Ordinary Readiness

There are a number of different options for storing water. Here are a few storage containers we have used. Ideally dump and replace stored water annually.

In addition to some potable water supplies, have one or two ways of purifying water (e.g., rainwater, tap water under 'boil water' notices). Purifiers store for years unused. Once one has been used, follow the storage instructions and never let it freeze.

Canned goods work too if you rotate them every year. I've opted for freeze-dried foods because I don't want the hassle of needing to remember to rotate canned goods out every 6-12 months. With freeze-dried foods you can buy it, store it somewhere under 75°F, and forget about it for two decades. Every pick below lists its calorie total. Four people for two weeks is about 112,000 calories: three Augason Farms kits, or four or five ReadyWise buckets.

These are the items that have to be rotated, because they spoil or get outgrown. Easiest thing is just to over-order from Costco, Chewy, or wherever you buy them already, so you are never on your last container.

Whatever you already use to BBQ or go camping is fine — the biggest issue to think about is the fuel. We have a Jetboil Flash and a two-burner Coleman propane stove. Propane doesn't degrade, and a 20 lb tank should get you through two weeks.

Add paper plates and cups so nobody is washing dishes with drinking water.

Boil once in the morning and you have hot water for tea, oatmeal and dishes through the day, without relighting the stove or using more fuel.

A good thing to have on hand regardless. A smaller one for the car is on the car and office list.

A stomach bug can dehydrate kids quickly. The CDC recommends every family keep a rehydration solution at home — simple Pedialyte powder packets are easiest and store for years.

If you have kids keep a printed weight-based dosing chart for acetaminophen, ibuprofen, Benadryl, and any prescription medication they take.

Ask your doctor to switch daily prescriptions to ninety-day refills, so you always have a few weeks on hand.

Wipes can substitute for showers in the event water is difficult to come by. Same thing for sanitizer.

N95 or KN95 are both fine. The main issue is avoiding counterfeits (hence why the links go to authorized distributors). Most options below come in different quantities if you need more. The CDC's guidance for reusing an N95 during a shortage is no more than five uses per mask.

A phone in airplane mode that you check a few times a day lasts two or three days, so budget five to seven charges per person over two weeks. A 20,000 mAh bank gives three or four full charges, so one per adult covers the first days. After that the car is the reserve: a car battery holds about forty phone charges, and ten minutes of idling puts a real charge into a phone.

Red mode is much less disruptive to night vision.

Load them with lithium AA and AAA batteries. Alkalines left inside a stored headlamp tend to leak, whereas lithium primaries hold their charge for twenty years and do not leak.

Cranking is annoying and doesn't last long, so get one that also takes AA batteries. Several carmakers have dropped AM from new electric cars, and emergency broadcasts are on AM, so make sure the radio has it.

Two options for reaching each other if cell signal is down and satellite texting isn't working. Walkie-talkies tend to have a mile or two of range. Meshtastic is a small radio that sends text messages between phones by relaying through other people's nodes – what is called a mesh network and is common in cities.

Credit cards and ATMs are unlikely to work well in emergencies. Aim to keep some cash on hand – if you can afford it, $500 - $1000 is ideal. Keep small bills ($20s are great).

A broken window or a leaking roof after a storm gets covered with a tarp and tape until someone can fix it. Duct tape can do a lot. And you never know when you'll need a pocket knife.

Cards, a couple of board games, books, drawing supplies. Keep them packed with the kit and out of circulation the rest of the year so they stay novel.