The 2021 Texas freeze killed roughly 250 people during a 4 day power outage. The 2020 California wildfire-related Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) cut power to 2 million people for up to 5 days. Florida hurricanes routinely create week-long outages. The probability of any given US household experiencing a 24+ hour power outage in a 5 year period exceeds 50 percent. Despite this, most homes have nothing more than a few candles and a drawer flashlight with dead batteries. This guide covers the household blackout kit that turns a multi-day outage from a crisis into an inconvenience.
Why a blackout kit is different from a bug out bag
The blackout kit assumes you stay home. This makes the kit easier and cheaper because:
- Weight does not matter
- Volume can be larger
- Cooking facilities can use the home stove (with grid down, this means camp stove or grill)
- Water can come from larger stored containers
- Food can include refrigerator and freezer contents for the first 1 to 2 days
The blackout kit lives in the garage, pantry, or a labeled closet. It does not need to be packed in a bag.
Lighting (highest priority)
Lighting is the difference between a manageable outage and a miserable one. Three layers:
Lantern layer: One or two battery LED lanterns for primary room lighting.
Recommended models:
- Black Diamond Apollo ($35): 250 lumens, dimmable, hanging hook. Runs 40 hours on alkaline at low.
- Goal Zero Lighthouse 600 ($70): 600 lumens, hand-crank backup, USB out for phone charging.
- Coleman QuickPack LED Lantern ($25): Budget option, 800 lumens at high.
- Streamlight Siege ($60): 540 lumens, runs on D batteries (good for long shelf life).
Headlamp layer: One headlamp per household member. Hands-free, focused beam.
Recommended:
- Black Diamond Spot 400 ($45)
- BioLite HeadLamp 425 ($60, USB rechargeable)
- Petzl Tikka ($30)
- Energizer Vision HD Headlamp ($20, budget option)
Flashlight layer: One handheld flashlight per regularly-used room.
Recommended:
- Streamlight ProTac 2L ($60)
- Fenix PD36R ($110)
- Olight S2R Baton ($100)
- Anker Bolder LC90 ($35, budget USB rechargeable)
Total lighting kit: $200 to $300 for a household of 4.
Communication
When grid power fails, internet and cell can fail too. A battery powered radio is non-optional.
Weather radio:
- Midland WR120 ($30): NOAA weather alerts, AM/FM, battery and AC.
- Eton FRX5BT ($80): Hand crank, solar, USB charging, weather radio, Bluetooth speaker.
- Sangean MMR-88 ($55): All band, solar, hand crank, USB charging.
Power bank for phones and small electronics:
- Anker PowerCore 10000 ($30): 10,000 mAh, 2 to 3 phone charges.
- Anker 737 Power Bank ($150): 25,600 mAh with 140 W USB-C output, useful for laptops.
- BioLite Charge 80 PD ($100): 20,000 mAh with USB-C PD.
Walkie talkies (optional but useful for property or family communication):
- Motorola T800 ($85 pair)
- Midland GXT1000VP4 ($120 pair)
- Baofeng UV-5R ($25, ham radio, license required for transmit)
Total communications kit: $130 to $300.
Cooking and water
Camp stove options:
- Single burner butane stove (Iwatani ZA-3HP): $50, fuel canisters $4 each, clean burning indoors with ventilation.
- Coleman 2 burner propane: $80, fuel canisters $4 each.
- Jetboil Zip or Flash: $80 to $110, very efficient for boiling water only.
- Kelly Kettle or wood-burning stove: Last resort if fuel runs out, requires outdoor use.
Fuel: Store at least 4 to 6 propane or butane canisters. Each canister boils roughly 20 to 30 cups of water.
Water:
- 14 day stored water (see emergency water storage article)
- Filter for backup (Sawyer Mini, LifeStraw, or Berkey)
- Aquatabs for chemical purification
Refrigerator and freezer management:
- 2 to 3 large coolers in the garage
- 4 to 6 reusable freeze packs (Yeti Ice, Igloo MaxCold)
- Block ice for purchase at the first sign of approaching weather
- Thermometer in each cooler to monitor temperatures (food safe under 40 F)
Heating and cooling
Heating (winter outages):
- Indoor-rated propane heater (Mr. Heater Buddy or Big Buddy): $80 to $180
- Propane canisters or 20 lb tank with adapter hose
- Heavy sleeping bags or comforters
- Wool or fleece base layers and hats
- Hot water bottles
Never use outdoor propane heaters indoors, never run a generator indoors or in a garage with the door closed, never use a gas oven for heating. CO kills hundreds during winter outages.
Cooling (summer outages):
- Battery operated fans (Ryobi 18V, Milwaukee M18, or branded outage fans): $40 to $100
- Hand fans, neck cooling towels
- Ice (production stops when grid goes down, so stockpile early)
- Cool basement or interior bathroom as refuge
Power generation
Tier 1 (cheap): Power bank covered above, hand-crank radio, small solar panel for slow recharge.
Tier 2 (mid): Portable power station 200 to 500 Wh.
- EcoFlow River 2 ($300, 256 Wh): Runs CPAP, lighting, phone charging for a night.
- Jackery Explorer 300 ($300, 293 Wh): Similar.
- Bluetti EB55 ($500, 537 Wh): Slightly larger, longer runtime.
Solar panel for recharge:
- BougeRV 100 W panel ($120) or Renogy 100 W ($110)
- Allows multi-day operation off-grid when paired with a power station.
Tier 3 (large): Whole-house battery (Tesla Powerwall, Enphase) or portable generator (covered in the generator article). Costs $5,000 to $20,000 installed.
First aid
- Comprehensive household first aid kit ($60 to $150)
- 30 day supply of prescription medications
- Pain relief: ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin
- Allergy medication
- Anti-diarrheal
- Personal hygiene supplies
- Hand sanitizer
- Wet wipes (substitute when water is restricted)
Documents and cash
- Cash in small bills ($200 to $500): ATMs do not work in outages, card readers often offline
- Photocopy of insurance, ID, prescriptions
- Phone numbers on paper (not just in your phone)
Comfort items often forgotten
- Books, board games, cards (entertainment without screens)
- Battery powered alarm clock
- Wind-up watch
- Notebook and pencils
- Pet food and supplies (14 day minimum)
- Diapers, formula if applicable
- Feminine hygiene supplies
Costs by tier
Basic 3 day kit: $200 to $400 covers a household of 4 with lighting, radio, power bank, basic food and water, first aid, and stove.
Intermediate 7 day kit: $500 to $900 adds a 300 Wh power station, more food storage, more water storage, and 2 additional days of fuel.
Advanced 14 day kit: $1500 to $3000 adds a portable generator or solar charging system, extensive food storage, dual-fuel capacity, and CO monitoring.
Most households are best served by an intermediate kit. The advanced tier has rapidly diminishing returns unless your area sees frequent 7+ day outages.
See the methodology page for our preparedness evaluation framework. The generator portable vs standby and emergency water storage articles cover specific equipment in detail.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a blackout kit and a bug out bag?+
A blackout kit is for sheltering in place during a power outage. A bug out bag is for evacuating from home. Blackout kits can include heavy items like camping stoves and 5 gallon water containers since they stay at home. Bug out bags must be portable on foot. Most households need both: a blackout kit in the garage or pantry for shelter-in-place scenarios, and a bug out bag for evacuation scenarios. Build the blackout kit first since it covers the more common outage scenario.
How long can a refrigerator keep food safe without power?+
A closed refrigerator keeps food safe for 4 hours. A closed full freezer keeps food safe for 48 hours; a half-full freezer for 24 hours. Opening the door cuts these times significantly. For outages over 4 hours, move refrigerator items to coolers with ice or freeze packs. For outages over 24 hours, dispose of any meat, dairy, eggs, leftovers, or cooked food that has been at refrigerator temperature. The 4 hour rule is the FDA standard and ignoring it causes food poisoning.
Should I use candles during a blackout?+
Avoid candles as primary lighting. Candle fires during outages cause 30 to 50 deaths per year in the US. Battery powered LED lanterns produce more useful light, run 8 to 40 hours per charge, and pose no fire risk. Use battery LED for primary light. Reserve candles for ambient mood and as a backup-to-backup option. If using candles, use enclosed lanterns with stable bases, never tea lights or open flames on furniture.
Will my cell phone work during a blackout?+
Cell phone towers have 4 to 8 hour battery backup. Most stay up for the first 4 hours of a regional outage. After 6 to 8 hours, towers without generator backup drop offline. Major carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile) have generators at most macro towers in the US, but coverage degrades during extended outages as fuel runs out. Plan to lose cell service after 8 to 12 hours and have a battery powered radio for news.
How much should a basic blackout kit cost?+
Basic kit (3 day): $150 to $250. Includes a quality LED lantern (Black Diamond Apollo, Goal Zero Lighthouse), two headlamps, a battery weather radio, a 10,000 mAh power bank, 3 days food and water, and basic first aid. Intermediate kit (7 day, includes a small power station): $400 to $700. Advanced kit (14 day with portable generator or solar): $1500 to $3000. The 80/20 spend is the basic kit; diminishing returns kick in beyond the intermediate level.
