The Best Emergency Survival Kits

We’ve scoured through kit after kit to find the products that will give you the most bang for your buck and put you on the path to preparedness.
Best overall
Complete Earthquake Bag
Redfora
  • pro
    Sustains 2 people for 3 days
  • pro
    Water purification tablets
  • pro
    First aid kit included
Best emergency radio
Emergency Zone Essentials Complete Deluxe Survival Kit
Emergency Zone
  • pro
    Sustains 2 people for 3 days
  • pro
    1 straw water filter
  • pro
    First aid kit included
Best for budgets
Ready America 2-Person, 3-day Backpack
Ready America
  • pro
    Sustains 2 people for 3 days
  • con
    No water purification
  • pro
    First aid kit included
Best food supply
Sustain Supply Co Premium Family Emergency Survival Bag
Sustain Supply Co.
  • pro
    Sustains 4 people for 3 days
  • pro
    4 straw water filters
  • pro
    First aid kit included
Best survival gear
Luxmom emergency survival kit (1)
Verifygear
  • con
    No food or water
  • con
    No water purification
  • pro
    First aid kit included

SafeWise experts have years of firsthand experience testing the products we recommend. Learn how we test and review

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Hurricane season resources

Hurricane season is in full swing and we want everyone to stay safe. Here are some resources if you or a loved one are impacted by the coming storm.

Never fear, procrastinating preppers! Buying a preassembled emergency kit helps prep you for any survival situation—including natural disaster evacuation. We think the Redfora Complete Earthquake Bag is the best survival kit thanks to its strong balance of food, water, and shelter, since you never know what to expect during an emergency situation

The included hand-crank radio is a must for checking the news and charging your phone off the grid. See how it stacks up to other emergency survival kits in our review.



Compare the best emergency survival kits

Product
Best for
Price*
Food
Water Icon Tooltip  Dark
Shelter
Communication
Learn more
Best overall 3,600-calorie food bars (2) Emergency water (3L),
purification tablets
Tube tent,
sleeping bags (2),
ponchos (2)
Hand-crank flashlight/radio/phone charger, whistle
Best emergency radio3,600-calorie food bars (2) Emergency water (3L),
straw filter
Blankets (2),
ponchos (2)
Battery-operated AM/FM/WB radio, whistle
Best for budgets2,400-calorie food bars (2)Emergency water (1.5L) Blankets (2),
ponchos (2)
Whistle
Best food supplyEmergency food (24 servings) Emergency water (4L),
straw filters (4)
Blankets (4) Whistles (2)
Best survival toolkitNone None Blanket Whistle

*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

Best survival kit reviews

1. Redfora Complete Earthquake Bag: Overall best survival kit

Best survival kit overall
Complete Earthquake Bag

*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

Despite the name, the Redfora Complete Earthquake Bag is ideal for any evacuation emergency, whether it’s an earthquake or a fire. Along with a well-stocked first aid kit, this kit also includes food, drinking water, shelter, water purification tablets, and a tube tent.

pro
Pros
pro Tube tent
pro Water purification tablets
pro Eye and airway protection
con
Cons
con High price tag

It has safety goggles to protect your eyes from smoke, N95 dust masks (N95 means they keep out 95% of particles), a whistle, and 50 feet of nylon rope that can be used in a pinch as a leash for a pet or to tie up extra supplies.

We like the helpful information pamphlet with a checklist of additional suggested items for you to add to the bag, like extra clothes and prescription medication. The bag itself has plenty of extra loops on the front for you to add your own gear.

2. Emergency Zone The Essentials: Best emergency radio

Best radio
Emergency Zone Essentials Complete Deluxe Survival Kit

*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

If a wildfire is coming, you may find yourself heading to an evacuation shelter out of harm’s way. The Emergency Zone The Essentials backpack doesn’t come with a tent, but with its included food and water, Mylar emergency blanket, playing cards, and AM/FM/WB radio, it’s a great choice if you have to head to an evacuation center.

pro
Pros
pro Weatherband radio
pro Hygiene items
pro Playing cards
con
Cons
con No tube tent
con Batteries

We like that it also has a straw filter, which can purify more water faster than the water purification tablets we’ve found in other kits. This kit also includes feminine hygiene products, plus other sanitary items like a razor, washcloth, and toilet paper. And at under $100, it’s an affordable option.

3. Ready America 3-Day Backpack: Best bug-out bag for budgets

Best for budgets
Ready America 2-Person, 3-day Backpack

*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

As one of the most popular evacuation kits on the market, we wanted to include the Ready America Backpack on our list, but it’s pretty basic as far as survival kits go. The emergency supply of food and water is easy to pack and gives you a good point to start from as you begin to build your own evacuation kit.

pro
Pros
pro Affordable
pro Good base for custom kits
pro Food and water
con
Cons
con Less food than other kits
con No tools

It will take care of your basic needs for a few days: food, water, and shelter—but it has no survival tools, no communication radio, and no flashlight.

4. Sustain Supply Co. Premium Family Survival Bag: Best food

Best emergency food supply
Sustain Supply Co Premium Family Emergency Survival Bag

*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

The Sustain Supply Co. Premium Family Emergency Survival Bag isn't your average evacuation kit with dense food bars. Instead, it comes with tastier Wise Company freeze-dried meals for up to four people.

pro
Pros
pro Freeze-dried meals
pro Stove and utensils
pro Water filter straws
con
Cons
con Expensive
con Heavy
con Few tools

You even get a small foldable stove and utensils so you can enjoy hot meals. While it comes with four liters of water, you can also use the included filter straws or boil water in the pot to make it drinkable. This kit is one of the most expensive on the market, but you can save a little money (and make it 10 pounds lighter) by choosing the two-person version. It doesn't come with any tools beyond a knife, fire starter, flashlight, lantern, and first aid kit.

5. Verifygear Emergency Survival Kit: Best survival gear

Best survival gear
Luxmom emergency survival kit (1)

*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Read full disclaimer.

If you’re someone who doesn’t like to be without a backup plan no matter where you are, the Verifygear Emergency Survival Kit might be right for you. 

It’s packed with useful survival tools like a fire starter, knife, flashlight, fishing gear, first aid kit, and more. This kit doesn’t have food, water, or shelter, but it’s a great addition to any emergency kit that does.

pro
Pros
pro Compact size
pro Handy tools
pro Perfect for custom emergency kits
con
Cons
con No food
con No water

Final word

Like most scary things, emergency situations are more frightening when you’re not prepared for them. But having an emergency evacuation and survival kit like the Redfora Complete Earthquake Bag can let you confidently answer “Yes!” if anyone asks whether you’re prepared.

To learn more about emergency preparedness, fire prevention, and keeping your family safe from  common household dangers like carbon monoxide, check out our home safety articles, like safety hazards to watch for around the house.

How we chose the best survival kits

We evaluated the best emergency survival kits by researching the bestselling and highest-rated products on the market. We compared each kit to find the ones with the most useful, high-quality gear to ensure your survival.

To find out more about how we rate and review products, check out our methodology.

Survival kit FAQ

Be sure to include these items:

  • A change of clothes (don’t forget socks and underwear!)
  • Prescription medications
  • Baby supplies if you have an infant at home
  • Copies of your IDs and important documents (especially insurance documents)
  • Cash
  • Photographs of family members and pets
  • A survival knife
  • Duct tape
  • Reusable water bottle
  • Fire starter or waterproof matches

If you’re preparing for a potential wildfire evacuation, it’s also a good idea to add a working fire extinguisher and some burn cream to your first aid kit.

They might not do much in a serious situation, but they could help keep things under control until help arrives.

If you want to add extra survival food, make sure it's lightweight. Although canned food has a great shelf-life, it's not ideal for a bug-out bag since it's so heavy. Look for foil packs instead.

Cars are a perfect place to store emergency kits if you have room because if you have to evacuate, you’ll probably be traveling by car (though emergency food and water do best with stable temperatures indoors).

If you want to store your kit in your home, pick a spot that’s easy to get to (read: not down in the basement under a pile of boxes) so you can grab it and go.

Yes, but remember it’s good for only small fires, and you should never try to use it to put out an engine fire.

Engines can combust quickly, so if your car catches on fire, the smartest thing to do is to forgo the hero maneuvers and get yourself and your passengers out of harm’s way as quickly as possible.

If you do choose to keep an extinguisher in your car, make sure it’s rated for Class B (flammable liquids) and Class C (electrical equipment) fires.

Secure it so it doesn’t become a projectile in case of an accident, and keep it out of reach of small children, unless you want to pay for an unexpected (and expensive) interior car detailing.

First and foremost, make sure your home has working smoke detectors. A sensitive smoke alarm can buy you and your children precious seconds to escape.

Create an escape plan with your family and practice it often, especially with young children who might be especially frightened in a fire.

If your home is more than one story tall, invest in an emergency fire escape ladder for each upstairs bedroom, and install nightlights in bedrooms and hallways. As much as possible, keep floors and walkways clear of clutter to aid family members and firefighters in escape and rescue.

You could also consider a specialty fire safety kit like the Everlit Emergency Fire Safety Kit, which contains tools to help you get out of a burning house:

  • Fire blanket
  • Glass breaking hammer
  • Heat resistant gloves
  • Escape rope
  • Flashlight snd glow sticks
  • First aid kit and burn treatment gel

Clean your dryer vents regularly, and make sure flammable liquids are stored in ventilated areas away from heat sources like water heaters, clothes dryers, and radiators.

Get into the habit of using timers and alarms to remind you to take things off the stove, turn off the oven, turn off space heaters, and blow out candles.

Have an electrician inspect your wiring regularly for any visual indications of wear and tear that could lead to an electrical fire. Keep working fire extinguishers in places where fires may start, like the kitchen, laundry room, and garage.

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Disclaimers

*Amazon.com list price as of post date. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product. Safewise.com utilizes paid Amazon links.

Certain content that appears on this site comes from Amazon. This content is provided “as is” and is subject to change or removal at any time.

Kasey Tross
Written by
Kasey Tross
Kasey is a trained Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) member and a freelance writer with expertise in emergency preparedness and security. As the mother of four kids, including two teens, Kasey knows the safety concerns parents face as they raise tech-savvy kids in a connected world, and she loves to research the latest security options for her own family and for SafeWise readers.

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