Why You Need a Winter Survival Kit for Home

For a large portion of the country, winter is no laughing matter. Yes, laughs are had during winter, and the holidays are some of the best times of the year. But if you’re located in a state where all four seasons are pronounced, and winter can be downright brutal from a weather perspective, this is a post that you won’t want to miss.

Winter weather does not always behave; power outages are frequent, and so are snowstorms and the occasional blizzard that might keep you and the family homebound for days on end. Now, this can be frightening if you’re unprepared. But if you are stocked with water, food, blankets, batteries, an alternative heating source, and a radio, you’ll make it through nearly anything Mother Nature can throw your way.

However, do take care to choose these emergency items wisely. We’ll get to them once we review eight must-have products for your winter survival kit. But first up, let’s kick it off with what should be included in a typical winter survival kit.

What Should be in a Winter Survival Kit for Home?

This question is a big one, and one that’s been known to overwhelm even the most practical of folks. In theory, you could stock up on supplies that would get you through twenty snowstorms and three nuclear attacks. But you run the risk of your partner’s ire and your kids wondering why their bedrooms have been converted into life-size pantries. So let’s discuss the absolute necessities, and we’ll leave it to you if you want to super-size anything.

First up is an obvious one – water. A good tip is to have roughly 5 gallons of water stored per person in your household. You could up that to 8 if you are in an area that gets especially cold or suffers long periods of frigid temperatures. In line with water is food, and while cans and freeze-dried food is great, don’t neglect your pets, or even worse, your newborn, without having their food stocked up and stored as well. A handy suggestion while we’re talking about food – keep a non-electric can opener handy as well.

After you’ve got your water and food set, it’s time to start thinking about medicines, heat, and blankets. If you or your family members require medicine on a daily basis, make sure to have at least two months worth coming into winter. If the power goes out, you’ll need an alternate way to heat the home; wood and kerosene are practical options and can be easily stored. Our final item is blankets – don’t skimp on blankets! 

How do You Stay Safe During a Blizzard?

While the winter provides plenty of fun for all, blizzards are natural occurrences, and getting caught unprepared is not recommended. Blizzards and severe winter storms can cause loss of electricity, phone service, and, worse yet, heat. If you need to leave the home during a blizzard, it’s best to layer your clothing and use mittens or gloves. You’ll also want to cover your mouth as this will protect your lungs from the extreme cold.

Another issue to keep in mind is frostbite. Believe it or not, some folks don’t even feel frostbite coming on as the numbness suddenly becomes the norm. If extremities such as ear lobes, toes, fingers, or the tip of the nose become numb and pale or white in appearance, seek medical help. All of this points to a need to stay indoors if at all possible during a blizzard.

You’ll want to have on hand much of what we detailed previously – water, canned or dried food, blankets, and other items like flashlights, extra batteries, first aid supplies, a battery powered NOAA weather radio as well as snow shovels. At some point the blizzard will pass and you might need to shovel yourself out of your home. Shovels will also be a life-saver!

The American National Red Cross has more information on how to stay safe during a blizzard.

Winter Home Survival Kit Essentials

First Aid Kit Survival Kit 241 Pieces by Monoki

There are few kits as complete as this one, which is why we’re jumping off with one of the most respected brands in the business. Ideal for an emergency situation (camping, traveling, or stuck in a blizzard with no place to go), this kit features 241 pieces with staples such as multi-function pliers, a compass keychain, an emergency blanket, and a tactical folding knife among others.

The medical trauma supplies kit is complete as they come with a full range of emergency medical supplies to treat the most common injuries. The red waterproof case makes it easy to spot, and Monoki has managed to fit all this into a kit that weighs under 2 pounds. Impressive stuff!

To learn more, click here.

Swiss Safe Emergency Mylar Thermal Blankets (4-Pack)

Being caught without a blanket is a tough pill to swallow. Swiss Safe doesn’t disappoint with this 4-pack set of aluminized mylar emergency blankets. Lightweight and extremely durable, these are military grade blankets and are designed to retain roughly 90% of your body heat.

While marketed as blankets, Swiss Safe also shows online how their blankets can be converted into an emergency shelter if need be. So if you find yourself in the elements with little chance of making it back to a proper shelter, you can use the blankets to potentially pass the night, but we hope it doesn’t come to that.  

Ready to buy? Click here.

EverBrite LED Flashlight 6-Pack Impact Handheld Torch

You knew we’d arrive at the handy flashlight at some point. But this flashlight from EverBrite is anything but normal. First off, you don’t receive one flashlight, but rather six in this impressive pack. Each light is nearly five inches in length and 1 ¼ inches in width. The soft rubber switch is easy to turn on and off, and when you compare this to the average size of a smart phone, fitting it in your pocket is a snap.

This pack includes the six lights, lanyards, and 18 AAA carbon batteries (3 per flashlight). In terms of getting through the winter without any unfortunate surprises, a good suggestion is placing these lights in strategic spots around your home. That way, if the lights go out and you’re in the garage, having a light handy will be a tremendous relief. 

To see pricing, click here.

HM Mountain House Emergency Meal Kit

Remember when you were a kid out camping and Mom or Dad pulled out the small package of beef stroganoff to heat up? You likely thought like most kids, “How does beef stroganoff come from such a small package?” It’s a great question, and NASA scientists who also consume freeze dried food could give you a better answer. But we know these tiny packets yield a mighty punch, and this meal kit from HM doesn’t disappoint.

Freeze-dried food is ideal for camping, but it’s also ideal to have on hand in case you find yourself in a winter jam. The Mountain House Adventure Meal KIT includes classics such as granola with milk and blueberries, scrambled eggs with bacon, and lasagna with meat sauce. A total of 15 pouches can keep you covered for up to five days. Again, we hope it doesn’t come to that, but if so, this is an absolute necessity for any household. 

To read reviews, click here.

SDS Liquid Oil Emergency Candles

Even the most courageous among us will have some doubts and second-thoughts once the lights go out. Weathering a storm is one thing, but weathering it without light or sight is downright nerve-racking. SDS emergency candles are the perfect remedy, producing emergency light in the event of a blackout.

To put them in motion, simply remove the 1.5-inch lid on the candle, ignite the wick and viola. You use and reuse the candle until the oil is gone. It’s safe for both indoor and outdoor use and the container is quite durable, made of high-grade plastic. Again, a no-brainer of a buy and one you’ll be pleased to have. 

Like it? Click here to buy now.

Emergency Water Storage Containers 5 Gallon Stackers for Home

Storing water can be a hassle. This company thought it over and came up with stackable 5 gallon units that are easy to store, much easier to transport, and best yet – are stackable.

This set comes in six, so you can have all of them safely and orderly stacked in your garage corner. If you have a large family, you may do the same in the remaining three corners. You’re now at 120 gallons, stacked and out of the way that you can move at a moment’s notice, and everyone is happy. Perhaps happy isn’t the word, but relieved you’ve got the extra water issue resolved.

To read the latest reviews, click here.

Super Bright Mini Collapsible LED Lanterns

Forget nasty weather, a blizzard, some catastrophic winter event that leaves you without power or worse. While all of those things are terrible, these collapsible lanterns are fun, unique, and a blast to use year-round!

Not only are these emergency lighting sources, you can easily bring these lanterns on camping trips, give them away at birthday parties, or simply have them next to your kid’s bed for reading at night. We guarantee they’re a whole lot more fun than a lamp!

To see pricing, click here.

Emergency Flashlight Radio with Hand Crank & Solar Charging

The thought of going 30 minutes without an internet connection is downright disastrous. So try going three days without power. No need for whimpering and feeling sorry for yourself; you’ve got this! Our grandparents and those before them went through some hardscrabble times. But one thing they wish they had during a snowstorm is an emergency flashlight radio.

This handy device comes with 7 NOAA stations plus a rechargeable 4000 mAh battery. The hand crank charging coupled with solar charging keep this puppy juiced up and ready to go. Radio communication during a nasty storm is vital. It’s one thing to know you might only be hunkered down for four days, and quite another to pass the time without any knowledge of the outside world. 

To learn more, click here.

To Sum It Up…

If you’ve read this post thoroughly, printed it out, took it down to your local hardware store and purchased everything on this list, good for you. We hope you won’t ever have to use anything on this list (except for the mini lanterns, those sound so fun!), but this is about preparedness, and like insurance, it’s best to have it and never use it.

We touched on what items you need in the event of being shut inside for extended periods of time, staying safe during a blizzard, and the eight key products every household should have. Face this upcoming winter prepared and ready for anything. It’ll be a good lesson to diligently follow and pass on to future generations as well.

Pssst….Check out Snow Shovels and Snow Pushers next!