DIY Emergency Survival Kits

I’ve made it easy for you to put together your own Emergency Survival Kit. Here are easy-to-follow checklists and recommended products for DIY Emergency Survival Kits. I also provide links to the products on Amazon that are highly rated and cost efficient.

My Emergency Survival Kit Checklists are based on FEMA‘s Basic Disaster Supplies List, which are the supplies needed for you to survive for at least 72 hours, and also based on FEMA’s Additional Emergency Supplies List.

With all the natural disasters we have going on right now, please don’t wait to prepare and protect your family!

DIY Basic Emergency Survival Kit Checklist

PDF version

  • Water: 3 gallons of water per person
    • Buy 1 of these Water Containers (this will be enough for 2 people) or 1 water bottle case (paid link)
    • You may need to store the water in a separate place from your emergency kit in case of leakage, such as in your garage or shed
    • Optional items:
  • Food
    • Buy 3600-calorie Food Bars (1 per person) (paid link)
    • Remember to rotate the food; the Food Bars last for 5 years
    • Optional items:
      • Non-perishable comfort food/hard candy (paid links)
  • FM/AM/NOAA Weather Radio; Flashlight; Cellphone Charger (1 per family)
    • Buy an all-in-one radio/flashlight/cell phone charger that doesn’t use batteries (paid link)
    • If you have a radio/flashlight that needs batteries, make sure you store extra batteries
  • Cell Phone and Backup Battery (1 per adult)
    • I personally don’t have a cell phone just for emergencies, but my cell phone & charger are at the top of my Emergency Packing List
  • First Aid Kit (1 per family)
    • This kit even contains an emergency blanket (paid link)
  • Whistle (1 per person)
    • You can get a cool survival bracelet that has a Whistle, Flint Fire Starter, Emergency Scraper/Knife, & Rescue Rope; comes as a low-cost set of 3 (paid links)
  • Dust Mask (1 or more per person)
    • Here is a very low-priced 20-pack (paid link)
    • Tip: If you end up having disaster cleanup, you will need lots of these masks. We went through a lot of masks during the Harvey recovery, and Walmart did not have them in stock. My emergency prep came in handy! You will want the N95 masks, not just dust masks. The first time we helped muck out houses I just used a basic dust mask the relief organization provided us; for the next several days I had severe allergies. The next time I used a higher quality mask, and I had no allergies.
  • Plastic Sheeting & Duct Tape to shelter-in-place (paid links)
    • You may need to create a makeshift shelter-in-place room to protect your family from contaminants and chemical agents in the air
    • You want to buy plastic sheeting that has a thickness of 4 mil or greater

Additional Recommended Emergency Supplies

To complete your emergency prep (based on FEMA’s Additional Emergency Supplies List), you will want to add 3 days’ worth of:

Use easy-to-carry bags or backpacks (here (paid link) is a popular hiking backpack) so that you can grab-and-go if you need to evacuate quickly. Store the bags in a safe, easily accessible spot in your home.

Click here for a PDF of the Additional Emergency Supplies Checklist.

Remember to check your kits every year and rotate the items if they’re expired.

Prepare for the Worst, and Hope for the Best

Your family may never have to use an emergency kit. But with the ever-increasing natural disasters and commotion in the world, you need to be prepared. Do all you can now to keep your family safe.

Emergency Prep Links:

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