If you have read Prepping for Beginners, you know the plan: cover a few days of basics first. This guide is the shopping list for that step. It is ten items, in the order we would get them, with the reason for each and what to look for.
Every item comes from official guidance, mainly Ready.gov's basic emergency supply kit. The order is ours. It puts first the things a household reaches for in the first hours of a power outage or a storm.
1. Water
Water comes first because you can't improvise it. Ready.gov's guideline is one gallon per person per day, for several days, for drinking and sanitation.
The simplest way to store it is to buy it. Ready.gov says to buy commercially bottled water and keep it in the sealed original container in a cool, dark place.
What to look for: sealed gallon jugs or cases of bottles from the grocery store. If you fill your own containers instead, Ready.gov says to use food-grade water storage containers and to replace that water every six months.
Our guide to how much water your family needs covers the numbers for your household.
2. Ready-to-eat food and a manual can opener
Next is food that needs no power. Ready.gov's advice is to stock canned foods, dry mixes and other staples that do not require refrigeration, cooking, water or special preparation, and to choose foods your family will eat.
Its suggestions are ordinary groceries: ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables, protein or fruit bars, dry cereal or granola, peanut butter and dried fruit.
What to look for: food you already buy, in cans and packets, plus a manual can opener and some eating utensils. An electric can opener is no use in an outage. Keep canned food in a cool, dry place.
When you are ready to go further, see building a 14-day pantry.
3. A flashlight for each person, with spare batteries
When the lights go out, everyone needs to move around safely at the same moment. Ready.gov's power outage advice is direct: have flashlights for every household member.
What to look for: simple flashlights that all use the same common battery size, so one pack of spares fits everything. A headlamp is worth considering for at least one adult, because it leaves both hands free.
4. A battery-powered or hand-crank radio
If the power and the internet are both down, a radio may be your only source of news. Ready.gov's kit lists a battery-powered or hand-crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert.
NOAA Weather Radio is run by the National Weather Service. It broadcasts official warnings, watches and forecasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What to look for: the National Weather Service describes two features on its receiver page. A tone alarm sounds before most warnings are broadcast. SAME, short for Specific Area Message Encoding, lets you set the radio for your own area. The same page says receivers are sold at many electronics, department and sporting goods stores, at prices from around $20 to over $100 depending on features.
Our guide to emergency radios explains the different kinds.
5. Backup power for your phone
Your phone is your flashlight, your map and your link to family, until the battery runs out. Ready.gov says to plan for batteries and other alternative power sources, such as a portable charger or power bank.
What to look for: a power bank with the right cable for each phone in the house. Capacity is listed in milliamp-hours (mAh), and a bigger number holds more charge. Keep it charged, and put a reminder on your calendar to top it up.
Ready.gov also suggests finding out whether your home phone will work in a power outage. For bigger options, see beginner backup power.
6. A first aid kit
A first aid kit is on Ready.gov's basic list. A store-bought kit is a reasonable place to start.
What to look for: a kit in a case that closes properly, kept where everyone in the house can find it. Our guide to building a home first aid kit covers what goes in one.
7. Sanitation basics
This is the item people forget. If the water is off or you can't get to a store, staying clean gets harder quickly.
Ready.gov's basic kit includes moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation. Its longer list adds soap, hand sanitizer, disinfecting wipes and personal hygiene items.
What to look for: nothing special. Buy one extra of what you already use and set it aside with the rest of your supplies.
8. A blanket or sleeping bag for each person
If your heating depends on electricity, the house starts to cool as soon as the power goes out. Ready.gov's list includes a sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person, and a complete change of clothing appropriate for your climate, with sturdy shoes.
What to look for: count the blankets you own against the number of people in the house. Buy only the difference.
9. Carbon monoxide alarms with battery backup
This one protects you from the other items people buy for outages. Generators, camp stoves and charcoal grills all produce carbon monoxide, a gas you cannot see or smell.
Ready.gov says to install carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup in central locations on every level of your home. The Consumer Product Safety Commission gives the same advice and adds outside sleeping areas, with a reminder to check the batteries regularly.
What to look for: alarms that are battery-operated or have battery backup, so they keep working when the power is out.
10. Cash and copies of important documents
The last item costs nothing extra. Ready.gov's financial preparedness advice is to keep a small amount of cash at home in a safe place, because ATMs and credit cards may not work during a disaster.
For documents, Ready.gov suggests copies of insurance policies, identification and bank account records, saved electronically or kept in a waterproof, portable container.
What to look for: small bills, and an afternoon to scan or photograph your documents.
What about everything else?
Ready.gov's basic list has a few more items: a whistle, a dust mask, plastic sheeting with scissors and duct tape, a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, and local maps. Its longer list adds a fire extinguisher and things that depend on who lives in your home, such as medications, infant supplies and pet food.
Add those once the first ten are covered. They matter, but they are easier to choose after you have the basics and a plan.
Where to keep it
Ready.gov says to keep your kit in a designated place. A lidded plastic bin on a closet shelf works well. Make sure everyone in the house knows where it is.
Your first shopping trip
- Gather what you already own from this list into one bin or shelf.
- Buy water first: one gallon per person per day, for at least a few days.
- Add a few days of ready-to-eat food and a manual can opener to your next grocery trip.
- Check that every person has a working flashlight, and buy spare batteries.
- Confirm there is a carbon monoxide alarm with battery backup on every level of your home.
Where to go next
- Prepping for Beginners: Where to Start Without Getting Overwhelmed
- How to Start Prepping on $25, $50, or $100 a Month
- How Much Emergency Water Does Your Family Actually Need?
- Build a 14-Day Emergency Pantry With Foods You Already Eat