Living in the backcountry is more than just a geographical location. It demands a self-sufficient lifestyle. You need to know how to do things “the old-fashioned way” in case the grid goes down. Between frequent power outages, natural disasters such as wildfires, and health pandemics, the chance of living off-grid out here is not a matter of if but when. Preparing for emergencies is not an easy task. To help guide you in the right direction, I’ve put together a preparation guide of supplies to keep on hand. They can be used prior to evacuation and taken with you to be used wherever you are staying temporarily. The time to prepare is now.
See our complete guide to surviving power outages here.
See our complete guide to evacuations here.
Personal Care Items
Prescription medications
Pets’ supplies
Infants/elderly supplies
Personal hygiene items
Toiletries (toilet paper, soap, hand sanitizer, toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine products, etc.)
Cash (small bills and change)
Food, Tools, and Supplies
An emergency supply of non-perishable foods - see the list here
Manual can openers
Matches and other supplies for use with emergency cooking equipment
Disposable food preparation and serving supplies (plates, utensils, cookware)
Bleach
Plastic dishpans or washing buckets
Scissors
Bleach
Hand-crank radio
Solar lights or flashlights and extra batteries
Masks
Eye protection
Shovel
Wrench
Trash bags
Off-grid heat source
First-aid Kit
Latex gloves
Sterile bandages
Cleansing agent/soap and antibiotic towelettes
Antibiotic ointment
Burn ointment
Thermometer
OTC medications: aspirin, non-aspirin pain reliever, laxative, anti-diarrheal, stomach-soother/antacid