Living out in the country like we do, our power goes out unexpectedly, but rather regularly. Usually it comes on again after a couple of hours. Sometimes it doesn't, so we've learned to be prepared for a power outage.
Inside this article you'll find ideas to help you make a power outage emergency kit so you'll be ready if your power goes out.
How to prepare for a power outage
Our electricity used to go out so often that I found myself looking for the same items in the pantry over and over, and wondering what I'd make for dinner if I couldn't use the stove or oven. Often we defaulted to getting take-out, but sometimes the outage affected our nearby town as well.
This post was updated in January 2025
So I put this "power outage kit" together several years ago, and I've been tweaking it ever since. When I think of something that might be helpful I add it.
The kit is meant for a short-term outage and can sustain us at home for up to three days.
I rotate the food in the kit every six months so it won't be out of date or stale.
Why I made a power outage kit
People have asked me why I did this.
If we're at home, couldn't we just use the food in our cupboards and pantry? Sure we could, and so can you.
But...
- what if it was the day before grocery-shopping-day and we didn't have a lot of food in the house?
- what if the food we did have on hand wasn't easy to prepare without using electricity?
- what if that power outage lasted for several days?
I prefer to plan ahead, and have specific foods set aside in a place where we know they'll be when (and if) we need them.
If you're interested in preparing for power outages and other possible emergencies, keep reading for some great ideas.
What to consider when you make a power outage kit
I started by planning a possible menu of easy-to-cook food for three days. I wrote down the menu, including ideas for three meals a day plus snacks, and I keep this list inside the tote where I store the foods.
You might prefer to dedicate a shelf in your pantry to these foods, instead of using a tote or similar container. I found that leaving these foods on a shelf 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.
Even though we don't snack a lot, having some special treats can make a difficult situation more bearable, especially for children (and husbands).
The nine meals on my menu can be supplemented with crackers and other foods 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.
After all, it might be the dead of winter, or the day before payday.
Whether you will 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.
Where to keep your emergency supplies for power outage
I keep my emergency power outage supplies in a plastic storage tote, but you might keep yours in a cupboard, a shelf in a closet, or even a cardboard box under the bed.
Store food in a cool, dry place. Moisture, light and heat are the biggest enemies of food storage and will shorten its shelf life.
I didn't pack pans or cooking utensils in my kit because I'm assuming we'd use this at home where we have access to those items, but you can include those if you wish.
Some suggested necessities and some special treats
Take into account the size of your family, their tastes, dislikes, allergies, and any special needs.
Comfort food will help your family cope with this inconvenience. Consider adding a few treats to help keep everyone's spirits up.
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.
Add a jar of instant coffee if you're a coffee drinker, or single-serving cans of fruit juice, V-8, and Gatorade.
Storing water
In most rural areas, if the electricity goes off, so does your well pump.
You'll need bottled water for cooking and drinking - and coffee making. You can fill containers with tap water ahead of time to use for hygiene purposes and toilet flushing.
I keep my empty canning jars filled with filtered water. It doesn't take any more space to store them full of water than if they're empty.
How much water should you have stored in your home? Find out with the water storage cheat sheet in this post.
Saving fuel while cooking in a power outage
I've found an old-fashioned way to cook foods that require a bit more cooking time, which I call my non-electric slow cooker, also known as a straw box cooker.
A camp stove would require a lot of fuel to cook something all day long, but by bringing the food to a boil on the camp stove and then moving it quickly to my straw box cooker I can let it cook all day without using any additional fuel.
Here's how to find out more about straw box cooking and how I made one with items I already had on hand.
We've transitioned away from eating a lot of prepared foods, so I'm working home-canned items into the kit instead of cans from the grocery store.
Packaged snacks will stay, just because they are shelf-stable, and because they are a bit of a "treat" that helps my family get through the tediousness of days and evenings without electricity.
Non-food items to keep on hand
Include packages of paper plates, cups and plastic utensils so you won't have to wash dishes. A box of heavy-duty aluminum foil is handy to wrap food packets for cooking on the grill.
I keep a box of kitchen matches in this kit so that they won't disappear when needed somewhere else. I also have batteries and a couple of candles in the kit, even though I have others in their own storage places.
A weather radio and flashlights are important in power outages. You might put them in the kit or keep them in a more accessible place, whichever makes the most sense to you and your family.
If you use an electric can opener in the kitchen, remember to put a manual can opener in your kit.
I store all of this in a large Rubbermaid bin or tote, with the heavier food on the bottom and the lighter items on top.
Store fuel for your camp stove appropriately.
Other supplies that will come in handy in a power outage
Power outage lights plug into your home's outlets and turn on automatically when the power goes out, providing light at night so you won't trip in the dark.
A battery-operated lantern will provide light for tasks (ours gives us light to cook and eat, play cards and board games and so on). This lantern has a USB port to charge your phone.
Solar phone chargers and power banks will help you keep in touch with extended family, friends and services. Ours have come in handy many times.
Our two Sun Kettles came in very handy when we were without power after a tornado hit our neighborhood. It heated up water quite quickly - and it was HOT.
I even used the Sun Kettle's hot water to wash my hair, although it was so hot that I had to mix it with room temperature water to make it bearable.
We also have a gas-powered generator that powers our freezer and refrigerator. This article will tell you what to look for when you buy a generator.
Our solar generator runs other items such as our wi-fi, TV, lamps, and to charge laptops, phone and other devices. How much you can run off of your solar generator will depend on your generator's capacity.
Some companies charge extra for the solar panels, so be sure to look at the listing. You can charge the generator by plugging it into a wall outlet while you have power, but the solar panels will allow you to use the power of the sun, whether your electricity is working or not.
Rotating your emergency foods
The heart of the kit is the written menu plan that I mentioned at the top of this article.
Why? Without it, I know we might be tempted to eat more than I've planned for one day. Writing down what we should eat for each meal - plus snacks - keeps us on track.
All the foods in the kit need to be rotated and replaced on a regular basis. I do this every six months, checking expiration dates on the canned goods and replacing the snacks often to keep them crisp and fresh. (I hate stale crackers!)
I keep a sticky note in my planner to remind me to rotate and replace foods, and when the task is completed I move the note forward another six months.
Keeping those snack foods fresh and crispy
I'm currently experimenting with storing crispy snacks inside of vacuum-sealed jars.
I'm hoping this will help keep them crisp and fresh because I abhor soggy snacks and our humid summer weather makes this a challenge.
If you store items inside jars in their original packaging, poke a hole in the wrapper with a pin so the air can be sucked out of the packaging when you vacuum-seal the jar.
I've shared here how to vacuum seal almost any jar in your kitchen.
If you want your power outage kit to be easily portable, be aware that storing items in canning jars will add the jars' weight to the kit. You'll probably be considering dehydrated or freeze-dried foods rather than canned food.
Update your kit regularly
Your power outage kit's contents will change over the years as your family's needs change.
- If you have an infant or toddler it's a good idea to always have extra diapers and other needs stored away. Update these as your child grows and needs a larger size.
- Keep enough medication on hand for family members who take prescription drugs.
- If you have pets, keep an extra bag of their food on hand.
Plan ahead for emergencies
Don't let your supplies get so low that you'd be in trouble if you couldn't get to the store. A power outage can be a minor emergency, but the day before payday can be an emergency too, whether the power is out or not.
Our real-life experience
UPDATE: In April 2023, our house was hit by a tornado. Our electricity was off for almost a week, and our gas stove and hot water heater were useless for 19 days.
We were so thankful that we were prepared for an event like this.
Our easy-to-cook food kept us eating well, even though our town's restaurants and food stores were closed. We had bottled water. Our solar phone chargers kept us in touch with the world. Our generator kept the food in our freezers safely frozen.
We didn't just survive, we thrived.
And so can you. By thinking ahead, imagining possible scenarios and gathering the items you'd need in an emergency, you can prepare for a power outage.
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