Most materials on this topic present one long list, and that is exactly why half of people never actually pack an emergency bag, because the list looks overwhelming. In reality, there should be three kits, and they solve different tasks. We will go through each one, and then move on to the winter-specific features.

Three different kits

The first kit is needed for thirty seconds. This is what you take when you need to immediately go down to a shelter or leave the building. The second kit is needed for several days. This is the emergency bag itself, meaning a backpack with which you can leave home for a long time. The third kit stays at home. These are supplies in case of a prolonged power, water or heating outage, when you are not going anywhere and instead live in difficult conditions. Confusing them leads to people trying to fit everything into one backpack, which then becomes impossible either to lift or to find something in quickly.

The kit near the exit

People who have experienced a strike on their own home give very specific advice, and it concerns exactly this kit. Documents should always be within easy reach, gathered in one place, meaning passports, housing documents and other important papers together. Shoes should also be near the exit, because after a building is damaged, the floor becomes covered with glass and debris, and there is no time to look for boots in the dark. Nearby, it is worth keeping clothes that you can quickly change into, because going outside in pajamas in freezing weather means a separate problem. A flashlight, preferably a headlamp, because it frees your hands. A charged power bank. A respirator or at least a tight-fitting mask, because there is a lot of dust in the air after destruction. And a whistle, which rescuers mention not by chance, because it allows you to signal when you no longer have the strength to shout, and this is critically important if a person is trapped under rubble. This kit should be such that you can grab it with one hand without thinking.

Emergency bag for several days

Here we are talking about a backpack, and rescuers recommend a volume of approximately thirty liters.

Documents and money. A passport or ID card, copies of birth certificates, military ID, education documents, employment record book or pension certificate, property documents. Cash and bank cards. Documents confirming disability, internally displaced person status or other important circumstances, if this applies to you. It is worth keeping papers in a waterproof folder, as well as having photos of them on your phone and copies in the cloud, as I wrote in detail in the material about the digital archive. It is also worth checking which of your documents are available in digital form, since as of the middle of 2026 there were more than three dozen of them in the state application. Communication devices and tools. Chargers and cables, a power bank, a battery-powered radio with spare batteries, a flashlight, a watch, a multitool or knife, matches and a lighter, garbage bags, a notebook and pencil, threads with needles. A radio receiver in this list is not an anachronism, because when there is no connection, it remains the only source of information, and I wrote about this in the material about communication during a blackout. Clothing and hygiene. Underwear, several pairs of socks, comfortable reliable shoes, hygiene products, wet wipes, a towel. First-aid kit. A basic set together with medicines that you take regularly. Rescuers recommend having a supply of regular medicines for at least a week, as well as instructions for use and information about dosage, because under stress it is easy to forget the schedule for taking them. Dishes. A metal mug, a flask, if necessary a small pot. Food and water. Food for three days that can be stored for a long time and does not require cooking, as well as water, which needs to be periodically replaced.

Winter-specific features

Now about what makes a winter kit different from a summer one, because these are exactly the points that are missed most often. Thermal underwear is the foundation, because it takes up little space and works better than an additional sweater of the same weight. A thermal blanket, meaning a thin foil film, costs pennies, weighs almost nothing and significantly reduces heat loss. Rescuers specifically mention it in the list.

Several pairs of warm socks, because wet feet create a problem faster than almost anything else. A hat, scarf and gloves, and it is better to have two pairs of gloves. Hand warmers, meaning chemical disposable or rechargeable ones, which take up little space and provide several hours of warmth. I wrote separately about the difference between their types. Comfortable winter footwear designed for snow and slush, not only for cold. Water requires special attention, because it freezes in winter. Do not keep supplies in an unheated room, in a car or on a balcony, and keep in mind that a frozen bottle is useless exactly when it is needed. The same applies to power banks and batteries, because their capacity drops significantly in the cold, and you cannot charge a cooled device.

About weight

This is what is not written about in the lists, but it determines whether your preparation will work. A backpack assembled according to the most complete list can easily exceed twenty kilograms, and most people will not be able to carry it several blocks on foot. A realistic guideline for an adult is approximately ten kilograms, and less for an elderly person or teenager. Therefore, after packing, be sure to lift the backpack, put it on and walk with it for at least several hundred meters. If this is difficult, review the contents and remove what you can do without, because a bag that you physically cannot carry is not a bag. For a family, the kits are distributed among everyone rather than put into one backpack.

For children, elderly people and animals

Children need a separate set of clothes, age-appropriate baby food, wet wipes and diapers if necessary. It is also worth putting a favorite toy or book separately, because a familiar item helps a child get through a stressful situation more easily, and this is not a minor thing. For elderly people, the key thing is a supply of regular medicines with a clear schedule for taking them, glasses, as well as copies of medical documents and medical records.

For animals, you need food, water, a bowl, a carrier, a leash and veterinary documents. If an animal takes medications, their list and dosage should be agreed upon with a veterinarian in advance.

Where to keep it

The kit near the exit should be exactly near the exit, meaning in the hallway, not in a closet in a distant room. The backpack should be kept in an accessible place known to all family members, including children. Agree in advance who takes what, because in a stressful situation it is too late to distribute responsibilities. Duplicate key information on paper, meaning phone numbers of relatives, addresses, blood type and allergies, because the phone may run out of charge or be left at home.

Revision, without which the kit does not work

A bag packed once eventually stops being useful, and this is the most common mistake. Medicines have expiration dates, and at a critical moment it will turn out that they expired a year ago. Water needs to be replaced. Batteries self-discharge even without use. A power bank loses charge during storage. Children grow, and last year's set of clothes no longer fits. Documents change, meaning copies become outdated. The practical solution is to set a reminder in the calendar twice a year, for example in spring and autumn, and spend half an hour checking the entire contents. Autumn is also a convenient moment because this is exactly when the kit needs to be switched to winter mode.

What should not be packed

Extra clothes beyond one set, because they take up the most space with the least benefit. Canned food that requires cooking, and perishable products. Heavy tools that look necessary but are not actually used in practice. Originals of all documents without exception, because it is smarter to have copies of some of them and keep the originals separately. Items of emotional value that cannot be replaced, because it is better to provide separate safe storage for them rather than a backpack that can be lost.