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Will You Be Prepared if the Power Goes Out? What to Pack in An Apartment Survival Kit

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Taryn Williford
Taryn Williford
Taryn is a writer, editor, content strategist, and homebody from Atlanta. I might have helped you declutter your apartment through the magic of a well-paced email newsletter. Or maybe you know me from The Pickle Factory Loft on Instagram.
published Sep 2, 2015
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We’ve had a series of pretty wicked storms lately in Atlanta. With the kind of thunder and lightning that shock you out of whatever you were doing and make you double-check your battery supply and if you even actually own a fully-functioning flashlight. Which, it turns out you don’t, if you’re me.

That moment was a bit of a realization – after 22 years of living in Florida, I got accustomed to prepping for hurricane season with the rest of the community every summer. Now, I’m on my own. And apparently not at all ready if a storm took down the power to our apartment for any longer than 30 seconds.

So I’ve been doing some research and a bit of shopping and put together a list of what belongs in an apartment preparedness kit. You might need to add a few items here and there depending on your region (do you get hurricanes? floods? earthquakes?), but here’s a solid survival kit starter pack:

  • Non-Perishable Food: Stash a few boxes of protein bars in your kit, far away from wherever the snacks usually go, so nobody is tempted to grab one.
  • Bottled Water: The CDC recommends 1 gallon of water per person per day in a disaster kit, for a minimum of three days. Of course, you might not have room for a doomsday cellar in your 500 square foot studio, so at minimum, just stash away as much bottled water as possible – whatever you can fit is better than nothing! A bottled water supply is potentially something you can put together with everyone in your building, too, and store in a basement or wherever there’s room.
  • Extra Pet Supplies: Your dog, cat or lizard will need some food and water, too. During storm season, don’t let the food bin get too low.
  • A Rechargeable Flashlight: Get one that plugs in to the wall, and find a conspicuous outlet where you can leave it 24/7. When the power goes out, the flashlight will come on, fully charged, to help you find your way around.
  • Candles & Matches: The flashlight will get you far, but if you’re without power for a while, it’s nice to light candles in each room while you party like it’s 1899. The big 22-ounce jar candles are great, because they protect the flame, burn for a long time (100+ hours) and keep melted wax under control.
  • A Backup Phone Battery: In 2008, a disaster prep list might have said to keep a corded phone around to plug in to your landline. These days, you might only have a smartphone, so invest in a rechargeable backup battery and keep it juiced up and at the ready. Mophie is a trusted brand that offers external battery packs for $50-$150.
  • No-Tech Toys: Board games, books. Something (anything!) to pass the time.
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