Top 50 Blackout Survival Gear Items
This is the companion gear list for 90 Days Without Power by Robert Smythe. The Top 10 covers drinking water, a way to treat more, backup power, official alerts, outdoor cooking, carbon monoxide and fire safety, hands-free light, and first aid. QR codes in the printed book open these same addresses. Buy buttons on this page may be Amazon Associates links; the book itself does not contain Amazon affiliate URLs.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Prices and availability change. Product photos are generic stand-ins, not manufacturer packaging and not scraped from Amazon.
Jump: Top 10 · Water · Power · Communication · Food · Safety · Light · Medical · Defense · Sanitation · Heat and cold · Tools · Records
Book kit pages: Water · Power & Light · Food & Cooking · Medical & Sanitation · Safety & Defense · Comms, Tools & Warmth
The Top 10
LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
A pocket straw filter for one person at a creek or a bottle. Rated for bacteria and protozoa; it is not a chemical or salt filter. Keep one in each go-bag.
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Sawyer Squeeze Water Filtration System
A squeeze filter with pouches that fills clean bottles faster than a straw and can feed a family more easily. Follow the label for what it removes.
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Reliance Aqua-Tainer 7-Gallon Water Container
The renter-sized workhorse jug. Four of these cover two people for about two weeks at the Ready.gov 1-gallon baseline.
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Jackery Explorer 300 Portable Power Station
A mid-size power station for phones, a radio, a CPAP conversation with your clinician, and small lights. Do the watt-hour math in the power chapter.
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RunningSnail Emergency Crank NOAA Weather Radio
A hand-crank, solar, and battery NOAA weather radio so official alerts do not depend on home Wi-Fi.
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Coleman Classic 2-Burner Propane Camp Stove
A familiar outdoor propane stove for boiling water and heating canned food. Use it outdoors only. Never as a heater.
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First Alert Battery Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Digital Display
A battery CO alarm you can use when the wall outlets are dead. Put one outside sleeping areas. Test it.
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Kidde FA110 Home Fire Extinguisher
A small ABC extinguisher for kitchen and generator-adjacent fire risks. Know the PASS method and your exit.
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Energizer Vision HD+ LED Headlamp
Hands-free light for locking up, treating water, and moving in a dark house without burning a phone battery.
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Swiss Safe 120+32 Piece First Aid Kit
A household first-aid kit you can actually find in the dark. Add your personal extras: glucose, an inhaler, spare glasses.
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LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
A pocket straw filter for one person at a creek or a bottle. Rated for bacteria and protozoa; it is not a chemical or salt filter. Keep one in each go-bag.
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Sawyer Squeeze Water Filtration System
A squeeze filter with pouches that fills clean bottles faster than a straw and can feed a family more easily. Follow the label for what it removes.
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Reliance Aqua-Tainer 7-Gallon Water Container
The renter-sized workhorse jug. Four of these cover two people for about two weeks at the Ready.gov 1-gallon baseline.
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Sawyer MINI Water Filtration System
A lighter hollow-fiber filter for a second pack or a second adult. Same idea as the Squeeze: read the label for viruses and chemicals.
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Sawyer 1-Gallon Gravity Water Filtration System
A hanging gravity setup so a family can filter a gallon without standing there squeezing. Pair with prefiltering if the water is cloudy.
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Alexapure Pro Stainless Gravity Filtration System
A ceramic-and-carbon countertop gravity system for daily drinking water and emergencies. Check the current test sheet for what the carbon stage reduces.
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Katadyn Micropur MP1 Water Purification Tablets, 30 Count
Chlorine dioxide tablets for when you cannot boil. Follow the labeled wait, which is longer if Cryptosporidium is a concern.
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Aquamira Water Treatment Drops
Chlorine dioxide drops for bottles and stored water. Read the two-part mixing instructions on the package every time.
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Clorox Disinfecting Bleach, Regular Unscented, 121 fl oz
Regular unscented household bleach for EPA and CDC emergency disinfection doses. Do not buy splash-less, scented, or cleaner-added bleach for drinking water.
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1 ml Glass Medicine Droppers, 20-Pack
A dedicated dropper so bleach doses match the EPA table instead of a guessed splash from the bottle.
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Bathtub Emergency Water Storage Bladder (up to 100 gallons)
A food-grade bathtub liner you fill while the tap still works. Useful the hour before pressure drops.
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Augason Farms 55-Gallon Water Barrel Storage Kit
A 55-gallon food-grade barrel for households with a solid floor. Full, it weighs about 460 pounds. Pair it with a food-safe siphon.
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TERAPUMP BPA-Free Food-Safe Drum Siphon Pump
A manual drum pump meant for drinking-water barrels. Never use a pump that has moved fuel.
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Amazon Basics Basket Coffee Filters, 200 Count
Cheap prefilters. Strain cloudy water through a coffee filter or cloth before you boil, bleach, or use a hollow-fiber filter.
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ProOne Big+ Stainless Gravity Water Filter System
Another ceramic/carbon countertop gravity option if you want a certified reduction list for lead, PFAS, and chlorine taste. Compare current certifications.
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Reliance Fold-A-Carrier Collapsible Water Container
A collapsible jug for a car or a go-bag when a rigid 7-gallon cube will not fit.
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Jackery Explorer 300 Portable Power Station
A mid-size power station for phones, a radio, a CPAP conversation with your clinician, and small lights. Do the watt-hour math in the power chapter.
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Anker Alkaline AA Batteries, 48-Pack
Bulk AA cells for headlamps, radios, and toys that keep children occupied. Anker lists a long shelf life; still rotate what you use.
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Southwire 50-Foot Outdoor Extension Cord, 12 Gauge
A heavy outdoor cord so a generator can sit more than 20 feet from openings while still reaching a safe load. Never back-feed an outlet.
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RunningSnail Emergency Crank NOAA Weather Radio
A hand-crank, solar, and battery NOAA weather radio so official alerts do not depend on home Wi-Fi.
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Motorola T100 Talkabout Two-Way Radios, 2-Pack
Simple FRS radios for house-to-yard or family-to-neighbor check-ins when cell networks are congested. Range shrinks in town.
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Fox 40 Classic Whistle with Breakaway Lanyard, 3-Pack
A loud whistle for a family signal or to call for help without burning your voice. Agree on what the blasts mean.
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RunningSnail Emergency NOAA Radio (Upgraded)
A second crank radio for a go-bag or another floor of the house, so one dead unit does not silence official alerts.
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Coleman Classic 2-Burner Propane Camp Stove
A familiar outdoor propane stove for boiling water and heating canned food. Use it outdoors only. Never as a heater.
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OXO Good Grips Manual Can Opener
Your stored food is useless if every opener in the house is electric. Keep a manual one in the kit.
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Coleman 16.4 oz Propane Fuel, 2-Pack
Fuel for the camp stove. Store upright, outdoors or as your local fire code allows, away from living spaces and ignition.
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CDN FG80 Refrigerator/Freezer Thermometer
The USDA keep-or-toss line is 40°F. A cheap thermometer in the fridge and freezer beats guessing after an outage.
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First Alert Battery Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Digital Display
A battery CO alarm you can use when the wall outlets are dead. Put one outside sleeping areas. Test it.
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Kidde FA110 Home Fire Extinguisher
A small ABC extinguisher for kitchen and generator-adjacent fire risks. Know the PASS method and your exit.
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First Alert Battery Smoke Alarm with Voice Alerts
A working smoke alarm matters more in a house that is using candles, a stove, or a generator nearby. Test it.
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Energizer Vision HD+ LED Headlamp
Hands-free light for locking up, treating water, and moving in a dark house without burning a phone battery.
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Energizer High-Lumen Tactical LED Flashlight
A bright handheld light for doors, yards, and signaling. Keep spare batteries next to it, not in a junk drawer.
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Swiss Safe 120+32 Piece First Aid Kit
A household first-aid kit you can actually find in the dark. Add your personal extras: glucose, an inhaler, spare glasses.
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3M Particulate Respirator 8210, N95, 20-Pack
N95s for smoke, dust after wind storms, and illness in close quarters. They do not replace leaving a hazardous chemical scene.
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SOL Survive Outdoors Longer Survival Medic Kit
A compact trauma-oriented add-on for a go-bag: extra dressings and basics beyond a household box. Still not a substitute for 911.
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Door Armor MAX Door Reinforcement Kit
Reinforces the jamb, strike, and hinges so a kick-in is harder. One of the highest-value home-hardening upgrades.
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SABRE Crossfire Pepper Gel
A non-lethal defensive spray where it is legal for you to possess. Check local rules, learn the safety, and replace it when it expires.
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GE Personal Security Window and Door Alarms
Battery contact alarms that chirp when a door or window opens. They work when Wi-Fi is dead.
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Reliance Luggable Loo Portable Toilet
A lidded bucket toilet when the house system will not flush. Line it, keep it away from drinking water, and follow official disposal advice.
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Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer, 8 oz Pump
Alcohol sanitizer for when washing water is scarce. Wash with soap and safe water when you can.
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Husky 42-Gallon Contractor Clean-Up Bags, 20 Count
Heavy bags for a bucket toilet, spoiled food, and debris. Ready.gov lists garbage bags in a basic kit for a reason.
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Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand Wipes, Multi-Canister Pack
Wipes stretch washing water. They do not replace soap and safe water after bathroom duty when you can wash.
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SOL Emergency Bivvy
A compact heat-reflective bivvy for a cold room or a car kit. It is a backup layer, not a reason to sleep in a running vehicle.
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SOL Emergency Blankets, 4-Pack
Mylar blankets to wrap a person or line a window. Pair them with real layers; they tear if you treat them like a quilt.
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Leatherman Wingman Multi-Tool
Pliers, a blade, drivers, and a can opener in one pocket tool for repairs you will actually make.
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Gorilla Tape, Black
Heavy tape for sealing a window film edge, fixing a hose, or closing a broken bin. Not a substitute for a real door repair.
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Rothco 550 lb Type III Nylon Paracord
Cord for hanging a gravity filter, securing a tarp, or lashing a leaking bin. Not a climbing rope.
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Mechanix Wear Original Work Gloves
Gloves for debris, a hot pot handle, and sanitation duty so you do not tear up your hands on day two.
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UCO Stormproof Match Kit
Waterproof, wind-resistant matches for lighting a stove or a candle when lighters fail. Store extras in a dry bottle.
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SentrySafe Fire-Resistant Chest
A small fire-resistant chest for passports, insurance papers, and a paper medication list. Keep the only copy of something irreplaceable out of a bag you might lose.
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