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, in a hard case with a carry handle
• 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
Gauze pads (2" × 2")
Alcohol cleansing pads
Cotton swabs
1 5-in-1 Emergency Whistle (whistle, compass, signal mirror, waterproof container, and lanyard)
1 Fire Starter
1 Deck of Survival Playing Cards (52 cards illustrating survival skills)

• 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.

Make It Yours!

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

Consider adding:

• 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.

Tips:

• 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.
• Check the food bars for allergens. They're made with wheat and barley flour, so they're not gluten-free, and they're made without peanut products. If anyone has food allergies, add foods that work for them.

How do you make an emergency plan for two or four people?

The American Red Cross keeps it to a few decisions you make together:

• Choose an out-of-area emergency contact. Someone outside your area is outside the emergency too, so they're reachable and can pass news between everyone. Write the number down and save it in every phone.
• Pick two meeting places. One right outside your home, for a sudden emergency like a fire. One outside your neighborhood, in case you can't get home or are asked to evacuate.
• Practice. The Red Cross suggests practicing evacuating your home twice a year.

Does everyone in your house know where you'd meet if you couldn't get home?

What should you do if you're told to boil your water?

Follow your health department's instructions first. The CDC's method is to bring clear water to a rolling boil for 1 minute, or 3 minutes above 6,500 feet. If the power is out and boiling isn't an option, the SideBySide's water treatment tablets are your backup. Use them following the package directions, alongside your health department's advice. Our boil water advisory guide walks through the rest.

The SideBySide keeps the supplies for these moments in one bag, so the plan is the only part left to make together.

Sources: American Red Cross, Make a Plan. CDC, Water Emergencies.

The SideBySide is a 72-hour emergency kit for home use, sized for two people or a family of four. It covers the first three days of an emergency, with three days of emergency food rations, about 1,200 calories per person per day, and supplies to help with water.

In this kit: 24 oz of drinking water per person, a 1-liter hydration bag per person, and water treatment tablets that each treat 1 liter (20 in the 2-person kit, 40 in the 4-person kit).

What you'll still need to add. Stored water is what turns this into a full 72-hour home survival kit. Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness campaign, recommends one gallon of water per person per day. That's 6 gallons for two people over three days, or 12 for four. Add that, along with medications, personal necessities, and anything else your household relies on.

About water supplies. Purification tablets and filters treat water you already have; they don't create it, and tablets don't remove chemical contamination. A storage container only helps if it's filled ahead of time. None of these eliminate the need to plan for a safe drinking-water supply.