Emergency Kit NZ: What Real Kiwis Recommend After Earthquakes & Floods
What’s in Your Emergency Kit, NZ?
What Real Kiwis Are Actually Preparing After Earthquakes, Floods & Cyclones
When it comes to emergency preparedness in New Zealand, advice is everywhere — but what are everyday Kiwis actually putting in their emergency kits? It's been 15 years since the Christchurch Earthquakes, and since then it has been on of the worst years on record, with 2026 already matching 2025 for the number of weather related states of emergency in only the first three months. You can listen to this audio interview with John Price, the director of Civil Defence Emergency Management here.
After reviewing dozens of responses from New Zealanders — many who lived through the Christchurch earthquakes, Auckland floods, and Cyclone Gabrielle — clear patterns have emerged and we are going to take a look at them now.
So what was the biggest lesson?
72 hours isn’t enough, but it is a very good place to start.
If you’re building or upgrading your kit, you can explore ready-made and customisable options in our Emergency Kit NZ collection at Next72Hours.
Emergency Kit NZ: The Most Commonly Recommended Items
Water Storage (More Than You Think)
If there was one universal answer, it was this:
Store more water.
Many households now prepare for 7–14 days minimum, not just three.
Most common solutions:
- 10L–20L water jerry cans
- 200L emergency water tanks
- Bottled water rotation systems
- Water purification tablets
- Gravity filters
After major disasters in Canterbury and Hawke’s Bay, water outages lasted far longer than expected.
If you don’t yet have dedicated water storage, start there.
You can find some great options on our page where we stock the Puri Bag Range of Water Filters as well as the Ef-Chlor brand of water purification tablets here.
Food Supplies: The Working Pantry Strategy
Instead of relying purely on survival buckets, many Kiwis recommend a well-stocked working pantry.
Common staples:
- 10kg bags of rice
- Tinned beans & tomatoes
- Tuna
- Flour & sugar
- Freeze-dried meals (for go-bags)
- Ration packs
If evacuation is possible in your region (tsunami zones, wildfire areas), consider compact long-life food options designed for grab-and-go kits. Here at Next72Hours we stock the High Energy Bars in Peanut, Chocolate and Plain flavours. As well as being Vegan, they are also Halal Certified meaning they can be enjoyed by a much larger goup of the population, and they are also incredible tasty. With a 20 year shelf life, they are a great addition to you disaster preparedness kits for the New Zealand Enviroment.
Cooking Without Power
After Cyclone Gabrielle, many people realised they had food — but no way to heat it.
Most recommended:
- Butane camp cookers
- Double-burner stoves
- Spare gas bottles
- Waterproof matches
A small camp cooker can dramatically increase comfort during an extended power outage, and they are both relatively inexpsnsive and easy to find. A 4 Pack of gas will give you a good amount of time to boil your water and cook your food. It is important to remember if you are packing items which need to be cooked during a disaster, you will use a lot more water than expected.
Lighting, Radios & Power Backup
Communication and light are critical during power outages.
Common essentials:
- AA battery torches
- Headlamps
- AM/FM radios
- Solar USB chargers
- Power banks
- Portable power stations
Many of the commenters stressed that AA-powered radios are more reliable long-term than wind-up options.
First Aid & Emergency Medical Supplies - Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Kits
One of the biggest shifts in thinking is upgrading first aid kits beyond the basics.
Recommended additions:
- Large trauma dressings
- Bleeding control supplies
- SAM splints
- Gloves & shears
- Prescription medication buffer
A proper emergency first aid kit can make a real difference in a disaster. Dont forget if you are on any prescription medications, talk to your Doctor and look at having an emergency supply on hand, during a disaster it is very likely power will be out and shops will be closed for some time. We stock some basic first aid kits, and are working to build the range as time allows and we research good providers. Its important to also look into skilling yourself, it is important to have the tools, but it is equally important to know how to use them.
Hygiene & Emergency Toileting
After the Christchurch earthquakes, sanitation became a major issue.
Common hygiene supplies:
- Toilet paper
- Hand sanitiser
- Buckets
- Rubbish bags
- Gloves
- Emergency toilet solutions
Don’t overlook this category — it’s one of the most important for long-term resilience. In the event of major floods, earthquakes and the likes, local utilities can fail, and waste water can enter the waterways and the polute the water supply.
Cash & Important Documents During a Natural Disaster or Emergency
When EFTPOS fails, cash becomes essential.
Every household emergency plan should include:
- Small emergency cash stash
- Waterproof document storage
- Copies of passports & insurance papers
Preparedness isn’t just gear — it’s planning. This can be one of the hardest things to prepare for, but in many of the major disaster we have seen here and abroad, when disaster strikes, essential utilities go down and this means no power, no eftpos, no ability to pay for items. We have also seen major cash grabs and price gourging as well stocks selling out within a very short period of time, and that is another reason why a disaster kit is so important. It allows you to support yourself and your family and not be reliant on others around you and their price jumps.
Go-Bag vs Shelter-at-Home Kit
A major takeaway from Kiwi experiences:
These are two different scenarios.
Go-Bag (Evacuation Kit NZ)
Lightweight, portable essentials:
- Backpack
- Water
- Snacks
- First aid kit
- Torch
- Radio
- Medications
- ID copies
- Rain layer
Shelter-at-Home Supplies
For extended outages:
- Bulk water
- Bulk food
- Gas supply
- Hygiene supplies
- Power backup
🇳🇿 Why This Matters in New Zealand
New Zealand is:
- Seismically active
- Prone to flooding
- Exposed to severe storms
- Facing Alpine Fault risk as well as other major faults that lie spread across the country
Events like the Christchurch earthquakes and Cyclone Gabrielle have shown that recovery can take longer than expected. Chirstchurch has come a long way, but is still far from fixed, with the eastern suburbs still in terrible shape.
Prepared households cope better.
Prepared communities recover faster.
Don’t Wait for the Next Big One
You don’t need the perfect emergency kit overnight.
Start today:
✔ Add 10L of water
✔ Check your torch batteries
✔ Build a simple go-bag
✔ Rotate your pantry
✔ Review your first aid supplies
If you’re ready to build or upgrade your emergency kit, explore practical, NZ-ready options at:
The next emergency won’t send a warning.
But you can be ready for the next 72 hours — and beyond.