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An emergency can change your plans in a matter of hours. A storm can knock out electricity, a major weather event can make roads difficult to travel, or a temporary shortage can make an ordinary trip to the store impossible.
Having some basic supplies at home gives you options when those situations happen. Food and water are a good starting point, but they aren’t the only things worth keeping around. Lighting, sanitation supplies, first aid items, tools, fuel, and ways to stay informed can all make a difficult situation easier to manage.
You don’t have to buy everything at once. Build your supply closet over time and focus on the things your household is most likely to need.
Here are 21 emergency supplies worth keeping at home.
Non-Perishable Food
A supply of shelf-stable food can keep meals on the table if you can’t get to the grocery store. Canned vegetables, canned meat, rice, pasta, beans, oats, peanut butter, and other foods with long storage lives are good choices.
It’s also useful to keep a few foods that require little or no cooking. Energy bars, crackers, canned meals, and dehydrated foods can come in handy during a power outage or another situation where cooking isn’t practical.
Check expiration dates from time to time and use older items before replacing them. These shelf-stable foods can give you a good starting point for building a long-lasting pantry.
Water
Water should be near the top of any emergency supply list. A common guideline is to store at least one gallon per person per day for drinking and basic sanitation, with more needed for cooking, pets, hot weather, or other household needs.
Store some water in clean, food-safe containers and keep it somewhere cool and away from direct sunlight. Water filters, purification tablets, and other treatment methods can also be useful if your stored supply runs low.
Personal Hygiene Products
Personal hygiene can become harder during a prolonged outage or disaster, especially if running water is limited.
Keep extra soap, shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toilet paper, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, and other personal care items your household uses regularly.
These are easy to overlook because they’re ordinary household purchases. Having extras stored away can save you from trying to find them during a shortage.
Personal Sanitation Supplies
Waste and sanitation become bigger concerns when regular household services aren’t available. Wet wipes, hand sanitizer, disinfectant, disposable gloves, paper towels, and heavy-duty bags can all be useful.
If your water or plumbing service is interrupted, having a plan for handling household waste becomes especially important. Keep sanitation supplies together so they’re easy to find when needed.
Fire Extinguishers
A fire extinguisher can help you deal with a small fire before it spreads. Keep the appropriate type in places where fires are more likely to start, such as the kitchen, garage, or workshop.
Check the pressure gauge and condition of each extinguisher regularly. Everyone old enough to use one should also know where they are kept and how they work.
First Aid Supplies and Medications
A first aid kit is one of those things you hope you won’t need but will be glad to have if an accident happens.
Stock bandages, gauze, medical tape, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, scissors, tweezers, burn treatment supplies, pain relievers, and other basic items your household uses.
Keep a reasonable supply of prescription medications if your doctor or pharmacist allows it, and check expiration dates on medications regularly. If anyone in the household has specific medical needs, those supplies should be part of the emergency plan.
Garbage Bags
Garbage bags have plenty of uses during an emergency. They can hold household waste, dirty clothing, wet items, or debris during cleanup.
Heavy-duty contractor bags are useful for larger jobs, while standard kitchen bags work well for everyday waste. Keep several sizes on hand instead of relying on a single box.
PPE and Protective Gear
Gloves, masks, eye protection, and other protective equipment can come in handy during cleanup, illness, or work involving dust and debris.
A sturdy pair of work gloves is useful for clearing fallen branches or damaged materials after a storm. Disposable gloves and masks can be helpful for cleaning contaminated areas or dealing with household waste.
Emergency Radio and Entertainment
An emergency radio gives you a way to receive weather alerts and other updates if your phone service or internet connection isn’t available. A hand-crank or solar-powered model can be useful during a long power outage.
Hand-crank emergency radios can also provide a backup source of light or phone charging, depending on the model.
Don’t forget about entertainment, either. A deck of cards, board game, puzzle book, or a few books can help pass the time during a long outage, especially for children.
Cleaning Supplies
Cleaning supplies become even more useful after a storm, flood, or other disruption. Keep disinfectant, dish soap, laundry detergent, sponges, paper towels, and other household cleaners in your emergency storage.
If you store bleach, keep it in its original container and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Never mix bleach with other cleaning products, since some combinations can create dangerous fumes.
Bleach also loses strength over time, so check the date and replace older supplies when needed.
Fire-Starting Supplies
If you rely on a fireplace, wood stove, outdoor cooking setup, or another fire-based heat source, keep several ways to start a fire.
Waterproof matches, disposable lighters, fire starters, and magnesium starters can all be useful. Store them somewhere dry and keep backup options in a separate location.
For anyone who uses fire for cooking or heating, make sure the equipment is safe and properly ventilated before an emergency occurs.
Lighting
A home can become surprisingly difficult to move around in after dark when the electricity goes out. Keep flashlights, headlamps, battery-powered lanterns, and spare batteries in several easy-to-find locations.
Solar-powered lights can provide another backup. If you keep candles or oil lamps, store them safely and never leave an open flame unattended.
You can also keep a flashlight beside each person’s bed so nobody has to search through a dark house during an outage.
Sewing Kit and Fabric
A basic sewing kit takes up very little room but can be useful during a long disruption. Needles, thread, buttons, safety pins, scissors, and fabric patches can help repair clothing, bags, blankets, and other household items.
If you already sew, keep some extra fabric and commonly used thread colors with your supplies.
Yarn and Knitting or Crochet Tools
For people who already knit or crochet, keeping extra yarn and supplies can be useful during extended periods at home. Needles and hooks take up little storage space, and yarn can be used for blankets, hats, scarves, socks, and other items.
These supplies can also provide something productive to do during a lengthy power outage when there isn’t much else to keep you occupied.
Canning and Fermenting Supplies
If you grow your own food, preservation supplies can help you make better use of a large harvest. Canning jars, lids, fermentation weights, salt, and other preservation equipment can be stored ahead of time.
Dehydrating equipment can also help preserve fruits, vegetables, herbs, and other foods.
Food preservation requires safe methods and proper recipes. Follow tested instructions for canning and fermentation rather than guessing at ingredient amounts or processing times.
Manual Can Opener
A manual can opener is easy to overlook until you have a pantry full of canned food and no electricity.
Keep at least one good-quality manual opener with your emergency supplies. Having a spare is even better since they are inexpensive and take up almost no room.
Tools and Rope
A basic collection of hand tools can help with all kinds of repairs. Keep a hammer, screwdrivers, pliers, adjustable wrenches, nails, screws, utility knives, and duct tape where they’re easy to reach.
Hammers, duct tape, rope, and paracord can handle many temporary fixes, from securing loose materials to tying down tarps.
Water Purification and Storage
Stored water gives you a short-term supply, but having ways to treat additional water can be useful during a longer disruption.
Water filters, purification tablets, and suitable storage containers are worth keeping in your emergency supplies. If you collect rainwater, have a safe storage and treatment plan in place rather than assuming collected water is automatically safe to drink.
Aluminum Foil
A roll of aluminum foil can do far more than cover leftovers. It can help protect food, line certain cooking surfaces, cover items during storage, and serve as a temporary material for various household tasks.
It takes up very little room and costs relatively little, making it an easy item to add to an emergency supply cabinet.
Seeds
If you have a garden, a supply of seeds can help you keep growing food after your stored supplies run down.
Choose vegetables, herbs, and other crops that grow well in your climate. Open-pollinated or heirloom varieties can be useful for gardeners who want to save seeds from one season for the next.
Keep seeds somewhere cool, dry, and protected from moisture. Label each packet with the plant variety and storage date so you know what you have.
Fuel
Fuel can become difficult to find after a major storm or extended outage, especially if roads are blocked or local supplies are limited.
Depending on your equipment and local regulations, fuel sources may include firewood, propane, kerosene, or charcoal. A generator may also require gasoline or another approved fuel.
Store fuel only in containers and locations approved for that fuel type. Keep it away from heat, flames, and living areas, and follow local storage rules.
Preparing for emergencies doesn’t mean filling your home with supplies you will never use. Start with the situations most likely to affect your household and build from there.
A few cases of food, extra water, basic medical supplies, flashlights, sanitation products, and useful tools can give you a much better starting point. Over time, you can add items for cooking, food preservation, gardening, repairs, and other needs that fit your household and lifestyle.
The goal is to have enough on hand to handle a disruption without having to rush out for supplies at the worst possible time.
