Free and worth what you paid for it!

While it’s nice to have an extra house in the Caribbean, full geothermal heat systems, and backup generators that self-test every month, most of us live a little lower on the hog, so what makes for a survival kit that you probably can’t buy at Neiman Marcus?

1. Heat — A backpacker alcohol stove and a gallon of denatured alcohol or ethyl if you can afford it. Sterno is a good solid fuel alternative but it has a shorter shelf life — the alcohol evaporates.
2. Sleeping — Enough mummy sleeping bags for your pod.
3. Light — LED tea candles and a couple larger LED lights.
4. Communications — Charged battery cellphone chargers and a cellphone.
5. Entertainment — Playing cards, chess, checkers, or other games.
6. Food — Pantry supplies like soup, crackers, canned beans.
7. Water — Something to store water and some source of drinkable water.

Note: This list ain’t gonna keep your pipes from freezing, it’s not shrimp on the barbie, and yes, a landline is better, but if the power is out and you ain’t got a landline, you probably ain’t going to get one put it right now.