A 72-hour emergency kit holds water (2 litres per person per day to drink, about 4 litres in total), food that won't spoil, a manual can opener, a flashlight, a radio, a first aid kit, spare keys, cash, a copy of your emergency plan, and any medications or special-needs items your household relies on. Government of Canada guidance is to be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours and to replace items that expire at least once a year.
Government of Canada guidance asks every household to "be prepared to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours." The basic kit list that goes with that advice is short, and most of it is already somewhere in your home. This guide goes through the list item by item, then covers what it leaves out and what to check before buying a pre-made kit.
The official basic list, item by item
The table below follows the Government of Canada's basic emergency kit list. The notes in the right-hand column are our own practical comments and are not part of the official wording.
| Item | What the list says | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Two litres per person per day to drink (include small bottles); about four litres per person per day in total | The item kits most often get wrong. See the next section. |
| Food | Food that won't spoil, such as canned food, energy bars and dried foods | Choose food your household already eats and can eat cold. |
| Manual can opener | Listed on its own | Canned food is no use without one. |
| Flashlight | Wind-up or battery-powered, with extra batteries | A headlamp does the same job and leaves both hands free. |
| Radio | Wind-up or battery-powered, with extra batteries | An ordinary AM/FM receiver is enough to hear local stations. |
| First aid kit | Listed without a contents list | Add the items your family actually uses. |
| Extra keys | For your car and house | Easy to forget, and they cost almost nothing. |
| Cash | Smaller bills and change; the current page says enough "to cover your basic needs for a few weeks" | Card readers and bank machines need power and a network. |
| Emergency plan | A copy of the plan and contact information | Print it. A phone with a dead battery holds no phone numbers. |
| Special-needs items | Prescription medications, infant formula, equipment for people with disabilities, and food, water and medication for pets or service animals | No pre-made kit can supply these for you. |
Water: the number most kits get wrong
The federal figure is about four litres per person, per day, covering drinking, food preparation, personal hygiene and dishwashing. The older version of the list splits it into two litres to drink and two more for cooking and cleaning. Both describe the same total.
For 72 hours that works out to 6 litres to drink and 12 litres in total for each person. A family of four needs 48 litres. A litre of water weighs a kilogram, so most of that supply has to live at home and only a small part can travel in a bag. Our guide to how much water to store has the full table.
Pets need their own supply. The federal pets page suggests about 4 litres a day for an average dog and 1 litre a day for an average cat.
The recommended additional items
Beyond the basics, the federal list recommends a second group of items:
- Two additional litres of water per person per day for cooking and cleaning
- A change of clothing and footwear for each person
- A sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person
- Toiletries, hand sanitizer, toilet paper and garbage bags
- Utensils
- Household chlorine bleach or water purifying tablets
- Basic tools: hammer, pliers, wrench, screwdrivers, work gloves, dust mask and pocket knife
- A whistle and duct tape
- Candles and matches or a lighter
- A small fuel-operated stove and fuel
Two of these need care. Candles are a fire risk, and battery lighting is the safer default. A fuel-operated stove is for outdoor use: Government of Canada power outage guidance says not to use camping stoves, barbecues or portable burners indoors.
What the list leaves out
The federal list is a baseline for every household in the country, so it cannot cover every home or hazard. The additions below are our judgement, drawn mostly from other official lists. They are not Government of Canada requirements.
- Phone charging. The American Red Cross list includes a cell phone with chargers. A charged power bank keeps a phone going when the outlets do not.
- Copies of personal documents and a map of your area. Both are on the American Red Cross list.
- A week of medication. The American Red Cross suggests a 7-day supply. Ask your pharmacist what is practical for your prescriptions.
- Respirators for smoke. Health Canada says a well-fitting NIOSH-certified N95 can reduce exposure to the fine particles in wildfire smoke. It does not protect against the gases in smoke. The dust mask on the federal list is not the same thing.
- A battery-powered carbon monoxide alarm. Health Canada notes that the risk rises when outdoor fuel-burning equipment is used indoors, including during a power outage.
- Warmth for a Canadian winter. One blanket per person is a starting point. A home without heat in January calls for more insulation than that.
Households with young children, older adults or animals have longer lists of their own. See emergency kits for kids, seniors and pets.
Where pre-made kits cut corners
A pre-made kit saves time, and a good one is a sound starting point. Two numbers deserve a close look on any kit, from any seller.
- Water pouches. Emergency water usually comes in 125 mL pouches. A typical three-day pack of 12 pouches is 1.5 litres, or 0.5 litres a day. That is a quarter of the federal drinking figure.
- Ration bars. A common "3-day" bar holds 3,600 kcal, or 1,200 kcal a day. For comparison, the Sphere humanitarian standard uses 2,100 kcal per person per day as its planning figure. A bar like this is a survival ration and should not be described as three days of meals.
Neither item is a defect. Pouches and bars are compact, they keep for years, and they are the right choice for a bag you have to carry. The problem is a label that implies the kit meets the full 72-hour guideline when it holds a fraction of the water. Check the total litres, the total calories and the expiry dates, then make up the difference with stored water and food at home.
If you would rather start from a packed kit and add to it, these are ours. Check each product page for the litres of water and the calories inside, and compare them with the figures above.
Keep it current
Government of Canada guidance is to replace items that expire, including food, water, batteries and medications, at least once a year. Pick a date you will remember, such as the autumn clock change, and check the kit then.
Store the kit where everyone in the home can reach it, and make sure each person knows where it is. You can print our emergency kit checklist and tick items off as you gather them, or use the kit finder to match a kit to your household. If 72 hours feels short for where you live, read how long you should prepare for.
Frequently asked questions
What are the 10 items in an emergency kit in Canada?
The Government of Canada's basic list is water, food that won't spoil, a manual can opener, a flashlight, a radio, a first aid kit, extra keys, cash, a copy of your emergency plan, and special-needs items such as prescription medications, infant formula and pet supplies. The flashlight and radio should be wind-up or battery-powered with extra batteries. A second list of recommended additions covers clothing, blankets, toiletries and basic tools.
How much water do I need for 72 hours?
Federal guidance is about 4 litres per person per day, of which 2 litres is for drinking. Over 72 hours that is 6 litres to drink and 12 litres in total for each person, or 48 litres for a family of four. Add about 4 litres a day for an average dog and 1 litre a day for an average cat.
Is it cheaper to build an emergency kit or buy one?
Building your own usually costs less, because most of the federal list is ordinary household goods you may already own. A pre-made kit saves time and gives you compact, long-dated water and food in one bag. Whichever route you take, check the total litres of water and calories per person per day against the guideline, and add your own medications and documents.
Sources
- Government of Canada: Emergency kits
- Get Prepared: Frequently asked questions
- Public Safety Canada: Your Emergency Preparedness Guide (PDF)
- Government of Canada: Pets and emergencies
- American Red Cross: Survival kit supplies
- Health Canada: Using a respirator mask during wildfire smoke events
General information only. Follow instructions from local emergency officials, and call 911 in a life-threatening emergency.