Be Ready When the Lights Go Out: Build a Real 72-Hour Kit for National Preparedness Month
Sep 10, 2025
Be Ready When the Lights Go Out: Build a Real 72-Hour Kit for National Preparedness Month
September is National Preparedness Month, which makes it the perfect moment to build (or finally update) a 72-hour kit you can trust. At Deutsche Optik we’ve carried field-grade tools, lanterns, and knives for decades, and the same principles we use outdoors apply at home during outages and storms: keep it simple, make it reliable, and practice before you need it.
What really matters in a 72-hour setup
A good kit isn’t about stockpiling everything under the sun. It’s about covering a short list of jobs extremely well
• Light you can count on when the grid goes dark.
• Fire and heat for ignition and basic warmth.
• Fuel and cooking when campfires or power aren’t an option.
• Tools for clearing, digging, and small repairs.
• Navigation if phones die or lose signal.
The fast-track build (finish this in 30 minutes)
- Start with a base kit: Field Survival Mystery Kit that covers the little things people always forget.
- Choose two light sources: one primary lantern and one backup that can double as a flashlight—Miners Lantern and Edison Light Stick.
- Add ignition redundancy: waterproof matches plus a stormproof, long-burn option—UCO Survival Matches and Stormproof Strikable Fire Starters.
- Include compact fuel for boiling water and simple cooking—Esbit Solid Fuel Tablets.
- Add one serious tool for debris, trenching, and campsite chores—GI-Spec Tri-Fold Shovel or 8-in-1 Survival Shovel Kit.
How we’d build it from our shelves
Light That Lasts
Light that lasts. Choose a rechargeable workhorse lantern you’ll actually use week to week, not just during emergencies. Our Miners Lantern is a classic: matte brass that’s built to be kept, with the practicality of modern charging and a base that stays put. Pair that with the Edison Light Stick, which lives happily in a glove box or drawer and acts as both lantern and flashlight, with the bonus of USB-C recharging and power bank functionality. For silent, no-battery light that calms a room, add a long-burn 12-Hour Beeswax Candle; it’s clean, dependable, and simple.
Fire and Emergency Heat
Ignition redundancy is the difference between theory and a hot meal. UCO Survival Matches belong in every kit; they relight even after a dunk. Back them up with Stormproof Strikable Fire Starters that burn hot for up to fifteen minutes, long enough to coax damp tinder, light a stove, or get a kettle going. Keep both in a zip pouch you can grab with one hand.
Cook and Fuel When Fires are Restricted
Open-flame bans are common in late summer and fall, and they also pop up after storms. Esbit Solid Fuel Tablets are the unsung heroes here: ultra-light, smokeless, and reliable at altitude and in cold. They’re perfect for a simple boil-and-eat approach—oatmeal, instant rice, broth—and they store for ages. Always check local fire rules before you use any stove, and practice once so you know how long a tablet takes to boil a liter.
Tools That Pull Their Weight
A compact, field-tough shovel does more than dig. It moves debris after a windstorm, carves a drainage trench around a tent, and stands in for a small entrenching tool when you’re making camp on wet ground. If you prefer more functions in one piece, a modular 8-in-1 Survival Shovel Kit adds a fire starter, whistle, and other small implements in the handle. Otherwise, the forged-steel GI-Spec Tri-Fold Shovel is a bombproof, no-nonsense choice. Choose the one you’ll actually carry.
Two simple bundles to make it easy
1. The Blackout Trio:
One long-burn 12-Hour Beeswax Candle for steady ambient light, one beautiful brass Miners Lantern for the room, and one rechargeable Edison Light Stick for tasks and walking the dog after dark. That combination covers comfort, safety, and mobility without a tangle of flashlights rolling around in drawers.
2. The Glove-Box EDC:
The Glove-Box EDC: a five-piece car kit—Folding Survival Knife, German Army-Style Pocket Knife (Multi-Tool), Metal Cased Lensatic Compass, Pocket Survival Wire Saw, and Monkey Fist Shackle Keychain. If you drive, this turns a roadside surprise into a non-event.
How to stage your kit so you’ll really use it
Home Base:
Keep a single, clearly labeled tote in a hallway or pantry. Put lighting on top so it’s the first thing your hand finds. Tape a short checklist to the lid: charge lanterns, rotate matches and fuel, test once a quarter.
Car:
Stash a compact GI-Spec Tri-Fold Shovel, UCO Survival Matches, and your backup Edison Light Stick in the spare-tire well or side cubby. Add a small towel, duct tape, and a contractor bag—those three items solve more problems than most “tactical” gizmos.
Grab-And-Go Pouch:
Build a flat pouch with UCO Survival Matches, Stormproof Strikable Fire Starters, Esbit Solid Fuel Tablets, a small blade, tape, and a headlamp. It should move easily between the hallway tote and your backpack.
Do the 10-minute drill
One evening this week, flip your main breaker off for ten minutes. It’s the fastest way to find the gaps. Can you reach a reliable light without hunting? Could you boil water? Do you have a tool for a stuck hatch or a blocked gutter? Turn the power back on, make one small improvement, and repeat in a month.
Smart habits that cost nothing
Charge Cadence:
Put a recurring reminder on your calendar to top off rechargeable lights every few months. If a lantern holds a charge poorly, you want to discover that now, not during a storm.
Quarterly Check:
Matches dry? Fuel still sealed? Candle wicks trimmed? Ten minutes every season keeps your kit honest.
Neighborhood Swap:
If you have neighbors, compare kits. You’ll learn fast, and someone will inevitably bring up something clever—like keeping a whistle on the key hook or stashing a cheap headlamp on the breaker panel.
Common questions, answered
What’s the minimum kit I should build this week?
One quality lantern (Miners Lantern), one backup light (Edison Light Stick), UCO Survival Matches plus Stormproof Strikable Fire Starters, a compact shovel (GI-Spec Tri-Fold Shovel or 8-in-1 Survival Shovel Kit), and Esbit Solid Fuel Tablets. Add the Field Survival Mystery Kit to gather the small essentials in one place.
How long does gear last in storage?
Keep items cool and dry. Recharge lanterns every few months. Sealed Esbit Solid Fuel Tablets and UCO Survival Matches store well for extended periods; check labels and rotate annually if you’re a stickler.
Can I cook when there’s a fire ban?
It depends on your location and the type of ban. Many restrictions still allow certain enclosed stoves; always check current guidance before you light anything.
What about water and food?
Plan on one gallon of water per person per day and simple meals that only need boiling. Our gear recommendations focus on lighting, ignition, fuel, and tools—the backbone of a reliable 72-hour setup you can build quickly.
Why this matters
Preparedness isn’t fear. It’s comfort, clarity, and a bit of pride in being the one with a calm light in a dark hallway. The right gear turns an outage into an inconvenience and a storm into a story you tell later. Start small, finish today, and practice once. That’s the whole game.
