I Tested This Oprah-Approved Emergency Kit — and It Really Is Worth Every Penny

"Ask Judy" Texting Service
The company offers a free "Ask Judy" texting service. Users can receive text messages with tips and reminders — like a friendly nudge to check your smoke alarm batteries or a recent one on how designated "errand-runners" should decontaminate themselves to avoid contracting COVID-19 after a grocery run — and can also reach out to the emergency preparedness experts on standby with questions about their particular region. I, for one, got a helpful reply within two hours.

Customized Action Plans
Another helpful offering? You can plug your zip code into the Judy site to get action plans for the targeted risks based on where you live. Mine served up printable guides for floods, snow, tornados, terrorism, and pandemics. For each, the PDF offers tips to prepare and what to consider during the event.

Emergency Checklists
Beyond the tangible products included in the kits, they also come with a checklist so that you have, all in one place, a hard copy of important phone numbers — doctors, vets, and even an out-of-state contact — as well as the recorded location of important items, like passports and fire extinguishers. The Judy even comes with a blaringly bright magnet that reminds you where yours is stored.

Quick Videos
In addition to unboxing videos and real users sharing how they put their emergency kits to use in their daily lives (for instance, one mom always pulls out a handful of packable essentials whenever she travels), the brand's short videos can enlighten you to easy things you can do to be ready. For instance, did you know that you should always keep a flashlight and a pair of shoes at your bedside and it's smart to always have a whistle nearby?

Judy has a range of kits, depending on your preferences:

First, there's the Starter ($60), a small fanny pack outfitted with the bare essentials one person would need. Then, there's two versions of a waterproof go-bag — the Mover ($150, for two people) and the Mover Max ($180, for four people). These backpacks are a smart choice for those living in areas where they might need to evacuate quickly and carry gear themselves. Finally, there's the Safe ($250, for four people), which contains everything that the Mover Max does, but is stored in a plastic, air-tight crate.

I opted for the Safe over the Mover Max because my family lives in a region where we're more likely to hunker down at home versus make a quick exit. And if we had to do the latter, we have a car.

As for what's inside the kits, they are far less intimidating — and far more organized — than others I've seen on the market. Everything is categorized into "cartridges," or cardboard boxes. In the Safe, there's six of them — one with tools, another that's all first-aid supplies, and still others that contain essentials for warmth and safety. Finally, there's a box for food, with space for you to add your own, and another one filled with water packets.

What sets Judy apart is that if you use items in your kit, you don't have to worry about sourcing replacements yourself. Next month, Judy will begin offering cartridge "refills." That way, you can replace the "warmth" box if you used up all your candles and hand warmers, or, for instance, the "safety" box if you need replacement dust masks. (Speaking of masks, in March, Judy donated 25,000 N95 masks to the New York State Department of Health to help first-responders amid the coronavirus crisis).

If you're curious as to what exactly is inside, the site offers a helpful visual overview of the contents within each of the cartridges:

The Tools cartridge comes with multipurpose bags, a roll of duct tape (so many uses), a flashlight along with AAA batteries, a multitool, a hand-crank radio that doesn't require external power, and a precharged single-use phone charger.

The First Aid package includes a biohazard bag, a quick-drying towel, pocket-size tissues and wet wipes, as well as hand sanitizer. It also comes with a separate bag of first-aid essentials, like bandages, gauze, scissors, fever-reducing medication, and sterilizing alcohol pads.

The Food box comes with enough calorie-packed food bars called "mini meals" to feed you for one full day. Because the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends that Americans have at least a three-day supply of nonperishable food in the event of an emergency, Judy advises that families add on to the kit's contents by stockpiling additional food from their pantries — pop-top canned foods (like fruits, vegetables, tuna, and beans) and dried foods (powdered milk, crackers, nuts, and cereal) — ahead of time.

The Warmth box comes with rescue blankets, hand warmers, candles, and waterproof matches.

The Safety box comes with gloves, dust masks, ponchos, glow sticks, and emergency whistles — crucial in the event of a building collapse or whenever you need help being located.

The Water cartridge comes with plenty of drinking water pouches that each have a five-year shelf life. As with food provisions, Judy recommends families supplement their kits with an additional gallon of water per day per person in advance. According to FEMA, to be safe for three days, a family of four would need 12 gallons.