Best Survival Kits For Your Family

If you have to protect yourself and your family during a natural disaster or some other SHTF event, you need to ensure that you have the resources you need.

It’s therefore important to stock up on a survival kit. 

What, exactly, is a survival kit?

This is a kit that contains food, water, and other emergency supplies, such as a first-aid kit, and sometimes tools, to ensure that you and your family have enough resources to get through emergencies. 

With that in mind, here are the best survival kits for your family. No matter what happens, you and your loved ones will be protected. 

Best Overall: Ready America Essentials Emergency Kit

This is a three-day supply of food, water, and other items that’s enough for four people. Let’s check out why it’s one of the best survival backpack kits.

Featured specs

• Water and food bars 
• Medical kit 
• Clear-pouch packaging

Benefits

• This kit has been designed by emergency preparedness experts. 

• The food and water has a five-year shelf life. 

• The four food bars in this kit have 2,400 calories and there are also four one-liter bottles of water.

• This kit contains a first-aid kit that contains 107 items. 

• There are loads of other useful items in this kit: four emergency ponchos, four survival blankets, four emergency light sticks, four pairs of nitrile gloves, four pocket tissue packs, one pair of leather work gloves, four dust masks, an emergency whistle, three biohazard bags, four pairs of safety goggles, twelve pre-moistened towelettes, and a backpack. 

Drawbacks

• Some people have reported that the water and food supplies are not really enough for four people. 

• Others have reported that the water cartons leaked during transportation. 

Extra Features

•  The first-aid kit is packed in a clam shell case and the items are organized in clear pouches so you can find them quickly in the event of an emergency. 

Buying Advice

You never know when disaster will strike but now you can be well-prepared with this best survival food kit that also contains other essentials.

Runner Up: Premium Family Emergency Survival Kit

If you’re looking for a bigger survival kit that contains even more useful items you’d need in an emergency, this one is the one for you. Let’s check it out. 

Featured specs

• Portable stove
• Water filtration system
• Wilderness survival items

Benefits

• You get 24 Mountain House food servings and 48 packets of Datrex water in this kit.  

• One of the best things about this survival kit is that it comes with a portable stove! 

• You also get four bowls, utensils, and straws so you can feel more comfortable even when your life has changed overnight. 

• A large backpack is provided so you can store all your items inside it. 

• If your power’s out, you won’t have to worry with this kit. It includes an LED lantern and eight Cyalume SnapLights. 

• You also get a Sawyer Squeeze water filtration system. 

Drawbacks

• Not much is known about the first-aid kit. The company states that it’s a basic one, but we aren’t informed of its actual contents. 

• Some people who have purchased this survival kit have reported that they were missing items. 

Extra Features

• If you find yourself out in the wilderness, the kit will help you because it contains four emergency blankets, two bath wipes, two InstaFire tinder, one Ferrocerium rod, and two whistles. 

Buying Advice 

This is one of the best disaster survival kits. Not only does it ensure you won’t starve during an emergency situation in which you can’t get food and water, but it has tons of other items that will have you covered.

Alternative: Emergency Zone 4 Person Urban Survival Kit

This survival kit goes the extra mile by giving you the essentials you need to survive during an emergency as well as many more items. 

Featured specs

• Water purification powder
• Hygiene products 
• Sewing kit

Benefits

• You’ll be able to purify your water on the go, thanks to the five packs of water purification powder included in this pack. 

• The food packs in this kit have a five-year shelf life. The food includes four food bars that are 3,600 calories each and 24 water pouches that are 4.2 oz each. 

• To make carrying your water more convenient, you get a folding one-liter bottle. 

• This kit contains a Dynamo Radio Flashlight.

• You also get hygiene products, which aren’t usually included in survival kits. This one has all the important hygiene items you’d need, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, washcloths, toilet paper, shampoo, and even shaving cream. 

• There are useful tools included in this kit, such as a can opener, duct tape, and work gloves. 

• It even comes with a sewing kit! 

Drawbacks 

• There are two bags included in the kit but not two of important items such as first-aid kits. This can be problematic if you and your loved ones are separated. 

• Some people have reported that the bags’ straps are not very durable. 

Extra Features

• The two backpacks are heavy-duty while being discreet so you don’t have to worry about your bag of valuable emergency items drawing unwanted attention. 

• The emergency kits are also light and compact, making them easy to carry. 

• A nice touch is that this kit contains an Emergency Preparedness Guidebook to give you information you need to deal with any disaster that strikes. Some of the info includes how to administer first aid and what to do during a nuclear disaster. 

Buying Advice 

This kit is a comprehensive survival pack that contains items you never imagined you’d find in a kit. It’s got you completely covered should the worst happen – and will ensure you can actually feel more comfortable instead of just survive. It costs $189.99. 

Best Medical Kits For Survival: Surviveware Large First Aid Kit

Sometimes the first-aid kits you get in survival packs aren’t very comprehensive. They usually lack important items. This is why it’s important to purchase a medical kit that has everything you need, like this one by Surviveware. 

Featured specs

• 200 first-aid items 
• Polyester bag
• Medical guide 

Benefits

• The items in this pack include bandages, shears, dressings, eye pads, fever strips, hydro gel, tape, splinter probes, tweezers, wound dressings, and more. 

• This kit comes with a bag that’s made from 600D polyester so it’s tough and can withstand a variety of harsh conditions. 

• If you’ve ever had to try to find a first-aid item during an emergency, you’ll know how important it is to be organized. This bag will help you do that because its inner sleeves are labelled according to function so you can easily find exactly what you’re looking for without wasting any precious time. 

• This bag is highly versatile, thanks to its Velcro strap that enables you to attach it to your car’s headrest or roll bar. 

Drawbacks

• Although this is a comprehensive first-aid kit, it doesn’t have small bandages that would be appropriate for children. 

• People have said the bandages are not of a high quality. 

Extra Features

• The bag is water-resistant. It contains durable laminate pouches to protect its contents. 

• This medical kit comes with an advanced first-aid handbook to help you in an emergency. You’ll also receive a PDF guide via email so you’ll have this important information on all your devices. 

Buying Advice 

This Surviveware medical kit is one of the best family survival kits that’s filled with tons of useful items you’d need during a medical emergency, plus some extras. It’s built to be versatile and durable so it will never let you down during a medical emergency. 

Runner Up: Funly Mee Vintage First Aid Box

This vintage first aid kit will make you think of the one your mother or grandmother used to own. Let’s check it out.

Featured specs

• Durable metal 
• Removable tray
• Perfect for the home

Benefits

• This metal tin is durable and has side-carrying handles so it’s easy to transport. 

• It contains a removable tray to help you better organize your items. 

• It also has many compartments to help you organize your first-aid items so that they’re within reach when you need them. 

Drawbacks

• The pictures on Amazon are misleading because this kit is actually empty. It’s just a box to help you store your medical items you already have. 

• This isn’t a tin you can use in the outdoors as it has thin hinges and its lid doesn’t seal properly. 

Extra Features

• People who have purchased this medical aid tin have reported that it offers more than enough space for all their medicines and first-aid items. 

Buying Advice 

If your medical items are all over the place, this is the box you need to buy to ensure that they will be easy to find whenever they’re required. No mess, no fuss! 

Best Survival Kits For Your Family FAQ

What should be in a family survival kit?

You never know what disaster could strike, so you have to ensure that you and your family will have the essentials you need to survive and thrive.

While you can find survival kits that go the extra mile when it comes to the items they provide, it’s important to first focus on the basics you need. Here’s a rundown of some of the most important things you’ll need to have in the best rated survival kits.  

• Water (aim for one gallon of water per day for three days for drinking and sanitation purposes) 
• Food (aim for at least a three-day supply) 
• Flashlight
• First-aid kit
• Whistle 
• Dust masks 
• Moist towelettes 
• Can opener
• Local maps 
• Cell phone (with chargers and backup battery) 
• Basic hygiene items (such as toilet paper, toothpaste, and toothbrushes)

How long can I expect a family survival kit to last?

Your survival kit’s food and water supply usually lasts for a few years. The other items will last a longer time. That said, if you have prescription or other medications in your kit you should check them regularly to ensure that they are not past their expiration dates. 

It’s also a good idea to check and/or update your survival kit every six months so that you can see if any food you have in your kit has gone stale and replace it. For your home survival kit that contains first-aid items, it’s also important to ensure that you replace any items you have used. 

How long do medical survival kits last?

When you start building a medical survival kit for your family, it’s good to ensure you’re aware of its items’ expiration dates. Items such as band-aids will usually last for five years.

Some items will have liquids or gels on them, such as in the case of burn bandages, that deteriorate over time, so it’s also important to check their expiry dates and replace them if they’re old.  

Many items in these kits will usually last for between three and five years but they can become damaged after exposure to moisture. For example, non-sterile bandages can become moldy. 

This is why you should inspect your first-aid kit on a regular basis to ensure that all the items are still good. Even metal items that don’t expire, such as scissors and tweezers, can become contaminated which prevents them from being sterile. 

Store your first-aid kit in a dry, moisture-free place where it’s out of direct sunlight and not exposed to heat. This will also ensure the longevity of its items. 

Conclusion

You want to be able to protect your family in the event of a disaster. This means ensuring that they have enough food and water, as well as other items that are important, such as first-aid kits.

In this article, we’ve looked at the best survival kits for your family. Don’t let any emergency take you by surprise.

---

Anthony Martin

Anthony Martin is what you would call a hobby survivalist, spending his weekends fine-tuning his gear, researching new survival methods, and preparing for the worst-case scenarios that plague our nightmares. He wants to be ready, and he wants you to be ready. Being a prepper is all about saving yourself and your family when it matters most, which is what he’s here to help you with. From tactical experience, food preparation, surviving political turmoil and more, Mr. Martin is your teacher. Get ready: class is in session.