EVERLIT 72-Hour (2 people) review

What it is and who it suits

Everlit's maker page calls it the Storm II Emergency Kit for two people and 72 hours. It packs food, water, first aid and survival tools into one tactical backpack with several compartments and MOLLE attachment points, and Everlit says there is room to add your own items. The page lists the pack at 17 by 12 by 12 inches and 20 pounds.

It suits a household that wants one bag by the door for two people and does not want to shop item by item. This review is researched, not tested, and it follows Everlit's own page for the Storm II. Our product record points to a retail listing titled EVERLIT 72 Hours Emergency Survival Kit, not Storm II by name, so check the item list on whichever version you order against the list below.

Food and water

Everlit's list gives two 3600-calorie food rations and 24 emergency drinking water pouches of 125 ml each, followed by a line reading made in the USA, approved by the U.S. Coast Guard. The page does not make clear whether that line covers the food, the water, the tablets or all of them, so ask before relying on it.

Ready.gov's kit list calls for one gallon of water per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation, and CDC says at least 1 gallon per person per day for 3 days. Everlit gives only the pouch count and size, with no total, so compare that against the gallon figure yourself. Keep extra water at home or in the car for this bag; our water storage comparison lists containers.

Water tablets

The kit holds one pack of 50 germicidal drinking-water tablets, which Everlit says disinfect up to 25 quarts. The page does not name the active ingredient. CDC says to follow the instructions on the package of any chlorine, chlorine dioxide or iodine tablets, and that chemical disinfectants kill viruses and bacteria but may not kill parasites. It adds that iodine and chlorine tablets will not kill Cryptosporidium, while chlorine dioxide tablets will if used correctly. Read the tablet label as soon as the kit arrives.

Radio, light and first aid

Everlit lists a hand-crank radio with a flashlight and a charging feature, four glow sticks rated for up to 12 hours, whistles, a fire starter, paracord, pliers and a multi-function knife. The page does not say whether the radio receives NOAA weather channels or has an alert, and Ready.gov's kit list asks for a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert, so confirm that on the radio itself.

The first aid section is large. Everlit lists a 200-piece kit and a C-A-T Gen-7 tourniquet, plus adhesive bandages, gauze, a triangular bandage, scissors, tweezers, medical gloves and a CPR mask. Beyond wipes and sting relief pads, Everlit's item list shows no medicines such as pain relievers, so add your own, and learn how to use a tourniquet before you need one.

What the kit leaves out

Against Ready.gov's kit list, Everlit's page lists a dust mask nowhere, nor garbage bags and plastic ties, a manual can opener or local maps. Ready.gov also lists moist towelettes for sanitation, where Everlit lists alcohol, antiseptic and cleansing wipes. Everlit's page lists two emergency shelters, two ponchos and two Mylar blankets, but no spare clothes or sleeping bags. Plan a short top-up shopping list for the bag, and add medications, a phone charger and copies of key papers.

Who should skip it

Skip it if you would rather choose each tool yourself, since Everlit's page gives no brand or model for the radio, knife or pliers, and the maker's page marked the kit sold out on the day we checked. Build from our go-bag comparison and the go-bag checklist instead. Everlit's page lists a lifetime warranty. Our emergency kit checklist covers the home supplies that sit alongside a bag like this.

How many people and days is the Everlit Storm II for?

Everlit's page lists it as a 2-person, 72-hour kit. The water is listed as 24 pouches of 125 ml, so compare that against Ready.gov's one gallon per person per day before treating it as a full 72-hour supply.

What does it include for first aid?

Everlit lists a 200-piece first aid kit and a C-A-T Gen-7 tourniquet, with bandages, gauze, scissors, tweezers, medical gloves and a CPR mask. Beyond wipes and sting relief pads, the item list shows no medicines.

Does the radio get NOAA weather alerts?

Everlit's page lists a hand-crank radio with a flashlight and charging feature, but does not say whether it receives NOAA channels or sounds an alert. Check the radio itself when the kit arrives.

What is missing from the kit?

Compared with Ready.gov's kit list, Everlit's item list has no dust mask, garbage bags and ties, manual can opener or local maps, and no medications. Add those and a phone charger.