The first hour
- Check in with family and your out-of-area contact.
- At the airport: rebook through the app and call the airline while in line.
- In a hotel: know two ways out, and read the fire map on the door.
- On the road: get road conditions from your state's 511 service.
The first day
- Book a room early if you'll be stuck overnight.
- Ration phone battery. Use low power mode.
- Refill prescriptions at a nearby pharmacy if needed; many can transfer.
The first week and beyond
- If stuck long, connect with local shelters or the Red Cross.
- Traveling abroad: contact the nearest U.S. embassy, and enroll in the State Department's STEP program before you go.
Get ready now: checklist
Your checks save on this phone.
Common mistakes
- Packing medicines in checked bags.
- Letting your phone die.
- Driving into a storm to 'beat it.'
Keeping kids calm
- Pack a small kids' travel bag: snacks, headphones, a change of clothes, a comfort item.
- Teach kids your phone number and what to do if separated.
Gear that helps
- Travel power bank: my pick, Anker 325 PowerCore 20K
- Compact first aid kit: my pick, First Aid Only 298-piece kit
- Packable blanket
- Refillable water bottle
- Pill organizer
- Travel-size toiletries
- Collapsible bag
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Sources
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Prepper tricks for this
Power and Communication (7)
Charge phones from your car
Cost: About $10 for a charger.
Why it works: Your car's alternator is a generator you already own.
How to do it
- Get a car USB charger that plugs into the 12-volt socket (about $10).
- Start the car OUTSIDE (never in a garage, even with the door open). Make sure the tailpipe isn't blocked by snow.
- Charge phones and power banks while the engine runs, about 20-30 minutes at a time.
- Fill the power banks so you can charge phones inside later.
Safety: Charging with the engine off can drain the car battery. Don't idle for hours if fuel is scarce.
Make your phone battery last days
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Phones burn the most battery searching for a weak signal and lighting the screen. Texts also get through more often when networks are jammed.
How to do it
- Turn on Low Power Mode (iPhone) or Battery Saver (Android) in Settings.
- Turn the screen brightness all the way down.
- Turn off Wi-Fi and Bluetooth if you aren't using them.
- Switch to Airplane Mode when you don't need a signal, and turn it off a few times a day to check messages.
- Text instead of calling.
Safety: Keep your phone warm in cold weather; batteries drain fast when cold.
Keep power banks charged
Cost: About $15-30 each.
Why it works: Stored power is ready the moment the lights go out.
How to do it
- Buy one or two power banks (10,000 mAh charges most phones about twice).
- Charge them fully and set a reminder to top them off every 3 months.
- Keep the right cables with them.
Safety: Don't leave lithium power banks in a hot car in summer.
Source: Ready.gov: Power Outages
AA-to-D battery adapters
Cost: About $5-10 for a pack of adapters.
Why it works: You only have to stock one battery size.
How to do it
- Pick AA as your main battery size and stock those (rechargeable ones are great).
- Buy adapters that let an AA fit where a D battery goes.
- Use them in old flashlights, lanterns and radios that take Ds.
Safety: An AA holds only about 1/5 of the power of a D, so the device runs out much sooner. Carry extra AAs.
Source: Ready.gov: Build a Kit
Paper copies of everything important
Cost: A few cents for copies and a bag.
Why it works: Dead phones and down networks happen. Paper always works.
How to do it
- Write down key phone numbers: family, doctor, pharmacy, insurance, work, school, an out-of-town contact.
- Copy IDs, insurance cards, prescriptions and important papers.
- Put it all in a zip bag with a paper map of your area.
- Keep one copy at home and one in your go-bag or car.
Safety: Store copies of IDs securely; they're sensitive.
Source: Ready.gov: Make a Plan
Write your phone number on your kids
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Little kids often can't remember phone numbers when scared.
How to do it
- Write your cell number on your child's forearm in Sharpie.
- Brush a thin coat of liquid bandage or clear nail polish over it so it lasts.
- Or tuck a card with your info in their shoe or backpack.
- Teach them: 'If we get separated, show this to a police officer or a mom with kids.'
Safety: Don't write their name where strangers can read it; just your phone number.
Source: Ready.gov: Make a Plan
Pick an out-of-town contact
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Long-distance calls and texts often get through when local lines are jammed.
How to do it
- Choose a friend or relative who lives in another state.
- Everyone in the family checks in with that person after a disaster.
- Write their number on everyone's paper contact card.
Safety: Make sure the contact knows they're the contact.
Home Security (7)
Dowel or broom handle in the sliding door track
Cost: About $2-5.
Why it works: Even if the lock is forced, the door can't slide open.
How to do it
- Measure the bottom track of your sliding door when it's closed.
- Cut a wooden dowel or old broom handle to fit snugly in the track.
- Lay it in the track when the door is closed and locked.
- Add a few screws into the top track (or a pin lock) so the door can't be lifted out.
Safety: Make sure everyone knows how to remove it fast in a fire.
Source: Washington State University Alert: Extra security for sliding glass doors and ground-level windows
Longer screws in the door strike plate
Cost: About $5 for a box of screws.
Why it works: Most doors get kicked in because short screws only reach the thin door trim. Long screws anchor into the house frame.
How to do it
- Unscrew the short screws in the metal plate on the door frame where the lock goes in.
- Replace them with 3-inch wood screws so they reach the wall stud.
- Do the same for the door hinges.
Safety: Drive them in gently so you don't pull the door frame out of shape.
Gravel under windows
Cost: About $5 a bag or $30-50 for a yard of gravel.
Why it works: Crunchy gravel is noisy to walk on, which discourages sneaking up.
How to do it
- Spread 2-3 inches of pea gravel or crushed rock in beds under ground-floor windows.
Safety: It's a deterrent, not a lock. Pair it with good locks and lighting.
Source: Seattle Police Department: Home Security - Window Security
Solar motion lights
Cost: About $15-25 each.
Why it works: Sudden light startles intruders and helps you see. It keeps working in a power outage.
How to do it
- Mount solar motion-sensor lights over doors, the side yard and the driveway.
- Point the solar panel toward the sun.
Safety: Aim them so they don't shine into neighbors' windows.
Thorny plants under windows
Cost: About $10-30 per plant.
Why it works: It's hard and painful to stand in thorns to get through a window.
How to do it
- Plant thorny shrubs like roses or holly under ground-floor windows.
- Keep them trimmed below the windowsill (about 3 feet) so no one can hide behind them.
Safety: Check that the plant isn't invasive in your state (Japanese barberry, for example, is invasive in many areas). Overgrown shrubs give cover, so keep them trimmed.
Source: Seattle Police Department: Home Security - Window Security
Rubber door wedge for hotels and inside rooms
Cost: About $3-10.
Why it works: A wedge jams the door so it can't be pushed open.
How to do it
- Pack a rubber doorstop wedge when you travel.
- At night, push it firmly under the inside of the hotel room door.
- Door-stop alarm wedges (about $10) also sound a loud alarm if the door is pushed.
Safety: Remember to kick it out first if you need to leave fast in a fire.
Don't advertise your supplies
Cost: Free.
Why it works: In a long emergency, people remember who had a generator running.
How to do it
- Break down boxes from generators, freeze-dried food and electronics, and put them in the recycling inside out.
- Don't post your home address or what's in your pantry online.
- Be generous with neighbors, quietly.
Safety: Knowing your neighbors is the best security of all.
Source: Ready.gov: Make a Plan
Car and Travel (6)
Keep a get-home bag in the car
Cost: About $30-60 if you use things you already own.
Why it works: Most people are away from home when disaster strikes. This bag gets you home on foot if you have to.
How to do it
- Use an old backpack.
- Pack: 1-2 liters of water and a small water filter, snacks, comfy walking shoes and wool socks, a rain poncho, a warm layer with hat and gloves, a headlamp, a small first aid kit, a 7-day supply of meds, small bills, a paper map, a phone cable and power bank, and a whistle.
- Check it every spring and fall: swap clothes for the season, replace snacks and water.
Safety: Heat ruins food, water and batteries in summer cars; rotate often.
Source: Ready.gov: Build a Kit
Kitty litter or sand for traction (and weight)
Cost: About $5 a bag.
Why it works: Grit gives tires something to bite into on ice.
How to do it
- Keep a bag of sand, traction grit, or non-clumping clay kitty litter in the trunk.
- If you're stuck on ice, pour it in front of and behind the drive wheels.
- In a rear-wheel-drive truck, a couple of bags over the back axle adds grip.
Safety: Clay litter can turn mushy and slick once wet, so sand or traction grit is better. Strap bags down so they don't fly forward in a crash.
Source: Ready.gov: Winter Weather
Candle in a coffee can for a stranded car
Cost: About $10-15 to build.
Why it works: The candle melts snow for drinking water and warm drinks, and adds a little warmth and a lot of comfort in a small space like a car. It won't heat the car the way an engine does.
How to do it
- Build the kit in a 2-3 pound coffee can: a 2-inch candle, matches, a pocket knife, bright cloth strips, a space blanket, socks and glove liners, snacks, and bouillon or hot cocoa packets.
- If stranded, set the lit candle on the can lid on a stable spot, and hang the can over it to melt snow for warm drinks.
- Crack a window slightly (downwind) while it burns.
- Tie a bright cloth strip to your antenna so rescuers can find you.
Safety: Open flame in a car: keep it away from fabric and never sleep with it lit. Crack a window for fresh air.
If you're stuck: run the engine 10 minutes an hour
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Short runs keep you warm while saving gas and lowering carbon monoxide risk.
How to do it
- Stay with your car unless help is very close and visible.
- Run the engine and heater about 10 minutes each hour.
- Before each time, clear snow from around the tailpipe.
- Crack a downwind window a little while it runs.
- Turn on the dome light at night so you can be seen.
Safety: A snow-blocked tailpipe can fill the car with carbon monoxide in minutes.
Source: Ready.gov: Winter Weather
Keep your tank at least half full in winter
Cost: Free (you buy the gas anyway).
Why it works: Gas stations may lose power, and you'll need fuel to stay warm if stranded.
How to do it
- Fill up when you reach half a tank, especially before storms.
Safety: Never store spare gas cans inside the car.
Source: Ready.gov: Winter Weather
Thrift-store wool blanket and boots in the trunk
Cost: About $10-20 total at thrift stores.
Why it works: Wool stays warm even when damp. Many people get stranded in office shoes and a light jacket.
How to do it
- Pick up a wool blanket and an old pair of winter boots at a thrift store.
- Keep them in the trunk from fall to spring with a hat, gloves and hand warmers.
- If you're stranded, put on the boots and wrap up before you get cold, not after.
Safety: Don't let the blanket cover the dashboard vents or tailpipe area if the engine is running.
Source: Ready.gov: Winter Weather
Bug-Out and Getting Home (7)
Mark 3 routes on a paper map
Cost: Free.
Why it works: GPS can fail, and main roads jam. A plan you've practiced feels calm, not scary.
How to do it
- Get a free state highway map or print a local map.
- Highlight your main route home from work and school, plus two backups that avoid bridges, rivers and big highways.
- Mark spots along the way: friends' homes, water sources, hospitals and places to rest.
- Drive or walk part of each route once so it feels familiar.
Safety: Keep the map in a zip bag with your get-home bag.
Source: Ready.gov: Evacuation
Know your real walking pace
Cost: Free.
Why it works: Knowing it's a 2-day walk, not a 6-hour walk, changes what you pack.
How to do it
- Most people walk about 2-3 miles per hour on pavement, slower with a pack, kids or bad weather.
- Take a practice walk with your bag on a nice day to learn your pace.
- Plan for 15-20 miles as a full, hard day for most adults.
Safety: Practice in good shoes and break them in first.
Source: Ready.gov: Evacuation
Cache water along your route (with care)
Cost: A few dollars per cache; a small squeeze-style water filter is about $25-40.
Why it works: Water is the heaviest thing to carry. Having it waiting saves your back.
How to do it
- Only on land you own or have permission to use, such as a friend's house or your workplace.
- Use sturdy sealed bottles, not thin gallon jugs (they split, especially in sun or freezing).
- Write the date on them and replace them once a year.
- Better: carry a small water filter and know where water is along your route.
Safety: Caches go missing or get damaged. Never count on one alone.
Source: Ready.gov: Water
Moleskin and broken-in shoes
Cost: About $5-8 for moleskin.
Why it works: Blisters are the number-one thing that stops people walking long distances.
How to do it
- Keep worn-in walking shoes or boots in your car, not new ones.
- Pack moleskin, tape and spare wool socks.
- Stop and tape any hot spot right away.
Safety: Change into dry socks when your feet get wet.
Source: Mayo Clinic: Blisters first aid
Duct tape wrapped on your water bottle
Cost: Pennies.
Why it works: You get a whole roll's usefulness without carrying the roll.
How to do it
- Wrap 3-5 feet of duct tape around your water bottle, flashlight or a pencil.
- Use it for blisters, gear repairs, sealing a torn jacket, or making a sling.
Safety: Don't use duct tape directly on wounds.
Source: Mayo Clinic: Blisters first aid
Carry small bills
Cost: Whatever you set aside; it's still your money.
Why it works: Card readers and ATMs don't work without power or internet. Stores may not have change.
How to do it
- Keep about $50-100 in small bills ($1s, $5s and $10s) in your go-bag.
- Add a few quarters.
Safety: Keep it hidden in the bag, not all in one pocket.
Source: Ready.gov: Build a Kit
MYTH: Heading into the woods is the best bug-out plan
Cost: Free.
The truth: Emergency officials tell you which areas to leave and where help is. A roof, water and other people are what keep families safe.
What to do instead
- The truth: for most emergencies, you either stay home or evacuate to friends, family, a hotel or a shelter.
- Living off the land is very hard, even for experienced hunters and campers.
- Plan where you'd go first: a friend or relative's home 50+ miles away, then a hotel or shelter.
Safety: Leave early when told to evacuate. Waiting means more traffic and more danger.
Source: Ready.gov: Evacuation