Your first evening without power.

Start where you will be when the lights go out.

An outage kit works better when it is distributed around real routines. Keep a light near the bed, another by a commonly used exit, and a clear path between rooms. Avoid making the only useful flashlight an item buried at the bottom of a large bag.

A Petzl TIKKA headlamp (Amazon affiliate link, opens in new tab) leaves your hands free for a leash, a stair rail, or finding documents. Check the power source and keep compatible spares. Practice adjusting the strap in daylight. Useful household lighting does not need to be the brightest available; it needs to be easy to operate and consistently findable.

Information needs more than one route.

Save your utility’s outage-reporting method and local emergency information before an incident. Charge phones and any suitable backup batteries in advance. Keep the right cables with them and test that the devices actually charge each other.

A Etón FRX3 emergency weather radio (Amazon affiliate link, opens in new tab) can provide a second information path where its broadcasts are available. Test reception in the rooms where you might shelter, understand tuning, and check the current product instructions. A crank or solar panel is a supplementary feature, not a reason to skip charging and batteries. A U.S. weather-band receiver is not a universal international alert service.

List what depends on electricity.

Walk through the home with a notebook: lighting, heating or cooling, refrigeration, cooking, internet equipment, lifts, and necessary medical devices. Each dependency needs a response, even if that response is leaving for a safe place. Arrange device-specific backup requirements with the appropriate clinician, supplier, or utility; a general gadget recommendation cannot establish a safe medical runtime.

Put safe drinking water where you can access it without electric pumps or a crowded dark storage room. Keep simple food and manual access to it. Ask what your household can do with the lights off, then remove unnecessary complexity.

Avoid making a second emergency.

CDC guidance says to operate portable generators outdoors, at least 20 feet from doors, windows, and vents. Never run one in a garage or inside the home. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and use appropriate carbon-monoxide detection. Do not use outdoor grills or camping stoves as indoor heating or cooking solutions.

Keep away from downed lines and damaged electrical equipment. Utility repair and household electrical work belong to qualified people. A multitool, gloves, or a good light does not change that boundary.

Write the point at which you leave.

Set a household check-in time and identify a destination that has the conditions you need. If essential equipment cannot run, the home becomes unsafe, or officials instruct you to evacuate, use the relocation plan. Bring the essentials already organized in your bag rather than starting a packing project.