72-Hour Kit

How to Maintain Your 72-Hour Emergency Kit

A kit you packed two years ago and never checked isn't a reliable kit. Here's a simple maintenance routine that takes 20 minutes twice a year.

Person checking expiration dates on emergency kit items

Emergency kits have a failure mode that doesn't exist for most household items: the kit sits packed and forgotten while its contents expire, batteries die, and medications change.

The fix is simple: tie your kit review to an existing routine. Twice a year, when you change smoke alarm batteries, spend 20 minutes with your kit.

Next StepsUse the related guides below to keep building. Download the free checklist pack for printable reference.
72-Hour Kit
72-Hour Kit Guide
Checklist
72-Hour Kit Checklist