Family 2-Week Kit
A family's 2-week kit scales directly from the ready.gov per-person baseline: 14 gallons of water per person and a matching 2-week food supply, plus the shared household items — radio, first aid, generator safety gear, and a documents kit — that don't scale per-person the same way.
Step 1: Water — do the household math
| Family size | 3-day minimum | 2-week target |
|---|---|---|
| 2 adults | 6 gallons | 28 gallons |
| 2 adults, 2 kids | 12 gallons | 56 gallons |
| 2 adults, 2 kids, 1 dog | 12+ gallons (add pet) | 56+ gallons (add pet) |
Full detail and disinfection method: How Much Water to Store Per Person.
Step 2: Food — build the backbone, then add variety
Canned and dry staples are the cheapest way to hit a 2-week supply for a household; a smaller freeze-dried reserve adds variety and a lighter-weight option if the kit ever needs to be portable. Full math: Freeze-Dried vs. Canned.
Step 3: Shared household items (don't scale per-person)
- One NOAA Weather Radio with SAME alert per household is generally sufficient — see Hand-Crank vs. Battery Radio.
- A family-sized first aid kit, sized up from a single-person kit.
- If using a generator: strict adherence to the CDC's 20-foot rule plus an indoor CO alarm — see Generator Safety Basics.
- One documents kit covering the whole household's ID, insurance, and medical records.
Step 4: Household-specific additions
- Infant formula, diapers, and specific foods for kids.
- Pet food and water, budgeted separately from human amounts.
- Prescription medications and a written list of dosages for every household member.
The family kit list
Research-based picks (how we evaluate) — live Amazon search links, no prices or ratings, an honest drawback on each.
WaterBrick WaterBrick 3.5-Gallon Stackable Container (4-Pack)
Stackable, food-grade, ~14 gal total for 4-pack, screw-cap, BPA-free
Modular stacking design fits in closets and under stairs far better than a single large drum, and each brick is light enough to carry when full.
Best for: Apartment or garage storage of the FEMA 2-week per-person water target without floor-space commitment
Watch out: At 3.5 gallons each you need 4 per person for a 2-week supply, so cost adds up fast for a family — cheaper to mix with large drums for bulk and bricks for portability.
Check price on AmazonReliance Aquatainer 7-Gallon Water Container
7-gallon rigid jug, spigot, food-grade HDPE
The simplest, cheapest way to hit a meaningful chunk of the 3-day-per-person water minimum in one container with a built-in pour spigot.
Best for: Households wanting an inexpensive first water-storage container before scaling up
Watch out: Full, it's about 58 lbs and awkward to move — plan where it lives before you fill it, and rotate/clean per the label rather than leaving it sealed indefinitely.
Check price on AmazonWater Preserver Water Preserver Concentrate
Liquid stabilizer, treats up to 55 gallons, extends storage to 5 years per label
A pre-measured alternative to counting bleach drops, letting stored water go years between rotations instead of 6 months.
Best for: Buyers who want to store water once and not think about rotation constantly
Watch out: This is a storage stabilizer, not a substitute for boiling or a certified filter if the water source itself is questionable — read the label's exact dosing.
Check price on AmazonSawyer Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter
0.1 micron hollow-fiber filter, removes 99.99999% bacteria/protozoa, no batteries
A compact, no-power filter that works on questionable found water (streams, rain barrels) when your stored supply runs out.
Best for: Extending water security beyond your stored supply without electricity
Watch out: Filters remove bacteria/protozoa but not viruses or chemical contaminants — pair with boiling or purification tablets if the water source is suspect for those.
Check price on AmazonDatrex Emergency Drinking Water Pouches (4.225 oz, 3-Day Supply)
Individually sealed pouches, 5-year shelf life, USCG-approved
No container to clean or rotate every 6 months — sealed pouches with a genuinely long shelf life, ideal for a car or go-bag.
Best for: The portable/car-kit slice of your water plan, not whole-house storage
Watch out: Cost per gallon is far higher than bulk storage, so this supplements — it doesn't replace — larger water containers at home.
Check price on AmazonMidland ER310 NOAA Weather Radio with SAME Alert, Hand Crank + Solar
NOAA/SAME alert, hand-crank + solar + battery power, flashlight, phone charging via USB
Genuinely covers all three power modes (battery, crank, solar) plus real SAME county-level alerting, not just a generic AM/FM band.
Best for: The single radio most households should own for outage-proof county-specific alerts
Watch out: Hand-crank charging is slow and tiring for real phone-charging use — think of the crank as a radio/flashlight backup, not a primary phone charger.
Check price on AmazonMidland WR120 Battery-Powered NOAA Weather Radio
NOAA/SAME alert, AC/battery powered, desktop unit
The lowest-cost way to get real SAME county-level alerting if you don't need portability or hand-crank power.
Best for: A stationary home base-station radio, kept plugged in with battery backup
Watch out: No hand-crank or solar option, so it depends entirely on batteries once the power's out — keep spares and check them at your 6-month kit refresh.
Check price on AmazonKidde CO Alarm, Battery-Powered
Battery-powered carbon monoxide alarm, no wiring required
The CDC explicitly recommends a battery-backup CO alarm alongside — not instead of — the 20-foot generator distance rule.
Best for: Every household running a generator or using any combustion heat source indoors
Watch out: Battery CO alarms need their own battery checks; don't let this be the only thing you rely on if the generator is used incorrectly (indoors, in a garage, too close).
Check price on AmazonUS Wire 25-Foot 12-Gauge Outdoor Extension Cord
12-gauge, 25 ft, outdoor-rated, lighted ends
The practical tool that actually lets you keep a generator 20+ feet from the house while still reaching your appliances.
Best for: Meeting the CDC's 20-foot generator distance without daisy-chaining thin indoor cords
Watch out: Match gauge and length to your generator's rated load — an undersized cord for the distance/wattage can overheat.
Check price on AmazonSacpone Emergency Document Bag, Fireproof & Waterproof
Fireproof silicone-coated, waterproof zipper pouch, ~15in x 11in
A low-cost way to follow ready.gov's advice to keep ID, insurance, and medical copies in one waterproof, portable container.
Best for: The grab-and-go documents piece of any kit
Watch out: A bag alone isn't a plan — you still have to gather, copy, and periodically update the actual documents inside it, including a digital/cloud backup.
Check price on AmazonSwiss Safe First Aid Kit, 250-Piece
250 pieces (many single-use items like individual bandages), soft case
A broad baseline first-aid kit that covers the basics ready.gov's supply list calls for.
Best for: The first-aid line item in a 72-hour kit or car kit
Watch out: '250-piece' inflates the count by treating each bandage and wipe as a separate item — check that it has real quantities of the things you'd actually use up first (gauze, tape, antiseptic), not just padding.
Check price on AmazonReadyWise 3-Day Emergency Food Supply Bucket (Freeze-Dried)
Freeze-dried entrees, ~25-year shelf life claim, requires hot water to prepare
Long shelf life and light weight make it a strong bug-out-bag or long-term-storage choice versus rotating canned goods.
Best for: The portable or very-long-term slice of a food plan, not the cheapest way to hit a 2-week at-home supply
Watch out: Needs potable water and a way to heat it — useless without your water and heat plan already in place, and it costs several times more per calorie than canned staples.
Check price on AmazonVarious (search current listings) Canned Food Variety Case (Shelf-Stable Staples)
Canned proteins/vegetables/fruit, no water or cooking needed, 2-5 year shelf life
The cheapest realistic way to build the ready.gov 3-day-to-2-week food supply, and it's edible cold straight from the can.
Best for: The bulk of an at-home 2-week food supply on a budget
Watch out: Heavier and bulkier per calorie than freeze-dried, and shelf life is shorter (2-5 years, not decades) — rotate into your regular pantry use and restock, don't let it sit untouched for a decade.
Check price on AmazonOXO Manual Can Opener (Heavy-Duty)
Manual, non-electric, ergonomic handle
Explicitly named on ready.gov's supply checklist — an all-canned food supply is useless in a power outage without one.
Best for: Every kit that includes any canned food
Watch out: Keep more than one — it's a two-dollar item that, if forgotten or lost, defeats an entire food supply.
Check price on AmazonFrequently Asked Questions
56 gallons of water for the 2-week target (4 people x 14 gallons), plus a 2-week non-perishable food supply. The 3-day minimum (12 gallons water) is the absolute floor, not the goal, for a household planning ahead.
Neither exclusively — canned/dry staples are the cheaper backbone for the bulk of a 2-week supply, with a smaller freeze-dried reserve for variety or as a lighter-weight fallback if you ever need to move the kit. See the full cost/shelf-life math in Freeze-Dried vs. Canned.
Add their water and food needs on top of the adult per-person numbers rather than assuming they're covered by it — infant formula, kid-specific food preferences, and pet food/water are all named separately in ready.gov's household planning guidance.
If you use a generator, the CDC's 20-foot clearance from any window, door, or vent is non-negotiable, paired with an indoor battery-powered CO alarm — see Generator Safety Basics for the full rule and why the distance exists.
Every six months — rotate water and food, test batteries and radios, check medication expiration dates, and resize for any household changes like a new baby, a new pet, or a family member with new medical needs.