Wired Guide Details Emergency Kit Essentials for 2026 Disasters
7 reported
A Wired guide published in July 2026 outlines essential gear for emergency kits, covering scenarios such as wildfires, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, blizzards, and power grid failures. The article cites disaster preparedness experts including Jonathan Sury of Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness and Charlie Woodrum of the National Weather Service. It recommends preparing for two main scenarios: evacuating with a go-bag or sheltering in place. Key items include water, water purification tablets or filters, power banks, air purifiers, face masks, first-aid kits, and portable light sources. The guide also addresses wildfire-specific needs such as air quality monitors and creating defensible space with a McLeod tool. It notes that the Federal Emergency Management Agency maintains an emergency kit checklist as of October 2025, and Columbia University offers online preparedness resources.
What’s reported
The article recommends keeping one gallon of water per person per day for hydration, food preparation, and sanitation.
Jonathan Sury keeps a week’s supply of water at home and suggests Aqua Tabs for purification.
Charlie Woodrum advises that fuel-based generators are not safe indoors and should not be used within 20 feet of indoor spaces.
The Wolfbox 4000A Jump Starter can jump-start a V-6 engine dozens of times and doubles as a power pack.
The Ridge magnetic power bank has a 10,000-mAh charge, enough to recharge any iPhone twice and smaller iPhones three times.
The Airmega Mighty2 from Coway is recommended as an affordable air purifier for wildfire smoke.
The article was updated in July 2026 with additional context on wildfire preparedness from University of Oregon experts Heidi Huber-Stearns and Amanda Stasiewicz.
Key figures
Jonathan Sury, senior staff associate at Columbia University’s National Center for Disaster Preparedness
Charlie Woodrum, preparedness lead at the National Weather Service
Heidi Huber-Stearns, University of Oregon wildfire expert
Amanda Stasiewicz, University of Oregon wildfire expert
Scott Gilbertson, WIRED reviewer
Martin Cizmar, former Gear team director at WIRED
Sources: Wired
