A 72-hour emergency kit for under €100
You can build a complete 72-hour kit for one person for about €99: water, food, a torch, a crank radio, a power bank, first aid and a document pouch. Use what you already own and it costs even less.
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The €99 kit, item by item
| Item | Why | About | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bottled water, 6 × 1.5 L (51 fl oz) | 9 L (2.4 US gal) for one person for 3 days | €4 | Check price |
| LED torch | Bright, AA batteries | €12 | Check price |
| AA batteries, 12 pack | Spares for torch and radio | €6 | Check price |
| Crank and solar radio | Official updates without power | €25 | Check price |
| Power bank, 10,000 mAh | Two to three phone charges | €14 | Check price |
| First-aid kit | Basic home kit | €12 | Check price |
| 3 days of long-life food | Tins, crackers, bars | €15 | Check price |
| Waterproof document pouch | For copies and cash | €6 | Check price |
| Whistle and foil blanket | Signal and warmth | €5 | Check price |
| Total | One person, 72 hours | ≈ €99 |
Prices are typical ranges on Amazon EU stores, not live prices.
Where to save, where not to
Save on water (supermarket bottles are fine), food (buy what you already eat) and the pouch. Don’t skimp on the radio and torch: cheap ones fail exactly when you need them, and they are the items civil-protection agencies list first.
Scale it for your household
Add 9 litres (2.4 US gal) of water and three days of food per extra person, about €20 each. Torches, radio and first aid can be shared. A family of four lands around €160. Use the interactive checklist to calculate it.
Questions people ask
Is a €100 kit enough?
For one person and the essentials, yes. It covers water, food, light, information, first aid and documents. Add a second set of water and food for each extra person.
Are ready-made kits good value?
Some are, but many pad the list with low-quality items. Check what’s inside against our checklist before buying.