72-Hour Emergency Kit for Two or Four - The SideBySide

• 72-hour emergency kit in one backpack, in a two-person size and a four-person size
• A 3,600-calorie food bar for each person, divided into 18 individually wrapped pieces, with a shelf life of up to five years
• Six 4 oz water pouches, ten water treatment tablets, and a 1-liter hydration bag with straw per person
• Hand-rechargeable flashlight that needs no batteries
• AM/FM radio with batteries included
• An emergency blanket, a poncho, and a hand and body warmer for each person
• First aid kit for minor cuts and scrapes, with latex-free bandages
• 5-in-1 emergency whistle with a compass and signal mirror
• 52 survival playing cards for long hours without power
• A starter water supply, not a full three days, so store additional water at home alongside it
• Hand-assembled in the USA, designed with advice from emergency preparedness experts
• 18" × 10" × 10" in both sizes. 14 lbs for two, 18 lbs for four

This kit is for households that want the basics covered without building a kit piece by piece: couples, families of four, roommates, empty nesters, and anyone setting up a first place of their own.

It also works well for a parent's or grandparent's home. The water treatment tablets drop into a hydration bag with no pumping or tools. At 14 to 18 pounds, though, think about who will be lifting it, and store it at an easy height.

Choosing your size

• One or two people: the 2-Person kit. One person gets a second set of food and supplies to spare.
• Three or four people: the 4-Person kit.
• Five or more: the 4-Person kit, plus a food bar, blanket, poncho, warmer, and hydration bag for each additional person.

Organization

1 Backpack (red and gray)

Food & Water (2-Person / 4-Person)

Food Bars, 3,600 calories each: 2 / 4
Water Pouches, 4 oz each: 12 / 24
Water Treatment Tablets, each treats 1 liter: 20 / 40
Hydration Bags with Straw, 1 liter each: 2 / 4

Shelter & Warmth (2-Person / 4-Person)

Emergency Blankets: 2 / 4
Emergency Ponchos: 2 / 4
Hand/Body Warmers: 2 / 4

Hygiene (2-Person / 4-Person)

Packs of Pocket Tissues: 2 / 4
Wet Wipes: 18 / 36
Disposable Face Masks: 6 / 12

In both sizes

1 AM/FM Radio (batteries included)
1 Hand-Rechargeable Flashlight (no batteries required)
1 First Aid Kit in a hard case with carry handle, containing:
Adhesive bandages in two sizes (latex-free)
Butterfly bandages
Gauze pads (2" × 2")
Alcohol cleansing pads
Cotton swabs
1 5-in-1 Emergency Whistle (compass, signal mirror, flint starter, waterproof container, and lanyard)
1 Flint Starter
1 Deck of Survival Playing Cards (52 cards illustrating survival skills)

Not included: a full three-day water supply, sanitation supplies, medications, or first aid gloves and tape.

What You'll Still Want to Add

• Water. Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness campaign, recommends one gallon per person per day. That's six gallons for two people over three days, or twelve for four.
• Medications. The American Red Cross recommends a seven-day supply, along with any medical items you rely on.
• First aid extras. Disposable gloves and medical tape round out the included kit.
• Sanitation supplies. Garbage bags and plastic ties are on Ready.gov's basic kit list.
• A phone charger and backup battery.
• A second flashlight, so more than one person has light.
• Copies of important documents.
• Glasses, contact lens supplies, and hearing aid batteries for anyone who uses them.

• Power outages. A flashlight, a radio, and food that needs no cooking cover the basics. The warmers and blankets help if the heat goes out too.
• Winter storms. An emergency blanket and a hand and body warmer for each person, plus food that needs no stove.
• Water service disruptions. The tablets and hydration bags give you a way to treat water. Your local utility's instructions come first, so follow them and the tablet package directions together.
• Evacuation. Everything is in one backpack, ready to grab on the way out the door.
• A kit for someone you love. A parent, a grandparent, or an adult child in a first apartment can all use one, with everything for two or four in a single bag.

• Check the dates when it arrives. The food bars and water pouches carry a shelf life of up to five years. Note the dates and set a reminder for the year they're due.
• Store water beside it. Six gallons covers two people for three days, and twelve covers four. Keep it on the same shelf or in the same closet.
• Read the tablet directions now. Knowing the steps and wait time ahead of time makes the tablets easy to use when you need them.
• Test the flashlight and radio twice a year. Pair the check with the spring and fall clock changes, and replace the radio batteries as needed.
• Know your radio. This is an AM/FM radio, not a NOAA weather radio. If severe weather is common where you live, a NOAA weather radio brings watches and warnings directly.
• Keep it where it's easy to reach. At 14 to 18 pounds, a closet floor or low shelf near an exit works better than a high shelf.
• Know what the first aid kit covers. It's built for cuts and scrapes. It has no gloves, tape, cold pack, or burn supplies, so add those to your home supplies if you want them on hand.

Common question: "Does this kit have enough water for three days?"

No, and no backpack kit does. Ready.gov recommends one gallon per person per day, and six gallons weighs about 50 pounds. The SideBySide gives you six water pouches per person, plus ten tablets per person that each treat a liter, which is a little over five gallons, once you have a water source. Store drinking water at home, and the kit covers everything else.

Common question: "Are the food bars allergy-friendly?"

The food bars are made with wheat and barley flour and are coconut flavored, so they are not gluten-free. They are made without peanut products. If anyone in your household has food allergies, plan on adding foods that work for them.

Common question: "How long does the kit last?"

The food bars and water pouches carry a shelf life of up to five years, so check the dates printed on them when the kit arrives. Check the flashlight and radio twice a year, and replace the radio batteries as needed.