Ready America 2-person review
Ready America 70280 2-Person 3-Day Emergency Kit
By Tom Calder
Key specs
The maker's figures.
- People
- 2 ppl
- Days
- 3 days
- Food included
- 2 food bars, 4,800 kcal total
A starter backpack kit for two people for three days: two food bars (4,800 calories in total) and 12 water pouches, plus the basics. A starting point to add to, not a complete kit.
- Best for
- A basic kit for two
- Skip it if
- You want a fuller kit
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Researched, not used. We haven't used this product. This review is built from the maker's specifications, owner reports and our own sizing.
What we like
- Two people
- Food and water included
Worth knowing
- Basic contents
- Little food for two people for three days
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Our review
Ready America's 70280 is a small backpack holding the bare essentials for two people for three days: two 2,400-calorie food bars, a dozen water pouches, blankets, ponchos and a 33-piece first aid kit. It is a sensible starting point and a cheap way to tick the box, but it needs adding to before it matches Ready.gov's list.
What you get in the backpack
Ready America lists the contents as two 2,400-calorie food bars, 12 water pouches of 4.225 oz, two survival blankets, a 33-piece first aid kit, two 12-hour lightsticks, two disposable dust masks, four nitrile gloves, a plastic whistle, two ponchos, a pocket tissue pack and the backpack itself. The food and water carry a five-year shelf life from the date of manufacture.
The bag is about 12.5 by 9 by 5 inches and the maker gives the weight as 7.75 lb, light enough to hang by the door or keep in a car trunk. Ready America notes that contents and packaging may vary from the photos, so check what arrives against the list.
The food and water, in numbers
The two bars add up to 4,800 calories, which works out to 800 calories per person per day across three days. That is a ration to get by on, not normal eating.
Water is the bigger gap. Twelve pouches of 4.225 oz come to about 51 fluid ounces in total, well under half a gallon for two people. Ready.gov asks for one gallon per person per day for several days, which for two people over three days is six gallons. Treat the pouches as grab-and-go water for an evacuation and store real water at home; our guide to how much water to store has the details.
What is missing next to Ready.gov's list
Ready.gov's basic kit list includes a battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert, a flashlight, extra batteries, a manual can opener, local maps, prescription medications, moist towelettes, garbage bags and a cell phone with chargers and a backup battery. The 70280 has none of these; light comes only from two lightsticks. The dust masks are basic disposables, not N95 respirators.
None of that makes the kit useless. The whistle, blankets, ponchos, gloves and first aid kit are all on Ready.gov's list or close to it, and having them in one bag is the point. Our go-bag checklist shows what to add.
How it compares with the other go-bags
On our go-bag comparison, the EVERLIT 72-Hour kit for two costs more but fills several of these gaps: EVERLIT lists a hand crank radio with a flashlight and charging feature, water purification tablets and a 200-piece first aid kit. The 70280 is the plainest kit on the page: food, water, shelter and first aid, nothing more.
Another route is to start from a list rather than a bag. Our kit builder sizes Ready.gov's list to your household.
Verdict
A low-cost base layer for two people, best treated as the first item in a kit rather than the whole kit. Add a flashlight, a radio, batteries, medications and much more water, and it becomes a useful bag.
Skip it if you want one purchase that covers everything, if you have more than two people to supply, or if you would rather build a kit around food you would eat by choice.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and US listings; facts checked 2 Nov 2026. Sources: Ready America: 2 Person Emergency Kit (3 Day Backpack), item 70280; Ready America: product catalog (PDF); Ready.gov: Build a Kit.
Who shouldn't buy this
Don't buy it if you want a fuller kit: build your own with our kit builder.
This is a Researched review: we haven't used this product. We check every specification against at least two independent sources, re-check the US price on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and say plainly who it isn't for. Commissions never change a rating.
If this isn’t the one
Best for A ready-made bag for two
Read the review →Best for A fuller two-person bag
See the comparison →Best for A family-size starter kit
See the comparison →Questions
Is the Ready America 70280 enough for 72 hours?
Only as a bare minimum. The food is 800 calories per person per day and the water is about 51 ounces for two people in total. Ready.gov recommends a gallon of water per person per day, so add stored water and more food.
How long do the food bars and water last?
Ready America gives both a five-year shelf life from the date they were made. Ready.gov advises replacing expired items as needed, so note the date on the packets and set a reminder.
Does the kit include a flashlight or radio?
No. The only light is two 12-hour lightsticks, and there is no radio. Ready.gov's list includes both a flashlight and a battery or hand crank radio, so they are the first things to add.
Are the masks in the kit N95s?
Ready America lists them as disposable dust masks, not N95 respirators. For wildfire smoke, add NIOSH-approved N95s; see our wildfire smoke guide.