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Build an Emergency Kit

Some emergencies may force you to evacuate your home quickly. Other events might keep you inside for several days or longer, sometimes with limited access to things you rely on every day.

The Canadian Red Cross recommends keeping a disaster preparedness kit in your home with enough supplies to meet your household’s needs for at least three days. By taking the time now to store food, water and essential items, you can provide for yourself and your household during an emergency. In remote and northern communities, it is especially important to be prepared to meet your own basic needs for a minimum of seven to 10 days. People living in regions prone to earthquakes and tsunamis should prepare for 14 days.

Your kit should contain items that allow you to take care of yourself and others during an emergency. Common essentials include:  
  • water and food that will not spoil, along with a manual can opener  
  • a flashlight and extra batteries  
  • an extra cellphone charger or battery pack  
  • a battery‑operated or crank radio  
  • extra eyeglasses or contact lenses, baby supplies (diapers, formula), hearing aids and diabetes supplies  
  • essential medications (with copies of prescriptions)   
  • personal hygiene items  
  • important family documents, such as identification and insurance papers  
  • a copy of your emergency plan  
  • extra keys for your house and vehicle  
  • a first aid kit  
  • cash  
  • pet food and supplies, if applicable
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When building your kit, consider the risks in your area as well as your household’s specific context and needs. Think about the number of people living in your household, the type of kit that would best suit you (e.g., backpack, wheeled carrier or container), and the specific items required to support each person’s needs. Include other items based on your household’s needs, such as additional clothing, blankets, tools, games, maps or items for infants or elderly family members.

When preparing for hazards like wildfires, you may need to prioritize a grab-and-go kit. Keep your most important items together in a bag, backpack or wheeled carrier and place it along your evacuation route so it can be grabbed quickly if you must evacuate your home.  
Some emergencies, such as snowstorms, may force you to stay home. You may not be able to go out to buy provisions and could even lose power if the situation worsens. Your shelter-in-place kit should contain everything you need to remain safely at home and meet your household’s essential needs.  
An emergency can happen at any time when you are in your car. Be prepared to help yourself and your family if you are ever stranded for an extended period of time in your vehicle for an extended period of time. In addition to your emergency preparedness kit, it is recommended that you keep the following items in your car:  
  • water (bottles about ¾ full to allow for freezing in winter)  
  • food (non-perishable)  
  • blanket  
  • extra clothing and shoes  
  • crank or battery-operated flashlight, with extra batteries  
  • road maps  
  • road flares  
  • work gloves  
  • windshield washer fluid  
  • jumper cable or battery pack  
  • sand, salt or kitty litter
  • shovel and ice scraper  
  • de-icer (methyl hydrate)  
  • phone charger  
Buy Red Cross emergency kits online
Review your emergency kit at least once a year to replace expired food, water, medications and batteries. Review insurance coverage and document belongings. After using items in an emergency, resupply the kit so it is ready for the next event.  

A well-organized emergency kit helps ensure that you can care for yourself and your household during the first critical days of an emergency.  
Build a kit checklist 
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Buy Red Cross emergency kits online

7-10 day Emergency Preparedness Kit - Checklist for northern or remote or communities: If you live in a remote or northern community, consider preparing for 7 to 10 days. 
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