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Simple emergency prep for every home

How Do You Build a Power Outage Kit for Your Household?

Published October 28, 2026

A power outage kit helps your household stay safe, calm, and comfortable when the lights go out. It should cover the basics for at least 72 hours: drinking water, food, light, ways to charge phones, first aid, warmth, and a plan for keeping important items close. The best kit is easy to grab, easy to use in the dark, and tailored to the number of people in your home, including children, older adults, and pets. Start with the essentials, store them in one place, and check the kit a few times a year so nothing is expired, dead, or missing.

1. Start with water, food, and basic supplies

The first job of a power outage kit is to cover daily needs without a stove, refrigerator, or running store. Keep at least 1 gallon of water per person per day for drinking and basic washing. For a 3-day kit, that means 3 gallons per person. If you can store more, do it.

Choose food that you can eat with little or no cooking. Think shelf-stable items your family already uses, so nobody has to guess what to do in an emergency. Include a manual can opener if you store canned food.

You also need a few simple cleanup and comfort items. Trash bags, paper towels, disposable plates, wet wipes, and hand sanitizer can make a long outage easier to manage.

2. Build lighting you can use safely

When power fails, good lighting keeps people from falling, bumping into furniture, or reaching for unsafe candles. Put flashlights in easy-to-find places, not buried in a drawer. Keep one in each bedroom, one in the kitchen, and one near the main exit if possible.

Use battery-powered lanterns or LED lights for rooms where people will sit or move around for a while. These are usually better than flashlights for general lighting because they leave both hands free. Store extra batteries with the lights and check them every few months.

Avoid relying on candles unless there is no other choice. Open flames can start fires, especially if children or pets are moving around in the dark.

3. Add backup power for phones and medical needs

A power outage kit should help you stay in touch and keep essential devices running. Start with fully charged portable power banks for phones. If someone in your home uses a medical device that needs electricity, write down exactly what it needs and what backup steps are required. Do not wait until the outage to figure that out.

Keep charging cables with the kit, along with a list of important phone numbers written on paper. Cell service can be spotty, batteries can die fast, and digital contacts may not be available when you need them.

If you plan to use a generator, read the instructions before an outage. Never run a generator indoors, in a garage, or near windows and doors because of carbon monoxide risk. If you use one, make sure it is placed and ventilated exactly as directed by the manufacturer.

4. Keep first aid, warmth, and comfort items together

Outages are easier to handle when everyone stays warm, dry, and calm. Put a basic first aid kit in your power outage supplies, not in a separate place. Include bandages, gauze, antiseptic wipes, pain relievers you normally use, and any personal prescriptions.

Have blankets, sleeping bags, or extra layers ready if your heat system depends on electricity. If the outage happens in cold weather, close off unused rooms, wear layers, and keep doors shut to conserve warmth. If it happens in hot weather, have battery fans, light clothing, and a plan for moving to a cooler place if needed.

Do not forget pets. Store pet food, water, medications, and a leash or carrier with the kit if animals live in your home.

5. Store the kit where you can reach it fast and check it often

A good kit only works if you can find it quickly. Put everything in one container or in a clearly marked group of bins in a closet, hall, or mudroom. Keep the kit near an exit if possible, but not somewhere that could flood, freeze, or be blocked by clutter.

Check the kit at least twice a year. A simple habit is to review it when the clocks change in spring and fall. Replace expired food and medicine, test flashlights and radios, swap out dead batteries, and recharge power banks.

Make a short family plan to go with the kit. Everyone should know where the supplies are, who grabs them, and how to use the flashlight, radio, and phone chargers. That saves time when the lights go out unexpectedly.

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