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Water is the most essential item to put in your 72-hour kit because you CANNOT survive without it.
But, there’s a big problem with carrying water — the weight.
1 gallon of water weighs about 8.34 pounds. And, if you were to put FEMA‘s recommended 1 gallon of water per person, per day, in your 72-hour kit, those 3 gallons would weigh 25 pounds!
That’s not something you’d want to carry, especially if evacuating by foot. You’ll have plenty of other supplies to tote around.
So, what should you do?
One option is to carry ½ gallon of water in your 72-hour kit and then plan to find another source of water to purify along your evacuation route… For example, you could collect water from a stream and purify it with tablets or a water filter straw.
Water bottles are your cheapest route for putting water in your 72-hour kit. You can find both 16.9 oz and 20 oz bottles at most grocery stores for cheap. If you’re aiming to include ½ gallon of water in your 72-hour kit, that’s about 6-8 water bottles, depending on the size.
Some people like to use emergency water pouches, too. These little pouches have all sorts of advantages. Blue Can Water is another option because of its long shelf life. However, do what works best for your family’s situation and budget.
If possible, store additional water near your 72-hour kits that you can quickly grab if you’re evacuating by car. Waterbricks work well for this because they can hold 3.5 gallons of water and can easily stack together. The only downside is their cost. If you can afford it, though, get one for each member of your family.
When you evacuate, it’s best to take as much water with you as possible.
Also Read: Where to Store Your 72-hour Kit
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