Be prepared, not scared when you have the supplies you need for heat, food, light and water.
We cannot always predict when threatening weather or power failures will happen, but we can prepare for them. Whether it’s a three-hour power outage or a three-day power outage, having trusted, non-electric supplies on hand will bring you a sense of peace.
Prepping for a Short-Term Power Outage
For a short-term power outage, here are the top five items you need to have on hand:
1. Hand-Cranked/Solar Emergency Radio
If you don’t have power, you won’t be able to listen to the news or charge your phone. Having a non-electric source for weather reports and emergency updates is essential.
We recommend the Hand-Cranked Emergency AM/FM Radio/Light (pictured above) and the Solar Emergency AM/FM/Weather Radio/Light.
2. Low-Prep Snacks and Food
Stock up on snacks and meals on that don’t need much prep work so nobody goes hungry. Just having popcorn, peanuts or granola in your pantry might be what the family needs.
3. Rayo Lantern Cooker
Having light AND a way to heat up food is a double benefit. This Rayo powder-coated lantern can heat water or small meals or even the baby’s bottle. Plus, it provides dependable light and some warmth on cold nights. All you need is kerosene or lamp oil and a match.
4. Board Games and Puzzles
Keep a new board game or puzzle on hand to entertain the younger set. Adding a fun element to a short-term power outage can also relieve the stress that some children might feel.
5. Water Bottle Filter
During a short-term power outage, water shouldn’t be a big issue, but having water bottles that include filters is not a bad idea. Plus, this on-the-go solution is great for camping and hiking.
Prepping for Long-Term Power Outages
If you live in an area that regularly has long-term power outages, investing in emergency supplies makes a lot of sense. Here are five recommendations:
1. Family Prep Survival Kit
For an all-in package, keep the Family Survival Kit on hand. It contains enough supplies for four people to survive up to three days and includes two red backpacks with food, water, light/radio, first aid kit, sleeping bags, tube tent, hygiene supplies and more.
2. Berkey Tabletop Water Filtration Systems
A general rule is to have one gallon of water per day per person (and this doesn’t include laundry or showers!). Investing in a high-quality water filtration system means you can drink water from virtually anywhere. The Big Berkey is a tabletop water filtration system made with stainless steel. Pour “raw” water in top chamber and draw off sparkling-clean water from lower chamber. It can process about seven gallons an hour and removes viruses, bacteria and many types of chemicals.
3. Wood-Burning Heat Stove or Cookstove
A wood heating or cooking stove means when it’s cold outside, you will be warm inside. And of course, wood heating stoves aren’t just for power outages. They can dramatically reduce your electric or gas bills, especially if you have access to free firewood. Wood stoves are intended to heat your entire home while wood cook stoves are designed to get hot fast to cook food. A wood cook stove will, however, warm up the room in which it’s placed.
4. Shelf-Stable Food
Perhaps your pantry is already full of food you have canned, freeze dried, pickled, fermented or dehydrated. If not, stock up on shelf-stable food. These freeze-dried foods have a shelf life of over 25 years!
5. Oil Lamps and Lanterns
When there’s a power outage, there’s nothing like the warm, ambient light of an oil lamp. From the tried and true bright light of an Aladdin lamp (bright enough to read by) to the simplicity of an DIY Olive Oil Lamp to the vintage charm of a hurricane lantern, we’ve got you covered.
Our advice to you is be prepared, not scared!
