Winter Emergency Kit: What to Store for a Power Outage

What should you check first when winter power fails?#

Treat the kit as a way to make three decisions: can you stay safely, can you keep people warm without combustion indoors, and can you leave without dressing in the dark? As of July 2026, the minimum planning point is at least 3 days of supplies. Ready.gov lists 1 gallon (3.8 litres) of water per person per day for drinking and sanitation, plus at least 3 days of non-perishable food. That is a planning quantity, not a reason to ration water if someone is ill or has a medical need.

Use this winter-specific check when an outage starts:

Question	If the answer is yes	Immediate action
Is anyone confused, faint, unusually sleepy, or suffering a severe headache?	Possible cold illness or carbon monoxide exposure	Move to fresh air if CO is possible and call emergency services; do not investigate a fuel-burning appliance first
Is the indoor temperature falling and the heating system is off?	The home may not remain safe for the full outage	Add dry layers, gather blankets, close unused rooms, and arrange a heated place before people become cold
Is a generator, grill, lantern, or camping stove being considered?	Combustion may create carbon monoxide	Stop and move that plan outdoors; never use it in a home, garage, basement, tent, or camper
Is evacuation likely?	You may need to leave on icy, wet ground	Put on outdoor layers and sturdy footwear, then take medicines, identification, water, light, and phone power

Keep one small “reach first” pouch beside the bed or main door: headlamp or flashlight, spare batteries, phone and power bank, glasses, essential medicine, warm socks, gloves, and a whistle. A large storage box in a closet is not useful if the lights fail and you cannot find it.

How much food, water, and power should the kit contain?#

Start with the household count, then multiply the daily amount. For two people, the Ready.gov water planning figure is 2 gallons per day, or 6 gallons for 3 days. Include water for pets and extra water for anyone who needs it for medication or assisted care. Choose food that can be eaten without refrigeration and include a manual can opener; a freezer full of food is not an outage plan by itself.

Put these items together before winter weather is forecast:

• Three days of water and shelf-stable food, with a longer reserve if roads are often blocked.
• Prescription medicines, a written medication list, spare glasses, and supplies for babies, pets, or medical equipment.
• Battery or hand-crank radio, phone charging cable, power bank, flashlight or headlamp, and a whistle.
• Hygiene and sanitation supplies, rubbish bags, wet wipes, toilet paper, and a basic first-aid kit.
• Cash, identification, copies of essential contacts, and a local map in case payment systems or mobile service fail.

Charge power banks before a storm, but do not make every item dependent on one rechargeable battery. A flashlight with no spare cells is a single point of failure. Test each light and radio with the exact batteries it will use, and replace supplies after use rather than waiting for the next warning.

How do you stay warm without creating carbon monoxide?#

Warmth comes first from insulation, not improvising a flame. Wear a dry base layer, an insulating middle layer, and an outer layer that blocks wind and moisture. Add a hat, gloves, warm socks, and a sleeping bag or blankets. Sit away from cold windows and exterior doors, close doors to unused rooms, and use towels or draft blockers at gaps. Keep clothing dry; damp fabric removes heat much faster than dry fabric.

Do not use a gas range or oven as a space heater. Do not burn charcoal indoors. Do not run a portable generator, pressure washer, fuel lantern, camping stove, or vehicle engine in a home, garage, basement, tent, or camper. Opening a door or window does not make an enclosed space safe.

If a generator is genuinely needed, CDC guidance says to place it at least 20 feet (about 6 metres) from windows, doors, and vents, keep exhaust pointed away from the building, and use a battery-powered or battery-backup carbon monoxide detector indoors. Use only outdoor-rated, heavy-duty extension cords as directed by the generator instructions; never connect a generator to household wiring without an approved transfer system. Keep the generator dry and never refuel it while hot.

Carbon monoxide is invisible and odourless. Headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, chest pain, confusion, and unusual sleepiness are warning signs. If they occur, leave for fresh air and contact emergency services or a poison centre. Do not go back inside to find the source. If the home is too cold, or heating cannot be used safely, go to an arranged shelter or another heated building rather than trying to heat one room with a fuel-burning appliance.

Why do winter batteries fail, and how should you pack them?#

Cold does not magically empty every battery, but it slows the chemical reactions that produce current. The failure pattern is familiar: a flashlight works indoors, becomes dim outdoors, then appears to recover after it is warmed. Energizer’s alkaline handbook explains that cold temperatures slow these reactions and reduce available performance.

Keep spare batteries in their original packaging or a plastic case, dry and separated from keys, coins, and other metal. Store them at ordinary indoor temperature rather than in an unheated car, shed, or balcony. For outdoor use, carry the flashlight or radio close to your body under an outer layer when practical, and return it indoors before testing again. Follow the device and battery instructions; do not mix old and new cells or different chemistries in one device.

Do not put a cold, wet, swollen, leaking, or damaged battery on a heater, stove, or radiator. Stop using damaged cells and follow local disposal guidance. Rechargeable power banks also have their own charging temperature limits, so let a cold unit return to the manufacturer’s permitted range before charging it. As of July 2026, the reliable rule is to pack a backup light and keep its spare power dry and accessible, not to assume a battery’s printed capacity will be available in sub-zero air.

What clothing makes an evacuation possible?#

An evacuation bag should be wearable, not just warm in theory. Pack one complete change per person in a waterproof liner: moisture-wicking base layer, fleece or wool insulating layer, wind- and water-resistant outer layer, underwear, spare socks, hat, and gloves or mittens. Add sturdy closed shoes or boots with traction; slippers and smooth-soled indoor shoes are a poor match for ice, broken glass, or wet stairs.

Keep a coat, shoes, and flashlight beside the bed if an alarm or evacuation order could come at night. Put medicines, identification, glasses, water, a phone charger, and emergency contacts in an outside pocket. For children, add a size-appropriate hat, dry layers, and a comfort item; for pets, include a carrier, leash, food, water, and waste bags. If someone uses a wheelchair, cane, oxygen equipment, or another aid, store the required backup power and an accessible route plan with the bag.

The most common winter-kit mistakes are specific: counting frozen food as three days of meals, storing all lights in a dark closet, keeping alkaline cells in an unheated vehicle, using a gas oven for warmth, and discovering during evacuation that the only shoes are sandals. Fix those failures during a calm day. Label the kit with the household number, check medicines and food dates monthly, test lights and the CO detector, and replace anything used.

Item or rule	Concrete winter target	Failure it prevents
Water	1 gallon / 3.8 L per person per day; minimum 3 days	Running out of drinking or sanitation water
Food	At least 3 days, non-perishable and usable without refrigeration	Depending on a working freezer, microwave, or shop
Generator position	20 ft / about 6 m from doors, windows, and vents	Exhaust entering the building
Indoor CO protection	Battery or battery-backup CO detector	Missing an odourless, colourless hazard
Batteries	Dry, protected, indoor-temperature spares	Reduced cold-weather output and contact damage
Evacuation clothing	Dry base, insulation, shell, hat, gloves, spare socks, sturdy footwear	Cold injury and unsafe walking in wet or icy conditions

The numbers above reflect official guidance available as of July 2026. Local authorities, shelters, building managers, and the instructions for your equipment may set stricter requirements. Follow an evacuation order promptly; do not delay it to collect a heavy kit.