No bunkers and no camo. Start with a radio and some rice. Tell us where you live and who is home, and you get a list sized for your people and your weather.
FEMA and Public Safety Canada both ask every household to be able to look after itself for at least 72 hours. The official lists are long and the same for everyone. This one changes with where you live, because an ice storm in Ontario and a hurricane in Tampa do not need the same closet.
It is not a doomsday site. Each item shows a cheap option that works and, where it matters, a better one. Buy what suits you, or nothing at all.
Step 2 of 2
Why each thing is on the list, in one line.
A radio tells you what is happening. Rice keeps you fed. Most of being ready for a bad few days is about that simple, and that is the idea behind this site.
You give us a ZIP or postal code and tell us who lives with you. We give you one short list for the weather and risks where you live, sized for your household. Each item shows a cheap option that works and, where it matters, a better one.
Being prepared is ordinary, like owning a spare tire. It should not take a bunker, a political opinion or a lot of money. If something free does the job, we say so.
Quantities follow public guidance from Ready.gov in the United States and Get Prepared in Canada. Product picks come from published reviews and brand reputation. We have not tested them ourselves yet, and we will say so on this page when we have.
As a husband and a father of two, I wanted to know my own family would be fine for a few days, whatever happened. Every list out there was either too long or written for someone building a bunker. So I made the one I wanted for us, and this is it.
Radio and Rice is independent. It is not owned by a gear maker or a retailer. See the affiliate disclosure for how the site makes money.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.
The "See it" links on our lists go to Amazon. If you buy something after following one, Amazon pays us a small commission. You pay the same price either way.
Right now none of the links on this site pay us.
The "See it" links on our lists go to Amazon searches. We plan to join the Amazon Associates program. When we do, those links will earn us a small commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you, and this page will say so before anything changes.
It does not decide what goes on them. The cheapest option that works is always listed first. Where something you already own will do, we list it as free with nothing to buy. No company pays to be included.
Everything we list can be bought elsewhere. Use whichever store you like.
Effective November 15, 2026
Nothing. Your ZIP or postal code and your answers about your household are worked out in your own browser. They are not sent to us and not stored. There are no accounts and nothing to sign up for.
We set no cookies and run no analytics or advertising trackers.
Like every website, the company that hosts this site keeps standard logs of requests, such as IP address, browser type and time of visit. We use them only to keep the site running and secure.
When you follow a "See it" link you leave this site. Amazon may set cookies and collect information under its own privacy notice. We receive no personal information about you from Amazon. If we earn a commission, we see only that an order was placed, not who placed it.
This site is written for adults and is not directed at children under 13.
If we add email sign-up, analytics or anything else that collects information, we will update this page first and change the date above.
Write to us through the contact page.
We read everything. Corrections to a list are especially welcome, such as a risk we missed for your area or a product that let you down.
Radio and Rice is not an emergency service. If you are in danger, call 911.