Light
- A flashlight or headlamp for every person, kept by the bed.
- LED lanterns to light a whole room.
- Batteries in the sizes your gear uses. Rechargeables plus a solar or USB charger are a great long-term setup.
- Glow sticks are safe, cheap night lights for kids.
Staying informed
- A hand-crank or battery NOAA weather radio gets alerts when cell service is down.
- Sign up for your local county or city emergency alerts.
- Write key phone numbers on paper.
Keeping phones charged
- Keep power banks charged and top them up monthly.
- Turn on low power mode and lower screen brightness.
- Your car can charge phones. Run it outdoors only, never in a garage, even with the door open.
Generators and power stations
Battery power stations run lights, fans, phones and small medical devices with no fumes and can be used indoors.
If someone in your home uses power-dependent medical equipment, tell your power company and plan a backup now.
Light & power gear
Midland ER310 emergency radio
NOAA weather alerts with crank, solar and battery power, plus a flashlight.
My pick: Midland ER310
Rechargeable headlamp
Hands-free light for cooking, caring for kids and getting around.
My pick: Black Diamond Storm 500-R Rechargeable Headlamp
LED camping lantern
Lights a whole room much more safely than candles.
My pick: Coleman 4D Battery-Powered LED Camping Lantern, 700 Lumens
Anker power bank
Keeps phones charged through a multi-day outage.
My pick: Anker 325 PowerCore 20K
Portable power station
Runs lights, fans, phones and small medical devices with no fumes.
My pick: Jackery Explorer 300 Portable Power Station
Rechargeable AA and AAA batteries
Pair with a solar or USB charger so you never run out.
My pick: Panasonic eneloop AA + AAA, 8 each
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