Whether it’s extreme weather, natural disasters, or unexpected grid failures, being prepared for a power outage is no longer optional. Having the right supplies on hand can mean the difference between staying safe and struggling through the chaos.
We’ve seen plenty of weather foes around the globe in the last several years, ranging from floods and fires in North Carolina to the most recent Earthquakes in Malaysia. How can we prepare for the unexpected?
We spoke to a professional organizer for her opinion on the essentials anyone — especially those seeking remote independence — needs to consider. Step forward, Courtney Cummings, founder of The Stylish Organizer. Proper planning, organization, and storage can make all the difference in the event of an emergency.
1. Flashlights and Batteries
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While it might be an obvious choice, an emergency flashlight kit should be anyone’s first stop when the power goes. Fumbling around in the dark is no fun, especially in remote pastures. We are all guilty of leaving this important survival step on the proverbial back burner, waiting until something hits the fan before acting.
Courtney addresses an essential issue for families. “My rule of thumb is one flashlight per family member and at least one extra set of batteries per unit,” she says. Moreover, she adds that they must be in an ” accessible place.” If we get the simple things right, the harder things become much easier.
2. A Portable Charger or Power Bank
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For electronic essentials like cell phones and radios, a good-sized power bank can help in the short term. You might have batteries, but these will only last so long if the disaster continues for more than a few days. You may also not own a generator, so this might also be the only option.
A power bank might suit the more eco-aware or those who don’t like having to use a noisy generator. Regular power banks charge from your main electrical source, providing much-needed charging energy in a blackout. An Outdoor Life post shares its best picks for solar power banks in 2025 in this post.
3. Water
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The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) recommends at least seven days’ water supply for each family member. Yet, the water question centers around the climate you have chosen. “If you live in a warm weather climate, more water may be necessary,” reads FEMA’s water guide. “In very hot temperatures, water needs can double.”
If you’re lucky, you have a reliable water source (such as a well). For most of us, in an emergency, we can expect any local stores to become the scene of panic buying — as demonstrated by the COVID pandemic’s toilet paper Armageddon.
4. Food
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This choice goes without saying, doesn’t it? When an emergency comes, the nearest grocery store will offer very little salvation. It will pay dividends to have a well-stocked bug-out box full of foods you just never touch.
Naturally, avoiding anything with a short shelf-life is best. Courtney cites “tuna, granola bars, nut butter, and canned fruits and vegetables” as a solid foundation. Perhaps her best advice is for accessing such products. “Keep the manual can opener with these foods for ease of use, should the time come.”
5. Personal Care Products
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For those adventurers living in high-risk areas, staying put in your remote kingdom may not be an option. For example, Florida and the Great Plains have the obvious windborne disasters; arid region dwellers have forest fire threats. You never know when you might need to escape an encroaching natural disaster — maybe even staying in a shelter.
“Small, sample-size versions of toothpaste, toothbrushes, face wash, deodorant, and soap will go a long way if you have an extended power outage,” says Courtney. Cleanliness costs nothing, and its value soars during a crisis.
6. Cash
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There are endless stories and testimonies online from homesteaders promoting a frugal existence. Of course, getting by with trading skills or products for resources can work; in a real-life emergency, nothing substitutes cold, hard cash.
Wealth management platform KeyBank’s guide to emergency money funds recommends having at least five days’ cash ready. Storing it is another matter that must be taken seriously. Courtney says to consider a creative, fireproof, and watertight solution, “ideally in a locked fireproof safe that is bolted down to something that can’t be easily moved.”
7. Games, Books, and Puzzles
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Surviving a natural disaster or simple power outage alone is one thing. However, bringing your young kids along for the ride could turn an ordeal into an existential crisis. Young ones (much like their adult peers) need entertainment, and bored young ones will make days seem like weeks.
It will pay off to keep board games and puzzles in your emergency kit for entertainment purposes. A power outage is the perfect time to teach children card games, help them read, or hone those Monopoly skills. Meanwhile, other outdoors people might see a power outage as an opportunity to teach bushcraft skills.
8. Battery Operated Radio
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If the proverbial fan is hit by something unsavory, you might find all communication with the outside restricted. What’s more, if the weather is feisty, keeping informed of local news could prove challenging in such poor conditions. “Make sure you have extra batteries for the unit in case the power outage lasts longer than expected,” says Courtney.
No electricity means no Internet, so keeping up with events as they unfold may require some good old-fashioned radio waves. Moreover, when the zombie apocalypse arrives, how else will you keep in touch with other survivors or stragglers?
9. An Emergency Storage Facility
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“Make sure everyone in your family knows where the ”essentials kit” is located and that you have a plan in place when the power goes out,” Courtney says. “To protect your items from dust, dirt, and moisture, I like using zippered mesh pouches.”
It’s one thing having all the survival necessities lying around; it shows another level of readiness when you have a purpose-built storage location. YouTube channel Survivor Dispatch’s video will leave you in awe of its approach to emergency supplies.
10. A Generator
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If the power is out for days, food can spoil quickly. If there is no electricity during extreme weather, particularly dangerous freezing temperatures, a generator can be a lifesaver for keeping warm.
Generator Mart has a useful sizing calculator for deciding your needs, depending on how much power you use. This decision may be life or death for someone with a freezer full of meat. Nobody would wish to lose all that hard work or free protein.
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