Recommended Gear

Here's the gear I'd actually put in my own house for a grid-down event, grouped the way I'd buy it, one layer at a time. Everything is chosen for real solar-storm and extended-outage scenarios. The links are affiliate links (see our Affiliate Disclosure) - same price to you, it just helps keep the site running.

BACKUP POWER

Portable power station (1,000-2,000Wh): the sweet spot for most households.
Matching solar panel: turns the battery from day one into indefinite. Don't skip this.
High-capacity power bank: cheap, pocketable, covers the first 24 hours.

WATER

Stackable water containers: one gallon per person per day, two weeks' worth.
Gravity water filter: make more from rain, a pool, or a creek.

FOOD & ESSENTIALS

Long-shelf-life emergency food.
Propane camp stove.
Fireproof document bag.
Solid first-aid kit with a 30-day medication buffer.

New to all this? Start with our Two-Week Prep Checklist on the blog - it walks through exactly what to buy, and in what order.

COMMUNICATIONS

Hand-crank NOAA weather radio: no batteries, no grid required.
GMRS radio pair: lets your household talk across town.

EMP & FARADAY PROTECTION

Faraday bag kit: nothing to build, nothing to get wrong. Store spare electronics only.