7-Day Shelter-in-Place Checklist
A one-week home supply list: water, food, sanitation, backup light and heat, with amounts in US and metric units.
Checklist
0 of 27 ticked
Water 0/3
Food 0/4
Sanitation 0/4
Light, power, information 0/5
Cooking 0/3
Health 0/4
Home 0/4
Everything on this list is ticked. Check it again when you rotate your supplies.
I could not find an official US or Canadian list for exactly seven days. This one is the 72-hour list scaled up, with the things that start to matter after a few days: sanitation, cooking and keeping food organised.
For scale: EPA suggests at least 5 days of food and medicine for smoke events, and CDC suggests a 2-week water supply if you can manage it.
What changes at one week
- Water gets heavy. Seven gallons (26.5 L) weighs about 58 lb (26 kg) per person. Use several containers you can lift.
- Toilets may be a problem if water or sewer service is out. Set up a backup toilet plan.
- Hot food helps morale. A camp stove is useful but outdoor-only.
Carbon monoxide warning. Generators, camp stoves, barbecues, charcoal, and kerosene or propane burners give off carbon monoxide, which you cannot see or smell and which can kill within minutes. Never use them indoors, or in a garage, basement, shed, tent or covered porch, even with doors and windows open. Outdoors, keep them at least 20 feet (6 m) from doors, windows and vents.
Check before you rely on it
- Open one can and test your can opener.
- Run your flashlights and radio for a few minutes.
- Check that everyone can reach the supplies.
Next: the 14-day list.
Where to buy
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Water storage container, 7 gal / 26 L
Reliance: Reliance Aqua-Tainer 7 Gallon Rigid Water Container
A rigid 7 gal (26 L) container sold for drinking water storage, so one jug covers several person-days.
Water filter rated for bacteria and protozoa
Sawyer: Sawyer Products SP129 Squeeze Water Filtration System
Sawyer rates this filter at 0.1 absolute micron and states that bacteria, protozoa and cysts cannot pass through it.
Water filter rated for bacteria and protozoa
LifeStraw: LifeStraw Personal Water Filter
A straw-style filter that needs no power, sold by LifeStraw for hiking, travel and emergency preparedness.
Water filter rated for bacteria and protozoa
GRAYL: GRAYL GeoPress 24 oz Water Purifier Bottle
GRAYL states it removes viruses, bacteria and protozoan cysts and is independently tested to NSF/ANSI protocols 42 and 53.
5 gal / 19 L bucket with a lid
Reliance: Reliance Luggable Loo Portable 5 Gallon Toilet with Snap-On Lid
A 5 gal (19 L) bucket toilet with a seat and snap-on lid, for when the toilet can't be flushed.
Battery lantern
Black Diamond: Black Diamond Moji Lantern
A small AAA-powered lantern that lights a table or room corner without an open flame.
Battery lantern
Goal Zero: Goal Zero Lighthouse Core Lantern and USB Power Hub
A lantern with a USB port, so it can also top up a phone in an outage.
Spare batteries for your flashlights and radio
Energizer: Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA Batteries, 4 Pack
Energizer states AA Ultimate Lithium cells last up to 25 years in storage and work from -40°F to 140°F (-40°C to 60°C), which suits stored kits.
Phone power bank
Anker: Anker Power Bank, 20,000mAh, Built-In USB-C Cable
A 20,000 mAh pack holds several phone charges and has its own cable, so one less thing to find in the dark.
Camp stove, outdoor use only
Coleman: Coleman Classic 2-Burner Propane Camp Stove
A two-burner propane stove for cooking through an outage; use it outdoors only, never indoors or in a garage, because it produces carbon monoxide.
Battery-operated carbon monoxide alarm
Kidde: Kidde KN-COB-B-LP Nighthawk Carbon Monoxide Alarm, Battery Operated
Kidde lists it as UL Listed with an electrochemical sensor, and it runs on 3 AA batteries so it keeps working in a power outage.
Check price at Amazon.comNo Canadian link yetBattery-operated carbon monoxide alarm
Kidde: Kidde C3010 Worry-Free Carbon Monoxide Alarm, 10-Year Sealed Battery
Kidde lists its Canadian C3010-CA as CSA Listed with an electrochemical sensor and a sealed lithium battery, so it keeps working in an outage; check the listing shows the CSA mark before buying.
No US link yetCheck price at Amazon.ca
Sources
- Ready.gov: Build a Kit https://www.ready.gov/kit
- Canada.ca: Emergency kits https://www.canada.ca/en/services/policing/emergencies/preparedness/get-prepared/emergency-kits.html
- CDC: How to Create an Emergency Water Supply https://www.cdc.gov/water-emergency/about/how-to-create-and-store-an-emergency-water-supply.html
- EPA: Reduce Your Smoke Exposure https://www.epa.gov/wildfires/reduce-your-smoke-exposure
- USDA FSIS: Shelf-Stable Food Safety https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/shelf-stable-food
- Washington State Department of Health: Toilet Use During an Emergency https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/wastewater-management/toilet-use-during-emergencies
- FEMA/Ready.gov: Be Prepared for a Power Outage (PDF) https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/ready.gov_power-outage_hazard-info-sheet.pdf
Updated November 9, 2026