Written by: Derek Hartley

If you’re here on the Redfora blog, you’re probably considering getting prepared with an emergency kit. The harsh reality is that most Americans don’t ever move past that consideration phase. In fact, according to Ready.gov surveys, only 17% of people are “very prepared” for natural disasters with the food, water, and supplies needed.

We’ve got statistics, thousands of reviews, and dozens of blogs to convince you to get prepared, but today we wanted to highlight that all our kits can easily be upgraded from 3 days' worth of supplies up to a full 7 with one click.

Here are 4 reasons why you should get a 7-day emergency kit:

72 Hours is the Minimum:

Organizations like FEMA have landed on recommending everyone have at least 72 hours' worth of emergency food, water, and supplies for each person in their household. The key phrase being ‘at least.’ 3 days is taken from a nationwide average knowing something is better than nothing, but especially for those in earthquake country, local recommendations often extend to 7 or even 14 days.

Natural Disasters Have No Time Limit:

Thankfully most of us have never had to live through a disaster where we needed to tap into our emergency kit, but if you look at stories of those who have, one thing they tend to highlight is the unexpected long-term effects. Particularly when it comes to large-scale disasters like earthquakes or hurricanes, utilities and roads can be out for days or even weeks. You don’t want to be caught with dwindling supplies if you don’t have to, so consider making that upgrade to 7 days.

Worst-case scenario?:

What’s the worst-case scenario of having a 7-day emergency kit? You end up with a surplus of emergency food, water, and hygiene products during a disaster. Considering you may have a visitor who gets stuck at your house or you may end up in a position to help a neighbor or friend, that isn’t a bad thing.

Selfishly? You won’t have to worry about rationing anything and can feel confident you’ve got at least 1,000 calories per person per day ready to go.

Simple Economics:

All else aside, if you’re investing in an emergency kit already, upgrading to 7 days more than doubles your food, water, and hygiene supplies, but doesn’t double the price. Consider our Complete Earthquake Bag. For one person you can upgrade to a full week of supplies for only $35 more. Broken down further? That is less than $9 per additional day covered, a solid investment!

Whether you’re looking to cover your bases with a 72-Hour Emergency Kit or want to upgrade to 7, consider the color-coded, fully customizable and top-rated Complete Earthquake Bag by Redfora.