Able Hold your house for 72 hours.
Heat, water, food, light, and a plan. Enough to get your household through three days with no power, no tap water and no help coming.
Out here in Nobel, a winter storm can take the power and the road at the same time. In 10 years of rescue work I learned that help gets there when it can, not when you need it. This is the floor I hold my own house to.
Start with what you have.
Most houses are closer than they think. Do the free Household Audit first, find your top three gaps, then work down this list. Buy only what closes a gap.
The water figures follow Government of Canada guidance at getprepared.gc.ca. The "Build it yourself" links go to Civil Safety, our sister store. You can get the same kind of gear anywhere.
Heat
The minimum:
- One room you can keep warm for three days and nights without power. Pick it now: small, interior, doors you can close.
- A warm sleeping layer for every person, good for a house that drops toward 0°C (32°F) overnight.
- Never run a barbecue, camp stove, generator or patio heater indoors. Keep a working CO alarm on every floor.
Build it yourself:
- SOL Heavy Duty Emergency Blanket XL
- Klymit Nest Cold Weather Sleeping Bag Liner (Large)
- SOL Emergency Bivvy with Rescue Whistle
- Firewood, if you have a wood stove: three days of it, split, dry and inside the door.
You probably already have: wool socks, toques, sleeping bags, duvets, and enough layers to sleep in.
Water
The minimum:
- At least 2 L (about half a US gal) of drinking water per person per day, so 6 L (1.6 US gal) each for 72 hours.
- Another 2 L per person per day for cooking and washing. That makes 12 L (about 3 US gal) per person for 72 hours. Add water for pets.
- On a well, no power means no pump. Plan for that.
- A way to treat water if you run short.
Build it yourself:
- A few cases of bottled water from the grocery store, or food-grade jugs you fill and date. Civil Safety doesn't stock enough water storage for this yet.
- Aquatabs Water Purification Tablets (50 pack)
- Aquatabs 334 mg tablets (each treats 20 L)
- CamelBak Eddy+ filtered by LifeStraw bottle
You probably already have: the bathtub and big pots, which you can fill when a storm is forecast, for washing and flushing.
Food
The minimum:
- Three days of food that won't spoil and needs little or no cooking: canned food, energy bars, dried food.
- A manual can opener.
- A way to heat water or a can without power, used outside or with good airflow, following the maker's instructions.
- Rotate it. Eat it and replace it once a year.
Build it yourself:
- Groceries: canned stew, beans, soup, peanut butter, oatmeal, crackers. Buy what your household already eats.
- Mountain House Beef Stew #10 can or Spaghetti with Meat Sauce #10 can. Freeze-dried, just add hot water, and it keeps for years.
- Esbit Emergency Stove + 3 Fuel Cubes. Solid fuel is a flammable solid, so it can't ship by Canada Post.
You probably already have: a pantry, a manual can opener, and maybe a camp stove or a barbecue for outdoor use.
Light
The minimum:
- A headlamp for every person, so your hands stay free.
- Spare batteries for everything that takes them, or a way to recharge.
- One lantern for the warm room.
- Candles only with someone awake in the room, and away from anything that burns.
Build it yourself:
- Silva Scout 3 Headlamp (220 lumens)
- Silva Scout 3X Headlamp (300 lumens)
- UCO Sprout+ Rechargeable LED Lantern
- UCO 30-Hour Beeswax Emergency Candle
- Sparkie Fire Starter
- TekFire PRO Fuel-Free Lighter
- AA and AAA batteries from any hardware or grocery store.
You probably already have: flashlights (check they work), a drawer of batteries, and matches.
First aid
The minimum:
- A first-aid kit you know how to use, kept where everyone can find it.
- Prescription medicine for at least a couple of weeks, if you can.
- Anything else your household depends on: glasses, hearing aid batteries, baby formula, pet food.
Build it yourself:
- Adventure Medical Kits Day Tripper Lite First Aid Kit
- Adventure Medical Kits Mountain Hiker First Aid Kit
You probably already have: bandages, pain relievers, and a pharmacy that can refill early if you ask.
The Plan
The minimum:
- Where you meet if you can't get home, and who calls whom.
- Phone numbers written on paper. Your phone will die.
- A battery or wind-up radio for news when the internet is down, and a way to charge phones.
- Copies of ID and insurance in a waterproof case. Some cash in small bills.
- Everyone knows where the water shutoff, the electrical panel and the kit are.
Build it yourself:
- Silva Waterproof Case (Medium) for documents and cash.
- A battery or wind-up radio and a power bank from an electronics or hardware store. Civil Safety doesn't carry one in stock right now.
You probably already have: a car charger, a notepad, and neighbours worth knowing.
The ABLE Home Standard kit.
The ABLE Home Standard kit is coming. It will put this list together in one box, matched to your level: Ready, Able or Self-Reliant. It isn't for sale yet. Leave your email and I'll send one note when it's ready.
In an emergency, call 911.
Tell me when the kit's ready.
One email when the kit you pick is ready. Nothing else unless you tick the box.
"I start where I am. But I start."
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