Power outages can be fairly scary, especially if you have been without power for a couple of days. Most people do not even know how much they are relying on electricity, and once the power goes down they will have no clue what to do, this is why it is a good idea to get a list of items with which you will be fully prepared for the power outage.
The power outage grocery list should include a lot of non-perishable foods like powder and dehydrated foods. In addition to this, it is a good idea to stockpile canned foods that have a long shelf life and get as much water as possible. If the power outage takes place during the winter then your number one priority will be to find an alternative way of heating your home, either with a wood stove or with a generator.
In case of a power outage, you will also probably lose access to running water as the water supply companies also use electricity to pump water. You might think that you can just go to the market and buy water, but during a power outage most shops will either be closed or the ones that are open are probably overrun by people. To avoid this situation you have to think of how you will purify your water, my recommendation is to get a water filtration system that comes with a 0.2 Micron filter Click here to check it out on Amazon.com
No matter what type of SHTF event occurs, from hurricanes, tornadoes, floods earthquakes, or other man-made or natural disasters there will be a high probability that the power grid will be down. There isn’t even a need for a major SHTF event to occur in order to lose power for several days as you have probably noticed. Preppers usually store food supplies that do not need any power as these are mostly nonperishables.
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The priority of the government and FEMA in any SHTF event is to search and rescue people, this can take several weeks. Only after the search and rescue have been concluded the rebuilding part will start and usually, it will take a long time till the authorities get the power grid back up. The main reason why it will take a long time to get power back is that when the rebuilding starts the first step is to remove all the rubble if several homes have deteriorated the higher demand for removing rubbles will be.
People who have been affected by hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and so on can confirm that getting a hold of a contractor to remove the rubble and actually start rebuilding the house is almost impossible due to high demand. Keep in mind that electrical companies can only rebuild the power grid infrastructure if it is safe for them to do so. In addition to this, you will need some food to eat when the power is out, so you better be prepared. If you are planning on getting a 3000 watt generator then check out my recent article to see what can it run 3000 watt generator what will it run ( Top 25 Items ).
Power Outage Grocery List
When preparing for a power outage, having a well-thought-out grocery list can ensure you have essential supplies to sustain yourself and your family. Start with non-perishable food items such as canned goods, dry pasta, rice, and beans that provide nourishment and have a long shelf life. Don’t forget to include snacks, granola bars, and dried fruits for quick energy boosts. Water should be a priority, so stock up on bottled water or consider having a water filtration system in place.
Other important items include flashlights, batteries, matches, and candles for lighting purposes. It’s also wise to have a manual can opener, a camping stove or portable grill, and fuel for cooking meals. Additionally, think about personal hygiene items like toilet paper, wet wipes, and hand sanitizer. Finally, have a first aid kit, prescription medications, and any necessary baby supplies if needed.
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1. Water
Without water, the average human can survive only for 3 days. You need to make sure to get as much water as possible as you can never know how long the power outage may last. In the case of a major power outage not only you will not be able to buy more water but the water supply will also stop working. Before making any calculations on how much water you should buy you have to consider that you will use water not only for drinking but for cooking, washing, flushing, and so on. If you are wondering if it is safe to drink expired bottled water you should check out my article How long can you store bottled water? ( In your Home, Garage or Car ).
2. Water Filter And Purification System
As the power goes does so is the water treatment facility which means no more water from your tap. At some point, you might be forced to look for additional sources of water, for this case you will need a good water purification system. There are a lot of ways how you can purify water from boiling it, filtering it, and using capsules to gravity-aided water purification systems. No matter which of them you choose, make sure you have a good setup to be able to purify your water. One of my favorite items for filtering water is the Lifestraw, recently I have written an article about Do Lifestraws work? ( Or do they? ) and to nobody else’s surprise, they actually work, they come in especially handy during an SHTF scenario.
3. First Aid Kit
This is a must-have, especially in a power outage situation, odds are if you do not have power for several days that the local hospital also doesn’t have power. Your hygiene will probably not be the best as without power there is no water and cleaning yourself will become much more difficult. In this case, cuts and bruises can get easily infected which you should avoid at all costs. One of the most important products for power outages will be the first aid kit.
4. Canned Foods
Canned foods are excellent as they do not need to be refrigerated, and are require no cooking in most cases. Just keep in mind to store them at a fairly constant temperature. Best to avoid canned foods that have some kind of sauce in them these tend to be acidic and they will spoil much faster than conventional canned foods. If you want to find out which canned foods have the longest shelf life check out my article Longest lasting canned foods ( Up to 30+ years ).
5. Cereal
You can eat this right out of the box or add milk or some powdered milk and water to it.
6. Energy Bars
These are usually packed with a lot of sugar and vitamins, although it is not recommended to eat them regularly you should still have at least some for the harder days.
7. Peanut Butter
This is excellent food, no special storing conditions needed, and have a high-calorie index.
8. Multivitamins
Do not underestimate the power of vitamins, most canned and dried foods lack certain vitamins and without them, your situation could go from bad to worse in a few days. In the case of a power outage, you will have difficulty procuring foods with a lot of vitamins such as vegetables.
9. Powder Foods
You can find almost any food in powder form, although these usually lack essential vitamins and will need some preparation to be able to be consumed, these are still a good way to store food that doesn’t need any power to remain “fresh”. These usually only need water and some cooking to be edible, but my recommendation is to combine them with dried foods as you do not want an “only liquid” diet as this will eventually lead up to diarrhea. Some say that powdered foods have an acquired taste, this is true but the taste you are feeling is not a good one.
10. Dehydrated Foods
While these are somewhat processed and dehydrated they still keep a portion of their vitamins. In addition to this, you could use them in combination with powdered foods to make a more nutritious meal.
11. Food For Pets
If you have pets do not forget to get food for them, while they can eat most of the foods humans can, it is preferred that they eat actual food that is made for them.
12. Spices
You might not think this is important, but have you ever eaten any food without any spices on it. If you are not used to eating foods that have no spice on them, not even salt or sugar you will find the taste of food to be so bland that Gordon Ramsey will start yelling at you.
13. Hygiene
Toilet paper, towels, toothpaste or powder, soap, and so on. Make sure you have enough for each family member and do keep in mind that everything related to hygiene also needs water.
14. Nuts
Aim to get some mixed nuts as these are high in fats and vitamins.
15. Preserved Meats
Preserved meats such as canned tuna, beef jerky, and spam have high contents of proteins and low amounts of fat. These have a fairly long shelf life although they are a very poor source of vitamins, in addition to this, preserved meats are high in salt which will make you thirsty a lot.
16. Medication
Every family has different needs in terms of medication, the young and the elderly are especially vulnerable if they have no access to their medication. Also, antibiotics are extremely important to fend off bacterial infections, usually, these antibiotics do need a prescription but there are other methods of stockpiling antibiotics. In my article How to get antibiotics for prepping? ( Top 18 Sources ) you will learn several ways of getting antibiotics without even needing any documents.
17. Fuel
While you will not get your fuel from your local grocery this is still an essential item, you can use it to power your generator and vehicle. Keep in mind that once the power goes out it will be very difficult if not impossible to buy fuel, just be careful how and where you store it and make sure it is in a well-ventilated room.
18. Heating
This will depend entirely on what climate you are located in, but if you live in a colder climate you will have a hard time heating your house without electricity. You might think that all you need is gas for your heater to work but most of these do need electricity to function. In addition to this, there is no guarantee that you will have any gas during the power outage as gas lines could also be affected by the lack of electricity.
19. Dry Ice
This is very circumstantial as not everybody will need it, people who tend to have a lot of stored food in freezers and for businesses like restaurants. You should research your local area for where you can get dried ice, usually, it is better to be prepared for a power outage so order some dry ice and store them in your freezer. One of the major benefits of using dry ice is that this doesn’t melt and it actually evaporates, which means no water which could contaminate your food.
20. Pasta, Rice, And Beans
These 3 food items are excellent in a power outage, all you need for them is some hot water and they also have a shelf life of years if stored correctly.
21. Plastic Cups
While cleaning cups can be made with a simple rinse, it is still a good idea to have some plastic cups.
22. Power Generator
Usually, power generators are fairly expensive but there are solar panels that are a lot cheaper. Your main goal should not be to power your entire house but just a few essential items like your phone, radio, and your indoor lights. Most of these generators will have no problem powering your fridge also, which is a big bonus in my opinion.
23. Styrofoam Plates
You will probably want to be able to use some dishes to eat, but as there is no electricity cleaning these dishes will be a difficult task. Also cleaning dishes requires a lot of water, but you will not have this problem with styrofoam plates, they don’t need to be styrofoam any plates which are made for single use are also good. In case you do not want to use single-use dishes you can get plates coated with ceramic or Teflon, which you can easily clean with only a tissue.
24. Batteries
Buy as many batteries and then some for your battery-powered devices.
25. Flashlight
My recommendation is to get either a solar-powered or a hand-cranked flashlight.
26. Solar Rechargers
There are several solar rechargers on the market currently, most of these are excellent for recharging your phone and other small devices.
27. Candles
Once the power goes out in the surrounding area you will be amazed how dark it actually becomes without the surrounding light pollution. Always have at least a couple of candles to ensure you have light during the night, and in case of desperation, you can also somewhat heat a small room with candles. Some people will also make a power outage bag, which is a good idea, but the problem with it is that it will not fit a lot of things, like candles for example. If you want to know how to heat a room with a candle then check out my recent article How to heat a room with a candle? ( In 3 Easy Steps ).
28. Petrol Lamp
These used to be fairly popular in the ’50s and ’60s, they give out a good amount of light and the wick will burn for months.
29. Baby Food
This only applies to people who have children, babies especially toddlers have a limited number of foods that they can eat. Although just a few decades ago there was no baby formula and feeding them was done by mothers chewing the food for them and giving it to the baby.
30. Can Opener
While some cans come with an inbuilt can opener there are still some that don’t, to avoid the hassle to open it with a knife just get a simple metal can opener.
31. Rain Gear
Drying off without electricity or central heating could become problematic especially in colder climates.
32. Camping Cookware
You will have to be able to still cook even if there is a power outage, in this case, you will probably cook using a small fire. While you can still use your household cooking utensils, camping cookware is specially designed for outdoor cooking.
33. Rope
You will never know when a rope could be useful until you need one.
34. Duct Tape
You will be amazed at how versatile and useful something as simple as duct tape can be.
35. Firestarters
Lighters, matches, or specially designed fire starting kits will also do.
36. Mosquito Repellent
This is especially important in the case of floods, as the mosquito population will explode after a flood. Not only do these carry a lot of diseases but they are also extremely annoying.
37. Tool Kit
If you live in a house you probably own at least a small tool kit, if not get one asap.
38. Powdered Juice
Almost everything in our foods and sodas is packed with sugar, once these are not available some people might get a sugar crash. In order to avoid this get some powdered juice mixes, this will be especially helpful if you have children as you can use these as a treat for them to behave well.
Key Takeaways
- Stock up on canned goods, dry goods, and other non-perishable food items that have a long shelf life. Examples include canned vegetables, fruits, soups, beans, pasta, rice, cereal, granola bars, and nuts.
- Ensure an ample supply of drinking water for each person, accounting for at least one gallon of water per day. Consider having bottled water or containers for storing water in case of water supply disruptions.
- Include essential items such as batteries, flashlights, candles, matches, a manual can opener, a first aid kit, necessary medications, personal hygiene items, diapers (if needed), and pet food (if applicable).