How we built it
EmergencyKit.app combines the official emergency-kit recommendations published by the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Red Cross, USA.gov's
Ready.gov campaign, and the German Federal Office of Civil Protection (BBK) and Swedish
Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB). Each item on the checklist is tagged with the
organisations that recommend it so you can see at a glance how well-supported it is.
The 20% body-weight rule
A go-bag should weigh no more than roughly 20% of the carrier's body weight. Above that
threshold, evacuating on foot becomes painful, slow, and risky for older or smaller adults
and for children. The weight checker on the homepage estimates your kit's total weight from
the items you select and warns you when you cross the limit, so you can swap heavier items
for lighter alternatives before you actually need to leave.
Three days, then more
The baseline kit covers a 72-hour window because that is how long it typically takes
public services to restore basic supplies after a major disaster. Households in
high-risk regions for hurricanes, wildfires, or earthquakes should plan for at least
two weeks of food, water, and prescription medication on top of the baseline kit.