Home Emergency Survival Kit - The NightWatch

• Emergency kit for a family of four, packed in a multi-pocket hiker's backpack with components sorted into waterproof bags
• Hand-assembled in the USA, designed with advice from emergency preparedness experts, and following guidelines from government agencies and nonprofit preparedness organizations
• Two hand-rechargeable flashlights that need no batteries, plus an emergency lantern, waterproof matches, emergency candles, and bright sticks
• AM/FM radio with batteries included, for local news and emergency broadcasts when your phone is dead or the network is down
• Four emergency survival sleeping bags and four body warmers, one of each per person
• First aid for everyday injuries (cuts, scrapes, sprains, and splinters), with finger splints, an elastic bandage, an instant cold pack, gauze pads in three sizes, and a first aid guide in a reusable case
• Survival playing cards: 52 cards illustrating real survival skills, and something to do during a long, dark evening
• No food, water, or water treatment included, so store food and water at home alongside it, or pair it with a 72-hour kit that includes food
• 16" × 12" × 6" and 7 lbs, light enough for one person to carry and small enough for a hall closet

This kit is for families who want to be ready for the emergencies that show up in ordinary years: a multi-day power outage, a winter storm that takes the heat with it, or a tornado warning that sends everyone to the basement.

It suits households that already keep food and water on hand and need the other half. That means light, warmth, information, and first aid, organized in one place instead of scattered across four drawers.

It also works well as a second kit. If you already own a 72-hour kit with food, the NightWatch can cover a different floor or a family member's home.

Choosing the right number

• One to three people: one kit covers everyone, with sleeping bags and body warmers to spare.
• Four people: one kit, with one sleeping bag and one body warmer per person.
• Five or more: one kit plus an emergency sleeping bag and body warmer for each additional person, or a second NightWatch for another floor.

Organization

• 1 Multi-Pocket Hiker's Backpack
• Components packed in waterproof bags

Light & Communication

• 1 AM/FM Radio (batteries included)
• 1 Emergency Lantern
• 2 Hand-Rechargeable Flashlights (no batteries required)
• 1 Box of Waterproof Matches
• 2 Emergency Candles
• 2 Emergency Bright Sticks
  

Shelter & Warmth

• 4 Emergency Survival Sleeping Bags
• 4 Body Warmers
  

First Aid

• A Deluxe First Aid Kit in a reusable case, containing:
  
  Adhesive bandages in two sizes
  Gauze pads (2", 3", and 4") and a 2" roll of gauze
  Alcohol pads and cotton-tip applicators
  2" elastic bandage
  Finger splints
  Instant cold pack
  Medical tape
  Tweezers
  First aid guide
  
  Other
  
  1 Deck of Survival Playing Cards (52 cards illustrating survival skills)
  
  Not included: food, water, water treatment, or burn care supplies.
  
  What You'll Still Want to Add
• Water. Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness campaign, recommends one gallon per person per day. For a family of four over three days, that's twelve gallons.
• Food that needs no cooking.
  
• Medications. The American Red Cross recommends a seven-day supply, along with any medical items your family relies on.
• Copies of important documents.
• Glasses, contact lens supplies, and hearing aid batteries for anyone who uses them.

Extended power outages. This is the core use. Two flashlights, a lantern, candles, and bright sticks spread light through the house, and the radio keeps you informed when the network is down. The sleeping bags and body warmers matter most when the outage takes the furnace with it.

Winter storms. Four emergency sleeping bags and four body warmers help in a house losing heat. The waterproof matches work for candles or a wood-burning fireplace. Never use a gas stove or oven to heat your home.

Tornado and severe storm warnings. At seven pounds, one person can carry the kit to the basement in one trip, with first aid and light to wait it out. The radio is AM/FM, so a NOAA weather radio is a good companion for alerts.

Evacuation, partially. Everything packs into a backpack and goes with you. With no food or water, though, this kit supplements a 72-hour kit rather than replacing one.

Test the flashlights when the kit arrives. Charge each one by hand and make sure it lights. Repeat twice a year so you know they work before you need them.
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 instead of waiting for a local station to break in.
Know what this first aid kit is and isn't. It handles everyday injuries: cuts, scrapes, sprains, and splinters. It has no burn supplies, so a tube of burn gel is an inexpensive addition. It is not a trauma kit. If you want coverage for a serious bleed, a dedicated trauma kit with a tourniquet is worth owning alongside this one. It's also worth learning to use before you need it.
Keep it where you can reach it in the dark. A hall closet, the top of the basement stairs, or a bedroom closet all work well.
Check the radio batteries twice a year. They're included and will eventually need replacing. Pair the check with the spring and fall clock changes, and you won't have to remember a date.
Use the flashlights first and the candles second. If you do light the candles, set them on a plate or holder away from anything a child or pet could knock over. Never leave them burning unattended.

Outages happen, even in ordinary years. The average U.S. electricity customer went 11 hours without power in 2024, nearly double the yearly average of the decade before, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Major storms caused most of those hours. Even in a typical year, smaller outages add up to about two hours.

Common question: "Why doesn't this kit have food or water?"

Because it isn't a 72-hour kit. Food and water are heavy, and they expire, so they're easier to keep on a shelf at home than in a backpack you check twice a year. The NightWatch covers the part of an emergency a pantry can't: light when the power's out, warmth when the heat's off, information when the network is down, and first aid when someone gets hurt in the dark.

If you'd like a kit that includes food, the Guardian Go Bag carries food, drinking water pouches, and a way to treat more water, for two or four people.