Emergency Kit Calculator

Calculate the supplies needed for a household emergency preparedness kit including water, food, first aid, and gear based on family size and preparation duration.

Inputs

Household Size

Number of Children

Number of Pets

Preparation Days

days

Tab to move between fields

Results

Water Needed

11 gallons

≈ 11 milk jugs

Food Servings35 servings

First Aid Kits1

Flashlights4

Battery Packs2

Total Kit Weight121 lbs

Estimated Cost$282.00

How to Use This Calculator

Enter Household Size, Number of Children, and Number of Pets — each person and pet adds to water and food requirements.
Set Prepare Days (FEMA recommends at least 3 days; extended outages may require 14 days of supplies).
Review Water Gallons needed — the standard is 1 gallon per person per day for drinking and sanitation.
Check Food Servings, First Aid Kits, Flashlights, and Battery Packs to ensure each category is adequately stocked.
Note Total Weight to plan storage location — keep kits accessible but consider weight limits for upper-floor storage.
Use Estimated Cost to budget for kit assembly and schedule annual restocking of perishable items.

How the result changes with Household Size

Household Size	Water Needed
2.4	6 gallons
5.9	17 gallons
10	29 gallons
14	41 gallons

What each input means

Household Size: Total number of people in the household including children.
Number of Children: Children under 12 who need smaller portions of food and water.
Number of Pets: Dogs, cats, or other pets that need food and water supplies in an emergency.
Preparation Days: Number of days to prepare for. FEMA recommends a minimum of 3 days; 14 days is ideal.

What each result means

Water Needed: Total gallons of water to store (1 gallon/day per adult, 0.5 for children).
Food Servings: Total individual meal servings of non-perishable food to stock.
First Aid Kits: Number of complete first aid kits recommended for your household size.
Flashlights: Flashlights needed (one per adult plus one spare).
Battery Packs: Portable battery packs for charging devices and powering emergency radios.
Total Kit Weight: Estimated total weight of all supplies including water, food, gear, and pet supplies.
Estimated Cost: Approximate cost to assemble the complete emergency kit from scratch.

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Household Size = 4, Number of Children = 1, Number of Pets = 1, Preparation Days = 3 = 4 input(s) provided
Calculate Water Needed
Water Needed
11 = 11
Calculate Food Servings
Food Servings
35 = 35
Calculate First Aid Kits
First Aid Kits
1 = 1

Engine last updated August 5, 2026. Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators.

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