
Lets face it, we are absolutely dependent on electricity. Everything we do in one way or another was created because of electricity. As preppers we are concerned about many different disasters, and the possibility of being without power goes along with many of them.
It doesn’t need to be an EMP strike or a terrorist attack that takes the grid down, we could lose power at any time because of weather or natural disasters. If you are like me when the power goes out everything you are doing stops. If you are lucky, it happens during the day and everything goes silent. If it happens at night that’s a whole different ball game.
Along with having food and water, having a lights out kit and alternative energy options are at the top of the list for preppers. Not only will the lights be out, but your ability to cook, stay warm (or cool) or use the bathroom can and will all be affected.
Every year in the fall I do a detailed inventory of my prepping supplies, check expiration’s and make sure everything is in working order. So, I figured while I had my lights out kit and supplies out I would do a video and article about what supplies you might want to have to prepare for a power outage.
The Lights Out Kit
I call this my lights out kit, but it’s really more of a place that I put the supplies I don’t want touched, and I don’t want anyone to dig through on a daily basis.
What it’s Not…
It’s not everything you have or need. There are probably a lot of supplies that you have that won’t fit in a plastic tote, and there are a lot of supplies that are scattered around the house that you use regularly. We have items like candles, lighters, flashlights and solar chargers that we use regularly that don’t go in this kit.
It’s not for fuel or lamp oils. You don’t want to store kerosene or lamp oil in the same container with your other supplies, and if you store it in the garage you need to make sure everything in it can handle the extreme temperature changes…more on this later.
What it is…
It’s for stuff that you don’t want touched. The kids are notorious for taking batteries or mixing up dead batteries with new batteries, so I like to have a stash set up that I know for a fact that I have the supplies that I think I have.
It’s for stuff you won’t use regularly. Like the saying goes, 1 is none, and 2 is 1. I have supplies around the house that I hope will be there when we need them, and I have supplies stored in my lights out kit that I know will be there when I need them.
It’s an easy go to for family. I like having this kit setup because the last thing I want to do is be running around the house trying to find batteries and flashlights, and if I am gone I know that the family can just go grab the lights out kit and have everything they need.
You can download the worksheets I used in the video here.
Light Out Kit Supply Ideas
- Flashlights
- Batteries
- Candles
- Solar USB Chargers
- Lanterns
- Head Lamps
- Crank Radio (from CampingSurvival.com)
- Games & Playing Cards
- Lighters
- Matches
- Battery Tester
(A must have!)
- Glow Sticks
- Power Inverter
- Extension Cords
And anything else you can think of that will fit.
Emergency Power Kit Maintenance & Precautions
Rotate and check supplies yearly. Twice a year is even better, but at the very least you should check and rotate your preparedness supplies once a year. I check my supplies periodically throughout the year, but once a year right before winter hits I bite the bullet and do a complete inventory on all my supplies.
Some supplies can’t handle extreme temperatures. If you store this (or any supplies) in the garage or shed you need to make sure items like batteries and food are not stored in them. Contrary to the belief that batteries can be stored in a freezer, batteries need to be stored at a temperature between 60 and 85 degrees to get maximum shelf life.
Do not store liquids or fuels in the kit. If you have oil lamps or supplies that use other fuels you don’t want to store them with your other supplies. Water bottles are another no no, the water will expand when it freezes, cracking the container and leaving a big mess when the temperatures warm up.
Store clothes or blankets just for packing purposes. You are not going to have room to store all your extra blankets and cloths in this lights out kit, but why not use some for packing material. Packing paper might be a good idea (fire starting material) but cloths, gloves and blankets give you a little extra packing protection.
Keep in mind, this doesn’t need to be packed like you are shipping it, but the less room for your supplies to move around, the less chance for damaged supplies.
Other Important Power Outage Supplies
- Power Inverter for car (Video Below)
- Generator
- Solar Generator (Here is Mine)
- Fuel Storage – Gas, Propane, Coleman fuel etc.
- Books and Games
- Stored Water: 1 Gallon Per Day, Per Person Minimum.
- Stored Food: 2 Weeks Minimum.
Sanitation
- Spare 5 gallon bucket
- 5 Gallon Bucket Toilet Lid
- Trash Bags – Small for Toilet/Large for Trash
- Cat Litter and Blue Gel Port-a-Potty Chemicals
- Hand Sanitizer
- Nitrile Gloves
- Solar Shower
Cooking Food
- Dutch Oven
- Coleman Propane Stove
- BBQ Grill
- All American Sun Oven
- Camp Stoves
Keeping Warm or Cool
- Low Energy Fan for Moving Hot or Cold Air.
- Extra Clothing (Old Clothes)
- Old Blankets
- Old Shoes, Gloves, Hats etc. Stored Away Instead of Thrown Away.
- Winterize Your Home (Read More Here)
Too Much is Never Enough
This seems like a lot of supplies right? Well, if you need to go an extended period of time without power your lights out kit is going to seem like it’s not enough.
That being said, if you only have a fraction of these supplies you will be more prepared to handle a power outage than most of the people in the USA. At the very least, you won’t need to go to the store and fight the masses for the last set of AA batteries.
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