Why 7 Days Is the Sweet Spot
One week of preparedness covers the vast majority of emergencies while remaining practical for most households. It's the point where you move beyond "surviving the immediate crisis" to "maintaining comfort during extended disruption."
Consider what a week without utilities actually looks like:
- Day 1-2: Refrigerated food starts spoiling. You're eating fresh items first.
- Day 3-4: Perishables are gone. You're fully dependent on stored food. Phone batteries are dead without backup charging.
- Day 5-6: Fatigue sets in. Hot meals and lighting become psychological necessities, not luxuries.
- Day 7: Supplies chains typically resume. Stores may restock. Power crews have reached most areas.
Seven days gives you a comfortable margin through this cycle. You're not rationing on day 6, wondering if tomorrow will bring relief.
What Changes from 3 to 7 Days
Extending from 72 hours to a full week doesn't just mean "more of the same." Some needs scale linearly; others require new solutions:
What Scales Linearly
- Water: 3 gallons → 7 gallons per person
- Calories: 6,000 → 14,000 per adult
- Medications: Maintain at least 2-week supply always
What Requires New Solutions
- Food temperature: A cooler with ice only lasts 2-3 days. By day 4, you need shelf-stable foods that don't require refrigeration.
- Power: Phone batteries and power banks deplete. A generator or large power station becomes important for week-long outages.
- Cooking: Cold canned food is tolerable for days, miserable for a week. A camp stove or propane grill with fuel becomes essential for morale.
- Sanitation: If water service is out, toilet flushing becomes a planning item. Have backup water or waste disposal plan.
Family of 4: Example 7-Day Supplies
Water (28 gallons total)
- Six 5-gallon jugs (30 gallons with margin)
- Water filter (Sawyer, Berkey, or equivalent)
- Water purification tablets as backup
- Consider rainwater collection if legal in your area
Food (56,000 calories total)
- Canned goods: 28+ cans (soups, vegetables, fruits, meats)
- Dry goods: Rice, pasta, oats, beans (store 10+ lbs each)
- Ready-to-eat: Crackers, peanut butter, granola bars, dried fruit
- Freeze-dried meals: 7-14 pouches for variety
- Comfort foods: Coffee, tea, hot cocoa, candy
Power & Fuel
- Generator option: 3,500W+ generator with 15-20 gallons fuel (run 8-10 hrs/day)
- Power station option: 1,000Wh+ power station with 200W solar panel
- Propane: Two 20lb tanks for camp stove and/or propane heater
- Batteries: 24+ AA, 12+ AAA, 8+ D cells
Additional 7-Day Needs
- Camp stove or propane grill with fuel
- Cooler + plan for ice (or accept no cold food after day 3)
- More reading material, games, activities for family
- Full week of pet food and supplies
- Additional hygiene supplies (toilet paper, soap, sanitizer)
The Power Question
A week-long power outage changes the calculation significantly. With a generator, you can:
- Keep the refrigerator and freezer running (saving food worth hundreds)
- Run a sump pump during flooding
- Maintain medical equipment (CPAP, oxygen concentrators, etc.)
- Power lights, fans, or minimal heating/cooling
- Charge all devices reliably
Without a generator, you'll need to accept:
- All refrigerated food loss after 4-6 hours (48 hours for a full freezer)
- Reliance on shelf-stable foods entirely
- Alternative heating/cooling strategies
- Careful power bank and device management
Use our Generator Size Calculator to determine what you need, then our Generator Runtime Calculator to figure fuel requirements.
Building from 3 to 7 Days
If you already have 72-hour supplies, extending to 7 days is straightforward:
- Add 4 days of water: Two more 5-gallon jugs per 2 people
- Add 4 days of food: More canned goods, plus cooking capability
- Add cooking fuel: Camp stove + 4-8 butane canisters or propane
- Consider backup power: Generator or large power station
- Add generator fuel: 10-20 gallons stored safely
- Increase battery stock: Double your current supply
This incremental approach lets you build capability over time without a large one-time expense.
Ready to Plan Your 7-Day Supplies?
Start with water and food, then add power capability.