Preparedness, By the Official Numbers
Ready Lab exists because most "prepper" content is either fearmongering or vague. We stick to the published FEMA / Ready.gov, American Red Cross, CDC, and NOAA numbers — 1 gallon of water per person per day, 8 drops of bleach per gallon, 20 feet of clearance for a generator — cite the source for every figure, and never dress up a checklist as a survival fantasy. No prices or star ratings on any pick, and every recommendation names an honest drawback.
Most emergency-prep pages either sell dread or repeat a vague "have a kit ready" line with no numbers behind it. We do the opposite: every fact on this site traces to a specific agency page, and we separate what's an official minimum (3-day water/food) from what's a stronger, still-official target (2-week water/food) so you can decide your own level of readiness without guessing.
Water: Storage & Treatment
The FEMA baseline is 1 gallon/person/day, 3-day minimum, 2-week better — plus the official 8-drops-per-gallon bleach method.
The 72-Hour Kit
What ready.gov's actual checklist puts in a basic kit, and where premade bug-out bags pad the list.
Alerts & Radio
Why NOAA SAME county-level alerting matters more than hand-crank vs. battery.
Generator & Power Safety
The CDC's 20-foot carbon monoxide rule, and the gear that actually lets you follow it.
Food: Freeze-Dried vs. Canned
The real cost-per-calorie and shelf-life math between the two main options.
Car Emergency Kit
The most overlooked 72-hour kit — most stranded drivers are close to home, not far from it.
Start with the numbers
Class guides
How we work
We're a research-based site: every figure is drawn from ready.gov, FEMA, the American Red Cross, the CDC, or NOAA, cited by name and linked. We don't publish prices or star ratings, we always name a downside on gear picks, and we never dramatize risk to sell a product. Read our full methodology →