Water, Food & Hydration

The basics you can't improvise. Water comes first, since three days is the honest limit and stored water runs out, so what matters is being able to make more of it safe to drink. Food buys you time and clear thinking. It doesn't have to be elaborate, just reliable and something you'll actually eat.

How much depends on the situation. A go-bag needs a filter, a few days of no-cook calories, and a way to carry water on the move. A household needs a real reserve: a gallon per person per day, food measured in weeks, and a way to prepare it with the power out.

Everything here is chosen to last and to work when it counts. Not sure what your situation calls for? Our situation pages lay out what belongs in each.