Power outages are inconvenient at best and stressful at worst. The good news? A little planning now means you won’t be scrambling later.
In this post, I’ll show you how to put together a practical power outage kit with food, water, and essential supplies so your family can stay safe, comfortable, and even a little bit cozy when the lights go out.
Edited and updated on 2/5/2026
How to prepare for a power outage: food, water & supplies
It always seems to happen at the worst time: the lights flicker, the refrigerator goes quiet, and suddenly you’re standing in a silent house wondering how long it will last this time.
Living out in the country, our power goes out more often than I’d like to admit. Sometimes it’s just a couple of hours… but sometimes, like after the tornado that hit our neighborhood, it was almost a full week - and our gas stove and hot water heater were useless for nearly 19 days.
Not long before that, an ice storm left us in the dark for several days too. Ice-coated trees snapped power lines across our county, and we were reminded all over again how important it is to plan ahead for these kinds of events. (If you’d like to read more about that experience, I wrote about it here: Our Ice Storm Journal.)
I can tell you this: the only reason we didn't panic in either situation was because we had prepared ahead. We didn’t just survive - we thrived. And you can too.
Why bother with a power outage kit?
You might wonder why you should go to the trouble of creating a power outage kit. After all, you can use the food that's already in your pantry, right? And you have a flashlight in the bedroom. But consider this:
- What if it’s the day before payday and your pantry shelves are bare? You never know when the lights are going to go out.
- What if you can’t cook what you do have without electricity?
- What if you're almost out of dog food?
- What if the outage drags on for days?
A dedicated power outage kit keeps stress low. You know exactly what you have, where it is, and how long it will last.
That’s where a power outage kit comes in. Think of it as a ready-to-go stash that can keep your household comfortable for a few days when the lights go out.
With just a little planning, you can set aside enough food, water, and supplies to sustain your family at home for up to three days - without scrambling or stress.
Step 1: Plan a Short-Term Menu
Think of it like camping at home. Choose shelf-stable meals and snacks for at least three days. Include items such as:
- Canned soups, chili, or pasta
- Tuna or beans for quick protein
- Crackers, granola bars, and comfort snacks (treats help morale)
- Instant coffee, tea bags, bottled juice, or electrolyte drinks
Choose foods that you know your family will eat - because a meal of shelf-stable foods that no one likes isn't any help at all. Take into account the size of your family, their tastes, dislikes, allergies, and any special needs.
The nine meals on your menu plan (3 meals per day for 3 days) can be supplemented with crackers and other foods that you might have on hand, as well as vegetables from the garden if the season is right - but they should be "enough" in case other items aren't available.
Whether you store commercially canned foods or home-canned items is up to you, but your food items should be shelf-stable and just need to be warmed up on a campstove or other heat source.
I keep some special treats in our kit. Snacks can make a difficult situation more bearable, especially for children. We almost look forward to power outages so we can share a package of freeze-dried ice cream - you'll be surprised at how good it is and it's a fun treat during a stressful time.
TIP: Write your menu on an index card and store it in with your kit. That way you won’t accidentally eat too much on day one - it's a known fact that boredom causes the munchies!
Step 2: Plan how you'll cook without electricity
Having the food is one thing - being able to cook it without electricity is another. Think ahead about how you’ll prepare those meals:
Camp stove: A small propane or butane stove can quickly heat soups, boil water, or cook simple meals. Just remember you’ll need to store extra fuel.
Grill or fire pit: Great for foil packet meals or heating water in a pinch.
Straw box cooker: This old-fashioned, no-electric “slow cooker” is one of my favorite tricks. You bring food to a boil on the camp stove, then tuck it into the insulated straw box to finish cooking - without using any more fuel. It’s surprisingly effective!
Here’s how I made my straw box cooker.
A Sun Kettle (we have two) will heat water for coffee, tea and cooking. This solar water heater heats water to boiling and keeps it hot - and it's simple to use.
TIP: Revise your food choices or menus if needed after you've identified your cooking options!
By thinking through your cooking options ahead of time, you’ll make sure your kit isn’t just full of food, but that it contains food you can actually eat.
Step 3: Store It Smart
You can use a tote, a closet shelf, or a dedicated box. Just make sure it’s:
- Cool and dry; moisture, light and heat are the biggest enemies of food storage
- Off-limits for everyday “snacking raids”
- Easy to access when the lights go out
I found that leaving these foods on a shelf in the pantry allowed my family to use them up when they wanted a quick and easy lunch, leaving us poorly prepared when the power went out once again. That's why I store our power outage food kit in a plastic tote in a closet.
Step 4: Don’t Forget Water
If you’re on a well, when the electricity goes off, so does the well pump. Store at least a few gallons of water for cleaning and flushing toilets.
I also keep my empty canning jars filled with filtered water. They take up no extra space than storing empty jars, and give me peace of mind knowing we have more than enough for coffee, tea, cooking, and drinking.
TIP: Want to know exactly how much water your family should store? Grab my free Water Storage Cheat Sheet here.
Step 5: Think Beyond Food
A few non-food essentials can make all the difference, such as:
- Manual can opener (because the electric one won’t work!)
- Weather radio
- Flashlights, lanterns, batteries, candles
- This lantern has a USB port to charge your phone
- Automatic power outage lights
- Paper plates, cups, and utensils (no dishes to wash when water is limited)
- A box of heavy-duty aluminum foil to wrap food packets for cooking on the grill
- Matches or lighters
- Solar phone charger or power bank
- A small notebook and pen so you can keep track of the outage timeline, what worked well, and what you'd do differently next time
You may or may not have a generator, but if you do, it should be easy to access, and any accessories should be stored conveniently. Safely store extra fuel.
I don't store cooking utensils in our power outage kit because we will weather this situation at home, where we have access to pots, pans and utensils - but if you plan to use certain items on your cookstove, for instance, store them so they are convenient.
Board games, books and even a deck of cards will help keep family members entertained in a screen-less situation.
Step 6: Rotate the foods in your power outage kit regularly
Rotate the food in your power outage kit every 6-12 months so nothing gets stale or goes past its expiration date. A note on your calendar or a sticky note in your planner will remind you to do this task in a timely manner.
Swap out crackers, cookies, etc., to keep them crisp and fresh, and check expiration dates on canned foods.
Some supplies aren’t just “nice to have,” they’re critical. Yet many families wait until the last minute to restock. A power outage - or even just a bad storm - is not the time to realize you’re down to the last diaper or the last pill in the bottle.
For little ones: Keep an extra package of diapers, wipes, and formula or baby food. Update these as your child grows.
For prescriptions: Make sure family members who take daily medication always have enough on hand. A small buffer can make all the difference if the pharmacy is closed or roads are icy.
For pets: Store an extra bag of food (and litter, if needed) so your four-legged family members are cared for too.
Having these basics tucked away removes one more layer of stress when life gets messy.
Step 8: Keep Utility Contacts Handy
In a long outage, you may need to call your power company, an electrician, or even a tree service. But when the lines are down and your brain is reeling, do you really want to hunt for those numbers?
That’s why I keep our Utility & Service Contacts sheet printed and inside our SafeHarbor Emergency Binder. One glance and I have everything I need - no searching, no stressing.
Grab your free Utility & Service Contacts sheet here.
Step 9: Protect Your Electronics and Battery-Powered Items
When the power goes out, it's easy to focus on flashlights and food - but don't forget about what's still plugged into your walls.
Power surges can happen when electricity is restored, and they can damage sensitive electronics or, in rare cases, even cause fires. We learned this lesson the hard way after hearing about a family in South Carolina who had to evacuate during a long outage. They left their electric golf cart plugged in, and when the power came back on days later, a surge caused it to catch fire. The fire didn't just damage their home - it spread and destroyed two neighboring houses as well.
It's an easy detail to miss when you're dealing with everything else an outage throws at you. But taking a few minutes to unplug things can save you from a much bigger problem later.
What to unplug when the power goes out:
- Battery chargers - This includes golf carts, e-bikes, power tools, lawn equipment, and any other large battery systems
- Electric vehicles - If you have an EV, unplug it from the charging station
- Electronics - TVs, computers, gaming consoles, printers, and entertainment systems
- Small kitchen appliances - Coffee makers, toasters, microwaves (though you may want to leave one light or small appliance plugged in so you'll know when power is restored)
What about your refrigerator and freezer?
This question is tricky, and our family has learned the hard way that there's no perfect answer. My daughter's house fire actually started at the outlet where their freezer was plugged in - a sobering reminder that even "safe" appliances can be at risk.
Here's what to consider:
If you're staying home during the outage, most experts recommend keeping your refrigerator and freezer plugged in so they can restart automatically when power returns. Modern refrigerators often have built-in surge protection. Just keep the doors closed - a closed refrigerator stays cold for about 4 hours, and a full freezer can hold its temperature for up to 48 hours.
If you have a generator, you can plug your freezer and refrigerator into it for several hours a day, to help keep your investment in frozen food safe.
If you're evacuating: This is where it gets complicated. The safest approach is to turn off your home's main circuit breaker before you leave, which cuts power to everything including the refrigerator. This prevents potential fire hazards if your home floods or if there are major power surges when electricity is restored.
The trade-off is that you'll lose the food in your refrigerator and freezer - but that's a small price compared to the potential for a house fire.
If you haven't already, make sure everyone in your household knows how to safely shut off your home's main circuit breaker and other utilities in an emergency. I have a complete guide here: How to Shut Off Utilities in Your Home.
When power comes back on, don't rush to plug everything back in at once. Power can flicker on and off for hours after a long outage as the utility company works to stabilize the system. Wait until the power has been steady for at least 30 minutes, then plug items back in gradually rather than all at once.
From Surviving to Thriving
A power outage doesn’t have to feel like an emergency. With just a little planning - setting aside food, water, light sources, and the right phone numbers - you can turn a stressful evening into something manageable.
And when the big stuff happens (like that week-long outage after our tornado, or those icy days without power), you’ll be so grateful you planned ahead.
We didn’t just make it through - we stayed safe, warm, fed, and even connected.
And so can you.
Be Ready for More Than a Power Outage
Want to go beyond just a kit? The SafeHarbor Emergency Binder System helps you organize all your essential information - utility contacts, personal documents, medical info, insurance, and more - so you’ll never be caught off guard when life gets messy.
Check out the SafeHarbor Emergency Binder System here.
Related posts:
How to Prepare for Winter Storms
How We Prepare for Tornado Season
You Can Vacuum Seal Almost Any Jar in Your Kitchen
Kathi Rodgers is the gardener and writer behind Oak Hill Homestead (est. 2006) and the host of HOMEGROWN: Your Backyard Garden Podcast. With over 30 years of gardening experience in a variety of climates and soils, she helps new and aspiring gardeners grow healthy, organic food right in their own backyards.
A passionate advocate for simple, self-reliant living, Kathi is the author of multiple ebooks, a published magazine contributor, and shares practical advice with readers who want real-life solutions they can trust.
Kathi lives in Oklahoma, where she grows more cherry tomatoes than she can count and keeps a watchful eye on tornado season. A proud grandma and great-grandma, she believes that wisdom - like a bountiful garden harvest - should be shared.
