a variety of uses.
5. Self-adhesive bandages also come in handy. I heard that some dollar stores carry this, but I can’t find them locally. Instead, I found these self-adhesive bandages on Amazon. While this kit does have red in it, I had a friend mention that when he used the red color on a cut on his hand, his son freaked out and thought he was bleeding a lot more than he was. You might want to reserve red for dire situations.

I’ll cover more suggestions in another article, but those items tend not to be in standard first aid kits.

Extra Batteries

I know a lot of people that have every type of battery possible in their battery storage. I don’t recommend that for your kit. Instead, focus on larger quantities of what you need. For example, you may have more items that require AA batteries. Make sure you can replace these in each of your items at least twice, maybe more. As you build your kit, make a note to identify what types of batteries you need and then add batteries into your kit. These are also temperature sensitive!

We have a battery organizer storage kit like this one on Amazon (also pictured above). I love using it when I need to get batteries, but it’s quite heavy when it’s full. Yet, if you don’t want to have to count how many batteries you need or guess, it’s a good option to keep on hand in your kit. You can still access it during non-disaster times, just be sure to tend to it regularly and keep it up-to-date with working batteries and mostly full.

Whistle

In Scouts, we use a whistle in the event we are lost and trying to attract attention. The same concept applies in a disaster. There are many types of disasters that can create a situation where you are stuck inside a building or in your car and under debris. A whistle can help people outside know you’re in there. Depending on the terrain in your area, this comes in handy in a similar capacity as we use in Scouts.

This listing for whistles on Amazon has over 11,000 reviews with an average 4.6 star rating. This one is also very popular on Amazon with over 8500 reviews and an average of 4.6 star rating, but it’s aluminum alloy instead of plastic.

Dust Mask

While this is listed as a “dust mask” on the Ready.gov website, I’d argue this doesn’t have to be just for dust. During the pandemic, the advice was to use an N95 mask. These are difficult for people to wear, but they are a good option. Alternatively, a KN95 mask is also quite effective. I love these KN95 masks listed on Amazon (also pictured above). My daughter likes the pink option, so I have a variety of colors on hand for fun. Any time we’re sick, this is our go-to mask and I also use it when I’m messing around with the storage unit auctions my sister and I buy (because they are dusty).

Plastic Sheeting, Scissors and Duct Tape

This is listed for the option to shelter-in-place. This topic also warrants its own article, but the short version is that a shelter-in-place order is issued for a variety of reasons. Usually, you will know why the shelter-in-place in order is given. Sometimes, it’s simply to keep people off the streets and there is no direct threat as long as you stay inside.

Other times, the shelter-in-place order may be issued to keep people inside and away from toxic elements. For example, a city in California issued a shelter-in-place order for a city in the smoke plume from a nearby fire. The air was too toxic from the wildfire so residents were asked to stay indoors and block off windows. That’s where the plastic sheeting comes in handy. You’ll need scissors to cut the sheeting (though, you can cut these in advance and label them for which windows they go on). You should be able to use duct tape to tape the sheeting to the wall or window frame.

Test this before something happens! I’ve lived in houses where the paint and the way the window was built made it impossible to use duct tape. I tested multiple types of tape and found that I needed a combination of pins to hole up the tarp and then painters tape worked better (in that situation). Find what works for your situation. We’ll explore shelter-in-place in greater detail in another article.

Personal Sanitation Items

In addition to some of the water you’ll have in your kit, you can also use items like moist towelettes to help with personal hygiene. I use these Hand and Face Wipes on a regular basis. It’s just easier to grab one of these in my car instead of tracking down a bathroom after I’ve pumped gas or played with the liquids in my car (I have an older car, so I check my fluids often). I’ll share some other tips in another article.

You will also want garbage bags and plastic ties to keep the trash items as trash items. Get good garbage bags! The last thing you want is to make a big mess when you’re trying to keep your personal sanitation trash away from everything else. These trash bags on Amazon have over 44,000 reviews with an average 4.7 star rating. It might be tempting to just dump it somewhere, but it’s much easier to keep these in bags for easier cleanup and to minimize contamination later.

Wrench or Pliers

In the event of a disaster, you may need to turn utilities off. For example, if you have a gas utility and you’re in an earthquake area – you want to shut this off! Having the right tools will be very useful. Most houses also have a water shutoff. Many times this requires a specific shutoff tool. Sometimes, you can do it with a wrench. Check to see what your specific needs are and then have those specific tools on hand. This multi-function tool on Amazon (also pictured above) is similar to the one we include in CERT kits for academy graduates.

Manual Can Opener

I’m not convinced you must have a manual can opener, especially if you end up not having any canned food because you took my advice and added the tuna in pouches. It’s not a bad idea to include one because longer and larger responses that affect the food supply could turn into canned food options. Canned foods are easy to transport and still the preferred option over pouches (cans are hardier than pouches). I’ve seen larger disaster responses where agencies would deliver pallets of canned foods, which require can openers to open.

Does it necessarily need to be a manual can opener? Not if you can’t use it. I doubt my Grandma in her 90s could hold a manual can opener. Even I have problems gripping one. I include one manual can opener and then I have a handheld, battery-operated one (and I make sure I have extra batteries for it). It doesn’t do a lot of good to have a manual can opener if you can’t use it – so identify what is best for you and plan accordingly.

Local Maps

This is getting harder and harder to find! A physical map is ideal in helping you get around in the event that your phone cannot get data. Even older maps are useful, but it’s best to have one that’s up-to-date (at least more recent since many areas have constant construction changing roads). This company sells physical maps if you cannot find one locally.

Another idea to have physical maps on hand is to download maps to your cell phone. It is possible to print off maps as well, even from Google Maps. The above image shows a map of the Sparks, NV Library. Since I searched specifically for the Sparks Library, it also included 4 additional pages of content (not necessarily useful in this situation). It’s less confusing to have official maps, but you can also zoom into your home and work areas (or anywhere you go regularly) on Google Maps and print off the area so you have that on hand.

When you’re on Google Maps, just zoom in on what you want to include on the page (zoom in more for more detailed roads). On desktop, once you have what you want on the page, go to the left side of the screen and select the 3 lines that represent a menu. Choose print. You can add notes or not. Print to your printer or save as a PDF. I saved the above image as a PDF, then used Adobe to create an image. If all else fails, just screenshot and print the screenshot.

Cell Phone With Chargers and Battery Backup

I’m going to dive into battery backup options in another article, but the ready.gov website lumps these together. So, let’s discuss them together for these purposes.

I’m a fan of the Jackery brand of power backup options. Check out the Jackery options on Amazon here.

Cell phones are critical for communication. You may not have communication immediately, but you may need access to information stored on your phone. You also want it handy once communication is back up. Traditionally, there has been the capability to call “long-distance” (now we’d just consider it outside of your local area) during a disaster. In my experience, this is hit and miss – but you can’t try without your cell phone!

Cell Phones In Disasters

In 2010, Haiti had a major earthquake. Many people reported issues with calling and texting, but they were able to get on their phones and access Facebook to connect with loved ones and the world. Unfortunately, we wont know what will be available until the disaster happens. Hurricane Helene sped up the testing process of connecting cell phone service to satellites (Starlink released their beta access early to help people affected by the Hurricane). In the next few years, cell phones will become a more important tool in disaster communication.

Of course, if the cell phone doesn’t work because the battery is dead – that’s not useful. So, you want the chargers (and maybe an extra charger) along with a battery backup. This can be a dedicated battery backup for cell phones like this one, or a larger battery backup that you use for a variety of items. Again, battery backups warrant their own article, so we’ll dive into more details then. If you’re looking for something right now, I recommend checking out the Jackery Page on Amazon.

Additional Supplies for Emergencies

I’ve mentioned a few times that I’ll have additional articles to help you refine what works for you on various items. Since I’m following along with the Ready.gov list, we’ll keep going with the listed “additional emergency supplies”. Most of these are things to consider if they are specific to you and I’ll have additional articles for many of them.

Soap, Hand Sanitizer, Disinfecting Wipes

Both your kit and your supply if you need to stay in your house should consider these items. You’ll notice that the type of soap is not listed. My sister is hardcore about antibacterial soap. I’m not. In fact, I prefer not to use antibacterial unless I know my hands are really dirty (I’ll spare details of when that might happen). Proper hand washing is much more effective than the type of soap (antibacterial or not). There are arguments for and against antibacterial soap, so this really does become YOUR decision.

However, antibacterial hand soap is probably a good idea during a disaster response when you have less access to adequate hygiene routines and supplies. Adding in hand sanitizer can also help keep you and your family healthier while you wait for disaster recovery to begin and regain access to regular utilities like running water.

Disinfecting wipes help you disinfect and sanitize surfaces. If we have limited water, these come in handy to help us avoid using water to clean surfaces. I love these Clorox travel wipes. I keep them in my car, my room…well, lots of places. I toss some in my kit so I have them ready to go (but I rotate them when I buy new packs to avoid finding them dried out when disaster strikes). *Many disinfecting wipes have a disclaimer that they should NOT be used by children – so this is just for the adults.*

Prescription Medications

Prescriptions can be difficult to include in your disaster kit. For me, I have some specialized medication and it is impossible to get anything “extra”. I ended up having a tough time getting the prescription renewed and had to find out how to get some without a prescription. I spent days trying to track down the process. Finally, my doctor told me they keep some on hand for situations like that. *Talk to your doctor if you have a specialized medication – sometimes, they have a sample they can give you to have on hand for emergencies.

This was another topic that the traditional advice was 3 days of medication in your kit (except if your medication needs refrigeration, which I’ll address in a different article). Now, the general guidance is just to prepare for an emergency. If you receive your prescriptions by mail, this is something you need to consider regardless of emergencies. Locally, we can have snowstorms or flooding that limits mail delivery. Once, a section of town was shut down for mail delivery for about a week because of a “dangerous” dog. I’m sure the residents could go to the post office…if they had the resources to drive over there.

There are a lot of considerations for medication, so I’ll have another article on this, but the shorter version is that you need a supply of medications if you need to leave. If you are in an area prone to larger disasters, you should consider a longer supply of extra medication. If you consider communities affected by Hurricane Helene, some communities were unable to get access to help for a week or more. Some medications are easier to get than others, so it’s a good idea to check with your pharmacist to see which medications are harder to get and focus on those first.

I keep about a week of my medications (both prescription and non-prescription) in these pill containers on Amazon. The fish oil likes to somehow make any other medications it touches soggy, so I like to keep all of my pills separate. I also have spare inhalers (that took a while to build up) which would last a month. I share some more tips in a separate article.

Non-Prescription Medications

Do you have a preferred over-the-counter medication? I take vitamin supplements. If I don’t take some of them every single day…bad things happen (just to me). I make sure I have plenty on hand so I don’t have to worry about potential issues. Like many medications, most of these are also temperature-sensitive – as in they need to stay within a temperature range. You’ll want to consider that when you choose the place to store your disaster kit with medication (and other temperature-sensitive items).

I also cannot take aspirin. I can take other pain medications, but some of them are too harsh for my stomach. I have no idea what over-the-counter medications will be available when a disaster strikes, so I want to have any medications I prefer in my disaster kit. Be sure to rotate these and document expiration dates. Expired medication can cause problems, and you don’t want to create a situation where you need medical help when you can’t get it.

I mentioned that I use these pill containers to store my prescription and non-prescription medications, but I don’t store all of them in there. Just the ones I take daily.

Prescription Eyeglasses and/or Contact Lenses and Solutions

Ideally, you have a 2nd pair of glasses or extra contacts for your kit. If you’re like me and need glasses, you might get all of the upgrades. Then, a year later, your eyes change and you need new glasses again. I’m not going to put a 2nd pair of extremely expensive glasses (not covered by insurance) that I can’t use in a year in my kit. Instead, I get the cheapest option available. I’m not going to care about how they make me look (unless I can). I just want to have something so I can see if something happens to my expensive glasses.

Contact lenses and solutions may also have a temperature-sensitive requirement. As long as you keep your kit in a place that considers temperature, this will be fine.

Baby Items

If you have a young child or baby, don’t forget diapers, bottles, and all the things your little ones need. Even if you breastfeed your baby, consider adding in some formula. In stressful times, we just don’t know how our bodies will react. It’s better to have something on hand and not need it instead of needing it and not having it – especially when it comes to our kids. Make a list of the items you use regularly (and irregularly, like diaper cream) and then add items into your kit to meet your needs.

Pet Food and Items

The Ready.gov list says pet food and extra water, but your pet may also need medications or specialty items. Like with kids, you don’t want to be stuck without having the items you need for your pet(s). Make a list and then identify what you can put in the kit. If you feed frozen/fresh food to your pet, consider combining any refrigerated or frozen items into a container in your refrigerator and/or freezer that you can just grab and go. These containers are popular and freezer-friendly, along with microwave and dishwasher-safe.

Cash or Traveler’s Checks

I’d lean more towards cash. I can’t think of any company in my area that will take traveler’s checks if there is a major disaster…assuming they are even open. Most companies will accept cash when other systems are down and if you need to barter with neighbors, cash usually works. In the event the internet is still working, I also make sure I know how to activate digital credit cards in the event my physical credit cards are damaged.

When my daughter was young, she didn’t understand the idea of money staying in my purse. If she knew where the disaster kit was, she would have gone through it and the cash would have been gone (probably strewn throughout the house…she wasn’t stealing, just playing). There is no recommended amount, but having something available is a good idea as a backup.

Important Family Documents

I am always surprised at how hard it is for some companies to find information. You call up the company and they can ONLY bring up your file if YOU know the account number. In a major disaster, you want to make things as easy as possible to identify things like account numbers. Alternatively, you want to prove your identity. If your photo ID is destroyed, having a photocopy can come in handy.

When I worked for the American Red Cross, we had some clients who had their identification burn up in fires. Most were able to track down enough documentation to get a new ID, but some people spent years trying to get a new ID. If your kit is located in a safe area, it might be worth getting an extra certified copy of each person’s birth certificate and keeping it on hand. Alternatively, there are some safes that are fireproof. This fireproof document box might come in handy.

Sleeping Bag or Blankets

If you camp, you probably already have sleeping bags. Just make sure those are in an easy to grab location (not buried under everything else in the garage). If you prefer blankets, that are useful for a variety of purposes, I recommend fleece blankets. If you don’t want to do any work, you can get fleece blankets on Amazon. If you don’t mind cutting to the size you want (which is a bonus), I recommend getting fleece by the yard from your local Joann Fabrics or on their website here.

My sister buys the fleece by the bolt from Joann Fabric. Then, we cut them at 1.25 – 1.5 yards for a single blanket. If you buy the correct fleece, there is no sewing involved. You can also cut them to whatever size you like – smaller for young kids and longer for taller family members. The one disadvantage to fleece blankets is that they do not have an outer “shell” to help keep heat in. Check out the different sleeping bags on Amazon if you need something for colder weather.

Clothes and Shoes

If you have rapidly growing kids, this is tough. My daughter will wear one size for 6-8 months, then the season changes. Thankfully, she loves sandals. Once the weather warms up, I just get her sandals and then aim to get her new shoes in the fall before school starts.

Of course, sandals are not ideal in a disaster space. Depending on the type of disaster, you may be walking on debris that includes glass, nails, jagged broken materials, and other hazardous items. Everyone has their opinion on the best shoes. This brand claims to have puncture-resistant soles along with steel toes.

Clothing is another challenge. When I worked for the American Red Cross, our chapter had some unisex scrubs on hand. Some people like those regardless of what they normally wear, but if you have a preference – you should consider at least 1 change of clothes. If you have the room, you may at least want a couple of pairs of underwear and socks. When I’m stressed out, I like clean underwear and socks, and the ability to brush and floss my teeth. So, I want to make those a priority.

Fire extinguisher

I thought this was interesting to include a fire extinguisher in a kit. By now, my kit takes up half a room with all of the supplies we would need from this list. Fire extinguishers come in handy, but I’m not sure I would put them IN a kit. For preparedness, this is a good item to include for day-to-day potential emergencies. For example, a fire extinguisher for the kitchen. If you aren’t sure what you need, this is a popular multi-use fire extinguisher.

Now, one thing I do include in a kit is a fire blanket. This is a VERY popular brand of fire blanket on Amazon. The great thing about a fire blanket is that you can put out a small fire, such as a grease fire, without the mess of the chemicals from the fire extinguisher. Plus, a fire blanket doesn’t have an expiration date and doesn’t lose it’s charge over time (because it’s a blanket and doesn’t have a charge).

You should have either a fire extinguisher or a fire blanket anywhere a fire can occur. When I worked for the American Red Cross, I responded to many fires that started in the kitchen when cooking. I’ve also seen fires in the garage related to tools. If you have multiple floors in your house, it’s a good idea to have a fire extinguisher or a fire blanket on each level of your home. *Don’t put your fire e

Matches in Waterproof Container

Matches do come in handy, especially if you need to start a fire. There’s a good chance you’ll need to light something if power and gas are turned off for an extended period of time. Matches in a waterproof container are a good option. These are popular on Amazon.

Alternatively, waterproof flint and steel can also help start a fire. These are good for starting fires like camping fires. If you’re into camping, you may already have one of these in your supplies. If not, take a look at this very popular option on Amazon.

Feminine Supplies and Personal Hygiene Items

The feminine supplies are probably self-explanatory. Personal hygiene includes things like toothbrushes and toothpaste. Travel size works fine for the toothpaste (probably one travel size per person). While it’s tempting to put a big toothpaste in for everyone to use, that’s a good way to get each other sick if one person comes down with something. It’s better to stick to travel size for each person so we are minimizing the risk of sharing illnesses.

Mess Kits and Eating Supplies

If you camp regularly, you probably have this already. The Ready.gov checklist mentions plastic utensils, too. This is because you want to preserve your water for critical needs instead of cleaning. You can get small amounts of plastic utensils at most stores, or you can get some on Amazon here. If you want an eco-friendly option, these are also available on Amazon.

Paper and Pencil

Paper and a writing tool (pencils can be sharpened even when they break, so it makes them a good option) come in handy to document items without having to use electronics. You can also leave notes, such as for family that might stop by the house when you’ve evacuated. I don’t think you can really go wrong on your choice here, but if you do include a pencil – you might want a pencil sharpener, too.

Depending on how you store your items, regular paper might work – but these waterproof notepads are a great option when preparing for all types of potential emergencies or disasters.

Books and Games

Even though the Ready.gov site says “for children”, I’d argue this is for all ages. Yes, we might be busy while the sun is up and then sleep at night. In my experience, if you’re in a shelter (which, Red Cross runs a lot of shelters and usually includes something for entertainment) you have a lot of time on your hands. If you are not actively participating in the response, there is a lot of downtime. Whether you are 2, 12, 22, 42, or 82 (or anything in between), it helps to have something to pass the time while you wait for information or access to your home.

Books are easy to include and can help pass quite a bit of time. Recently, I’ve preferred audiobooks simply because I tend to multi-task (like exercising and listening to an audiobook). These can be downloaded in advance, but then it does require electricity for your device (usually your smartphone). If you have a good battery backup or power bank with cell phone charging, you can easily implement audiobooks as an option. The NOAA Weather Radio I mentioned earlier has a cell phone charger and multiple ways to recharge the NOAA Weather Radio.

Games, puzzles, and other activities can also come in handy. Several companies have developed games that serve multiple purposes. For example, this multi-board game on Amazon includes 100 games in one box. If your family prefers puzzles, get a hard puzzle or a 12-pack puzzle set in one like this one on Amazon.

The Bag for the Disaster Kit

When you see pre-made disaster kits, they tend to be in a backpack (as I showed at the top of this article). Rarely do these include water, though. If you’ve included everything from the list, it likely will not all fit in a backpack. Backpacks are handy because you can carry items with you, but if you’re trying to carry everything at once…you’ll want something bigger. Think about what works for you.

Container for Disaster Preparedness Kit – Large Pet Needs Example

When I worked with a community on the edge of town, they had a high risk of wildfires. When we worked with preparedness ideas for their needs, the residents expressed concern with moving their horses and supplies for the horses (primarily food) quickly. It took too long to manually move everything they needed. We recommend they get a rolling can to hold supplies. The large 50 gallon rolling trash cans (new, not used for trash) are an excellent option to grab and roll onto a trailer.

Disaster Preparedness Kit Container Examples

If you’re like me and don’t have horses (or any pets), then options like a rolling tote are useful. If you have a rolling suitcase that you don’t use as luggage, you can set that up as a kit as well. It might be helpful to gather the items first, and see how much space you need. You do NOT have to limit yourself to one item to store everything, but you should consider keeping how many containers you use together. For example, you could place your kit(s) at the bottom of the pantry to grab and go as needed. Our pantry is right next to the fridge, so we can grab the fridge/freezer items and place them in an ice chest (also in the pantry) and get going.

Refine As You Go

The checklist is just the starting point. Don’t be afraid to add items that aren’t from the list. One of my friends has dedicated totes to place all of his family photos (at the insistence of his wife). Another keeps all of his scanned documents on a jump drive, with the jump drive in the disaster kit. With Starlink increasing in popularity, accessing online backups is much easier than it was even a year or two ago.

Consider how disasters will affect you. Most preparedness sites (including FEMA) recommend identifying the disasters that can affect you. The reality is that if you prepare right, the TYPE of disaster is less important (for preparedness purposes) than being prepared. I’ll cover this in greater detail in another article. For now, use the above to help you get started. If you have questions not covered – send me note through one of the methods listed on the CONTACT page. Please don’t expect a personalized response, but I will do my best to address your questions.