The 72-Hour Kit Checklist: What to Pack Before Winter

A 72-hour kit is a bag that keeps you fed, warm, hydrated and informed for three days when normal services stop. Emergency agencies use the 72-hour mark because help, power and supply lines often take about that long to recover after a major storm. Build it once now, and winter outages stop being a crisis.

Start with the basics: water and food

Plan on one gallon of water per person per day, which is the figure Ready.gov and the Red Cross both use. That means three gallons each for 72 hours, half for drinking and half for cooking and hygiene. If you cannot carry that much, pack a water filter or purification tablets as backup.

For food, choose items that need no cooking and no refrigeration: energy bars, peanut butter, canned meals with pull tabs, trail mix and dried fruit. Aim for roughly 2,000 calories per adult per day and rotate everything every six months. Add a manual can opener and a few utensils.

Light, power and communication

• A headlamp and a backup flashlight, with spare batteries stored separately from the devices
• A hand-crank or battery-powered weather radio
• A fully charged power bank and the cables for your phone
• A whistle for signaling

Warmth and shelter

Winter changes the checklist more than anything else. Pack a wool or fleece hat, gloves, wool socks and an insulating layer in a waterproof bag. Add a space blanket or emergency bivy per person, and a sleeping bag if you have room. Wet clothing loses its insulation, so seal everything in dry bags or heavy-duty zip bags.

First aid and medications

A basic first aid kit should include adhesive bandages, gauze, medical tape, antiseptic wipes, tweezers, scissors, gloves and pain relievers. Add a seven-day supply of any prescription medications, refreshed on your normal refill schedule, plus glasses or spare contacts. See our upcoming first aid kit checklist for a complete list.

Tools, sanitation and documents

• A multitool or folding knife, duct tape and a small roll of paracord
• Waterproof matches or a lighter, plus a ferro rod as backup
• Garbage bags, wet wipes, toilet paper and hand sanitizer
• Copies of ID, insurance cards, key phone numbers and a small amount of cash in small bills, in a waterproof pouch

How to pack and store it

Use a sturdy backpack or a lidded tub that you can grab in one move. Put the heaviest items, like water, close to your back and the things you may need quickly, like the headlamp, on top. Store the kit near an exit, and set two calendar reminders a year to check batteries, food dates and clothing sizes.

Next step

Pick up what you are missing one category at a time rather than all at once. Shop our emergency kit essentials, or join the email list from the homepage footer for checklist updates when the printable PDF is ready.