Winter storm kit
Snow, ice and cold for three days at home: warmth, light, water and food, and a car ready for the roads.
📖 Read the guide: winter storm supplies for home and car
Amounts below are for 4 people, 3 days. They are planning estimates; change any of them on your list.
Saves the 14 must-haves, 4 easy-to-forget items and 5 things to do to a list on this device. Upgrades are up to you. Then shop the list item by item and tick things off.
At a glance
- 🔎 Extra blankets4 blankets
- 🔎 Warm layers4 layers
- 🔎 Wool socks8 pairs
- 🛒 Hand warmers12 pairs
- 🛒 Flashlights4 flashlights
- 🛒 Batteries16 batteries
- 🛒 Power bank4 power banks
- 🛒 Weather radio1 radio
- 🔎 Drinking and cleaning water12 gallons
- 🔎 Non-perishable food12 person-days
- 🛒 Carbon monoxide alarm2 alarms
- 🔎 Ice melt2 bags
- 🔎 Snow shovel1 shovel
- 🛒 Car snow brush and scraper1 brush
🛒 7 exact products we picked · 🔎 7 Amazon searches, so you choose the brand and size.
Must-haves (14)
Extra blankets
Get about 4 blankets
4 people × 1 = 4 blankets
Amazon search: “fleece blanket”
Warm layers
Ready.gov lists a change of clothes and warm layers.
Get about 4 layers
4 people × 1 = 4 layers
Amazon search: “fleece jacket”
Wool socks
Get about 8 pairs
4 people × 2 = 8 pairs
- Our pick
Hand warmers
HotHands hand warmers, 10 pair
Air-activated warmers. No power needed.
Good for: Winter car and outages
Get about 12 pairs (2 × 10-pack)
4 people × 3 days × 1 = 12 pairs
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Must-haveOur pick
Flashlights
GearLight S1000 rechargeable flashlights, 2-pack
Bright flashlights that charge by USB-C, so a power bank keeps them going.
Good for: Outages
Get about 4 flashlights
4 people × 1 = 4 flashlights
One per person, so nobody is left in the dark.
- Budget pick: GearLight S1000 flashlights, 2-pack (AAA) ↗The same light on AAA batteries, sold without batteries.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Must-haveOur pick
Batteries
Amazon Basics AA batteries, 48-pack
A big pack of AAs for lights and radios.
Good for: Restocking
Get about 16 batteries
4 people × 4 = 16 batteries
Check sizes for your lights and radio.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Our pick
Power bank
Anker PowerCore Slim 10,000mAh power bank
Pocket-size backup charging for a phone.
Good for: Everyday bag
Get about 4 power banks
4 adults × 1 = 4 power banks
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Must-haveOur pick
Weather radio
Midland ER310 hand-crank NOAA weather radio
Weather alerts, plus hand-crank and solar charging.
Good for: Every home kit
Get about 1 radio
1 radio for the group
Ready.gov lists a battery-powered or hand-crank radio with NOAA alerts.
- Upgrade: Midland ER310PRO weather radio ↗The newer ER310 with a bigger battery and Bluetooth.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Must-have
Drinking and cleaning water
1 gallon per person per day is the Red Cross and Ready.gov amount. Hot weather, nursing and illness can need more.
Get about 12 gallons
4 people × 3 days × 1 = 12 gallons · official amount
Amazon search: “gallon drinking water”
- Must-have
Non-perishable food
One person-day is a day of food for one person. Pick food your household already eats.
Get about 12 person-days
4 people × 3 days × 1 = 12 person-days
Amazon search: “non perishable food”
- Must-haveOur pick
Carbon monoxide alarm
First Alert CO605 plug-in CO alarms, 3-pack
Plug-in CO alarms with battery backup, one for each level.
Good for: Every floor
Get about 2 alarms
2 alarms for the group
Put one on each floor and near sleeping areas. Ready.gov warns about CO from generators and heaters.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
Ice melt
Get about 2 bags
2 bags for the group
Amazon search: “pet safe ice melt”
Snow shovel
Get about 1 shovel
1 shovel for the group
- Must-haveOur pick
Car snow brush and scraper
Hopkins SubZero 16511 snowbrush and ice scraper
A snowbrush with an ice scraper and chippers.
Good for: Winter car
Get about 1 brush
1 brush for the group
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
Easy to forget (4)
- Our pick
Faucet covers
Frost King FC1 foam faucet covers, 2-pack
Foam covers for outdoor spigots before a freeze.
Good for: First freeze
Get about 2 covers
2 covers for the group
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Our pick
Pipe insulation
Frost King SP512XB6 foam pipe insulation, 6 ft
Self-sealing foam for exposed pipes. This size fits 1-inch copper or 3/4-inch iron.
Good for: Cold basements and crawl spaces
Get about 1 pack
1 pack for the group
Ready.gov says to insulate pipes before cold weather.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
Car blanket
Get about 2 blankets
2 blankets for the group
Amazon search: “wool blanket”
- Our pick
Emergency blankets
Swiss Safe mylar emergency blankets, 4-pack
Light foil blankets for the car and go-bags.
Good for: Car and go-bag
Get about 4 blankets (1 × 4-pack)
4 people × 1 = 4 blankets
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
Upgrades (5)
- Our pick
Heated blanket
Sunbeam Royal Ultra Fleece heated throw
A heated throw with four settings and auto shut-off.
Good for: Cold nights with power
Get about 1 blanket
1 blanket for the group
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
- Budget pick
Portable power station
Jackery Explorer 300 Plus
Runs phones, lights and a small fan. Light enough to carry.
Good for: Short outages
Get about 1 station
1 station for the group
- Upgrade: Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 ↗A large battery for small appliances in longer outages.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
Indoor-safe space heater
Keep 3 feet clear and never run it on an extension cord.
Get about 1 heater
1 heater for the group
Amazon search: “space heater with tip over shut off”
- Budget pick
Generator
Westinghouse iGen2200c inverter generator
A smaller inverter generator with CO shut-off. Outdoors only.
Good for: Fridge and essentials
Get about 1 generator
1 generator for the group
Outdoors only, far from windows. Ready.gov warns about carbon monoxide.
- Upgrade: Westinghouse 9500W dual-fuel generator ↗Runs on gas or propane, with CO shut-off. Outdoors only, 20+ feet from the house.
Product link checked Oct 30, 2026
Roof rake
Get about 1 rake
1 rake for the group
Amazon search: “snow roof rake”
Spend less (1)
Instead of heated blanket:
Extra blankets
Get about 4 blankets
4 people × 1 = 4 blankets
Amazon search: “fleece blanket”
Things to do (5)
- ✅ Winterize the carCheck battery, tires, wipers and antifreeze.
- ✅ Service the furnace
- ✅ Know the signs of hypothermia
- ✅ Check in with older neighbors
- ✅ Sign up for local alertsSearch your county's name and "emergency alerts". Turn on wireless emergency alerts on phones.
Official guide: Ready.gov: Winter Weather ↗
More in seasonal preparation
General planning information, not professional or medical advice. A list does not guarantee anyone’s safety. In any emergency, call your local emergency number and follow official guidance from local authorities.
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