The Best Items to Stock for Any Emergency, According to Survivalists

Compiling a stash of emergency-preparedness items used to be a task many of us kept on the back burner — something we knew was important and we’d get to eventually. But eventually, we now know, might be closer than anyone thought. And while we’re not suggesting you start digging out an underground bunker and filling it with instant noodles, in the past few years we’ve come to learn that having a few things on hand before you need them will only help you, even if it’s just mentally.

Most preppers, like Oregon’s Afrovivalist, Sharon Ross, equate preparation with peace of mind. “Once a person is prepared during a disaster,” she says, “they don’t feel the sense of urgency to go shopping for supplies.” So if visions of empty store shelves still haunt you, have a nice, calm look at our well-organized, detailed list of emergency supplies to keep on hand. To assemble it, we consulted recommendations from the CDC, Red Cross, the Department of Homeland Security, and the NYC Emergency Management Department. But those agencies give you only general categories, and we wanted specifics. So we interviewed 22 survivalists, preppers, bushcrafters, homesteaders, and emergency professionals about their favorite things to always have on-hand — and their advice to make your bugout (or bugin) the best it can possibly be.

Here are their suggestions, broken down into categories based on your level of survivalist instinct, written by Katherine Gillespie.

LAST UPDATED

February 10, 2025

Written by
Photo thumbnail Blog Author

The Strategist

Media Mentions from The Strategist

We are Vox Media, the leading modern media company. We guide our audience from discovery to obsession. We inspire essential conversations about what’s now, what’s next, and what’s possible.

Our editorial networks ignite conversations and influence culture through journalism, storytelling and commentary on current events, lifestyle, entertainment, sports, dining, technology, and shopping. Across digital, podcasts, TV, streaming, live events, and print, we tell stories that affect our audience's daily lives and entertain as much as they inform.

Explore More Content

Media Mentions

This lightweight, 2-ounce filter removes bacteria, protozoa, cysts, sediment, and 100 per cent of microplastics.

Mia Wandl
Associate Producer