Fallout shelter supplies checklist

This kit is for staying inside after a nuclear detonation. Ready.gov says to get to the most protective place you can, such as a basement or the center of a large building, and that sheltering usually lasts at least 24 hours, or until officials say it is safe to leave. Store these supplies in that spot so you are not gathering them after the fact.

How much to store

Ready.gov’s Build A Kit list sets the baseline, and the products below follow it. Plan for several days, which is what Ready.gov asks for. If you searched for a 72-hour kit list, this covers it.

• Water: at least one gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation (Ready.gov). A household of four needs 12 gallons for three days, or two 7-gallon containers.
• Food: at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food, plus a manual can opener (Ready.gov).
• Sealing a room: plastic sheeting, scissors, and duct tape to shelter in place, and a dust mask to help filter contaminated air (Ready.gov).
• Information: a battery-powered or hand crank radio, since it keeps working when other communication fails (Ready.gov).

Add these from home

Some kit items are not products to buy here. Ready.gov’s nuclear explosion guidance adds a spare set of clothes for each person and a trash bag for contaminated clothing. Its kit list adds prescription medicines, glasses, important documents, cash, a whistle, moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for sanitation, local maps, and a phone charger with a backup battery.

Potassium iodide is not on this list. Read the potassium iodide guide before you buy any.