Shelter in Place Survival Kits

Why most households end up staying

Not every emergency means leaving home. Winter storms, extended power outages, boil-water notices, and other disruptions may mean staying put and managing without some of the services you normally rely on.

Staying put sounds easier. In some ways it is harder, because you are living in the house for days rather than carrying a bag for hours.

Four things a stay-home kit does differently

• Light measured in days, not hours. One flashlight covers an evening. A dark house for four nights needs lanterns, spares, and something that does not depend on batteries you forgot to buy.
• Food that doesn't depend on a working kitchen. A power outage can take the microwave, electric stove, and other everyday cooking appliances out of the equation.
• A way to treat water, not just bottles. Water service can be disrupted or a boil-water advisory may remain in effect after the immediate emergency has passed.
• Sanitation. This is the one nobody plans for. When the water stops, the toilet stops, and it becomes urgent faster than people expect.

Which kit here fits?

StormShield. Packed in a 5-gallon bucket with a toilet seat lid, plus liners, gel and gloves. A built-in answer to the sanitation problem, with food, water treatment, light and a weatherband radio alongside. 16 lbs, in 2-person and 4-person.

SafeHarbor. Choose the bucket version and you get the same toilet seat lid, sized for two, with a hand-crank NOAA radio that also charges a phone. 14 lbs.

StayLit. Light and information only, in three sizes. No food or water, so it pairs with something else rather than standing alone. The Premium adds a hand-crank radio that needs no batteries at all.

NightWatch. Light, warmth and first aid for a household of four through a cold outage. Four sleeping bags and four body warmers, no food or water. 7 lbs.

SureStep. Includes a portable stove and fuel tablets, so it can make a hot meal when the kitchen is out. Use the stove outdoors only. One person, 36 servings, 9 lbs. The meals need water you add.

Stay Home Ready Bundle. Pairs a 4-person 72-hour kit with the Power Outage Premium so light and supplies are both covered. Saves 10% on the individual prices.

What you will still want to add

• Stored water. Ready.gov, FEMA's preparedness campaign, recommends one gallon per person per day, which is more than any kit can carry.
• Heavy-duty trash bags and ties, to line a bucket if your kit has a toilet seat lid.
• Battery-powered carbon monoxide alarms, especially if your home relies on fuel-burning appliances or backup heat during an outage.
• Medications, at least the seven-day supply the American Red Cross recommends.
• A charged power bank, and cash in small bills, since card readers need power too.
• If you have advance warning and it is safe to do so, consider storing additional water for sanitation and toilet flushing.

Where to keep it

Somewhere you can reach in the dark, on a closet floor or a low shelf rather than above head height. A stay-home kit gets opened by whoever is nearest, often at night, often without the lights.