Potable Aqua water purification tablets
Tiny, cheap and lasts years in a drawer or go-bag. Treats water chemically, so you wait before drinking.
View on AmazonGear we'd buy first
Hand-picked basics for water, power, light, first aid and warmth. In each group, picks go from budget to premium, so you can start small and step up later.
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Water
Store at least a gallon per person per day. These make questionable water safe to drink when the tap stops or a boil notice goes out.
LifeStraw personal water filter
Drink straight from a bottle or stream. One per person is an easy first step.
View on AmazonKatadyn BeFree filter bottle
Fast-flowing filter on a collapsible bottle, so you can fill up and carry water, not just sip it.
View on AmazonMSR Guardian purifier
Pump purifier that also removes viruses, built to filter enough for a whole household from almost any source.
View on AmazonBackup power
Pick by what you need to run: phones and lights, a fridge, or most of the house. Never run a fuel generator indoors or in a garage.
EcoFlow DELTA 3 portable power station with solar panel
Quiet battery power you can use indoors. Keeps phones, lights, a CPAP or a fridge going for a while, and recharges from the sun.
View on AmazonEcoFlow 3600-watt home backup power station
Big enough to run major appliances with no fumes or fuel to store. Can expand with extra batteries and solar.
View on AmazonChampion 4000-watt dual fuel inverter generator
Runs on gasoline or propane for long outages, on its own or alongside either EcoFlow battery station. Run it by day to recharge the batteries, then switch to quiet, fume-free battery power overnight. Outdoors only, well away from windows.
View on AmazonLight and alerts
When the power goes out, you want hands-free light, light for a whole room, and a way to hear warnings without cell service.
Lighthouse adjustable emergency lantern
Lights up a whole room on batteries. Safer than candles.
View on AmazonEmergency weather radio with flashlight and power bank
Picks up NOAA weather alerts when cell towers are down, and its 12,000 mAh battery can top up a phone.
View on AmazonFenix HM60R rechargeable headlamp
Bright, rechargeable and built to last. Frees both hands for cooking, repairs or carrying kids.
View on AmazonFirst aid
Start with a kit, then add bleeding control. Tourniquets and clotting gauze only help if you know how to use them, so take a free Stop the Bleed class.
Mini first aid kit
Small enough for a car, purse or go-bag. Covers cuts, scrapes and blisters.
View on AmazonVRIEXSD travel and camping first aid kit
A fuller, well-organized kit for the house or car, with room to add your own medications.
View on AmazonRhino Rescue burn dressings
Gel dressings that cool and cover burns. Useful when you're cooking on camp stoves or using heaters.
View on AmazonEmergency compression dressing
A pressure bandage for heavy bleeding, sealed and ready to open one-handed.
View on AmazonBleedStop clotting gauze
Helps blood clot faster in deep wounds. Pair it with a compression dressing.
View on AmazonNorth American Rescue CAT tourniquet
The tourniquet trusted by the military and EMS. Buy from a reliable seller: fakes are common and can fail.
View on AmazonWarmth
Losing heat in winter is one of the most dangerous outages. Layer up first, then add heat safely.
ANMEILU emergency mylar blankets
Pocket-sized foil blankets that hold in body heat. Cheap enough to put one in every bag and car.
View on AmazonArcturus military wool blanket
Wool stays warm even when damp, and it's tough enough to use for years.
View on AmazonMr. Heater indoor-safe portable propane heater
Heats a room with no power. Use it with a window cracked and a battery carbon monoxide alarm nearby.
View on AmazonTools and storage
Small, inexpensive things that make cleanup, repairs and getting water much easier.
DURATECH universal sillcock key
Opens the locked outdoor water spigots on commercial buildings, a backup water source in a pinch.
View on AmazonMechanix Wear work gloves
Protects your hands while clearing debris, broken glass and branches.
View on AmazonEarth Pak waterproof dry bag
Keeps documents, medications and electronics dry in a flood or evacuation.
View on AmazonStanley FatMax FUBAR utility tool
Pry, demolish and shut off: one heavy tool for storm damage and getting through debris.
View on AmazonGorilla duct tape
Patches leaks, tarps and broken windows.
View on AmazonNothing here yet for that filter.
Not sure what your area needs most?
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