Tools Worth Having for Power Outages and Storms

Most of what you need for an outage is water, food and light. A few simple tools fill the gaps: opening cans, shutting off a utility, covering a broken window, hearing the news, and dealing with a small fire. Here’s the short list, built from what Ready.gov, PreparedBC and Canada.ca put in their kits, with the reason for each. Product details are the makers’ published specs as I read them on November 9, 2026. I haven’t tested them, and this isn’t a ranking.

You may already own most of these. Check your drawers and garage before you buy.

1. A manual can opener

An electric opener is useless when the power is out, and canned food is the core of most emergency pantries. Health Canada, Ready.gov and PreparedBC all list a manual can opener alongside emergency food.

Keep one with your food, separate from the kitchen drawer, so it’s there when you need it. Many multi-tools include one too, but a dedicated opener is easier to use for a family’s worth of cans.

2. A multi-tool

A multi-tool puts pliers, wire cutters, screwdrivers and a blade in one pocket-sized piece, which helps with small fixes when the hardware store is closed. Leatherman lists 18 tools for its Wave+, including needlenose and regular pliers, wire cutters, a wire stripper, screwdrivers and a can opener, at 8.5 oz (241 g).

Any sturdy multi-tool works. Look at the tool list and pick one with pliers and a screwdriver you’d actually use.

3. A wrench for utility shutoffs

Ready.gov’s kit includes a wrench or pliers “to turn off utilities”. A dedicated shutoff tool can sit right by the gas meter or water main. Ready America says its 4-in-1 tool shuts off gas and water, pries open doors and digs through debris, and is made of a heat-treated alloy that won’t spark or rust.

The important part is knowing when to use it. The Red Cross says to turn utilities off only if you suspect damage or local officials tell you to, and that gas can only be turned back on by a professional. My guide to shutting off utilities shows how to find each shutoff before you need it.

4. Duct tape and plastic sheeting

Ready.gov lists plastic sheeting, scissors and duct tape “to shelter in place”. They’re also handy for taping a cracked window, sealing a cooler, or patching a torn tarp. Keep a full roll with your kit, not the half-used one from the junk drawer.

My wildfire smoke clean-air room guide shows one way to use them indoors.

5. A heavy-duty tarp

After a storm, a tarp can cover a broken window or a leaking spot until a proper repair. Pick one sized for the job, with grommets, plus some rope or bungee cords.

Don’t climb onto a roof in wind, rain or ice. Cover what you can safely reach from the ground or indoors, and call a professional for the rest. Take photos for your insurer before and after.

6. A battery or hand-crank radio

When cell networks are busy or down, a radio still brings local news and emergency alerts. Ready.gov lists a battery-powered or hand-crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert. PreparedBC lists a battery-powered or hand-crank radio, and the Red Cross says to have a battery-powered radio during an outage.

Many crank radios also run a small light or charge a phone. Keep spare batteries for it.

7. A fire extinguisher

Outages bring out candles, camp stoves and space heaters, which all add fire risk. Ready.gov says to keep a fire extinguisher in your kitchen, and Health Canada says to install it near an escape route and away from potential fire hazards.

What to look for, from the US Fire Administration:

• A UL or ULC listing from a recognized testing lab.
• A multipurpose unit labelled B-C or A-B-C, which covers most home fires.
• The largest size you can handle safely and comfortably.

First Alert lists a 1-A:10-B:C rating for its rechargeable home extinguisher, for wood, paper, fabric, flammable liquid and electrical fires, with a mounting bracket, at 5.4 lb (2.4 kg).

To use one, the US Fire Administration and Health Canada describe PASS: pull the pin, aim low at the base of the fire, squeeze the lever slowly, and sweep side to side. Only fight a fire that is small and contained, with a clear way out, when you’re not overcome by smoke and someone has called 911. Otherwise, get everyone out and call 911.

Carbon monoxide warning. Generators, camp stoves, barbecues and charcoal give off carbon monoxide, which you can’t see or smell. Use them outdoors only, never in a home, garage or covered porch, and keep a battery CO alarm inside. An extinguisher doesn’t help with carbon monoxide; an alarm does.

Where to keep them

Tools only help if you can find them in the dark. Pick one spot, like a bin in the front closet or a shelf by the basement stairs, and keep the kit there with a flashlight on top. The shutoff wrench is the exception: keep it beside the gas meter or water main it fits. Mount the fire extinguisher on its bracket in the kitchen or near an exit, not inside a cupboard. Show everyone in the home where things are, and check the radio and extinguisher gauge when you test your smoke alarms.

A quick checklist

• Manual can opener, stored with the food
• Multi-tool or basic pliers and screwdriver
• Wrench or shutoff tool, kept near the gas meter or water main
• Duct tape, plastic sheeting and scissors
• Heavy-duty tarp with rope or bungee cords
• Battery or hand-crank radio, with spare batteries
• Fire extinguisher, UL or ULC listed, mounted where you can reach it
• Working smoke and CO alarms (Ready.gov says to put smoke alarms on every level, including the basement)

Related guides

• See the full 72-hour list and the 14-day power outage list.
• Read home fire safety and lighting in an outage.
• If you’re on a tight budget, my first $50 guide shows where to start.
• Browse tools and the rest of the kit on my picks page, or build a list in the plan builder.