Product review
April 2022

Emergency grab bags

April 2022

Consumer-guided DIY

3 day kit

Price
$159
Score
98
Recommended

Why is this free?

This report is free thanks to funding from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and Toka Tū Ake EQC.

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In building yourself a grab bag, it'll be customised to you with everything you need, and you'll be familiar with what's in it. You'll get to choose the quality and the size of the bag so you can add warm clothing, personal items, and gear for family that can’t carry their own. You can also create a kit that's better value for money than a commercial pre-made kit.

Test results

  • 100
    Comprehensiveness
  • 95
    Quality overall
  • 93
    Quality essential items

Good points

  • Fully comprehensive kit, including a full set of toiletries.
  • Excellent quality.
  • Excellent value.
  • Excellent backpack with multiple compartments and double zips that slide well. Plenty of room to add clothing and other essentials.
  • Excellent battery powered torch.
  • Very good battery powered radio.
  • Good quality batteries, with a long shelf life.
  • Full set of spare batteries included.
  • Comprehensive first aid kit of excellent quality.
  • Excellent food rations with a long shelf life.
  • Two 750ml bottles of water included, two years to expiry.
  • Three P2 masks included, similar to N95.
  • Foil survival sleeping bag provided in addition to foil blanket in the first aid kit.
  • Rain poncho is heavy duty with an adjustable hood.

Bad points

  • There are no bad points when you build yourself a customised grab bag. The time spent on putting the kit together would otherwise be spent checking and buying what's missing from any pre-made bag, and testing and replacing poor quality items.

Model

  • Average price

    $159

  • Bag volume

    35L

Essential items scores

  • Bag

    90

  • Torch

    100

  • Radio

    80

  • First aid

    100

  • Food rations

    100

  • Checklist of items to add

    90

NEMA or Consumer NZ recommended

  • Torch
  • Radio
  • First aid kit
  • Food rations
  • Checklist of items to add
  • Torch and radio's batteries included
  • Extra set of batteries
  • Rain poncho
  • Water container
  • Water purification
  • Foil blanket or bag
  • Whistle
  • Pen or marker
  • Notebook or paper
  • Masks
  • Hand sanitiser
  • Wet wipes
  • Tissues
  • Soap
  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste
  • Thick plastic bags
  • Ear plugs
  • Work gloves
  • Pain killers
  • Kit list
  • Emergency planner

Other useful supplies

  • Multi-tool
  • Light sticks
  • Rope or cord
  • Tampons
  • Latex gloves
  • Hi visibility vest

More info

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