Product review

Emergency grab bags

April 2022

Consumer-guided DIY

3 day kit

Price

$159

Score

Recommended

Why is this free?

This report is free thanks to funding from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) and the Earthquake Commission.

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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.