Most "prepper" content is built for fear, not for action. This guide is the opposite: a practical, five-category baseline that gets a household ready for the first 72 hours of a power outage, storm, or evacuation.
1. Water — the only true non-negotiable
One gallon per person per day. Three days minimum. Store it now. Add a filter (gravity or pump) so you can extend that supply from any local source if needed.
Shop: Water Purification
2. Food — easy, shelf-stable, no-cook backup
Freeze-dried meals are ideal because they last 25+ years and need only hot water. Stack them with calorie-dense ready-to-eat options (bars, peanut butter) so you have a no-cook fallback if the stove fails.
Shop: Emergency Food & Nutrition
3. Light, fire, navigation — the power-out kit
Headlamp per person. Lantern per common room. Two ways to start a fire. A paper map of your area. Don't rely on a single phone for any of these.
Shop: Fire Starting & Navigation
4. First aid + medication buffer
A real first-aid kit (not a 50-piece bandage box), plus a 7-day buffer of any prescription you take. The medication buffer is the single highest-leverage thing most households are missing.
Shop: First Aid & Medical
5. Shelter and warmth — when staying put isn't an option
Mylar emergency blankets, a compact tarp, and one good fixed-blade knife. These three items cover the gap between "we're sheltering at home" and "we're moving on foot."
Shop: Emergency Shelter & Warmth · Multi-Tools & Knives
The carry layer: bug-out bag
Once your home baseline is set, a small pre-packed bag per person lets you grab and go. Keep it under 20 lbs and revisit it twice a year.
Shop: Bug Out Bags & Packs
The 72-hour checklist
- 3 gallons of water per person + a filter
- 3 days of freeze-dried meals + ready-to-eat backups
- Headlamp + lantern + 2 fire-starting methods + paper map
- First-aid kit + 7-day medication buffer
- Mylar blankets + compact tarp + fixed-blade knife
- Pre-packed bag (under 20 lbs) per person
That's the baseline. Once it's in place, you can stop worrying about the headlines and start sleeping easier.