Scenario kit assembly

The bug-out bag, get-home bag, vehicle kit, and everyday carry system on this site all solve specific scenarios. But the person preparing for an apartment lockdown, a ham-radio go-kit, a child-emergency-pickup kit, or a hurricane evacuation with an infant needs the same mental process whether or not a dedicated page exists for their situation. This page is the recipe for any recipe — a four-question framework you can apply to every new scenario, producing a kit calibrated to that scenario's actual demands rather than a generic list you'll over-pack and under-use.

Action block

Do this first: Write out your specific triggering scenario in one sentence, then answer the four framework questions before buying anything (30 min) Time required: Active: 30 min for framework questions + 1–3 hours for first assembly; ongoing: 15 min monthly checks, 1 hour quarterly audit Cost range: Inexpensive for basic scenarios (EDC-weight); affordable for a 72-hour scenario; moderate investment for a full-family multi-day kit with quality containers and medical supplies Skill level: Beginner for single-person short-duration kits; intermediate for multi-person or multi-day kits requiring weight optimization and redundancy planning Tools and supplies: Tools: digital luggage scale (inexpensive — the single most important tool in this process), permanent marker, waterproof container or dry bag. Supplies: scenario-specific contents per the seven content categories below. Infrastructure: container matched to mobility mode (backpack, duffel, bin, sling bag). Safety warnings: (none) — this page is a planning framework; safety warnings live on the specific skill pages it links to

Educational use only

Kit contents that include medications, trauma supplies, or medical devices involve individual health considerations. This page describes planning frameworks, not prescriptions. Consult your physician for medication quantities and any condition-specific supply needs. Life-safety skills (tourniquet application, wound care, water purification) require hands-on practice, not just the right gear.

Before you start: Read the Gear hub overview to understand how kits fit within the three-layer tool system (essential tools / kits / maintenance). The specific kit pages — bug-out bag, get-home bag, vehicle emergency kit, everyday carry, and home kit — are downstream applications of this framework. If your scenario matches one of those pages exactly, start there. Use this page when your scenario doesn't match.

Every existing kit page on this site was built using a version of this framework. The bug-out bag answers: "72-hour evacuation from home on foot or vehicle." The get-home bag answers: "8–15 mile (13–24 km) walk from workplace to front door." Understanding the framework lets you build a kit for any scenario that falls between, beside, or beyond those.

Before you start:

Use this when: you need to build a kit for a scenario the existing pages don't cover, or you want to audit an existing kit against its actual scenario
Do not use this when: your scenario is already covered by a dedicated kit page — those pages contain the specific weight data, category breakdowns, and scenario-calibrated contents you need
Stop and escalate if: your scenario involves chronic medical equipment (CPAP, insulin, dialysis) — those dependencies require physician-specific planning beyond any general framework

The four framework questions

Answer all four questions before acquiring or packing a single item. Skipping this step produces the most common kit failure: a generic bag that is too heavy for walking and too sparse for shelter-in-place.

Q1 — Triggering scenario

Name the specific situation, not a vague category. "Emergency" is not an answer. "I am stranded in my office building for 72 hours after a major earthquake with no power and limited water" is an answer. "My child's daycare has an emergency and I need to arrive, collect them, and reach a family member's house 40 miles (64 km) away without being able to use my phone" is an answer.

The more specific the scenario, the more useful the kit. Specificity eliminates items that don't serve the scenario and reveals gaps that generic lists miss. A lockdown kit for an apartment dweller needs heavy water storage and food (you're staying put); it does not need a headlamp rated to 1,000 lumens or a topographic map.

Common scenario types and their defining characteristics:

Scenario type	Core challenge	Primary constraint
Home shelter-in-place (lockdown, quarantine, civil unrest)	Supply access cut off	Volume — kit lives in a closet or under-bed bin
Office to home on foot	Navigate unfamiliar urban terrain	Weight and mobility — you carry everything
Family evacuation by vehicle	Move household + critical items quickly	Vehicle space and loading speed
Vehicle breakdown in remote area	Self-sustain until rescue	Weight is secondary; signal and warmth primary
Child/dependent pickup emergency	Reach person, transport them safely	Speed and one-hand-free operation
Amateur radio go-kit	Establish field communications quickly	Equipment fragility and power needs
Medical condition management	Chronic supply continuity	Refrigeration, sterility, or device power

Q2 — Duration window

Hours, days, or weeks? This single variable drives more of the kit's contents and weight than anything else.

Hours (under 12): Carry water, a snack, phone power, a map, and a light. Total weight under 5 lbs (2.3 kg). The goal is comfort and navigation, not survival.
Days (1–3, the standard 72-hour window): The standard emergency management planning window per FEMA Ready.gov. Add full water treatment capability, shelter materials, and a trauma kit. Target weight 15–25 lbs (7–11 kg) for a walking kit.
Days (4–7): Extended duration adds calorie requirements, medication rotation, hygiene, and morale items. Walking kits become impractical at this duration unless vehicle-assisted. Plan resupply or a fixed location.
Weeks: This is no longer a kit problem. It is a supply cache, a home inventory, and a location strategy. See the home kit and food pantry pages.

Duration also sets your consumables math. Water: the American Red Cross and FEMA Ready.gov both recommend 1 gallon (3.8 L) per person per day for drinking, sanitation, and hygiene — needs roughly double in hot weather, for nursing mothers, or in medical scenarios. For a weight-constrained walking kit where the bag must move on foot, plan a working minimum of 1 quart to 0.5 gallon (1–2 L) per person per day for hydration only, with treatment capability to refill from any source en route. Food: 2,000–2,400 calories per person per day for an active adult; 1,200–1,800 for a sedentary shelter-in-place scenario. Multiply by the number of people and days, then weigh the result before committing to that quantity.

Q3 — Mobility constraint

The container and total weight follow directly from how you will move during the scenario.

Walking with full pack: The research baseline for sustainable loaded walking is 10–20% of body weight for typical adults; ergonomic literature and hiking guidance both cite this range, with 10% being more conservative and biomechanically supported for sustained effort. At 20% of body weight, most adults can maintain reasonable pace for multi-hour movement. At 30% (roughly 45 lbs / 20 kg for a 150-lb / 68 kg adult), speed and endurance degrade significantly and injury risk climbs. Use the lower end of the range if you are not regularly hiking with a loaded pack.

For a 150 lb (68 kg) person: ceiling around 20–30 lbs (9–14 kg). For a 120 lb (54 kg) person: ceiling around 12–24 lbs (5–11 kg). Weigh the packed kit on a digital luggage scale before your first test walk.

One-hand-free movement: Moving while managing a child, an injured person, or a firearm with one hand constrains you to a sling bag or chest pack. Practical maximum: 8–10 lbs (3.5–4.5 kg) before grip and shoulder fatigue becomes operationally limiting. Contents narrow to just-in-time essentials: water, phone, light, ID, cash, first aid.

Vehicle-stowed: Weight is largely irrelevant; volume and access speed are the constraints. The vehicle emergency kit framework applies. A secondary "go-pouch" — the subset of contents you grab in seconds if you must leave the vehicle — should be organized separately inside the main duffel.

Indoor or shelter-in-place: No carry weight limit. Volume is the constraint — the kit lives in a closet, under a bed, or in a rolling storage bin. Prioritize water storage volume (a standard 35-gallon (132 L) bin holds roughly 2 weeks of emergency water at the Red Cross/FEMA 1-gallon-per-person-per-day target for a two-person household, or about a month for one person, in collapsible containers). Weight the bin after packing; bins that cannot be moved by one person are inaccessible during rapid relocations inside the structure.

Bicycle: Total weight on the bike — rider plus gear plus bicycle — should stay under a sustainable threshold for the distance you will cover. For emergency scenarios (not multi-week touring), aim for gear load under 20–25 lbs (9–11 kg) across panniers and frame bag. Rear panniers carry roughly two-thirds of the load; front low-rider panniers keep the center of gravity manageable. Fragile items (electronics, glass) need padding against road vibration.

Field note

Weigh the finalized kit on a digital luggage scale before you commit to it. Every experienced kit builder has the same story: the bag felt fine while packing, then became a problem after 90 minutes on foot. An inexpensive luggage scale costs very little and eliminates that surprise. Weigh it loaded, put it on, and walk a mile (1.6 km) around the block. If you are not comfortable at the end of that walk, cut weight before the kit goes into storage.

Q4 — Threats present in the scenario

List the actual threats your scenario involves. Each threat category requires specific gear or knowledge; a kit built without threat-mapping ends up with gear for threats you won't face and gaps for threats you will.

Threat category	Kit implications
Extreme weather (heat/cold/wet)	Shelter materials, warmth layers, sun protection, water quantity
Rough terrain or extended walking	Footwear quality, blister kit, navigation tools, trekking poles
Urban environment (crowds, debris)	N95 respirators, safety glasses, gloves, low-profile bag
Medical event or chronic condition	Condition-specific medications, monitoring devices, medical summary card
Communication failure	Backup radio (GMRS/ham), written contact list, designated rally points
Financial disruption	Cash in small denominations, secondary payment method, account numbers
Identification or records access	Physical copies of ID, insurance cards, emergency contacts
Dependent care (infant, elderly, pet)	Dependent-specific supplies: formula, medications, harness, vet records

Weight and volume budgeting

Before selecting a single item, set the weight or volume ceiling. This prevents the most common kit failure — exceeding carrying capacity during a real scenario.

Step 1: Identify your mobility mode from Q3 above.

Step 2: Set the ceiling:

Mobility mode	Weight ceiling	Volume guidance
Walking, full pack	10–20% body weight (sustainable); stop adding at 25%	25–45 L pack for 72-hour kit
One-hand-free carry	8–10 lbs (3.5–4.5 kg)	Sling bag or chest pack
Vehicle-stowed	No practical limit	Standard duffel + go-pouch
Shelter-in-place bin	No carry limit, but must be one-person moveable	35–65 gallon (132–246 L) rolling bin
Bicycle	20–25 lbs (9–11 kg) total gear load	Front + rear panniers + frame bag

Step 3: Weigh everything. Use a digital luggage scale after packing, not an estimate while packing. Weight surprises are the rule, not the exception.

Step 4: If over budget, cut from lowest-priority categories first (comfort items, redundant tools), then from single-use specialty items, never from water, medical, or light.

The redundancy hierarchy

The "two is one, one is none" principle is widely repeated. What matters more than the number is the physical placement of redundant items, not the quantity in one pouch.

Apply three layers to life-safety items, two layers to high-utility items, and one layer to everything else:

Life-safety items (three layers: in-kit + on-body + at-vehicle or base): - Cutting tool: folding knife in pocket (EDC), fixed blade in kit, multi-tool in vehicle - Light: headlamp in kit, small AAA flashlight in EDC, chem-light stick in kit pocket - Fire ignition: lighter in EDC, ferro rod in kit, waterproof matches in sealed bag inside kit - Communication: phone in pocket, charged battery bank in kit, whistle clipped to bag exterior - Navigation: phone with offline maps, paper map in kit, compass in kit

High-utility items (two layers: primary in kit + backup in kit): - Water container: hard bottle in kit, collapsible soft flask as backup - Water treatment: filter as primary, purification tablets as backup in a different pouch - First aid: full kit in kit, individual tourniquet and compression bandage accessible at top layer

Nice-to-have items (one layer: in kit): - Extra cordage, fire-starting tinder, comfort snacks, multi-function tools beyond the core

The key insight: three knives in one pouch is not redundancy — it is weight. Three cutting tools in three different locations is redundancy. If the bag is separated from you, your EDC and vehicle cache must still cover core functions.

The seven content categories

Every kit covers all seven categories. What changes between scenarios is the depth and quantity within each category. Build the list in this order — water first, because without it nothing else matters.

Water

Container: match to scenario. Hard bottle (16–32 oz / 0.5–1 L) for EDC and vehicle. Collapsible flask for secondary. 5-gallon (19 L) food-grade containers for shelter-in-place.
Treatment: squeeze or straw filter rated for bacteria and protozoa (not viruses) for scenarios involving natural water sources. Purification tablets as backup — they are lightweight and treat any container.
Quantity: Red Cross and FEMA both recommend 1 gallon (3.8 L) per person per day for drinking + sanitation in a sheltered scenario. For a walking kit constrained by weight, plan a 1 quart (1 L) per person per 12 hours hydration floor and rely on treatment capability to refill en route; double for hot weather or high-exertion scenarios.

For kit scenarios involving extended walking or uncertain water access, the Water Foundation covers treatment chains, contamination types, and source priority in full depth.

Food and calories

Calories per day: 2,000–2,400 for active adults, 1,200–1,800 for sedentary shelter-in-place.
Formats in priority order: no-cook ready-to-eat (bars, jerky, nut butter) → minimal-prep (oats, instant rice, freeze-dried pouches) → extended-shelf backup (sealed grains, canned goods for base kits).
Avoid: items that require refrigeration, cooking that produces heavy smell, or anything that expires within 12 months (rotation becomes a maintenance burden).

Shelter and warmth

Outdoor scenarios: tarp or emergency bivy as minimum; closed-cell foam pad for any ground sleeping (cold ground draws body heat through conduction at a much higher rate than cold air convects it away — soil thermal conductivity is roughly an order of magnitude higher than still air, and ground contact, not air temperature, is the dominant heat-loss pathway when you lie down).
Urban scenarios: thermal layers stored in a compression sack; emergency mylar blanket (metalized polyester barrier film) as a backup layer.
Shelter-in-place: blackout curtains or heavy blankets for window insulation; draft blockers for door gaps.

Pair with the Shelter Foundation for scenario-specific shelter construction when your scenario involves nights outdoors.

Medical

Medical supplies scale with scenario duration and threat profile. A 2-hour urban scenario needs blister prevention and a bandage. A 72-hour wilderness scenario needs a full trauma kit plus chronic-condition medications.

Four functional sub-kits to scale independently: - Trauma kit: tourniquet, compressed gauze, chest seal, pressure bandage, gloves — the minimum for life-threatening bleeding. Trauma kit guidance lives at IFAK (individual first aid kit). - Chronic-condition medications: 7-day minimum supply, stored in original labeled containers with a brief medical summary card. Do not let this supply drop below 7 days; resupply is a recurring maintenance item, not a one-time task. - Acute-condition kit: pain reliever, antihistamine, anti-diarrheal, antacid, electrolyte packets — the basics that manage common acute problems during a multi-day scenario. - Minor wound care: adhesive bandages, antibiotic ointment, moleskin for blisters, wound closure strips, nitrile gloves.

The medical home kit page covers home-scale medical supply planning in depth. Your scenario kit draws from the same categories at a portable scale.

Tools

The minimum four functions for any scenario beyond a few hours:

Cutting: fixed-blade or quality folding knife
Binding: paracord 25–50 ft (8–15 m), electrical tape, zip ties
Ignition: lighter as primary, ferro rod as backup (works wet, no battery dependency)
Light: headlamp with fresh batteries; small backup flashlight

Add tools only when your specific scenario requires them. A multitool earns its weight in most scenarios. A chainsaw does not belong in a walking kit under any scenario.

For replacing tools with improvised solutions when your kit is separated from you, see improvised tools.

Comms and signal

External and internal communications are separate functions that require separate tools.

External comms: cell phone is primary (charge to 100% before a known event; keep a 10,000+ mAh battery bank in the kit). Battery bank charges at outlet speed or slower via solar depending on conditions.
Group comms: FRS/GMRS handheld radio for family or neighborhood coordination within a few miles (km) — no license required for FRS, license required for GMRS. See comms plan for the full communications hierarchy.
Emergency signal: whistle clipped to bag exterior (audible signaling works when electronics fail). Signal mirror in kit for scenarios involving open terrain or air search.
Offline navigation: paper map of the operating area, compass, and offline maps downloaded to phone storage before the scenario.

Documents and finance

This category is the most consistently under-built in first-time kits and the most critical for recovery after the acute phase ends.

Core documents (physical copies, laminated or in a sealed Ziploc bag): - Government-issued ID for each household member - Health insurance cards and a one-page medical summary (conditions, medications, allergies, provider contacts) - Copies of the two or three most important financial account numbers (not full card numbers — account numbers for verbal identification with institutions) - Emergency contact list with 5+ names and phone numbers — written, not phone-resident - Vehicle registration and insurance card - Cash in small denominations: mix of singles, fives, and twenties. Card readers fail during power outages; cash works when nothing else does.

FEMA's Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) at FEMA.gov provides a detailed worksheet for identifying and organizing every document category worth protecting.

Scenario application examples

Three scenarios showing how the same four questions produce fundamentally different kits.

Apartment lockdown — 72 hours

Q1: Power outage during civil unrest; building locked down, no deliveries, no exit. Q2: 72 hours indoors, sedentary. Q3: Shelter-in-place. No walking. Volume is the constraint. Q4: Threats: supply access cut, communication disruption, possible confrontation at building entry.

Kit result: 5-gallon (19 L) water containers pre-filled and stored — at the Red Cross/FEMA 1-gallon-per-person-per-day standard, that is roughly three 5-gallon containers for a household of two over 72 hours, scaled up by household size. Food: no-cook items for 72 hours per person at 1,500 calories/day. Light: lantern + headlamp + spare batteries. Comms: GMRS radio charged, battery bank fully charged. Medical: full home kit accessible, chronic medications at least 7-day supply. Documents: originals accessible at the kit location. Weight and mobility: irrelevant. The kit is a bin or shelf section, not a bag.

This kit does not need a compass, a tarp, or a ferro rod. It needs water volume, food volume, and light duration.

Office to home on foot — 8–12 hours

Q1: Mass transit failure; 10 miles (16 km) walking commute through a city. Q2: 8–12 hours. Q3: Walking. Weight ceiling: 10–15 lbs (4.5–7 kg) for a sustained urban walk. Q4: Threats: blisters, dehydration, navigation uncertainty, crowds.

Kit result: This is the get-home bag scenario exactly. The framework produces: 2 liters water capacity, 1,500 calories no-cook food, quality walking shoes (if work footwear is unsuitable), headlamp (for tunnels and dark sections), paper city map with route pre-marked, blister kit (moleskin, a critical item that does not make beginner lists), charged battery bank for phone, N95 respirators (urban debris in a crisis scenario), cash. Total packed weight: 10–12 lbs (4.5–5.5 kg). No shelter required — the goal is to reach shelter, not create it.

Family evacuation — 6-hour notice by vehicle

Q1: Wildfire evacuation; 6-hour notice; family of four including a toddler and a dog. Q2: 72 hours; location unknown (shelter, hotel, or relative's home). Q3: Vehicle-primary. Weight ceiling irrelevant. Access speed is the constraint — the kit must be loadable in under 5 minutes. Q4: Threats: smoke inhalation, toddler needs, pet needs, credential loss if home burns.

Kit result: Pre-packed duffel per person (72-hour clothing + toiletries + personal medications). Separate go-box in garage: water for the drive and arrival shortfall — case of bottled water plus 2–3 sealed 5-gallon (19 L) jugs (full Red Cross/FEMA target of 1 gallon per person per day for a family of four over 72 hours is roughly 12 gallons / 45 L, more if the destination has no reliable supply), 72-hour food, full trauma kit, pet food and vet records, document folder (passports, insurance, photos on USB drive), cash. Toddler: car seat pre-loaded during loading, formula and diapers packed separately and grabbed last. Dog: leash, 72-hour food, collar with current contact info. Grab sequence: go-box first (critical items), then duffel bags, then comfort items if time allows. The kit is organized for the grab sequence, not alphabetical or by category.

Common failure swap-outs

These are the five most common kit failures and the specific item changes that address them.

Battery dead when needed → Add a second light and radio unit with fresh batteries. Switch battery-dependent critical items to lithium AA batteries — lithium batteries have a shelf life of 15–20 years versus 5–7 years for alkaline, and maintain output in cold temperatures where alkaline batteries fade significantly. Rotate alkaline batteries in kits annually; rotate lithium batteries every 10 years.

Bag separated from operator → Maintain a minimum survival layer in your everyday carry (EDC) always: folding knife, lighter, small flashlight, phone, ID, and some cash. If the kit is lost, your EDC plus the environment is your fallback. Dedicated guidance at everyday carry (EDC).

Water bottle broken → Carry a backup collapsible soft flask in a separate compartment. Purification tablets are your backup treatment method — they work with any container including improvised ones, unlike most filters.

First-aid kit wet or contaminated → Store primary medical supplies in a waterproof container or heavy-duty Ziploc inside the kit. Pack the tourniquet and compression bandage in an exterior pocket accessible without opening the main compartment — the items you need fastest should require the fewest unzipping steps.

Map or navigation lost → Pre-memorize three to five landmarks between your starting point and destination for every scenario. A paper map is the backup; mental checkpoints are the backup to the backup. Your phone with offline maps downloaded is the primary. All three work independently.

Audit and rotation cadence

A kit built once and never checked will have dead batteries, expired medications, and outdated maps when you need it. Maintenance is not optional.

Monthly (15 minutes): - Test primary flashlight and radio with their current batteries; note if output has dropped - Verify water containers are still sealed (for stored water kits) - Verify the kit is in its designated location

Quarterly (1 hour): - Full inventory against your kit's written packing list - Replace expired medications and food items - Charge all rechargeable batteries (power banks, radios) - Check for moisture damage inside the main compartment

Annually (2 hours): - Weigh the kit; compare against weight-ceiling target - Replace lithium batteries if more than 10 years old; replace alkaline batteries regardless of age - Reassess the scenario: has your situation changed? (new address, new family member, new medical condition, new commute route) - Update the document folder with current copies of ID, insurance cards, and contact lists - Test-wear the kit on a 1-mile (1.6 km) walk to verify fit and weight

After any use: Immediately replace any item used or removed. A partially depleted kit is a failed kit. Treat the replacement as a same-day task, not a scheduled task.

Event-driven rebuilds: Any significant life change requires a reassessment — new pregnancy, new child, new medical diagnosis, move to a new area, new commute, addition of a pet, or change in a household member's physical capability. The scenario from Q1 may have changed entirely.

Tools and substitutes

Ideal tool	Purpose	Field-expedient substitute	Notes
Tactical backpack (40–65 L)	72-hour walking kit container	School daypack or internal-frame hiking pack	No hip belt on school packs transfers all load to shoulders; 20% faster fatigue
Digital luggage scale	Verify total kit weight	Bathroom scale (weigh yourself, then yourself holding kit)	Accuracy ±0.5 lb (0.2 kg) vs. ±1 lb (0.5 kg); both adequate for kit planning
Hard-sided waterproof case	Document and electronics protection	Heavy Ziploc freezer bags (doubled)	Adequate for short-duration scenarios; hard case required for long-term vehicle storage
Printed laminated checklist	Kit audit record	Index card in permanent marker in waterproof bag	Laminated card survives moisture; index card does not — use a Ziploc at minimum
Squeeze water filter	Backcountry water treatment	Purification tablets + any clean container	Tablets do not filter sediment or improve taste; filter preferred for extended use

Failure modes

Kit built once, never audited → Batteries are dead, medications are expired, the filter is cracked from a freeze cycle. The kit is heavy, expensive, and useless. Failure mode: operator finds this out during the scenario. Prevention: monthly and quarterly checks on the audit schedule above.

Kit built to no specific scenario → Too heavy for walking (every food option for every duration is in there), too sparse for shelter-in-place (no stored water volume). The generic kit fails both jobs. Prevention: Q1 answers this before any item is selected.

Family kit assumed to cover all members → Individual EDC missing. Adults have nothing on their person when separated from the kit. Children have no whistle, no ID card, no caregiver contact. Prevention: every person in the household over age 10 has a documented minimum EDC; children have a laminated contact card in a pocket.

Kit weight not measured before first real use → Operator discovers the 40-lb (18 kg) pack problem after carrying it for 2 miles (3.2 km) in an evacuation. Prevention: weigh, wear, walk 1 mile (1.6 km) before the kit goes on the shelf.

Single-point failure on a life-safety item → One flashlight, dead battery in the scenario. One lighter, out of fuel. One knife, left at home. Prevention: three physical locations for every life-safety item category per the redundancy hierarchy above.

Documents stored only digitally → Cell carrier down, phone dead, no access to cloud storage. Cash machines offline. No way to prove identity, access accounts, or pay for anything. Prevention: physical laminated copies of the two to three most critical documents in every kit.

Kit assembly checklist

Use this as a final audit after packing any new kit:

The framework on this page is the foundation. The scenario-specific pages take you deeper: bug-out bag for the 72-hour home-evacuation scenario, get-home bag for the commute-to-home walk, vehicle emergency kit for trunk-permanent roadside and evacuation support, and everyday carry for the minimum survival layer on your person at all times. For the communications section of any kit, the comms plan page covers the full hierarchy from cell phone through radio to physical signal. For medical kit contents, the medical home kit is the reference for what belongs in any medical sub-kit regardless of scenario.

Sources and next steps

Last reviewed: 2026-05-25

Source hierarchy:

FEMA Ready.gov — Build a Kit (Tier 1, federal emergency management)
FEMA Emergency Financial First Aid Kit (EFFAK) (Tier 1, federal emergency management)
American Red Cross — What Do You Need in a Survival Kit (Tier 2, established preparedness organization)
PMC — Development and Experimental Verification of an Ergonomic Backpack (ergonomic load research) (Tier 1, peer-reviewed)

Legal/regional caveats: GMRS radio operation requires an FCC license in the United States; FRS does not. Radio regulations vary by country. Cash access and ATM availability during emergencies vary by region and infrastructure resilience. Medication storage and transport regulations (especially controlled substances) vary by jurisdiction — consult your prescriber.

Safety stakes: standard guidance.

Next 3 links:

→ Bug-out bag — apply this framework to the most common 72-hour evacuation scenario
→ Everyday carry (EDC) — build the minimum on-body survival layer that backs up every kit
→ Comms plan — design the communications tier of your kit using the full PACE hierarchy