Emergency Kits 101: How to Be Prepared for Anything

Fires, floods, earthquakes, and a variety of other situations can impact your clean water supply. Plan on having at least one gallon of clean water on hand per person per day, for both drinking needs and sanitation (bathing and washing dishes).

You can purchase gallons of purified water at your local grocery store, or, in a pinch, you can wash and reuse empty soda and juice bottles and fill them with tap water.

If you're making a survival kit for travel or evacuation, it's probably not reasonable to carry more than a gallon of water with you (and even that might be a stretch), so you might want to consider using a portable water filtering straw, like the LifeStraw. Filtering straws are small, packable, and lightweight, so you can take them pretty much anywhere—and you can use them just like straws to drink from any water source.

When an emergency shuts down the power grid, it also shuts down most grocery stores and restaurants.

In an emergency situation, when it comes to food, easier is better. In your preparedness kit, include easy-to-eat foods like energy bars, beef jerky, nuts, and dried fruit. But don't just grab whatever is cheapest—be sure to keep foods on hand that you and your family like. Eating unappetizing food is a real morale-killer when you're already under pressure. When you're planning your emergency food supply, be sure to include food for babies and pets as well, if needed.

If you want to expand your kit to include options for hot meals, canned foods are inexpensive (don't forget to put a can opener in your kit), or you can get freeze-dried meal pouches for a lighter, more portable option. If you want to stock up on calories without breaking the bank, food ration bars are easy to toss in any emergency kit.

We usually rely on local news, internet, and cellphones to stay in touch with what's happening, but these forms of communication often get less reliable in a disaster situation. In an emergency, knowing what's going on around you could mean the difference between life and death.

Having a NOAA weather radio in your preparedness kit will keep you informed of changes in weather, evacuations, and other important emergency information. Many weather radios now come as handy combination devices that also include lights and cellphone chargers, reducing the number of electronics you'll have to keep in your kit.

For safety reasons, it's important to also have easily accessible individual lights on hand for every member of the household. We like Amerelle LED Power Failure Lights because they plug into the wall and serve as night-lights when not in use. If the power goes out, they'll illuminate automatically so you're not fumbling around in the dark, and they're always charged and ready to use.

Disasters aren't called disasters for no reason—the damage typically isn't limited to landscapes and buildings. When all is said and done, you (or someone you love) may need some patching up, and you want to be prepared for the job.

Like the other items on our list, it's a good idea to build your first aid kit with what you already have. Gather bandages, gauze, antibiotic ointment, and pain medications to create a basic just-in-case kit. Gradually add items like burn cream, elastic bandages, allergy medicine, tourniquets, and other first aid items. Supplement your first aid kit as needed with extra prescription medications, and if you have kids, be sure to add in kids' medicines too (like liquid acetaminophen).

With water, food, communication, light, and medical needs covered, the next thing you need to worry about is keeping yourself warm and dry. Every emergency kit should include at least one extra set of clothes for each person using the kit, along with a reflective emergency blanket. The blanket can be used as an emergency shelter if needed, but you may also want to include a waterproof tarp for extra coverage.

Pro tip: Paracord can help turn blankets and tarps into shelters (and it has a variety of other handy uses), so it's good to have as part of your emergency kit.

You may think that hygiene can take a back seat in a disaster scenario, and while it often does, don't underestimate the reassuring effects of cleanliness and comfort when you're under stress. Keep baby wipes, personal hygiene items, and garbage bags on hand to keep everyone feeling their best and to avoid sickness that can come from unsanitary conditions.

Pro tip: A few paper plates and plastic utensils will make cleaning up after meals easier, and having some simple card games and favorite books in your emergency kit can help keep everyone's spirits up.

Optional tools to add to your kit:

• Multitool or sharp pocketknife for opening battery chambers, cutting wires, or other small tasks
• Hammer, screwdrivers, wrench, or other basic tools not included in your multitool for repairs
• Ax, saw, or chainsaw for cutting up fallen trees and other wooden debris
• Collapsible shovel to clear debris

Pro tip: Keeping some extra cash on hand with your kit is a good way to make sure you'll be able to buy any last-minute essentials (including gasoline for a sudden evacuation) even if power goes out and ATMs and credit card machines are down.