Buy or build an emergency kit? An honest comparison
3 min read
We sell a ready-made kit, so take this with that in mind. But the honest answer is that both routes work. What matters is that you end up with a kit that is complete, organised and kept up to date — however you get there.
In short
- Building your own costs time more than money: research, several shops, and organising it all.
- Buying saves that time, but only if the kit is well chosen. Piece count is not quality.
- Either way, some things only you can add: your medication, document copies, glasses, keys.
- Whichever you choose, check it twice a year.
Building your own
You probably already own part of it: a torch, some first aid supplies, a spare backpack. Building your own lets you choose every item, reuse what you have and spread the cost.
What it really takes is time. Reading up, comparing radios and water filters, buying from several shops, then organising it so you can find things in the dark. The risk isn’t doing it badly; it’s leaving it half-finished on a to-do list.
- Start from a complete list: our go bag checklist merges the official ones.
- Tick off what you already have at home.
- Buy the gaps: usually a crank radio, water purification, long-life food and a power bank.
- Group everything in small labelled pouches, one backpack per person.
- Put a reminder in your calendar to check it twice a year.
Buying a ready-made kit
A good kit saves the research and the organising: it arrives complete and in order. A bad one gives a false sense of security. Many “survival kits” compete on piece count — 100, 250, 300 pieces — padded with tiny tools and duplicates. Look past the number.
What to check before you buy
- A real radio: battery, crank or solar — not just a phone charger
- Water purification you can trust, and a container to carry water
- First aid organised by use, with plain instructions
- Food with a stated shelf life, that tastes like food
- A backpack you would actually carry: comfortable, weather-resistant
- A clear list of contents and expiry dates
- Room for your own things: medication, documents, glasses
- A way to replace what expires, without buying everything again
Which one is for you
| Build your own | Buy ready-made | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | Several evenings and shops | It arrives done |
| Choice | Every item is yours | Depends on how well it’s curated |
| Organisation | Up to you | Should come organised |
| Cost | Spread over time, reusing what you own | One purchase |
| Main risk | Never finishing it | Filler and poor quality |
If you enjoy the research and have the time, build it. If you know it will sit on your to-do list, buy a good one and spend the saved time on the part no kit can do: water at home, a plan with your household, a first aid course.
Where the 72H Kit fits
The 72H Kit is our answer for people who would rather have it solved: seven numbered modules (power, water, first aid, shelter, food, tools and a personal module left intentionally empty) in one 28-litre backpack, for one or two people. It will cost €249. It is not on sale yet: we are finalising the first production run, and joining the list is free.
It does not replace your water reserve at home. We include a checklist for that, because nobody should pretend a backpack can carry it.
Tip: print this page and tick things off as you go.
The 72H Kit
Rather have it done?
Everything on these lists that belongs in a bag, already chosen, tested and organised into seven modules. For 1–2 people.
See the kitNo payment is ever taken on this site.