I learned what belongs in an apartment emergency kit the hard way.
Back in 2015, a burst pipe flooded three floors of my building in Des Moines. Water everywhere. Power cut immediately.
Stairwells turned into rivers. The fire department evacuated all 47 units at 2 AM in January. Temperature outside? Twelve degrees.
I grabbed my “emergency kit” on the way out. You know what I had? A flashlight with dead batteries, some granola bars from 2013, and a first aid kit I’d never opened.
I looked like every other unprepared person standing in that parking lot, shivering, confused, and completely dependent on the Red Cross shelter that opened four hours later.
My neighbor Mike? Different story. He had a small duffle bag ready. Kept his family warm.
Had water.
Had cash.
Had copies of his insurance documents in a waterproof pouch.
While the rest of us waited for the property management company to figure things out, Mike had already called his insurance company and booked a hotel room.
That night changed how I think about apartment preparedness.
Here’s what most apartment emergency kit guides won’t tell you: the cute Pinterest lists don’t mean anything when you’re standing outside in your pajamas watching your home become uninhabitable.
The gear-heavy tactical kits don’t work when you’ve got 600 square feet and no basement. And those 72-hour bag recommendations?
They’re built for suburban families with garages and vehicles, not apartment dwellers who might evacuate on foot.
I’ve spent the last decade building, testing, and actually using apartment emergency kits.
I’ve gone through two building evacuations, three extended power outages, and one apartment fire in the unit below me.
I’ve made every mistake you can make, wasted money on gear that doesn’t matter, and learned what actually keeps you safe when your apartment becomes unsafe.
This isn’t theory. This is what works when space is limited, storage is minimal, and you need to grab everything important in under three minutes.
Why Apartment Emergency Kits Are Completely Different
Most emergency preparedness advice comes from people who own houses.
They’ve got basements for storage. Garages for gear. Multiple exits. Outdoor space. Room for five-gallon water jugs and generator setups.
Their advice makes sense for their situation, but it’s useless for apartment dwellers.
I learned this in 2016 when I tried following a “standard” emergency kit checklist. I bought a massive 65-liter hiking backpack.
Filled it with everything the list said: three days of freeze-dried meals, a gallon of water per person per day, a camping stove, fuel canisters, a tent (because apparently I was planning to camp in the parking lot), rope, an axe, and enough medical supplies to open a field hospital.
The bag weighed 47 pounds. I could barely lift it.
My wife couldn’t move it at all. And where did I store this monster?
Shoved in the back of our only closet, buried under winter coats and Christmas decorations. If an emergency actually happened, I’d need ten minutes just to dig the thing out.
That’s not a plan. That’s expensive clutter.
Apartment dwellers face unique challenges:
Your storage space is measured in cubic feet, not rooms. You’re sharing walls, floors, and ceilings with other people whose preparedness, or lack of it, directly affects you. You can’t control building systems. You probably can’t shelter in place during certain emergencies because you don’t own the structure. You might not have a vehicle or consistent parking spot. You’re likely evacuating on foot or using public transportation.
Everything about apartment emergency preparedness has to account for these limitations.
The goal isn’t to build a kit that handles every possible scenario. The goal is to build a kit that’s actually accessible when seconds count, light enough to carry if you’re evacuating, comprehensive enough to keep you safe for 72 hours, and small enough to store without taking over your living space.
Here’s the reality: most apartment emergencies fall into two categories. Either you’re sheltering in place during a utility failure, or you’re evacuating because the building is unsafe. Your kit needs to handle both situations without requiring a PhD in logistics.
The Two-Kit System That Actually Works
Forget the one-size-fits-all approach.
Apartments need a two-kit system: a grab-and-go bag for evacuations, and a shelter-in-place supply cache for when you need to stay put. Trying to combine both into one kit creates something too heavy to carry and too minimal to be useful during extended power outages.
I developed this system after the 2017 incident when smoke from a kitchen fire two floors down filled the entire building.
We evacuated with our go-bag. Three hours later, they cleared us to return, but the power stayed out for 31 hours. Good thing I had supplies staged inside.
The Grab-and-Go Kit (GNG Kit): This is your evacuation bag. Stored near your door. Ready to grab in under 60 seconds.
Weighs 15-20 pounds maximum. Contains everything you need to survive 72 hours outside your apartment: immediate shelter, clothing, food that requires zero preparation, water or purification, documents, cash, medications, and basic first aid.
This kit assumes you might be sleeping in your car, staying with family, checking into a hotel, or using an emergency shelter. It’s not wilderness survival gear. It’s “my apartment is inaccessible and I need to take care of myself until I find alternative housing” gear.
The Shelter-in-Place Kit (SIP Kit): This is your apartment supply cache. Distributed throughout your living space in accessible locations. Handles extended utility failures, no power, no heat, no water, limited ability to leave. Contains bulk water storage, food that can be prepared with minimal resources, lighting, heating or cooling solutions, entertainment, and sanitation supplies.
This kit assumes the building is structurally safe but systems are down. Power outage. Water main break. Gas leak requiring building lockdown. Severe weather making travel dangerous. You’re in your apartment but living like you’re camping indoors.
The beauty of this system? You’re never caught unprepared. Building evacuation? Grab the GNG kit and go. Utilities fail but building is safe? Deploy the SIP kit and settle in. Worst case scenario where you need both? Your GNG kit is mobile and your SIP supplies stay secured in your apartment until you can return.
Most people try to build one kit that does both jobs. It doesn’t work. You end up with a 40-pound bag that’s impossible to carry during a real evacuation, or a lightweight bag that leaves you miserable during a 48-hour power outage.
Two smaller, purpose-built kits beat one bloated “everything bag” every single time.
Building Your Grab-and-Go Kit: The 60-Second Evacuation Bag
Your GNG kit has one job: get grabbed and get you out safely.
I test mine twice a year. I time myself. Door closed, timer started, apartment evacuation simulated. Can I grab the bag, get my family moving, and exit the building in under 90 seconds? If not, something’s wrong with either the kit location or the kit contents.
During the 2019 gas leak evacuation in my building, I had 30 seconds warning from a neighbor pounding on doors. I grabbed my GNG kit, my wife grabbed hers, and we were on the street before the fire alarm even activated. Meanwhile, other residents stumbled out empty-handed or tried running back inside for phones, wallets, and keys, exactly what you’re not supposed to do.
Container Selection: Forget tactical molle bags and military surplus packs. You want a normal-looking backpack or duffle that doesn’t scream “I have valuable emergency supplies.” I use a 30-liter daypack that looks like every other bag in the city. It holds everything I need, weighs 18 pounds fully loaded, and doesn’t attract attention.
The bag needs external water bottle pockets, internal organization (don’t just throw everything in loose), comfortable straps if it’s a backpack, and water-resistant material or a rain cover. You’ll potentially be carrying this in terrible weather.
Storage Location: Near your primary exit. Not in a closet. Not in a bedroom. Near the door you use to leave. I keep mine on a coat hook by the front door. My wife’s is on a shelf in the entryway closet. We can grab both in the dark, in smoke, half-asleep, or in a panic.
Here’s what goes inside:
Water and Hydration: You need one liter per person minimum. I carry two disposable water bottles (replaced every six months) and a Sawyer Mini water filter. Total weight: 4.5 pounds. The filter means any water source becomes drinkable, gas station bathroom, public fountain, river, lake. I’ve used mine. It works.
Don’t bother with water purification tablets in your GNG kit. They’re slow, they taste terrible, and the shelf life is inconsistent. A mechanical filter is faster and more reliable. The Sawyer specifically because it’s proven, lightweight, and filters 100,000 gallons before failing.
Food (Zero-Prep): Everything must be edible without cooking, without heating, without tools. I pack six 400-calorie meal replacement bars, four packs of peanut butter crackers, two packs of trail mix, and six protein bars. Total calories: roughly 3,600, enough for three days if I’m rationing.
Here’s what I learned: stress kills appetite, but your body still needs fuel. During the 2015 flood evacuation, I wasn’t hungry for 14 hours. But when the adrenaline wore off, I was shaking and weak. Having calorie-dense food that requires zero preparation matters because you’re not thinking clearly during an emergency.
Skip the freeze-dried camping meals. They need boiling water and 10 minutes to rehydrate. Your GNG kit assumes you might be sitting on a curb or sleeping in your car. Pack food that’s ready now.
Clothing and Warmth: One complete change of clothes in a gallon freezer bag. Underwear, socks, t-shirt, long pants, and a long-sleeve shirt. Weather-appropriate, I rotate seasonally. Winter version includes thermal base layer. Summer version includes a hat.
I also pack an emergency bivy sack (basically a waterproof sleeping bag cover), a mylar emergency blanket, and lightweight rain poncho. The bivy was a lesson learned from that January evacuation.
Emergency blankets work but they’re noisy, uncomfortable, and don’t block wind. A bivy sack costs 12 dollars, weighs eight ounces, and kept me warm for four hours in a parking lot.
Documents and Money: Waterproof document pouch containing photocopies of driver’s licenses, insurance cards (health, renter’s, auto), lease agreement, bank account information, emergency contact list, and medical information for each family member. I also include a USB drive with digital copies of everything plus family photos.
Three hundred dollars cash in small bills. Twenty in ones, eighty in fives, and two hundred in twenties. Credit cards fail. ATMs go offline. Cash works. I’ve needed it twice, once when the building evacuation lasted 19 hours and we needed a hotel, once when the power outage meant no electronic payments worked anywhere in a three-block radius.
Store the cash in the document pouch but in a separate compartment. You don’t want to flash a wad of bills every time you need to show your ID.
Medications and Medical: Seven-day supply of any prescription medications in original bottles. I rotate these monthly. Basic first aid supplies: bandages, antibiotic ointment, pain relievers, anti-diarrheal medication, antihistamines, and any personal medications (asthma inhaler, EpiPen, etc.).
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: most people forget medications during evacuations. Then they’re stuck trying to get emergency refills without access to their pharmacy records. A week’s supply gives you time to sort things out.
I also pack disposable nitrile gloves, N95 masks, and basic wound care items. During that kitchen fire evacuation, someone cut their hand on broken glass in the stairwell. Having gloves and bandages in my bag meant I could help without risking bloodborne pathogen exposure.
Light and Communication: LED headlamp with extra batteries stored separately (batteries in device can corrode). Mini LED flashlight as backup. Small AM/FM radio with batteries, yes, really. During extended power outages, radio is often the only way to get information about what’s happening.
Battery bank for phone charging (10,000mAh minimum), with cables for your specific phone. I replace the battery bank yearly because they degrade whether you use them or not.
Tools and Miscellaneous: Multi-tool (I carry a Leatherman Skeletool), emergency whistle on the bag’s zipper pull, 50 feet of paracord, duct tape wrapped around a playing card (saves space), permanent marker, notepad and pen, and basic hygiene items (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, toilet paper).
The whistle matters more than you’d think. During evacuations, buildings get chaotic. Stairwells fill with smoke. If you’re trapped or injured, a whistle carries further than your voice and requires less energy.
Personal Items: This is individual. I pack a small photo album (physical photos of my kids), a paperback book, and a deck of cards. Sounds soft, but during the 19-hour hotel stay after our building evacuation, having something to do kept my kids calm. Stressed children in emergency situations need distraction.
Total Kit Weight: 18 pounds for mine, 14 pounds for my wife’s (she carries less water, no tools). Both easily carried for extended periods. Both grabbed in under 10 seconds even in darkness.
Test your kit. Actually put it on and walk a mile. If you can’t, it’s too heavy. Remember: you might be carrying this while exhausted, stressed, possibly injured, potentially in terrible weather. Comfortable at home means nothing. Functional during crisis means everything.
The Shelter-in-Place Kit: When You’re Stuck Inside
Your apartment becomes a different kind of challenge when utilities fail but evacuation isn’t necessary.
I learned this during the 2021 power outage that lasted 67 hours in July. Temperature outside hit 96 degrees. Inside our third-floor apartment? 103 by the second day.
No AC. No fans. No refrigeration. And because our building has electric locks on the main entrance, we couldn’t easily leave and re-enter, the manual override was inconsistent.
We stayed inside. We survived. But it was miserable because I’d focused all my preparation on the grab-and-go kit and ignored shelter-in-place supplies.
Never again.
Water Storage: This is your biggest challenge and your highest priority. I keep 15 gallons stored in my apartment using three five-gallon stackable water containers. They fit in the bottom of my bedroom closet. I rotate them every six months by using the water for cleaning, then refilling.
People always ask: “Isn’t that heavy?” Yes. That’s why they stay in place. This water isn’t for evacuation. It’s for the 48-hour power outage or the water main break when nothing comes from the tap.
I also keep a WaterBOB, a 100-gallon bathtub bladder.
When severe weather is forecast or if I get any warning of potential utilities failure, I fill it. Takes 30 minutes. Lasts three weeks for two people. Cost 35 dollars. Used it twice. Absolute game-changer during the 2021 outage.
Additionally: one case (24 bottles) of commercial bottled water rotated every four months. These live under the bathroom sink. Easy access. No special storage needed.
Food (No-Cook and Minimal-Prep): You need calories that don’t require electricity, don’t require refrigeration, and preferably require minimal or no cooking. I keep a rotating stock of:
Canned goods with pop-top lids (no can opener needed): tuna, chicken, soup, chili, vegetables, beans, fruit. Minimum 30 cans total.
Peanut butter, jelly, honey, all stable at room temperature indefinitely. Whole grain crackers, rice cakes, granola bars, nuts, dried fruit. Instant coffee, tea bags, powdered drink mix.
Comfort foods: cookies, candy, chips, sounds frivolous until you’re on day three of an outage and everyone’s miserable.
I also keep rice, pasta, and instant oatmeal even though they require cooking. Why? Because I have a way to cook (more on that shortly), and hot food matters for morale during extended emergencies.
Total food: three-day absolute minimum, seven-day target, 14-day goal. I’m currently at about 11 days for two people. It fills two plastic storage bins in the bedroom closet and part of one kitchen cabinet.
Cooking Solutions: This is where apartment dwellers hit a wall. Most buildings prohibit open flames. Some prohibit any cooking devices. Check your lease.
I use a butane camping stove with eight fuel canisters stored separately.
Each canister provides roughly 90 minutes of cooking time.
Eight canisters means 12 hours of cooking, enough for three hot meals daily for four days.
The stove cost 30 dollars. The fuel costs about 15 dollars for four cans.
Here’s what matters: I only cook in a ventilated area (near an open window) and I never cook during an actual fire emergency.
The stove is for power outages, not building evacuations.
Alternative if your building is strict: chemical heating elements (FRH – flameless ration heaters). They work without electricity or flame. They’re expensive and single-use, but they’re completely allowed by any lease. Keep six on hand minimum.
Lighting: When power fails, apartments get dark. Really dark. Interior units with few windows become nearly unusable after sunset.
I keep four LED lanterns with batteries, two rechargeable headlamps with battery bank charging, and 30 tea light candles with matches.
The lanterns live in different rooms, one in kitchen, one in bathroom, one in living room, one in bedroom.
If the power cuts at 2 AM, I can get to a light source without stumbling through darkness.
The candles are backup and for psychological comfort. Humans are wired to find candlelight calming. During that 67-hour outage, we used LED lanterns for practical lighting but lit candles during dinner. Small thing, huge impact on stress levels.
Never use candles near flammable materials. Never leave them unattended. Battery-powered lights are primary. Candles are comfort and backup only.
Climate Control: Apartment dwellers can’t run generators. Can’t install whole-house backup systems. You’re working with passive solutions and battery power.
For heat: I keep two emergency sleeping bags (rated to 20°F), one propane-safe indoor heater (Mr. Heater Buddy with proper ventilation), and chemical hand warmers. Layer clothing. Block drafts with towels under doors. Concentrate in one room. Sleep together to share body heat. During the January pipe burst, the building heat was out for 12 hours. We sealed ourselves in the bedroom with the door shut, window cracked for ventilation, and used the Mr. Heater for 90 minutes before bed. Room temperature went from 48°F to 64°F. Slept comfortably.
For cooling: This is harder. Battery-powered fans (I have two), spray bottles for misting, staying hydrated, minimizing activity during peak heat, blocking windows to prevent solar heating, and spending time in cooler parts of the building if accessible (basement laundry room, for example). During that July outage, we survived but it wasn’t pleasant. Cooling without electricity in an apartment is genuinely difficult.
Sanitation: If water service fails or toilets stop working, you need a plan. I keep a five-gallon bucket with lid, heavy-duty trash bags, and kitty litter. Line bucket with bag, add litter after use, seal tightly. It’s a camping toilet. It works. It’s not comfortable, but it beats the alternative.
I also store extra toilet paper (24-roll pack), baby wipes for hygiene, hand sanitizer, soap, and feminine hygiene products. These aren’t glamorous supplies but three days without running water teaches you their value fast.
Power Solutions: I have two 20,000mAh battery banks kept charged, one solar panel charger (28W foldable), and a car charging adapter. The battery banks keep phones and headlamps running. The solar charger extends that capability if the outage runs beyond three days. The car adapter means my vehicle becomes a charging station if needed.
I don’t have a large power station (like a Jackery or Bluetti). They’re expensive, they take significant space, and for apartment shelter-in-place scenarios, they’re overkill. Battery banks and solar charging cover communication and lighting needs without spending 800 dollars.
Entertainment and Morale: Books, cards, board games, download movies/shows to devices before emergencies, puzzles, and art supplies if you have kids. Boredom during extended outages causes tension. Having structured activities helps.
I keep a battery-powered AM/FM radio specifically for entertainment. During power outages, you can’t stream anything if your data is limited. Radio still works. Sounds old-school, but it matters.
Important Documents (Backup): Separate from your GNG kit, keep copies of critical documents in a fireproof/waterproof safe in your apartment. Lease, insurance policies, titles, birth certificates, passports, etc. If you evacuate with your GNG kit, you have the essentials. But if the building suffers damage and you can’t return, having your SIP document backup means you’re not completely starting over.
What Nobody Tells You About Apartment-Specific Risks
Your neighbors are part of your emergency situation whether you like it or not.
I watched a fourth-floor apartment fire in 2018 that started because someone left a candle burning during a power outage. They evacuated and forgot about it. The candle tipped over. Fire spread through that unit, damaged two others, and forced the evacuation of the entire building. Forty-seven units displaced because one person made one mistake.
Shared Infrastructure Means Shared Risk: Your building’s sprinkler system, electrical panel, gas lines, water supply, and ventilation system connects everyone. One person’s emergency can become your emergency instantly. One person’s negligence can create a disaster that affects you even if you did everything right.
You can’t control this. But you can prepare for it.
Keep relationships with immediate neighbors friendly. Exchange phone numbers. In a real emergency, they’re your first line of help and communication. During the 2019 gas leak, my neighbor alerted me before the building alarm even sounded because she smelled gas and immediately started warning people floor by floor.
Vertical Living Complicates Evacuation: Fires rise. Smoke rises. Water flows downward. If you’re on an upper floor, every emergency takes longer to escape. If you’re on a lower floor, you’re dealing with water damage from above during floods or pipe bursts.
Know your building’s evacuation routes. Not just the main stairs, all the stairwells, all the exits.
I’ve walked every stairwell in my building at least twice. I know which ones have exterior access at ground level and which ones dump into interior hallways.
During the kitchen fire evacuation, the main stairwell was smoke-filled. We used the back stairs because I knew they existed.
If you’re above the third floor, evacuation ladders probably won’t help (they’re too short and most windows don’t open enough anyway). Your evacuation plan is: get to the stairwell, get down, get out. Practice this route. Time yourself. Know the exit points.
Limited Control Over Building Systems: You don’t control the heat. Can’t modify the electrical system. Can’t install a backup generator. Can’t store propane tanks on balconies in most places. Can’t run extension cords from other units. Your preparedness solutions must work within the rules of apartment living.
This means accepting limitations. You’re not going to run a chest freezer full of food during a power outage.
You’re not heating the place with a kerosene heater. You’re not building a rainwater collection system.
Your solutions are smaller, more portable, and more focused on bridging gaps until services restore.
The Balcony Question: If you have a balcony, it’s valuable storage for certain items, extra water containers, sealed food supplies in weatherproof bins, some emergency equipment.
But check your lease. Many buildings restrict what can be stored on balconies. And never store anything flammable or that violates fire code.
I use my balcony for overflow water storage in sealed containers and for a small charcoal grill (allowed by my lease) which gives me outdoor cooking capability during extended power outages.
The Financial Reality: What This Actually Costs
Let’s talk money because most emergency preparedness content pretends budget doesn’t matter.
My complete two-kit system, GNG kit and SIP supplies, cost about 520 dollars spread over 18 months.
That’s not a single purchase. That’s gradual accumulation as budget allowed.
GNG Kit Breakdown:
- Backpack: 40 dollars (basic Jansport)
- Water and filter: 35 dollars
- Food supplies: 45 dollars
- Clothing and warmth gear: 60 dollars
- First aid and medications: 40 dollars
- Flashlights and radio: 35 dollars
- Battery bank and cables: 45 dollars
- Tools and misc: 35 dollars
- Cash reserve: 300 dollars (one-time)
Total GNG: 635 dollars (or 335 without cash reserve)
SIP Kit Breakdown:
- Water storage containers: 45 dollars
- WaterBOB: 35 dollars
- Food supplies (initial stock): 110 dollars
- Camping stove and fuel: 45 dollars
- Lighting (lanterns and batteries): 60 dollars
- Climate control: 75 dollars
- Sanitation supplies: 30 dollars
- Power solutions: 85 dollars
- Entertainment/misc: 30 dollars
Total SIP: 515 dollars
Combined Total: 1,150 dollars (or 850 if you exclude the cash reserve since that’s not spent, just set aside)
That’s not nothing. But it’s also not astronomical. And here’s what matters: you don’t build this overnight.
I started with 50 dollars. Bought a decent backpack and a water filter. That was month one. Month two, I added food supplies to the GNG kit. Month three, I bought the first aid supplies. By month six, the GNG kit was complete. Then I started building the SIP supplies gradually.
The biggest mistake people make is trying to buy everything at once, getting overwhelmed by the cost, and doing nothing. Start small. Build systematically. Any preparation beats zero preparation.
Where to Save Money:
Buy generic. Store-brand canned goods are identical to name-brand for emergency purposes. Generic batteries work fine. You don’t need tactical gear, basic equipment performs the same.
Shop discount stores. Dollar stores carry LED flashlights, batteries, lighters, first aid basics, and food supplies at fraction of retail. Five-dollar flashlight from Dollar General works exactly like the 20-dollar one from the outdoor store.
Rotate consumables. Don’t buy “emergency food” that sits unused for ten years. Buy food you actually eat and rotate it through your regular diet. Same with water, batteries, and medications. This approach costs nothing extra, you’re just being more intentional about keeping backup supplies.
Where Not to Compromise:
Water filtration. Buy a proven filter system. Cheap filters fail, and contaminated water can kill you. The Sawyer Mini costs 25 dollars and it’s reliable.
Critical medications. Don’t skip the seven-day medication supply because it’s “expensive” to get extra prescriptions.
Find a way. Call your doctor. Explain you need emergency backups.
Many insurance plans cover a 90-day supply, get it, and keep one month set aside specifically for your kits.
Document protection. A waterproof document pouch costs 8 dollars. Don’t store critical papers in a regular plastic bag. Water destroys paper. Fire destroys paper. Spend the 8 dollars.
The rest? Use common sense. Expensive isn’t better. Functional is better.
The Testing Protocol Nobody Does (But You Should)
Here’s where most people fail: they build the kit, store it, and never touch it again until the emergency happens. Then they discover the batteries died, the food expired, the water containers leaked, and half the supplies are unusable.
I test my systems twice annually, spring and fall. Here’s my protocol:
GNG Kit Test: Complete simulated evacuation. Timer started. Grab bag, exit apartment, walk to car in parking lot. Everything still accessible? Bag comfortable to carry? Any items missing or damaged? Then I open the bag and inspect every item. Check expiration dates on food and medications. Test the flashlight and headlamp. Verify the battery bank holds charge. Confirm documents are current. Replace anything that’s degraded or outdated.
Takes 30 minutes twice a year. Catches problems before they matter.
SIP Kit Test: Once per year, I do a practice shelter-in-place drill. I don’t actually shut off the power (my wife wouldn’t tolerate that), but I simulate it. Use only my SIP supplies for 24 hours. Cook a meal with the camping stove. Use the LED lanterns for lighting after sunset. Drink only from stored water. Identify what’s working and what needs improvement.
The first time I did this in 2017, I discovered my camping stove fuel canisters had corroded at the seal and were leaking. If I’d tried using them during an actual emergency, they wouldn’t have worked. Found out during a drill instead. Replaced them immediately.
Monthly Quick Checks:
- Rotate medications in GNG kit
- Check battery charge on power banks
- Verify GNG kit location is accessible
- Visually confirm water containers aren’t leaking
- Rotate bottled water if approaching expiration
Quarterly Updates:
- Refresh cash in GNG kit (spend the old bills, replace with new)
- Update any documents that changed (new insurance card, moved bank accounts, etc.)
- Check stored food expiration dates
- Replace seasonal clothing in GNG kit if needed
This level of maintenance sounds excessive until you’ve actually needed your kit and found it failed when it mattered. I’d rather spend two hours per year maintaining my systems than face an emergency with non-functional equipment.
What Actually Happens During Apartment Emergencies
Let me walk you through the three major apartment emergencies I’ve experienced and what the kits handled versus what surprised me.
January 2015 – Pipe Burst and Building Flood: The pipe burst happened at 1:47 AM according to fire department records. Water flooded through ceiling fixtures. My upstairs neighbor’s toilet literally fell through into the unit below. Electricity cut immediately when water hit the electrical panels.
What worked: Grabbed GNG kit in darkness using the headlamp that was hanging on the coat hook. Evacuation took 45 seconds. Had warm clothing, emergency blanket, and cash for hotel. Documents stayed dry in waterproof pouch.
What I learned: Need better cold-weather gear in winter rotation. Emergency blankets are loud and uncomfortable.
Should have had bivy sack. Phone battery died after 8 hours because I hadn’t charged the battery bank in three months, now I check monthly.
Hotels require ID and credit card, but some wanted deposits in cash due to power outages affecting credit processing.
July 2021 – 67-Hour Power Outage: Heat wave knocked out regional power grid. Our building lost electricity at 2 PM on a Friday. Power restored Sunday at 11 PM. July in Iowa, temperatures hit mid-90s outside, over 100 inside our third-floor unit.
What worked: Water storage meant we stayed hydrated without leaving (stairs exhausted us in the heat). LED lanterns provided light without generating heat. Battery banks kept phones charged for three days. WaterBOB wasn’t filled (no warning), but stored containers lasted. Having cards and books meant we had activities during the day.
What I learned: Cooling without electricity is genuinely hard. Fans help but drain batteries fast. Staying in coolest part of apartment (north-facing bedroom) made it tolerable. Should have frozen more water bottles in advance for cooling. Food with high water content (fruit, canned goods) helped with hydration. Need better solar charging setup for extended outages.
October 2019 – Gas Leak and Building Evacuation: Another tenant’s stove had a leak that filled lower floors with gas. Someone noticed, called 911, and building management manually activated fire alarm. Evacuation happened at 6 PM on a weekday.
What worked: Grabbed GNG kit immediately. Had proper shoes (kept by door specifically for this). Neighbor alerted me before alarm sounded. Had cash and ID for hotel if needed. Gas company cleared building in three hours, we returned same night.
What I learned: Sometimes evacuations are brief. Sometimes they’re extended. You don’t know which until it happens. Having the kit ready meant no stress, just grab and go. Other residents tried returning to get items and were turned away by fire department. One family lost their cat because they couldn’t re-enter for five hours. Have a pet plan if applicable.
The Pet Situation
I don’t have pets now, but I did during the 2015 flood. Our cat complicated everything.
If you have pets, your GNG kit expands significantly. You need:
- Pet carrier (stored accessible, not buried in closet)
- Three days of pet food in waterproof container
- Collapsible water bowl
- Leash even for indoor cats (you’re transporting them outside)
- Recent photo of pet (for lost pet reports)
- Vaccination records (shelters may require them)
- Medications if applicable
- Comfort item (blanket, toy)
We grabbed our cat but forgot the carrier. Tried carrying him loose. He panicked, scratched my wife badly, and escaped in the parking lot. Spent four terrified hours searching before finding him hiding under a car. This was completely preventable.
Don’t assume you’ll have time to find the carrier, round up the pet, and then grab your kit. The carrier needs to be near the door with the GNG kit. The pet food needs to be pre-portioned in the kit. Everything ready to go simultaneously.
Many emergency shelters don’t accept pets. Some hotels charge pet fees or refuse animals entirely. Have a plan: friend’s house, specific pet-friendly hotel, family member. Pre-identify options before the emergency.
The Psychological Component Nobody Mentions
Emergency kits handle the physical requirements of survival. They don’t handle the mental and emotional aspects of sudden displacement.
When that pipe burst in 2015, I had everything I needed physically. Warm clothing, food, water, documents, cash. But I wasn’t prepared for how disorienting it feels to suddenly have no home. Even knowing we’d return eventually, standing in that parking lot at 2 AM watching water pour from the building felt surreal and distressing.
Your brain doesn’t process these situations rationally. You’re flooded with adrenaline. Making decisions becomes difficult. I watched people argue about whether to go back inside for laptops while water was visibly flooding out the front entrance
Continue
. They weren’t thinking clearly.
This is why the two-kit system matters psychologically. When an emergency happens, you’re not making complex decisions about what to grab. The GNG kit is predefined. You’re not standing in your apartment trying to remember what matters. You grab the bag and go.
That reduction in decision-making during high-stress situations is valuable beyond the physical supplies.
Building Psychological Resilience:
Practice makes reactions automatic. Run drills. Test your kits. Walk your evacuation routes. The more familiar these actions become, the less brain power they require during actual emergencies.
Maintain community connections. Knowing your neighbors means you’re not isolated during crises. Having someone to talk to while standing in a parking lot at 2 AM helps.
Accept that control is limited. You can’t prevent building emergencies. You can’t control when they happen or how long they last. What you can control is your preparation and response. Focus there.
Plan for kids or dependents. Children sense adult stress. Having activities in your GNG kit, maintaining calm demeanor, and giving age-appropriate information helps them cope. Don’t lie about situations but don’t catastrophize either.
Understand recovery takes time. After the 2015 flood, repairs took seven weeks. We lived in a hotel for three days, then with family for two weeks, then in temporary housing for four weeks. The GNG kit handles initial displacement. The reality is that major building damage means extended displacement and complicated recovery.
Having insurance helps. Having documentation helps. Having emergency savings helps. But accepting that the process is slow and frustrating helps most of all.
Common Mistakes That Will Get You Killed (Or At Least Make Things Worse)
I’ve watched people make these errors. Some I made myself before learning better.
Mistake: Overcomplicating the kit. People buy specialized tactical gear, complex filtration systems, and equipment that requires training to use. During an emergency, you’re stressed and potentially panicked. Equipment needs to be simple enough to use without thinking. The more complicated your kit, the more likely you’ll make errors when you need it most.
Mistake: Ignoring weight. Building a 50-pound evacuation bag because you could carry it once in ideal conditions. Then trying to carry it while exhausted, injured, or moving quickly. Weight matters. If you can’t carry your kit for a mile right now, it’s too heavy. If your family members can’t manage their kits, they’re useless.
Mistake: Forgetting maintenance. Building the perfect kit in 2018 and never checking it again. Batteries corrode. Food expires. Medications degrade. Water containers develop leaks. Documents become outdated. A kit that was perfect five years ago might be worthless now if you haven’t maintained it.
Mistake: Storing the kit inaccessibly. Putting your emergency bag in the back of the bedroom closet under winter coats and boxes because you “don’t want it visible.” During evacuation, you need access in under 60 seconds. If your kit isn’t near your primary exit, you won’t get it when it matters.
Mistake: Planning for Hollywood disasters. Building kits for zombie apocalypse scenarios while ignoring realistic apartment emergencies. You’re far more likely to face a power outage, pipe burst, or building fire than any grid-down societal collapse. Your kit should address probable risks first.
Mistake: Overlooking documents and information. Focusing entirely on gear while neglecting to keep copies of insurance policies, lease agreements, and emergency contacts. After displacement, having this information matters as much as having food and water. Maybe more, because it determines how quickly you recover.
Mistake: No communication plan. Assuming you’ll coordinate with family via cell phone during emergencies. Networks get overloaded. Phones die. You need predetermined meeting locations and check-in procedures. “If evacuated, we meet at the parking lot south entrance. If separated further, we meet at [specific location].” Discuss this before the emergency.
Mistake: Neglecting cash. Thinking credit cards and digital payments cover everything. During power outages, electronic payments fail. ATMs stop working. Cash becomes the only reliable payment method. Not having it means you’re dependent on others.
Mistake: Ignoring seasonal rotation. Keeping the same clothing in your GNG kit year-round. Your January needs differ drastically from your July needs. I rotate clothing twice yearly, winter gear includes thermals and heavy socks, summer gear includes cooling towels and extra water. Same bag, different seasonal contents.
Mistake: The “I’ll just buy it when I need it” mentality. Planning to purchase supplies when disaster warnings come. Stores empty immediately when people panic. During the March 2020 early pandemic response, try finding batteries, flashlights, or shelf-stable food, everything was gone within 48 hours of regional stay-at-home orders. Have supplies before the rush.
What Actually Matters: The 80/20 of Apartment Emergency Prep
Most preparedness content gives you 100 items to worry about. Here’s what actually matters.
Twenty percent of your preparation handles eighty percent of likely scenarios:
Water. You need stored water for shelter-in-place and filtration for evacuation. Everything else is secondary to this. Three days without water kills you. Three days without food just makes you uncomfortable.
Documents and cash. Access to your critical information and financial resources matters more than any gear. Insurance claims, temporary housing, replacement identification, all require documentation and money.
Light. When power fails or you evacuate at night, light is safety. Headlamp means hands-free work. Flashlight means navigation. LED lanterns mean extended lighting without battery anxiety.
Communication. Charged phone, backup power for charging, and predetermined communication plan with family. During emergencies, coordination matters.
Climate-appropriate clothing and shelter. Appropriate for your environment and season. Exposure kills faster than hunger or thirst.
Basic medications and first aid. Prescription meds for chronic conditions. Pain relievers and first aid for injuries. Most emergencies don’t require trauma supplies, they require bandaids, antibiotic ointment, and aspirin.
That’s it. Six categories. If you’ve handled these six elements, you’re better prepared than ninety percent of apartment dwellers.
Everything else is optimization. Nicer gear. More food variety. Better lighting options. Comfort items. None of it matters if you haven’t covered these fundamentals first.
I’ve watched people spend thousands on tactical equipment and freeze-dried food while having zero stored water and no important documents accessible. They’re preparing for action movies instead of reality.
Start with water, documents, light, communication, climate protection, and medical basics. Build from there. Everything else is supplementary.
The Update Cycle: How My Kits Have Evolved Since 2012
My 2012 kit was garbage.
I had a military surplus duffel bag (heavy, uncomfortable, no organization), MREs I got from a gun show (expired in 2009), a hand-crank emergency radio (broke the first time I used it), and one of those emergency survival kits you buy at Walmart for 20 dollars with 50 items that are all useless.
Total weight: 38 pounds. Total utility: minimal.
What changed: I actually tested the gear. Went camping with my emergency supplies. Discovered what worked and what was theoretical nonsense. The MREs were barely edible. The hand-crank radio generated weak, staticky reception and the crank broke. The survival kit multi-tool fell apart. I learned through failure.
2014 update: Switched to a proper backpack. Added real food I actually eat. Bought a quality LED flashlight instead of the cheap one. Started keeping documents organized. Still too heavy, but more functional.
2017 update: Divided into GNG and SIP systems after experiencing both evacuation and shelter-in-place situations. Reduced GNG kit weight dramatically. Started building SIP water storage. Added battery banks as phone charging became critical.
2019 update: Improved clothing choices based on seasonal needs. Added emergency bivy. Better first aid supplies after taking a wilderness first aid course. Upgraded water filter to Sawyer Mini. Added whistle and paracord after reading accident reports where people couldn’t signal for help.
2022 update: Better food choices focusing on calorie density. Improved document organization with USB backup drive. Added N95 masks after pandemic. Better battery management system. Started using WaterBOB for advance water storage.
Current system: Two purpose-built kits that are tested, maintained, actually used, and genuinely functional. Total investment over 11 years: about 1,200 dollars including replacements and upgrades. Some items from 2012 are still in use (the backup flashlight). Most have been replaced as I learned better options.
What I’ll change next: Better solar charging setup for extended SIP situations. Upgrade to slightly larger water storage (20 gallons instead of 15). Add paper maps of local area after realizing phone GPS fails without service. Consider adding a small propane camp stove as backup to butane.
The point isn’t perfection. It’s continuous improvement based on testing, experience, and changing circumstances.
Your first kit won’t be ideal. Build it anyway. Test it. Learn from failures. Upgrade gradually. A mediocre kit that exists beats a perfect kit that you never create because you’re overthinking it.
Taking Action: Your 30-Day Implementation Plan
Stop researching. Start building.
Here’s your month-one action plan:
Week 1: Documents and Cash
- Gather all critical documents
- Make photocopies of IDs, insurance cards, lease, account info
- Buy waterproof document pouch
- Assemble seven-day medication supply
- Set aside 300 dollars cash in small bills
- Create emergency contact list
- Store everything in the pouch
Cost: approximately 50 dollars including pouch (documents and medications are items you already have, just organizing them)
Week 2: GNG Kit Foundation
- Buy appropriate backpack or duffle (30-liter range)
- Add water: two bottles plus Sawyer filter
- Add food: mix of meal bars, protein bars, trail mix, crackers
- Add one complete change of clothes in sealed bag
- Add headlamp and backup flashlight with batteries
- Store near exit
Cost: approximately 130 dollars
Week 3: GNG Kit Completion
- Add emergency bivy or sleeping bag
- Add rain poncho
- Add basic first aid supplies
- Add phone battery bank and cables
- Add multi-tool, whistle, paracord
- Add radio
- Test the entire kit: carry it for 30 minutes
Cost: approximately 110 dollars
Week 4: SIP Kit Foundation
- Buy two five-gallon water containers
- Fill and store them
- Stock three days of shelf-stable food
- Buy LED lantern and batteries
- Buy camping stove and fuel (or FRH meals)
- Create sanitation bucket setup
Cost: approximately 150 dollars
Total Month-One Investment: 440 dollars
You now have functional GNG and basic SIP kits. Everything else is expansion and optimization.
Month Two Forward:
- Add one week of food to SIP kit
- Add second LED lantern
- Buy WaterBOB
- Add climate control items
- Expand water storage to 15 gallons
- Add entertainment items
- Schedule first maintenance check
Build systematically. Don’t rush. Don’t skip testing. Don’t over-complicate.
The best emergency kit is the one that’s ready when you need it, not the perfect kit you’re still planning to build.
The Reality Check
You will probably never use this kit.
Most people live their entire lives without experiencing building evacuation or extended utility failure. The odds are in your favor for avoiding apartment emergencies.
But I’ve used mine three times in eleven years. My neighbor Mike from that 2015 flood? He’s used his twice. Another friend in Houston used hers during Hurricane Harvey. A former coworker used his during the Texas freeze in 2021.
Apartment emergencies happen to ordinary people with surprising regularity. The question isn’t whether it’s likely, it’s whether you’re willing to prepare for unlikely events that carry severe consequences.
Here’s what I know: having that kit ready changes how you experience emergencies. You’re not panicking about what to grab. You’re not vulnerable because you forgot critical items. You’re not dependent on emergency services or charity because you couldn’t handle three days independently.
That 2015 flood evacuation? Standing in that parking lot at 2 AM watching my building pour water onto the street was stressful. But I had a bag with everything I needed. I had cash for a hotel. I had documents for insurance claims. I had warm clothing. I wasn’t comfortable, but I was secure.
My neighbor without a kit? He had his phone, his wallet, and the pajamas he evacuated in. Spent four hours in an emergency shelter. Lost work the next day because he couldn’t access proper clothing. Struggled with insurance claims for weeks because he didn’t have his lease agreement or policy information accessible.
Same emergency. Dramatically different experiences. The difference was 90 minutes of preparation I’d done six months earlier.
This isn’t about fear. It’s about responsibility. If you have people depending on you, kids, elderly parents, disabled family members, their safety during emergencies is your job. The building management won’t handle it. Emergency services will be overwhelmed. It’s on you.
If you live alone, you’re still responsible for yourself. Waiting for help that might not come isn’t a plan. Being able to handle three days independently is basic adult preparedness.
This isn’t about paranoia. It’s about reality. Buildings flood. Power fails. Gas leaks happen. Fires start. These aren’t hypothetical disasters, they’re routine maintenance failures and human errors that displace people every day across the country.
This isn’t about survivalism. It’s about bridging the gap between “normal life” and “services restored.” You’re not preparing for societal collapse. You’re preparing for the temporary disruption of normal services while you wait for professionals to fix the problem.
Apartment emergency kits aren’t apocalypse preparation. They’re adulting.
Final Truth
The best time to build your emergency kits was when you moved in.
The second-best time is today.
Not tomorrow. Not after you finish researching. Not when you have more money or more space or more time. Today.
Start with what you can afford. Start with what you have space for. Start with the basics and build from there.
Buy the backpack this week. Gather your documents next week. Add food the week after. You don’t need to complete everything in 30 days, you need to start now and build systematically.
I’ve spent eleven years learning this stuff the hard way. I’ve made every mistake. I’ve wasted money on gear that didn’t work. I’ve stood outside my building in the middle of the night multiple times with varying degrees of preparedness. I’ve experienced what works and what’s theoretical BS.
You don’t have to repeat my mistakes. You don’t have to learn through failure. You can build functional systems from day one by focusing on fundamentals: water, documents, light, communication, clothing, and medical supplies. Everything else is optimization.
The apartment emergency kit that saves you isn’t the most expensive one or the most tactical one or the most comprehensive one. It’s the one that’s actually ready when the alarm goes off at 2 AM and you have 60 seconds to get out.
Build that kit. Test it. Maintain it. Then go live your life knowing that when things go wrong, and eventually something will, you’re ready.
Stay calm. Stay steady. Stay prepared.