The kit library
Every kit on this site follows the same seven-section format. What problem the kit solves, what to buy, what not to buy, a budget version, a better version, a maintenance schedule, and a printable checklist. Budget-tier kits use a three-tier variant of the same idea.
Browse all kitsThe format
The seven-section format is the same on every kit page because preparedness decisions have the same structure regardless of topic. What to buy is only useful if you also know what to skip, what the minimum viable version costs, and how to keep it working over time.
01
What problem this solves
The real-event scenario the kit addresses. Grounded in what disruptions actually demand, not what preparedness marketing suggests.
02
What to buy
Specific, tested products with honest price ranges. Items chosen for function, not for affiliate commission size.
03
What NOT to buy
The categories that produce false confidence without real preparedness. Most affiliate sites won't tell you this. We will.
04
Budget version
The minimum effective configuration at the lowest reasonable cost, with clear reasoning for what is deferred and why.
05
Better version
The specific upgrades worth making, and what problem each one solves that the standard version doesn't.
06
Maintenance schedule
Per-item inspection intervals. Most kit failures happen because an item degraded unnoticed, not because the wrong item was purchased.
07
Printable checklist
A two-page PDF covering all items, the budget configuration, and the maintenance schedule. Tape it inside a cabinet door.
Newest kit
A small civilian bag staged in your vehicle for the one specific scenario where you have to walk home. Nine items, twenty-two liters, no tactical framing. Pairs with the getting-home plan and the vehicle emergency kit.
What's in it
Budget range
Budget version
Basic daypack + Sawyer Mini + drugstore items
Full kit
All nine items, brand-name picks
Better version
Full kit + trekking poles, winter add, bivvy
Supports
The Transportation section: vehicle readiness, fuel management, routes and navigation, and the getting-home plan. Designed for commuters, parents away from home, and anyone whose day takes them more than walking distance from their front door.
The full library
Eleven kits available now, with more in development. Each follows the seven-section format, except where a budget-tiered structure better fits the topic.
Available now
A small civilian bag staged in the vehicle for the walk home when the car or the roads will not cooperate. Nine items, twenty-two liters, no tactical framing.
A serious household first aid kit built for the injuries that actually require it. Eight specific items, including the five most pre-built kits omit.
Three budget tiers covering storage, treatment, hygiene, and sanitation. Starter, Standard, or Complete, with the same four categories at every level.
Training equipment, a ready-bag pack, first aid tools, water filtration, hearing protection, and foot care. Supports the ten-chapter fitness guide.
No-power eating for 3 to 14 days. What actually works beyond the 72-hour window, what to skip, and how to build flavor into a shelf-stable pantry.
The practical first two weeks of shelf-stable food for a household starting from nothing. Protein, fiber, no-cook options, and a rotation habit.
Food, water, medication, carrier, vaccination records, and the evacuation challenges that pets add. Covers dogs, cats, and sheltering policies.
Staying warm, safe, and fed when the heat goes off. Covers heating options, carbon monoxide risks, water pipe protection, and three days without the grid.
Severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and multi-day power events for households with children. Built around what families actually use.
The kit built for renters: elevator outages, no outdoor storage, shared building systems, and everything sized to fit in a closet.
For adult children building a kit for or with an older parent. Medication, fall prevention, communication, and findable documents.
In development
The kit that lives in the car for breakdowns, being stranded, winter driving, and roadside situations. Jump starter, tire inflator, blanket, water, and reflective triangle.
The grab-and-go bag for when you have to leave the house. Documents, medications, clothing, cash, and a plan for where you are going. Built for wildfire, flood, and chemical spill scenarios.
The warm-weather counterpart to the Winter Power Outage Kit. Cooling strategies, hydration, battery fans, recognizing heat illness, and knowing when to leave for a cooling center.
When the plumbing stops: portable toilet solution, hygiene supplies, waste management, and the dignity-preserving details nobody thinks about until the toilet will not flush.
Formula, diapers, temperature regulation, and the specific vulnerabilities of children under two. A different problem set from the Family Storm Kit.
A deeper version of the Get-Home Bag for 60-plus-minute commuters. Overnight capability, water filter, more food, and seasonal layers for the walk that takes longer than expected.
For people on multiple prescriptions who travel. Organizer, physician contacts, pharmacy transfer information, insurance portability, and refrigerated medication handling.
Take it with you
Two pages: all items, the budget configuration, and the maintenance schedule. Print it and tape it inside a cabinet door.
Browse all printablesStart at the start
The Getting Started hub walks the on-ramp before the kits. The how, the why, and the order to build in.
Getting started