Public Safety Canada · Get Prepared
Canada's 72-hour emergency kit checklist, ready to order
Public Safety Canada asks every household to be able to cope on its own for at least 72 hours. Its basic emergency kit: water (two litres per person per day on its checklist), non-perishable food, a manual can opener, a wind-up or battery-powered flashlight and radio, extra batteries, a first aid kit, a charger and power bank, cash, extra keys, and tissue and toilet paper. Here it is as a shopping list for Amazon.ca.
- How long
- At least 3 days (72 hours)
- Water
- 2 L per person per day on the checklist (drinking, cooking, hygiene). Public Safety Canada's video says about 4 L.
- For 3 days
- 6 to 12 litres of water per person
- Who says so
- Public Safety Canada, Get Prepared
Why the first 72 hours matter
- When the power goes, water often follows: pumps and treatment plants run on electricity.
- Card payments, ATMs and mobile networks can stop within hours. Cash and a radio keep working.
- Emergency services reach the most urgent cases first. For the first three days, most households are on their own.
It has happened before: the December 2013 ice storm left about 300,000 Toronto Hydro customers without power, some for more than a week.
What's in the kit
Untick anything you already have. Quantities are already worked out for 2 people.
From your own home
These don't come from Amazon. Keep them with the kit.
- Bottled or tap water: 18 litres
- Food you already have: cans, legumes, nuts, crackers (rotate every 6 months)
- Your usual medication for 3 days, plus copies of prescriptions
- Copies of ID, passport and insurance (in the waterproof pouch)
- Cash in small notes: card payments may be down
- Warm clothes and sturdy shoes
- Important phone numbers written on paper
- Anything babies, older relatives or pets need
Canada's emergency kit lists, line by line
| Official list | This kit |
|---|---|
| Water, 2 litres per person per day | In the kit Collapsible containers. Fill them from the tap. |
| Non-perishable food | In the kit Emergency food rations, plus food you already have. |
| Manual can opener | In the kit |
| Wind-up or battery-powered flashlight | In the kit LED headlamps. |
| Wind-up or battery-powered radio | In the kit Hand-crank and solar radio. |
| Extra batteries and battery packs | In the kit AA batteries and a 20,000 mAh power bank. |
| First aid kit | In the kit |
| Charger and power bank | In the kit Bring your own cable. |
| Cash | From home |
| Extra keys | From home |
| Tissue and toilet paper | From home |
| N95 masks | In the kit From the additional supplies list. |
| Water purifying tablets | In the kit From the additional supplies list. |
| Basic tools and a pocket knife | In the kit Multi-tool. |
| Small stove and fuel | In the 10-day kit |
| Whistle, garbage bags, duct tape | In the kit |
| Candles and waterproof matches or a lighter | Partly Matches in the 3-day kit; candles in the 10-day kit. |
| Gloves, hand sanitizer, scissors, plastic sheeting, pen and paper | Not included Add them from home or your local store. |
| A sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person | Partly Foil blankets in the 3-day kit, emergency sleeping bags in the 10-day kit. |
Not on Canada's lists, added by us: a water filter straw, emergency foil blankets and a waterproof document pouch. Canada's list matches this kit more closely than any other: it names the can opener, purifying tablets, whistle, duct tape, multi-tool and masks.
Questions
How much water for a 72-hour kit in Canada?
Public Safety Canada's checklist says two litres per person per day for drinking, cooking and hygiene; its emergency kits video says about four litres. For 3 days that is 6 to 12 litres per person. Storing the higher figure is the safer choice.
What should be in a 72-hour emergency kit in Canada?
The basic kit: water, non-perishable food, a manual can opener, a wind-up or battery flashlight and radio, extra batteries, a first aid kit, a charger and power bank, cash, extra keys, and tissue and toilet paper. Public Safety Canada also lists additional supplies such as N95 masks, water purifying tablets, basic tools, a small stove and fuel, a whistle and duct tape.
Is this the official Get Prepared kit?
No. It is an independent shopping list built from Public Safety Canada's checklist. Each line above shows what comes from the official list and what we added.
Sources: Public Safety Canada, Get a kit · Public Safety Canada, Emergency kits
Checked against the official pages on 5 November 2026. Independent page, not affiliated with the Government of Canada.
Questions
Why are governments asking for this?
The European Commission, the UK's Be Ready campaign, Ready.gov in the US and Mexico City's Civil Protection all ask households to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours after a blackout, storm, flood or earthquake. That's how long help can take to reach everyone. Germany's BBK recommends supplies for 10 days. It's preparation, not a prediction.
How much water do I need?
Count on about 3 litres per person per day for drinking and basic cooking. Ready.gov says one gallon (3.8 L), which includes washing. Fill the containers from the tap and change the water every 6 months.
Is building my own kit better than a ready-made one?
Usually. Ready-made kits save time but tend to fall short on water, light and first aid. The list above follows the official checklists item by item.
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