The household field guide

When the grid goes quiet,
be ready.

Backup power, water, food, radios and first aid. Research-based picks for real American households. No fear-selling.

Research-based · not lab-tested

BLUETTI Elite 200 V2 portable power station — The best portable power stations for home backup

Gear guide

The best portable power stations for home backup.

Well pump or 240V circuits: EcoFlow DELTA Pro 3. Fridge, lights and phones in a short outage: BLUETTI Elite 200 V2. The same on a budget: Jackery Explorer 1000 v2. Router, phone and laptop: EcoFlow RIVER 3 Plus. Runtime depends on what you plug in, so do the math below. None replace a generator for a week-long outage without solar or a recharge.

Meet the four picks Compare the specs

Best for most homesElite 200 V2Enough battery for a real outage night, still liftable by one adult.

Best whole-home backupDELTA Pro 3A battery you build a backup plan around. 120/240V, and room to grow.

Best valueExplorer 1000 v2The fridge-and-phones station. Small enough to live in a closet.

Best compact backupRIVER 3 PlusKeeps the router, phone and laptop running. Doubles as a UPS.

More gear guides.

Gear guide · Optics

The best budget red dots for your rifle

Get the SIG ROMEO5. It wakes up when the rifle moves, ships with two mounts, and the ROMEO5 line is Pew Pew Tactical's runner-up budget dot. If it's out of stock, the Primary Arms SLx Microdot has a longer rated battery life and a lifetime warranty. The ROMEO-MSR Gen II is SIG's cheaper option with a co-witness riser. Each was listed below 150 dollars at the store we link when we checked on 2026-10-11.

Gear guide · Storage

The best quick-access pistol safes and ammo storage

For most homes: the Vaultek VT Series, with four ways in and an alarm if someone bumps or hits it. Don't trust fingerprint readers? The Hornady RAPiD 2700KP opens with a wristband tap, and the Fort Knox PB1 has a mechanical lock with no battery at all. Store ammo separately in a sealed can like the MTM AC50C, somewhere cool and dry. Check your state's storage law first.

Gear guide · First aid

The best IFAKs, trauma kits and tourniquets

Get a North American Rescue SOLO IFAK for the bag or the car: a genuine C-A-T plus real bleeding control and everyday first aid. Keep NAR's STRAC bleeding kit at home. Just need a tourniquet? The C-A-T Gen 7 has been the U.S. Army's since 2005. Buy from the maker or an authorized seller, never a marketplace bargain, and take a Stop the Bleed class.

Gear guide · Comms

The best GMRS radios for families and emergencies

Rocky Talkie Expedition is the best handheld: waterproof, repeater-ready, with a swappable battery. The Midland GXT67 Pro is the easiest to hand to a beginner. For the truck or a kitchen base station, the 15-watt Midland MXT275. On a budget, a Midland GXT1000 pair runs on AA batteries but can't use repeaters. All of them need an FCC license to transmit on GMRS: $35 (FCC fee; checked 2026-10-10) for 10 years.

Gear guide · Food

The best freeze-dried emergency food

One Mountain House Just In Case 3-Day kit per person is the baseline. Add a Mountain House Essential bucket for a deeper pantry. If protein matters more than a 30-year shelf life, look at Peak Refuel's Entree Essentials 2.0, though it was sold out at Peak Refuel when we checked on 2026-10-11. All three are just-add-water pouches, so you need water and a way to heat it.

Gear guide · Water

The best emergency water filters and storage

Store safe water first: Reliance Aqua-Tainer jugs year-round, a waterBOB the night before a storm. Then a filter: Sawyer Squeeze for go-bags, Platypus GravityWorks for a family, GRAYL GeoPress if you want virus protection. Filters handle specific contaminants; none makes fuel- or chemical-contaminated water safe. Follow local water advisories.