Building Your Home Outage Kit
Last verified: September 2026
The handful of ordinary things you'll want when the power goes out, gathered calmly in one place. We'll build it in easy stages, mostly from what you already own. Rather have a hand? My number is (330) 200-8042.
Your Home Outage Kit, at a Glance
A home outage kit is simply the ordinary things you'd want within reach when the power goes out — water, food, light, a way to get information, first-aid, and a few comforts — all gathered in one known place. This guide is the front door to Bill's Home Tech's whole storm-and-outage series: we walk through what belongs in a good kit, how to build it a little at a time from things you likely already own, and how to size it to your household. Most of a good kit is already in your house — it just needs one home. There's a printable 29-page version up top.
Common Questions
1 What are the most important things in an outage kit?
Water first — about a gallon per person per day for several days — then food you don't have to cook, light and spare batteries, a way to get information like a NOAA weather radio, and a first-aid kit with a few days of any medicines.
2 How much water should I store?
A common guideline is about a gallon per person per day, with a supply that covers several days, plus a little extra for pets. Sealed store-bought water is the simplest place to start. If you're on a well, store more — your pump stops when the power does.
3 Do I have to build the whole kit at once?
Not at all. Start a bin this week with water and a flashlight, then add one category on each trip to the store. A kit built in stages is still a real kit, and you'll have the essentials within a month.
4 Where should I keep my kit?
Somewhere everyone in the house knows and can reach in the dark, like a hall closet or the bottom of the pantry. Keep a smaller grab-and-go bag too, in case you ever need to leave quickly.
5 How do I keep the kit from going stale?
Check it twice a year — an easy reminder is when the clocks change. Rotate the water and food, test the flashlights and radio, and freshen the batteries. Our kit-maintenance guide has a simple routine.
6 Is this expensive to put together?
Usually not. Most of a good kit is ordinary things you already own, simply gathered in one place. A weather radio and a power bank are the two items most worth adding if you don't have them.
Would You Rather I Just Help?
Building a kit is easy once someone walks it with you. I'll help you gather what you already own, fill the gaps sensibly, and set it all up in one spot your whole household knows. $99 flat for a visit, 30-day come-back-free.
Would you rather I just do this for you?
No shame in it — plenty of folks would rather hand it off, and that's what I'm here for. I'll come to your home, set it up right, and make sure it's working before I leave. Flat $99 per visit — no jargon, no upsell, and every visit is 30-day come-back-free.
Not a hardware job? I can often fix it remotely for $49 — a secure screen-share, up to 2 hours, that you watch the whole time and can end whenever (included free for $39/mo Support Plan members, and it counts toward the $99 if it turns out I need to come out).