El Niño // Declared 02.07.2026 // Peak: summer 2026/27

This one, we saw coming.

Aotearoa's strongest El Niño in years has been declared. A hotter, drier, windier summer is on the way. Most disasters give no warning. This one did, so there's still time to get the whole whānau ready.

Get the El Niño Backpack $329Free delivery NZ wide Afterpay from $54.83

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4.9 starsfrom 165 reviews

Civil Defencesupported and aligned

New · El Nino pack This one, we saw coming.

Incl. GST

$329

$329El Niño pack

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What this summer looks like // The hazards

A season you can prepare for, if you start now.

El Niño doesn't hit everywhere the same way. Up north and in the east it means drought, heat and real fire risk. Elsewhere it can drive heavy weather and strong winds, and it doesn't take a summer cyclone off the table. Wherever you are, the same handful of things get tested: your water, your power, and your ability to keep the whānau going if supply gets cut.

Water security

Dry spells and supply disruption. Store and treat your own with a 10L container and purification tablets.

Power outages

Wind brings lines down. A 20,000mAh bank keeps phones, torches and comms alive when the grid drops.

Heat and sun

Long hot stretches ahead. Sunscreen and electrolytes to keep everyone safe through the worst of it.

Storms and cyclones

Still on the cards over summer. Waterproof, packed and ready to grab the moment you need to move.

The pack // What's inside

Built for the summer ahead, for the whole whānau.

One waterproof bag, packed here in NZ, with multiples of everything a family needs to get through a disrupted summer. Food included as standard, not an add on. These are the pieces that set it apart from a basic grab and go kit.

Upgraded for summer

20,000mAh power bank

Enough to keep phones and devices charged through a multi day outage, not just a top up.

13 in 1 multi tool

The item our customers name most. Proper gear that feels like it should cost three times what it does.

Headlamp, hands free

Light where you're looking when you're clearing, fixing or moving in the dark.

For the heat

Sunscreen and electrolytes

Built for a long hot summer, not just a wet weekend. Keeps the whānau going in the heat.

Included as standard

Food rations, no upsell

Long life rations for the whole family come in the box. No optional extras, no surprises at checkout.

Torch, radio and power in one

Stay informed and lit when the network and the grid are both down.

Everything in the El Niño Backpack

40L waterproof · family scale · packed in NZ

Power and light

20,000mAh power bank
Torch / radio / power bank
Headlamp with batteries
Multi USB charge cable
Spare batteries
Light sticks x3

Water and food

10L water container
Water purification tablets
Bottled water x4
Electrolyte sachets x4
Food rations x6 included

Health and hygiene

Comprehensive first aid kit
Sunscreen
Wet wipes, 15 pack
Face masks x4
Tissues x6

Tools and shelter

13 in 1 multi tool
Work gloves
Duct tape
Foil blankets x4

Plan and organise

El Niño readiness handbook
Notepad and pen
A3 zipper cases x2

The bag itself

40L waterproof dry bag
Welded seams, roll top
Carries a full load, long walk

Get the El Niño Backpack $329Free delivery NZ wide · Afterpay available

Why Crisis Bunker // The standard

Made by the people who prepare whole communities.

Crisis Bunker isn't a box filler. We build emergency resilience for marae, iwi, schools and councils across Aotearoa, from full resilience hubs to welfare systems, supported by Civil Defence. Your whānau pack is built to exactly the same standard as the gear we install for whole communities.

50+Resilience hubs built across Aotearoa

317Marae and communities worked alongside

1000sPreparedness packs in Kiwi homes

Trusted across Aotearoa // 163 reviews

4.9 ★★★★★ 90% five star · 165 verified reviews

★★★★★

This is the best backpack I have purchased. It has everything my family and I need for a natural disaster event.

Anonymous · 4 Person pack

★★★★★

Really well supplied with some cool items, the radio power pack and the compact multi tool especially. The bag itself is excellent, very strong quality material.

Anonymous · 2 Person pack

★★★★★

Living rural with rough access, it's reassuring to know that if disaster strikes we'll be OK for at least three days. You can't put a price on peace of mind.

Sarah W. · 4 Person pack

As featured in

Good to know

Will El Niño really affect where I live?

It depends on your rohe, and that's the point of being ready either way. The north and east are most likely to see drought, heat and higher fire risk. Other regions can get heavier weather and strong winds, and a summer cyclone is still possible anywhere. The El Niño Backpack covers the common ground: water, power, heat and the ability to move fast if you have to.

How many people does it cover?

It's built as a whānau pack, with multiples of the essentials and six long life food rations included as standard. It suits a family or small household getting through the critical days of a disruption together.

Is the backpack waterproof?

Yes. It's a heavy duty 40L dry bag with welded seams and a roll top closure, built to protect everything inside from rain, flooding and rough handling on the worst day of the year.

How does the water work if it's a dry summer?

You get a 10L container and purification tablets rather than heavy bottled water to carry. That lets you store and treat your own supply at home when the taps are cut or restricted, which is exactly the situation a dry, disrupted summer creates. There's bottled water in there too for the first day.

How fast will it arrive, and can I pay in instalments?

Free delivery NZ wide, packed and dispatched from our Papāmoa warehouse, usually within 24 hours. Afterpay is available at checkout if you'd rather spread the cost.

The rest of the range // Household packs

Not quite the pack you're after?

The El Niño Backpack is built for a family and a long hot summer. If you need something lighter to grab and run, or bigger for a large whānau, we've got you covered.