Build Your Emergency Supply Kit
Every generic checklist asks a 1-person apartment and a family of 7 with a toddler and two dogs to prep the same way. They shouldn't. Enter your actual household below, pick how long you want to be prepared for, and this tool generates a personalized supply list covering every category in FEMA and Ready.gov's official basic disaster supply kit, plus the clothing, communication, and safety items our own guides add, with real quantities scaled to your family. It's free, instant, and nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
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How This Tool Works
The categories below are built from Ready.gov's official basic disaster supplies kit and its additional-supplies list, covering water, food, light and communication, medical, clothing, documents, tools and safety, and personal hygiene, plus the household-specific items (infants, seniors, pets, and prescriptions) that a one-size-fits-all government checklist can't scale for you. The quantities follow the same planning ratios used throughout our guides: FEMA's 1 gallon of water per person, per day, cash reserves that scale with outage length, and a 10+ N95 mask supply per person. Nothing here replaces reading the detail: each category links to the full guide covering that topic, including exact product recommendations and why each item matters.
Kit Builder FAQ
Is anything I enter saved or sent anywhere?
No. This tool runs entirely in your browser. Nothing you type is saved, stored, or sent to our servers or anyone else.
How are the quantities calculated?
Water follows FEMA's 1 gallon per person, per day guidance. Cash, batteries, and masks scale using the same ratios used in our other guides (for example, cash reserves grow from $150 for 3 days to $300+ for 2 weeks). Items like diapers or pet food are flagged as needed but not given an invented quantity, since that depends on your specific brand and routine.
Does this cover everything Ready.gov recommends?
Yes. Every item on Ready.gov's basic and additional supply lists (water, food, radio, flashlight, first aid, whistle, masks, sanitation, tools, documents, cash, clothing, and more) is included here, personalized to your household and adjusted to the duration you select.
Does this replace the household-size guides on the site?
No, it's meant to complement them. If you want the full reasoning behind each recommendation for your exact household type, see our dedicated guides like the Family of 4 Kit or Solo (1 Person) Kit.
What if my household doesn't fit neatly into these categories?
Use your best judgment: enter the closest counts and adjust quantities up or down based on your own routine. The goal is a solid starting checklist, not a rigid formula.