It’s always a good idea to have a few surivival items on hand in case of an emergency, especially if you live somewhere prone to climate disasters. There’s a good chance you’re already stocked up on basic essentials like water bottles, batteries, toilet paper, flashlights and even a first aid kit, but there’s an easy way to round out your stash without breaking the bank or taking up a lot of storage space in your home. A survival kit backpack like this one at Amazon can give you peace of mind while providing you and your loved ones with must-have items to tide you over if you need to evacuate your home or get stuck anywhere. Best of all? You can get it for under $40. As one shopper said, “It’s worth the price during a non-emergency and priceless during a real emergency.”
In previous HuffPost reporting, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross told HuffPost that disasters can happen anytime, anywhere. Having the necessary supplies to navigate an emergency close at hand can allow for a quicker and calmer response. And given the frequency and intensity of climate-driven disasters, it’s very important for all families to be prepared.
This kit was designed to provide enough food and water for two people for 72 hours, including 2 emergency food bars that equal 4,800 calories and 12 sealed drinking water pouches. But it also comes with must-have survival items that provide shelter and warmth, emergency lighting, signaling tools and more.
It is equipped with two ponchos and two survival blankets, a 33-piece first aid kit that includes dust masks and nitrile gloves so you can assist yourself or anyone in need safely. The backpack also has two lightsticks that are made to last up to 12 hours, a safety whistle and more. If you’ve been on the hunt for an easy-to-grab-and-go bug-out bag, this is the one for you.
The pack itself is designed to be lightweight and sturdy, and reviewers noted that it comes with cardboard siding to help keep the shape intact, which can in turn make it easier to search for items and stay organized.
This kit was designed to function in a wide range of scenarios, from earthquakes and wildfires to hurricanes, tornadoes, power outages and more. It has a five-year shelf life and can tide you over when you need immediate access to lifesaving supplies. “With preparedness, you can spend literally years planning, purchasing, storing the right stuff...That could lead to analysis paralysis. This item solves for that,” one shopper noted.
Most reviewers said that there is even room in the bag for additional supplies, so you can round out the kit with other items like a multitool or communication device. One shopper said they added, “I added a wind-up AM/FM/Weather radio and a 2-way FRS/GMRS radio kit to each bag.” Others noted that buying a pack like this can save you money as opposed to just buying everything individually and building your own.
Take a look at what a few other people who have purchased this kit have to say and then pick one up for yourself. Hopefully you’ll never need it, but if you do, you’ll be glad you had the foresight to prepare.
Promising reviews:
“Please just trust me when i say just order it. i have mine stored away for a rainy day but everything was sealed too the “T” easy to understand. I got the one for TWO people and i must say the bars are so thick and sturdy this it being a nice size you can survive longer than it says off of it or more people can eat off of it.” — Shiney
“Was so glad that water is so portable. I looked at everything in the backpack with wonder. I had tried to gather things on my own awhile back & it was bulky & too heavy; I had no idea how it’d get carried. I am in a wheelchair & have to rely on others if an emergency comes. Now I’ve got what’s needed in one backpack. Now to get another one for clothes & medicines & I’ll be set. Thanks” — Daisy’s In at AZ
“Peace of mind. This is the perfect kit to keep in the car. It covers the basic needs just in case we get stranded anywhere. With younger kids, this is exactly what I was looking for. And they loved going through it with me and talking about safety and what to do in an emergency. Well worth every penny!” —Ann In Ohio
“Great emergency kit. Had just about everything I needed for a to go bag. Enough room to add other essentials as well.” —Lady B
“Our fleet at my work used to get $60 Red Cross emergency kits, but they came with less than half the stuff this one does for half the price. I got one for each vehicle, paired with an additional med kit, and feel much better about my team’s preparedness. Great value in this bag!” —Jessi
“Great product!!! I didn’t have a safety kit for my home so I needed something that I could rely on if there was ever an emergency. I feel confident that this pack could help protect and keep feed and hydrated if there was an emergency situation where I didn’t have access to food or water. Love the masks and first aid kit. I bought this pack over other because it has a lot more in it than most others do. There is not a need to buy too many more items to fill it up.” —Samantha Astley
“If you want a relatively simple, easy to pack/unpack/repack kit, this is a great starter. The 2 cardboard box/liners inside help keep the shape of the bag and provide some mild protection against simple crushing. The items included are of fairly good quality. Enough room to add some additional items (e.g., a multi-tool or swiss army knife, small roll of toilet paper, small radio, etc). This is not intended to be a full-blown survival kit, it just adds some piece of mind. This is not the type of bag you want for an extended outing, but for use in a car or office should you get stuck somewhere for a day or two, this works great.” — cporam
“Excellent quality. Living in an area that is prone to fires It gives such a strong sense of peace of mind to know I have just what I need in case of evacuation. I have had my home burn down from fire before. You never know where you will be evacuated to. Everything in the bag is clearly marked with expiration dates. The packaging of the individual items in the backpack are strudy and the backpack itself is light weight empty. There is room in the pack to add items (waterproof matches, flashlight, etc.) and still close well. Peace of Mind is everything in an emergency. This pack gives just that.” —Olliepop
“This has everything you need in it to prepare for any disasters. I have this in my car in case I were ever stranded or broken down. It has water, emergency blanket, poncho, emergency food bars, first aide kid - among other things. For the price, I would definitely recommend. It comes in a small bag, which surprised me because I figured with everything included, the bag would need to be big. It’s easy to carry around and not bulky or inconvenient.” — E. Fries
Keep reading to take a look at a few emergency items to keep in your car this upcoming winter.
LED flares and reflective triangles
"If you break down, you want to be visible," experts previously said. They recommended keeping flares as well as reflective triangles in your car to ensure your visibility in the dark or in bad weather.
A car escape multi-tool
Experts recommend keeping an emergency escape tool in your car all the time, but especially in the winter when the chances of accidents can be higher.
If you're in a bad accident, your car ends up in water or you have a totally electric vehicle with door handles that may malfunction during an accident, a multi-tool like this one from Swiss Safe can help you get out of the car with a Tungsten steel hammer to break windows and an emergency seat belt cutter.
A warm blanket
This military-style wool blanket measures 64 inches by 88 inches. It's machine washable and stays warm even if it gets wet.