It's happened here. The December 2007 ice storm cut power to more than 641,000 Oklahoma customers, and 150,000 were still in the dark a week later. Here's what weeks without power really look like, and what your family needs to get through them.
Source: National Weather Service, Norman
Not a movie. This is what real long outages did to real towns, step by step, with the source for every number.
The fridge, the furnace blower, the Wi-Fi, the well pump and the garage door all run on the same wire. FEMA's own outage sheet warns that a long outage can close stores, gas stations, ATMs and banks, and disrupt communications, water and transportation "for a long time."
Cell service can go down with the grid, and there's nothing to recharge from. A closed fridge keeps food cold for about 4 hours. After that, what's in it starts to turn.
Stores that can't run registers or coolers close, and the ones still open sell out. Water plants and pumps need power too, so pressure drops and boil-water notices go out. A full freezer holds about 48 hours with the door shut.
Card readers, ATMs and gas pumps need power and a network. Pharmacies without power can't fill prescriptions; in Houston in 2021, e-prescriptions bounced because the pharmacy was closed.
Hypothermia doesn't need a blizzard. The CDC says it can set in above 40°F, and older adults in poorly heated homes and babies in cold bedrooms are most at risk. People get desperate for heat and run generators, grills and gas ovens indoors. Carbon monoxide has no smell.
Water, food, heat and medicine have to come from what you stored or what you can make work. Help comes, but it comes slowly, and it doesn't reach everyone at once.
You don't plan for the average outage. You plan for the long one.
Nine things keep a family going without the grid. Here's what each one takes at three days, at two weeks and past a month, and what we sell for it today. Where we don't sell it yet, we say so.
From usA 100-gallon bathtub bladder in both grid kits, plus two 5-gallon jugs in the 2-Week kit. The Go-Bag carries 12 sealed pouches and 2 filter straws.
From usDatrex 3,600-calorie rations (2 in the Go-Bag). Longer-term food: coming soon
From usA battery CO alarm and hand warmers in both grid kits, and 4 emergency sleeping bags in the 2-Week kit. Indoor-safe heater: waitlist
From usA USB-C headlamp in every kit, plus a solar lantern in the 72-Hour kit and two in the 2-Week kit.
From usThe hand-crank solar radio charges a phone over USB. A folding solar panel comes in the 2-Week kit, or as an add-on.
From usThe hand-crank solar weather radio in every home kit and the Go-Bag, and a pair of FRS two-way radios in the 2-Week kit.
From us12 toilet bags with gel in the 72-Hour kit; a bucket, toilet seat and 24 bags in the 2-Week kit. Refills come as add-ons.
From usA first-aid kit in both grid kits, and basics in the Go-Bag's gear pouch.
From usA fire-resistant document & cash pouch in the 2-Week kit, or as an add-on. 2 dry bags in the Go-Bag.
Start with what a house needs when the power stays off, then cover leaving home and the car. Each price is the price. Most of what's inside isn't sold on its own, so we don't show a "bought separately" number.
Nothing here is for sale yet. Tap "Notify me" and we'll email you the day it ships. No pre-orders.
Everything in the 2-Week kit, plus a way to refill and treat water, safe indoor heat with a second CO alarm, and a stove. Food stays separate. We'll list it once we have dealer terms and a price we can stand behind.
We're sourcing and testing this gear now. Every kit stays notify-only until we've had a production sample in hand and checked it. No pre-orders, nothing charged.
Three questions. We'll recommend one bundle and only the add-ons that fill a real gap.
Your recommendation shows up here, with every item and the total before you add anything.
The pieces every kit is built around. Each one can add a small extra at the same price it sells for alone.
Small things that fill gaps. They ship with any kit or the weather radio, because on their own the postage costs more than they do.
We'll be blunt about what a long outage does. We won't make anything up to sell you a kit.
Start with the free printable 72-Hour Kit Checklist + Winter Outage Plan. Most of what's on it is already in your house. We'll also email you when new kits ship.
Reviews from verified orders.
Not yet. We don't take orders or pre-orders until the gear is in hand, checked and ready to ship. Tap any "Notify me" button and we'll email you the day it is. Nothing is charged and nothing is reserved.
Longer than you think. FEMA's basic kit covers at least 72 hours, and FEMA and the Red Cross say to store at least a two-week supply of water. Real outages have run four days (Texas, 2021), more than a week (Oklahoma, 2007) and nearly 11 months (Puerto Rico, 2017). The sources are listed at the bottom of this page.
No, and we won't pretend it is. The 12 sealed pouches hold 1.5 liters, and the two filter straws need a fresh water source. The usual guideline is about 1 gallon per person per day, so keep stored water at home and treat the bag as what you carry if you have to leave.
It has a weather band for tuning in to NOAA Weather Radio forecasts and warnings. We're testing a production sample on all seven weather channels before we say more than that, and we don't advertise automatic alert tones for this model. Keep your phone's emergency alerts turned on too.
Yes, through its USB port, from the built-in battery. Solar and the hand crank refill that battery. Treat cranking as a top-up for a call or a text, not a full phone charge.
It's a hollow-fiber membrane filter for drinking from fresh water sources like lakes and streams, used as directed. It doesn't remove viruses, chemicals or salt. When in doubt, boil or treat the water, and keep stored water as your first plan.
Five years from the date of manufacture, per the manufacturer. The date is printed on each pack. The food bars contain wheat.
Postage on a single blanket pack or fire starter costs more than the item. Rather than raise prices for everyone, add-ons ship with any kit or the weather radio.
Yes. The survival gear pouch includes a multi-tool with a small blade, scissors and pliers. If you're keeping the bag at a school or workplace, check the rules there.
Free standard shipping on orders of $99 or more (before tax). Orders under $99 ship for a flat $6.95. We ship to street addresses in the lower 48 states. We can't ship to Alaska, Hawaii or PO boxes yet. You'll get a tracking number by email once it ships.
Send back unused gear within 30 days of delivery for a full refund of the item price. Food rations and water pouches can come back only while they're still sealed. To start a return, email us from the address you ordered with, or with your order number, and we'll reply with the return address within 1 business day.
You pay return shipping, unless the return is our mistake (damaged, faulty or the wrong item). The $6.95 shipping charge is refunded only when the mistake was ours. We refund your original card within 5 business days of getting the return back; your bank may take a few more days to post it.
Holiday orders: anything ordered Nov 15 through Dec 24, 2026 can be returned through Jan 31, 2027. Refunds on gifts go to the purchaser's card.
If something arrives damaged, doesn't work or isn't what you ordered, tell us within 30 days of delivery and send a photo. We'll send a free replacement, and you don't need to mail the old one back. Recycle a damaged battery item at a battery drop-off.
If tracking says delivered and the package hasn't turned up within 2 business days, tell us. We'll file a claim with the carrier and reship your order once at no cost.
The weather radio, headlamps, jump starter and solar panel carry a 1-year limited warranty from delivery. If one fails from a defect under normal use, we'll repair or replace it. Normal battery wear, misuse and damage from accidents aren't covered. Email us with your order number and a short description or video of the problem.
To fill your order we collect your name, email, phone and shipping address. Payments are handled by Stripe; we never see or store your card number. If you sign up for the checklist we keep your email to send prep tips, and you can unsubscribe anytime. We don't sell your information.
Prices are in US dollars. The weather radio, headlamp and jump starter contain lithium-ion batteries: charge them as directed and keep them away from heat. Food rations contain wheat. The filter straw is for fresh water sources only. Our kits are a starting point, not a replacement for instructions from local officials during an emergency.
Every outage figure on this page, and where it came from. Checked November 2026.
