Emergency kits compared: home, car, go bag

The basic idea is simple: each kit answers a different question. Home supplies answer: “How do I manage for a few days if power, water or shops fail but I can stay at home?” The car kit answers: “What helps me if I am stuck somewhere with the vehicle?” The go bag answers: “What do I need if I have to leave my home quickly?”

The differences follow almost by themselves from these questions. At home there is space, so there can be more water, more food and a way to cook outdoors. In the car there is some space, but heat and cold take their toll on the contents, and what matters is warm clothing, visibility and help for the waiting time. In the go bag every gram counts, because it may have to be carried a long way.

Official bodies such as the German Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) or Ready.gov in the USA publish preparedness lists. Their quantities differ between publishers. This overview only sorts the lists by situation – for exact amounts it is best to look at the list for your region.

Some things matter everywhere: light (a headlamp keeps your hands free), first-aid supplies, charging cables and a way to hear news, such as a battery radio. Instead of constantly moving these items from one kit to another, it is worth having them several times. Otherwise the lamp is missing from the car exactly when it happens to be in the go bag.

With the go bag, weight is the biggest trap. Many people pack too much out of worry and end up with a bag they can hardly carry. Better is one bag per person that this person can actually carry for a while. It holds copies of important documents, medication, a change of clothes, water and food for about three days, light, a power bank and hygiene items.

In the car, a hi-vis vest and warning triangle belong in it as local rules require. Add warm clothing or a blanket, water, some long-lasting food and a charging cable, and in winter a shovel and ice scraper. At work, a small extra kit with comfortable shoes, water, a snack and medication can help if getting home ever takes much longer than usual.

Vital medication and aids – for example spare glasses or hearing-aid batteries – belong in every kit a person might rely on for a while. Check the expiry dates regularly. For special medical needs it is best to talk to your doctor or pharmacy about how to build up a sensible supply.

Temperatures in a car vary widely: very hot in summer, very cold in winter. Bottled water, batteries and medication can suffer. So you swap these items in the car more often than at home. Anyone stuck in snow in winter who runs the engine for heat must make sure the exhaust pipe stays clear of snow so that no exhaust gets into the car – carbon monoxide can be neither smelled nor seen.

A way to cook without power belongs in home supplies, but stoves, grills and heaters running on gas or charcoal are only used outdoors, never in a flat, cellar, garage or tent. If life or health is in danger, call the local emergency number (112 in the EU) and follow the authorities' instructions.

Don't start with shopping but with a list. For each kit, write down what you already have – often there is more than you think: torches, blankets, water bottles, an old radio. Afterwards you can clearly see where the gaps are. That way you avoid both missing items and unnecessary bulk.

Build the kits step by step. It is perfectly fine to start with the most important things and add the rest over time. Also think about which risks exist in your region, for example floods, storms or heavy snowfall. This decides which kit matters most for you.

Then set fixed dates on which you check the kits – more on that in the entry on the gear maintenance schedule. A small list in the kit with contents and date helps you keep track. And talk to everyone in the household about where the kits are, so that in an emergency everyone knows where to reach.

A single kit for every situation sounds practical but rarely works. What makes sense at home, such as a large water container, is far too heavy in a go bag. And what is enough in a go bag is too little for several days at home. Splitting into three kits is therefore not a luxury but saves trouble in the end.

This overview does not replace the official preparedness lists and is not a complete packing list. It helps you understand the lists better and pack deliberately. For vehicle equipment, the rules of the country in question also apply, and they can differ.