72-hour emergency kit: the 6 critical shortcomings of the French government guide
The French government has just published its " Everyone's Responsible " guide, recommending that every household assemble a 72-hour emergency kit. Six liters of water, canned goods, a flashlight, a battery-powered radio: this basic list finally raises public awareness of self-reliance in the face of crises. But examined with a field perspective, it immediately reveals its limitations. At WildTactic, we equip preppers and bushcraft enthusiasts for self-sufficiency in degraded conditions. We analyzed this guide using our bushcraft criteria. The verdict: at least six critical omissions compromise the kit's actual effectiveness during a prolonged crisis. A government kit constitutes a minimum standard. A truly operational kit includes the equipment and protocols that only field experience reveals to be essential.
An uncompromising analysis of the optimizations that transform an administrative checklist into a functional survival system.
Shortage #1: Insufficient water and lack of a backup solution
6 liters: the calculation that ignores reality
The guide recommends 6 liters of water per person for 72 hours, or 2 liters per day. This volume only covers the basic hydration of a stationary adult in moderate temperatures. It completely ignores essential basic hygiene, even during a crisis: washing hands before handling food, brushing teeth, and a quick wash of dishes. Add to that the cooking process, which requires water to rehydrate pasta, rice, or instant soups. A realistic calculation would require a minimum of ten liters per person to maintain acceptable sanitary conditions.
Thus, unless the critical situation encountered still allows for guaranteed access to running water, which would be properly treated, the recommended quantity is clearly insufficient.
If you wish to store water in sealed bottles, store at least 10 liters per household member for those 72 hours. But above all, include a portable water filter as an absolute backup or purification tablets . Running out of your stock after 48 hours instead of 72 leaves you completely without a backup plan. However, if the situation continues for another 24 or 48 hours, a compact filter can treat collected rainwater, water from questionable urban sources, or even tap water that has returned dirty after partial restoration. This redundancy transforms your theoretical three-day autonomy into a real-world autonomy that can be extended as needed.
Shortage #2: Food that requires preparation without suitable equipment
Canning food without a stove: the blatant inconsistency
The guide lists "non-perishable food that does not require cooking" (page 8). This vague wording leads most people to cold foods, or even standard canned goods. But ravioli, cassoulet, and vegetable soup remain cold and gelatinous without heating. Technically edible? Certainly. Psychologically depressing? Absolutely. A hot meal is infinitely more uplifting than a cold can of food during a stressful crisis.
Instead, build up a smart, mixed stockpile. Include compact, high-calorie emergency rations (2400 calories per 500g carton) that can be eaten immediately, freeze-dried food , energy bars, or dark chocolate for quick snacks, such as those included in our 72-hour kit . Then add canned goods AND a portable stove with fuel. A gas stove with two 230g cartridges allows for fifteen to twenty complete cooking sessions. An ultra-light and economical alternative: Esbit solid fuel tablets and a collapsible stove to heat your meals quickly and efficiently. This versatility allows you to adapt your diet to the actual duration of the crisis, which often exceeds the initial seventy-two hours.
Shortcoming #3: Underestimated thermal protection
A survival blanket is not enough
The guide vaguely mentions "warm clothing" without specifying which or how much. This vagueness overlooks the drastic drop in temperature in an unheated home, or in a basement, in a severe situation. Fifteen degrees Celsius indoors after a twenty-four-hour power outage in January quickly becomes critical, especially at night when the temperature drops even further.
Pack specifically: synthetic thermal underwear (a complete set per person), a thick fleece , a wool hat , lightweight but insulating gloves , and hiking socks. Add three survival blankets per person: one as ground insulation, one wrapped around the body, and one as a spare. Supplement this with ten chemical hand warmers that generate eight hours of localized heat without fuel or energy. Placed inside gloves or at the bottom of a sleeping bag, they keep your extremities functional and prevent the numbness that precedes hypothermia.
Deficiency #4: Undersized lighting
One flashlight for seventy-two hours: incorrect calculation
The guide recommends "a flashlight with spare batteries" (page 7). How many batteries exactly? A standard LED flashlight uses three AA batteries in six hours of continuous use. If your situation prevents you from turning on the lights (a blackout, for example, meaning a prolonged power outage), you'll need light to cook, move around the darkened house, read instructions, and reassure children. Easily count on three to four hours a day minimum, or twelve hours total over three days. Therefore, plan on having at least three sets of batteries per flashlight.
Better yet, invest in an LED headlamp that frees up your hands for essential tasks. Add a lantern that illuminates an entire room instead of a directional beam. Complete the kit with six chemical glow sticks that provide dim but sufficient light for eight to twelve hours without using any power. Perfect for securing hallways at night or signaling your presence to emergency services.
Naturally, to conserve energy, one economical (albeit temporary) way to light your home is with a candle. Keep a lighter and a few wax candles at home and with you... They could prove quite useful, beyond their romantic appeal.
Missing item #5: Communication limited to downlink radio
Receiving information without being able to send it
The battery-powered radio does allow you to follow official broadcast instructions. This one-way communication informs you but doesn't connect you to emergency services or your loved ones. Your mobile phone works for a few hours on battery power and then becomes useless without recharging. Mobile networks become overloaded or completely down during major crises.
First, rather than relying solely on a battery-powered system (as you saw earlier, you'll need plenty of batteries), invest in a radio that won't fail if the batteries run out: a hand-crank radio . You can manually wind its battery by cranking the handle for two minutes, guaranteeing you'll stay connected to information even if you have no other power source available. However, don't forget to stock up on two high-capacity external batteries (at least 20,000 mAh) that can recharge a standard smartphone four times. Keep these batteries charged to 80% under normal conditions and test them every six months. Add a distress whistle that carries effortlessly, essential if you're trapped under rubble or isolated in your home. Write down essential phone numbers: a trusted contact outside the area, emergency services, and immediate neighbors. Your phone contacts become inaccessible with a dead smartphone.
Missing element #6: Complete absence of an evacuation plan
Lockdown or evacuation: the kit only addresses one scenario
The government guide implicitly assumes you will remain confined to your home for 72 hours. This single assumption ignores situations requiring immediate evacuation: rising floodwaters, advancing forest fires, chemical leaks, or evacuation orders from the authorities. Your "unassembled" kit, with its components stored both in the basement and your closet, is utterly useless if you need to leave in fifteen minutes.
Organize your kit into two separate modules.
- Containment module: fixed storage for three full days with comfortable volumes (water, food, heating).
- Evacuation kit: a pre-prepared backpack weighing no more than 15 kg containing 48 hours' worth of supplies. Essential documents in a waterproof pouch, critical medications, cash—this bag remains accessible at all times, close to your main exit.
The best option? A hybrid approach. But in any case, this strategic redundancy covers the two opposing scenarios that you cannot predict in advance.
The government guide provides a necessary communication foundation. It finally raises awareness among the French population about the minimum level of self-reliance we have been advocating for years in the outdoor community. But transforming this administrative checklist into a truly operational kit requires the field expertise that only bushcraft practice can provide. Every identified gap represents a potential failure in a real crisis where improvisation is costly. Invest now in the optimizations that separate uncomfortable survival from controlled self-reliance.