Lets face it, we are completely dependent on electricity. Everything we do in one way or another was created because of electricity. As preppers we are concerned regarding many alternative disasters, and the possibility of being without power goes along with several of them.
It doesn’t need to be an EMP strike or a terrorist attack that takes the grid down, we may lose power at any time as a result of weather or natural disasters. If you’re like me when the facility goes out everything you’re doing stops. If you’re lucky, it happens during the day and everything goes silent. If it happens at night that’s a whole completely different ball game.
Along with having food and water, having a lights out kit and alternative energy choices are at the top of the list for preppers. Not only will the lights be out, but your ability to cook, stay heat or cool or use the toilet can and will all be affected.
Every year within the fall I do a detailed inventory of my prepping provides, check expiration’s and ensure everything is in working order. So, I figured while I had my lights out kit and provides out.
The Lights Out Kit
I call this my lights out kit, however it’s really more of a place that I put the supplies I don’t need touched, and I don’t want anyone to dig through on a day to day.
It’s not everything you’ve got or need. There are most likely lots of provides that you have that won’t fit in a plastic tote, and there are plenty of provides that are scattered around the house that you use frequently. 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 wish to make sure everything in it can handle the intense temperature changes more on this later.
It’s for stuff that you don’t want touched. The children 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 believe I have.
It’s for stuff you won’t use frequently. Like the saying goes, 1 is none, and 2 is 1. I have provides 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 want them.
It’s a simple go to for family. I like having this kit setup as a result of the last thing I want to do is be running around the house attempting to find batteries and flashlights, and if I’m gone I know that the family can just go grab the lights out kit and have everything they need.
Light Out Kit Supply
- Flashlights
- Batteries
- Candles
- Solar USB Chargers
- Lanterns
- Head Lamps
- Crank Radio
- Games & Playing Cards
- Lighters
- Matches
- Battery Tester
- Glow Sticks
- Power Inverter
- Extension Cords
Emergency Power Kit Maintenance & Precautions
Rotate and check provides yearly. Ttwice a year is even better, however at the very least you must check and rotate your preparedness provides once a year. I check my supplies periodically throughout the year, however once a year right before winter hits I bite the bullet and do a complete inventory on all my supplies.
Some provides can’t handle extreme temperatures. If you store this in the garage or shed you wish to make sure items like batteries and food aren’t stored in them. Contrary to the idea that batteries can be stored in a fridge, batteries need to be hold on at a temperature between sixty and eighty five 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 different provides. Water bottles are another no no, the water will expand when it freezes, cracking the container and leaving an enormous mess once the temperatures heat up.
Store clothes or blankets only for packing purposes. You’re not going to have room to store all your additional blankets and cloths in this lights out kit, however why not use some for packing. Packing paper can be a good plan, however 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 probability for damaged provides.
Important Power Outage Supplies
- Power Inverter for car
- Generator
- Solar Generator
- 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 or old clothes
- Old blankets
- Old shoes, gloves, hats etc. Stored Away Instead of Thrown Away.
- Winterize Your Home
This seems like plenty of supplies right? Well, if you need to go an extended period of time while not power your lights out kit is going to seem like it’s not enough.
