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Power Outage Essentials Every Home Should Have
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items I went through far too many blackout products so you don’t have to. This is a tightly edited list of power outage essentials for home backup power, lights, food and water basics, safety gear and a few things that make being offline less miserable.
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Sections
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Start Here: The 10 Power Outage Essentials I’d Buy First
Keep the Essentials Powered
Light the house
Find out what is happening
Keep the fridge from becoming an expensive science experiment
Water first, fancy survival gadgets later
Start Here: The 10 Power Outage Essentials I’d Buy First
If you don’t want to build a full emergency kit overnight, start here. I spent hours comparing power stations, lights, radios, cooling options and safety gear to narrow this down to the 10 power outage essentials I’d personally buy first. These are t...
I went much further down the portable-power-station rabbit hole than I intended, and this is the one I kept coming back to. It gives you 1,024Wh of capacity, 2,000W output and enough ports to keep phones, laptops, lights, Wi-Fi and other essentials r... Why I picked it: If I were buying just one big-ticket item for a power outage kit, this would be it.
Anker SOLIX C1000X Gen2 Portable Power Station,1024 Wh/Peak ...
I compared a lot of rechargeable emergency lights, and I like this one because it does more than just glow. The Lighthouse 600 gives you proper room-filling light, can illuminate only half the lantern to save power, charges by USB or solar, has a han... Why I picked it: One well-designed lantern is much more useful than a drawer full of tiny flashlights.
Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 Lantern Power Bank USB Rechargeable Camping Emergency
There are approximately eleven billion power banks to choose from, so I wanted one that could handle more than just topping up a phone. This 20,000mAh UGREEN has enough output for laptops as well as phones and tablets, three charging ports and a disp... Why I picked it: Big enough to be genuinely useful during a blackout, but still normal enough to use for travel the rest of the year.
UGREEN Nexode 130W 20000mAh Power Bank w/ TFT Display Portable Charger PB721 USE for sale online
This is the emergency radio I landed on after comparing the ones that all seem to promise seventeen functions in one plastic box. The ER310PRO has NOAA weather alerts, AM/FM, a 10,000mAh rechargeable battery, solar and hand-crank backup, a flashlight... Why I picked it: Your phone is wonderful right up until the battery, Wi-Fi or mobile network stops cooperating.
Midland ER310PRO Portable Emergency Weather Alert Radio with ...
I wanted a proper hard-sided cooler here, not another cute picnic bag. A large insulated cooler gives you somewhere to move the most important food once a blackout starts lasting longer than expected, and the 70-quart MaxCold has enough room to make ... Why I picked it: It’s the kind of thing you buy for camping and suddenly feel extremely clever for owning during a power outage.
Igloo Maxcold Latitude 70 Ash Gray Cooler 70 Quart Quart Size Cooler
Possibly the least glamorous item in my hours of emergency-kit research — and one of the smartest. When the power goes out, knowing the actual temperature inside your fridge or freezer is much more useful than guessing whether everything is still saf... Why I picked it: A roughly $10 thermometer may save you from throwing away a fridge full of food.
Taylor Analog Refrigerator Freezer Thermometer
A headlamp sounds very outdoorsy until you try to find the fuse box, cook dinner or carry things through a dark house while holding a flashlight. The ACTIK CORE gives you up to 625 lumens, includes a rechargeable CORE battery and can also run on thre... Why I picked it: Rechargeable when life is normal, ordinary batteries when it isn’t. That redundancy sold me.
Petzl Actik Core Headlamp | REI Co-op
I deliberately chose a gravity filter rather than one of those tiny survival straws. Fill the bag, hang it up and let gravity do the work. The Peak Series filter is designed to remove bacteria, parasites and microplastics, and the membrane is rated f... Why I picked it: Emergency water gear should make getting drinkable water easier, not turn it into an endurance sport.
Peak Gravity Water Filter System - 3 Liters
A summer blackout is a very different problem once the air-conditioning stops. This little RYOBI stood out because it can run from an 18V ONE+ battery or from mains power when electricity is available again, has three speeds and is compact enough to ... Why I picked it: If you already own RYOBI ONE+ batteries, this becomes an especially easy emergency-prep purchase.
RYOBI ONE+ 18V Cordless Hybrid WHISPER SERIES 7-1/2 in. Fan (Tool Only) PCL811B
This is the one item here I wouldn’t treat as an optional gadget. Power outages can lead people to improvise with generators, heaters and cooking equipment, which makes carbon-monoxide protection especially important. The CO710 has an electrochemical... Why I picked it: Preparedness isn’t only about keeping things running. It’s also about making sure the workaround doesn’t create a bigger problem than the blackout.
First Alert Model CO710 Carbon Monoxide Detector w/ 10 Year Battery New & Sealed
One free thing I’d actually print rather than bookmark. This simple Ready.gov sheet covers what to do before, during and after a blackout - because the least useful place for your emergency plan is a browser tab you can’t open.
[PDF] BE PREPARED FOR A POWER OUTAGE - Ready.gov
Keep the Essentials Powered
Phones, Wi-Fi, laptops and small appliances suddenly become very important when every wall outlet stops working. I looked for backup power options that make sense for real homes: portable power stations, high-capacity power banks, solar charging and ...
This is my inexpensive second line of backup power: if the house is dark but the car is available, you still have a way to run or charge small electronics. I specifically picked the pure sine wave version - it’s the one I’d rather have around laptops...
BESTEK 300W Pure Sine Wave Power Inverter 12V to 110V Car Inverter with Dual 2.4A USB Ports and Cigarette Lighter Plug, DC to AC Converter for Car Truck RV Camping
Rechargeable batteries are extremely boring until the radio, flashlight and half your emergency drawer suddenly want them. I like this kit because the charger works with AA and AAA batteries - and can even use the charged Eneloops to give a USB devic...
Panasonic Eneloop Rechargeable AA Batteries 4 Pack ...
Light the house
A phone flashlight works for about five minutes before it becomes deeply annoying. These are the rechargeable lanterns, headlamps, flashlights and battery solutions I’d want around the house during a blackout. I’ve favored practical lights that are e...
This is exactly the kind of low-effort emergency product I like: leave it plugged into the wall and it stays charged, then it automatically lights up when the power goes out. No searching through a drawer in the dark for the flashlight you definitely...
Energizer Weatheready Rechargeable Compact Handheld Light, Plug-In Rechargeable LED Light, Automatic Turn-On Emergency Flashlight, Built-In Rechargeable Battery Included
Possibly my favorite clever find on the whole list. They work as ordinary light bulbs, charge while you use them and can provide light when the power goes out - exactly the sort of preparedness that requires almost no preparedness.
GE LED+ Battery Backup, 60 Watt, Soft White, A21 Bulbs, Medium Base, 2pk
Find out what is happening
When the power is out, your internet connection and mobile network may not be as reliable as usual. A good emergency radio gives you another way to get weather alerts and local information without depending entirely on your phone. I kept this section...
You absolutely do not need two emergency radios, so think of this as the alternative to the Midland rather than another must-buy. I kept it because it adds shortwave, NOAA alerts, solar and hand-crank charging, AAA backup and Bluetooth in one genuine...
American Red Cross by Eton ODYSSEY Bluetooth Portable Weather Radio with AM/FM/Shortwave/NOAA Alerts and Flashlight, Red and Black
Keep the fridge from becoming an expensive science experiment
One of the most annoying costs of a long power outage can be losing everything in the fridge and freezer. These are the simple tools I’d keep on hand to buy food more time: a fridge thermometer, a proper cooler, long-lasting ice packs and one very im...
I’d keep a couple of these permanently frozen rather than trying to find bags of ice once everyone else is doing exactly the same thing. The Tundra line is designed specifically for keeping frozen food at freezer-like temperatures inside a cooler.
Arctic Ice Tundra Series Reusable Ice Pack
If your emergency food includes cans, an electric can opener becomes a surprisingly useless appliance during a blackout. This OXO opens cans manually without leaving the usual sharp cut edge - one of those normal kitchen tools that quietly doubles as...
OXO Smooth Edge Can Opener
Bookmark this before you need it. FoodSafety.gov has the surprisingly useful “keep it or throw it out?” charts for refrigerated and frozen food after a blackout - much better than standing in front of the fridge sniffing things and hoping for the best.
Food and Water Safety During Power Outages and Floods
Water first, fancy survival gadgets later
If an outage lasts longer than expected, having water stored at home matters far more than owning a drawer full of clever survival tools. I chose simple water storage and filtration options that make sense for ordinary households, including smaller h...
This is much more realistic for most homes than a giant prepper water barrel. Seven gallons is substantial enough to matter, the rectangular shape stores neatly, and the built-in spout means you can actually use the water without wrestling with the c...
Reliance Aqua-Tainer Water Storage Container 7 Gallon
Food you can actually eat
Emergency food should be easy to store, easy to prepare and preferably something you won’t dread eating. I’ve kept this section intentionally practical rather than filling it with dozens of survival-food packs. Think reliable shelf-stable meals, hot ...
I didn’t want to fill this list with seventeen varieties of apocalypse food. One well-known assortment is enough: this bucket contains 12 individual pouches with 24 labeled servings, and the meals only need water to prepare. I’d still treat it as bac...
Mountain House Emergency Meal Assortment Kit
Before the power disappears, boil water and put it somewhere that will keep it hot. Tea, coffee, instant food - suddenly a good old-fashioned Thermos starts looking less nostalgic and more like excellent infrastructure.
Thermos Stainless King Vacuum Insulated Beverage Bottle, Matte Stainless Steel, 40oz
When the blackout happens in July… or January
Losing power isn’t just about losing the lights. In summer you lose fans and air-conditioning; in winter you may lose heating. These are compact, useful things I’d keep around to make extreme temperatures more manageable, from battery-powered fans to...
Cheap, tiny and worth putting away long before you need it. The XL version is large enough for one or two adults and reflects body heat back toward you - particularly useful when a winter outage also means no heat.
Emergency Blanket XL
For somewhere colder, I’d go one step beyond the emergency blanket. This packs ridiculously small but gives you a windproof, waterproof emergency sleeping shell plus a rescue whistle -more serious warmth without storing an extra sleeping bag just for...
Emergency Bivvy with Rescue Whistle and Tinder Cord
Safety things I would not bury at the bottom
Some of the least exciting purchases here may also be the most important. Carbon monoxide alarms, smoke alarms, a fire extinguisher, first-aid supplies and protected storage for important documents aren’t fun to shop for - which is exactly why I spen...
Not exciting. Very worth owning. Power outages encourage candles, alternative cooking and improvised solutions, so a proper household extinguisher belongs much higher on my preparedness list than most clever survival gadgets.
1-A:10-B:C HOME FE
I wanted one actual first-aid kit here rather than twenty separate medical items. This is the sort of grab-one-box solution that makes much more sense when pharmacies are closed, the lights are out and you don’t feel like searching three bathroom dra...
Adventure Medical SPORTSMAN Series Medical Kit - 100 HSA/FSA Eligible
Passports, insurance documents, prescriptions, emergency contacts: these are not the things I want scattered around the house when something goes wrong. This one holds letter-size files and adds both fire and water protection, which makes it useful f...
SentrySafe 0.66 cu. ft. Fireproof & Waterproof Safe File Box FHW40100
A power outage usually means staying home. Some emergencies mean leaving it. I made a separate, deliberately short family emergency go bag checklist for that scenario - the essentials I’d actually keep ready by the door, plus free plans, printable ma...
ALSO PREPARE - Family Emergency Go Bag
The boring link that may matter more than half the gadgets on this list. CDC covers carbon monoxide, generators, food, heat and other hazards that become surprisingly easy to overlook once the lights are actually out.
What to Do to Protect Yourself During a Power Outage
The Boring Stuff You’ll Be Glad You Have
Emergency preparation is mostly made up of very ordinary things you suddenly become extremely grateful for. A basic tool kit, protected documents, spare batteries and other small practical items can make a power outage much easier to deal with. This ...
I deliberately chose a normal household tool kit instead of a dramatic survival multi-tool. When something needs tightening, opening, disconnecting or fixing in the dark, normal tools are usually exactly what you need.
Stanley Home Tool Kit (65-Piece) 94-248
Yes, the name is ridiculous. The idea is not. It holds batteries in one place and includes a tester, which means you can finally answer the surprisingly important question: “Are these batteries actually charged, or have they just been living in this ...
Battery Daddy, Battery Storage System
Screen-Free Things to Do During a Power Outage
Not everything in an emergency kit has to feel like emergency equipment. A clever backup light and something analog to do when the Wi-Fi disappears can make an outage feel a little more like an inconvenience and a little less like the collapse of civ...
Your Wi-Fi is gone. Your phones are at 23%. Nobody needs to spend those remaining percentages arguing on the internet.
Bicycle Standard Playing Cards 1pk
If the Wi-Fi has been gone long enough that everyone has already played cards, this is what I’d pull out next. Ticket to Ride is easy enough to teach without turning family game into a forty-minute rules seminar, but strategic enough that adults actually want to play too. One game takes roughly 30–60 minutes - conveniently about the length of time you can forget that none of the lights work. Why I picked it: It gets everyone around one table, works for 2–5 players and has enough replay value to earn cupboard space even when the electricity is behaving.
Asmodee Ticket to Ride - Refresh Board Game: Strategy & War Game, 2-5 Players, 30-60 Minutes, Geography Focus