Action plan · Family of 4
Get ready, step by step
Pick how long you want to be self-sufficient. Start at 7 days, then build to 30 and 90. Security comes first, because supplies you can't protect aren't yours for long. Quantities are for 2 adults and 2 kids.
Shipping limits: Amazon won't ship some items to certain states (e.g. California, New York). Pepper spray, ammunition, some knives and some fuel canisters are common examples, and some listings are blocked. Items like these are listed under in-store buying. If an Amazon page says "cannot ship to your address," buy it locally. Each tier only adds what that horizon actually needs.
1. Security
If you can't protect your home, every supply you stored belongs to whoever shows up. Security comes first — and most of it is about not being a target.
2. Water
City water depends on electric pumps and treatment plants. Minimum is 1 gallon per person per day (½ drinking, ¼ food/cooking, ¼ hygiene). For 4 people: 28 gal for 7 days, 120 gal for 30 days, 360 gal for 90 days — more in hot weather, and flushing adds ~1.5 gal/person/day. One 55-gal tank lasts a family of 4 under 14 days. Use the calculator below.
Water calculator
Per person/day
1 gal
Household/day
4 gal
Total
28 gal
55-gal tanks
1
The minimum is 1 gal per person per day (drinking + cooking + hygiene). Your water heater (40–50 gal) and filled bathtubs count toward the total. Flushing can use pool or rain water instead of stored drinking water. Treat each 55-gal tank with one bottle of water preserver when you fill it.
3. Food
Target: ~2,000 kcal per adult and ~1,600 per child per day = about 7,200 kcal/day for the family. That's ~50,000 kcal for 7 days, ~216,000 for 30 days and ~650,000 for 90 days. Count calories, not 'servings' — brands often call half a pouch a serving. Store what your kids will actually eat.
Food & Peak Refuel calculator
Household/day
7,200 kcal
Total needed
50,400 kcal
Pouches
16 (32 servings)
Peak Refuel buckets
2
Based on 2,000 kcal per adult and 1,600 per child per day. A Peak Refuel pouch averages ~830 kcal and is labelled "2 servings"; a bucket holds 12 pouches (~9,960 kcal). The rest of your calories come from rice, beans, cans and peanut butter.
4. Power & Light
Phones, lights, radio, fans in summer heat, and any medical device.
5. Cooking & Heat/Cooling
Summer heat and winter cold both kill without power. Plan for your climate. Cook outdoors or with ventilation.
6. Sanitation & Hygiene
Disease, not hunger, is what kills most people in long outages. This is the most-skipped category.
7. Medical
ERs will be overwhelmed or closed. You are your family's first responder.
8. Comms, Cash & Docs
No cell, no cards, no internet.
The first hour after the power goes out
- Fill bathtubs (WaterBOB), pots and jugs while water pressure lasts.
- Get gas in the car only if it's already nearly full; otherwise stay home.
- Lock doors, close blackout curtains, account for every family member.
- Keep the fridge closed; eat fridge food first, then freezer, then pantry.
- Radio on for official info. Check on neighbors and activate your street plan.