Emergency food kit

You may not need to buy much. FEMA’s booklet Food and Water in an Emergency says you can use “the canned goods, dry mixes, and other staples on your cupboard shelves,” checking expiration dates and using the oldest first. This list covers the tools that make that food usable in an outage: opening it, storing it, keeping cold food safe, and cooking it safely. The emergency food guide covers what to store and how long it keeps.

Food to store

• Start with what your household eats. Ready.gov says to store at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food, choose foods your family will eat, and remember any special dietary needs.
• Build toward two weeks. FEMA says that even though it is unlikely an emergency would cut off your food supply for two weeks, “consider maintaining a supply that will last that long” (FEMA).
• Prefer food that needs nothing. FEMA says foods that require no refrigeration, water, special preparation, or cooking are best. The ration bars on this list need no water or cooking. The freeze-dried meal bucket needs water, so store that water on top of your drinking supply (emergency water).

Opening and storing it

• A manual can opener. Ready.gov says to include a manual can opener and eating utensils (Ready.gov). FEMA adds disposable utensils (FEMA).
• Airtight containers. FEMA says to empty open packages of sugar, dried fruits, and nuts into screw-top jars or air-tight canisters for protection from pests, and to keep cookies and crackers in plastic bags inside sealed containers (FEMA).
• A cool, dry, dark spot. FEMA says to keep food in a dry, cool spot, a dark area if possible, and to throw out canned goods that become swollen, dented, or corroded (FEMA).
• Date and rotate. FEMA says to date new supplies with ink or marker and place new items at the back of the storage area and older ones in front.

Keeping cold food safe

• Appliance thermometers. CDC says to keep appliance thermometers in the refrigerator and freezer, and that the refrigerator should be at 40°F or below (CDC). Ready.gov says to monitor temperatures with a thermometer.
• A cooler and ice. CDC says to freeze containers of water and gel packs to help keep food at 40°F or below, and to have a cooler and frozen gel packs ready in case you have to remove food from the refrigerator to keep it cold (CDC). Ready.gov says to use coolers with ice if necessary (Ready.gov).
• Eat in the right order. FEMA says to use perishable food from the refrigerator first, then food from the freezer, and only then non-perishable foods and staples (FEMA).

Cooking without power

Ready.gov says commercially canned food may be eaten out of the can without warming. If you heat food in the can, FEMA says to open the can and remove the label first, and to use only approved devices for warming food (FEMA).

FEMA says a charcoal grill or camp stove can be used outdoors. The two-burner stove runs on the propane cylinders listed with it. The alcohol stove is a smaller, single-pot backup; its listing says it burns 95% or stronger denatured alcohol, which is sold separately.

Add these from home

Canned goods and staples you already eat, eating utensils, plastic bags for crackers and cookies, a marker for dating food (FEMA), and containers of water you freeze ahead to help keep food cold (CDC).