Most of the items we use daily use some form of digital technology. Technological advancements in recent years have rendered most households reliant on the digital world. You need Digital Blackout Preparation Gear & Essentials.
Table of Contents
Recent events have made it evident that technology is less reliable than some think. At any given moment, a disastrous digital outage could strike. A mass outage has the serious potential to cause extreme chaos worldwide.
To protect your household, you need a backup plan for handling basic tasks without any technology to fall back on. If the worst tech scenario occurs, the items listed below will help you and your family reduce your tech dependency.
Read this: Digital Blackout Survival Guide
First-Aid Gear
Since medical care will likely not be running properly during a mass outage, you need to be able to handle health issues at home. A first-aid kit packed with useful items will help you avoid being turned away at a hospital and heal ailments in the comfort of your home.
Some useful items in a first-aid kit include:
- sterile bandages,
- gauze,
- alcohol wipes,
- pain relief pills,
- ointments,
- a thermometer,
- tweezers,
- and any medications you or a family member might need for individual ailments.
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Certain types of oxygen masks require power, which could be compromised in a power grid failure. A backup generator as part of your first-aid preparation can help maintain the ability to breathe for anyone who might need it.
Many people also rely on CPAP machines to breathe during sleep. These machines require power and would need a backup generator in the event of a power grid failure.
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First-aid kits can be built yourself by buying individual items to pack in them. You can also buy premade ones that already include many supplies. Either way, analyze your and your family members’ health and add any other supplies you think could be helpful—it’s better to be overprepared than underprepared.
You must also know how to use all the items in your first-aid kit and what to use them for. First-aid manuals can help, or you can find information from books or online to write down so you’ll have it even if there’s no internet.
Safe
Cash is essential in a technology blackout, as digital pay methods will not function. It will be extra valuable in a digital outage, as people will have no way to pay for necessities. However, cash is also a physical item that thieves may try to take from you.
You need a safe to protect your money and, therefore, your ability to provide for your household. A durable, high-quality safe will prevent anyone from stealing your cash.
When looking for a safe, ensure you get a mechanical one and avoid anything electronic, as that would defeat the purpose and lock you out of your cash in a long-term mass outage.
Security Safe Box for Money, Cash Valuables, Digital Electronic Keypad, Dual Alarm System, Removable Shelf
About this item:
- UNMATCHED SECURITY PROTECTION—The DAYI safe box is crafted with cutting-edge one-piece bending and precision laser-cutting technology, a pry-resistant door, and 4 x 1.2inch dia. live-locking bolts that provide durable and reliable protection. Our safe keeps your valuables secure with advanced locking technology that resists both physical attacks and lock manipulation.
- EXTRA FIREPROOF & WATERPROOF BAG—This fireproof and waterproof bag keeps all your irreplaceable documents, cash, and small valuables in one place, saving crucial time in emergency situations. Ideal for home, office, or travel, the Fire Bag stands up against basic fire and water peril due to its fire-resistant stitching and four-layer protection.
- DIGITAL LOCK WITH KEYPAD—This battery-powered digital locking system uses a programmable 1-8-digit code. It is easy to unlock with either a passcode or a manual override key and offers seamless access when needed. Our safe box locks are reliable.
- DUAL ALERT SYSTEM FOR PEACE OF MIND—The DAYI home safe has a dual alarm warning system that ensures your belongings are protected. Three incorrect password attempts or any forceful breach trigger a loud 70-decibel alarm, deterring intruders.
- VERSATILE INTERIOR ORGANIZATION—Our safe box provides ample space and customization with two removable shelves and built-in hooks for optimal organization. Plus, it features an integrated LED sensor light for effortless access to your belongings, even in the dark. We also enhance interior protection with a custom carpet interior to keep your important valuables protected from damage during storage.
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Hidden Compartments
Hidden compartments are another great, non-digital way to keep cash or valuables safe. They can take many different forms and go completely unnoticed by outsiders.
Some hidden compartments are built into furniture.
- Side tables,
- bed frames,
- shelves,
- dressers,
- and most other pieces of furniture can have hidden compartments.
You can also get ones that look like regular household items, such as:
- water bottles,
- soda cans,
- canned goods,
- books,
- and much more.
- You can even get appliances resembling air conditioning vents and outlets.
There are also hidden compartments that can go outside. Various items, including:
- plant pots
- and fake rocks can store your items safely without being noticed by potential thieves.
Some safes are even designed to be hidden underground. These safes would be another option for storing valuables, as long as you remember where they are buried.
Keep Your Valuables Safe - like Jewelry, Cash, Money, Coins, Car Keys - Storage Home Security - Can of Peaches
About this item:
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- Home Fortress in Disguise: Elevate your home's security with a diversion safe that seamlessly melds into its surroundings. Nestled in your pantry or kitchen, this ingenious decoy ensures potential intruders remain clueless, safeguarding your essentials within the unsuspecting guise of a soup can.
Outdoor safes might not be suitable for those living where it rains often. Some underground outdoor safes are often waterproof and designed to withstand rainy conditions.
Survival Food
Since the food supply could be compromised in a long-term mass digital outage, it would be wise to ensure your household can still access nutritious food even in such an unfortunate scenario.
Some survival food on the market has a shelf life of decades. Some survival food comes in large buckets that contain multiple packages to provide meals for a given amount of time.
Some kits provide thirty days’ worth of food, whereas others may give a year’s worth. Many of these kits contain dehydrated food that only requires water and heat for preparation.
Another good food option is canned goods. Although canned goods typically only have a few years’ shelf-life, they’d still be a good semi-long-term option requiring no extra ingredients.
Details:
- Long shelf life - The Survival Food included has up to a 25-year shelf life
- Made in the USA - All foods are manufactured here in the USA
- Try out our best-selling Survival Food - Survival Fresh Canned Meat
- Gear to prepare the food - This kit includes over $100 worth of Survival Gear to help prepare the food. Including a Pocket Stove & 12 Extra Hexamine Tablets, A can opener, A spork, A camping cup, and a Tough Tesla Lighter.
- Dry Bag for Storage: Includes a 20L Dry Bag to keep your gear and food dry.
- $150 Value for $99.97: If purchased separately, the value is over $150. That's a savings of over $50!
This Bundle Includes:
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1x - Triple Mac & Cheese by Backpackers Pantry
1x - Tough Tesla Lighter - Orange
1x - Pocket Stove & 12 Hexamine Fuel Tablets
1x - Camping Cup
1x - Spork
1x - Emergency Can Opener
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20 Liters
The Pocket Stove with Hexamine Fuel Tables is enough to buy this product. It really works well! Anything from Survival Frog is great!
Other types of food that would be good for a long-term outage situation are non-perishable goods. Things like:
- rice
- or pasta,
- dried beans,
- honey,
- and powdered drinks like milk are all shelf-stable, reliable options.
Non-Digital Cooking
Modern cooking appliances are reliant on modern technology. When that technology fails, all of those appliances will be useless. You need to have the proper gear to cook without needing power.
Being able to start a fire is essential for cooking without technology.
- Firestarters make lighting a fire significantly easier.
- You can also get a flint and steel to start a fire without needing a lighter, which can run out of fluid, or matches, which can run out after you use them all up.
You also need durable cookware. Get a set of pots and pans made of a material that can be used on an open flame, such as stainless steel.
Another way to cook without using digital appliances is to use a portable stove. The only downside is that they are gas-operated, so they’re not an indefinite option—especially if you don’t have backup gas or any way to obtain more.
A solar cooker is another option that doesn’t require technology to work. A solar cooker requires nothing but the sunlight to cook your food. The fact that it doesn’t need any additional materials to function is suitable for a long-term outage scenario.
Portable & High Capacity | Indoor or Outdoor Solar Cooker | American Oven Camping Cookware | Survival Gear Powered by Sun or Electricity.
- Hybrid Solar Cooker: The Hybrid Solar Oven is 5x more efficient than a traditional electric oven. Portable camping stove is designed to provide insulation to keep the heat in and the cold out. It is so safe to touch that children can enjoy cooking.
- Temperature Range: The long-lasting vacuum tube camping cookware provides insulation to keep the heat in and the cold out. Electric outdoor oven, it takes only 20 minutes to cook a meal at a maximum temperature of 550 °F (288 °C) in full sunlight. You can also power it with electricity.
- Lightweight Portable Design: Sun Oven Camping Cookware has about 16 pounds of weight and consumes only 150 watts, so there are no dangerous flames.
Foraging Books
One way to gather food without needing digital assistance is through foraging. Gathering edible plants can be an excellent way to provide nutrition to yourself and your family, but it can also be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing.
A guide on foraging will help you gather plants that won’t make anyone sick. You’ll be able to learn tips and tricks on foraging and will know what to watch out for without needing to browse the Internet.
The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods is probably the most important thing you want to have by your side when you go out foraging. Maybe there are times when you're still not sure about a certain plant, and you need to consult the book despite your vast experience. Or maybe you don’t have experience and want to find wild goodies using the book.
This book is the ultimate resource for every home. It should be kept right next to your emergency foods, in your bug-out bag, on your coffee table, or in your bookcase. You can use this book to put food on your table during hard times. This knowledge is better at your fingertips now, as you might not be able to get it when you need it the most.
You can also use the book to make remedies for plants growing around you. Inside The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods, there are hundreds of medicinal plants and detailed, super-simple instructions on how to use them.
Many high-priced foods labeled as ORGANIC are nothing compared to those growing in the wild. Wild foods mean no GMOs, pesticides, herbicides, or harmful contaminants. No foods are healthier than the ones you pick in the wild.
This is FREE food, and it’s completely up for grabs.
Plant knowledge is no longer taught as it was thousands of generations ago.
If we don’t act, this knowledge will be lost forever, and one day, we might pay the ultimate price for it.
Related: Edible Plant Identification for Senior Survivalists
Hunting Gear
Hunting is another non-digital way to gather food in an outage situation. Having the proper gear is important for hunting success. Without the right equipment, your efforts will most likely be in vain.
Camouflage clothing is one kind of hunting gear you need. Blending into the natural surroundings is essential so an animal doesn’t notice you and run away.
It is also important to have the proper hunting tools, such as:
- firearms
- or bows.
- Ensure you also have backup arrows or extra ammunition.
- Devices to call game animals would also be good to have.
Right-Hand Traditional Bow for Adults Beginners to Advanced Outdoor Practice & Hunting
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- [Bow Specifications] 65" Archery Hunting Bow Takedown LongBow, string length 60 inches, brace height 6.7", standard draw length 28 inches, max draw length 32 inches, bow weights 1.5LBS, draw weight 20lbs-60lbs, Equipped with strong B55 bowstring.
Water Purification Gadgets
In a mass long-term outage, people may easily lose access to clean water. To ensure that people still have clean water, they need items to purify contaminated water.
One way to do this is to have ways to start fires, like
- firestarters
- and flint
- and steel.
You can also boil unsafe water to decontaminate it and kill pathogens that can make you sick.
A water filtration straw would also be a good option for accessing clean water. These straws can be used directly in dirty water, filtering out the most dangerous microorganisms.
Water Purifier Survival, Emergency Preparedness for Camping, Hiking, Travel, Hunting, and Family Outing
About this item:
- SGS Certified with Test Report NBF23-0012700-03. Each filter meets strict quality standards and undergoes regular performance testing, ensuring reliable performance when needed.
- It protects against over 99.9999% of harmful substances and removes the smallest microplastics found in the environment, down to 0.1 microns.
- Provide up to 1,300 gallons of clean drinking water per unit with proper use and maintenance, ensuring a sufficient supply for an individual for over five years.
- Measuring 1.6" in diameter and 8.2" in length and weighing only 3.5 ounces, it seamlessly fits any standard 28mm threaded water bottle and can also be attached to standard gravity hoses.
- With a powerful suction boasting a maximum flow rate of 600ml/min, clean water can be effortlessly and quickly obtained.
- No expiration worries with unlimited shelf life, always ready in your emergency go-bag.
A water filter or even water purification tabs would also be a good way to clean your water. There are many different types on the market, but you need to ensure you get one that isn’t digital, as that wouldn’t work properly in an outage.
Water Filtration System for Camping, Emergencies, Survival, and RVs. Easy-to-use Water Treatment and Disinfection.
About this item:
- DRINKING WATER, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE—Aquatabs are the world's most popular tablet and the ultimate choice for portable water treatment tablets. They remove 99.999% of Bacteria, 99.99% of Viruses, and 99.9% of Cysts (Giardia).
- FEEL SAFE OUT THERE - Aquatabs are an excellent solution for purifying water while camping, RVing, or in emergency survival situations. Add one 397mg Aquatabs tablet to 4 gallons of water and wait 30 minutes.
- BE BETTER PREPARED—These lightweight drinking water purification tablets are easy to store in a disaster kit or bugout bag. They can also be used to clean and maintain your RV.
Fuel Stabilizers
Gas stations won’t work in a mass outage. Transportation, however, is essential, especially in an unstable societal situation. Most vehicles need gasoline.
Even if you stock up on gasoline, it has a set shelf life—not that long, either. Usually, it lasts three to six months. In a short-term outage, this would probably be a sufficient shelf life.
However, if you want to prepare for a long-term scenario, you should get fuel stabilizers. Fuel stabilizers can extend gasoline’s shelf life to one to three years. That’s a significant difference and would be very helpful in a long-term outage.
Home Security Gadgets
Relying on digital security systems won’t cut it in an outage, long-term or not. They could even do the opposite of their jobs and put you in danger in the event of a cyber attack.
To prevent this, rely on tangible security devices. Since these don’t rely on a digital system to function, they’ll protect you even if every piece of technology becomes obsolete.
Durable locks on every entryway will secure your home without technology. Deadbolt locks are some of the strongest on the market, so checking those out would be an excellent place to start.
Matte Black - Built for Rigorous Residential Protection with ANSI Grade 2 Security (E2401-122)
- FEATURES: The BRINKS single-cylinder deadbolt has a 1” deadbolt and steel anti-saw pin. It meets ANSI Grade 2 standards, fits most standard doors 1-3/8" to 1-3/4" thick, and has a 4-way adjustable latch that fits 2-3/8" or 2-3/4" backsets.
- SECURITY: Keyed on one side, is pick and bump resistant and includes a drill-resistant pin and an anti-pry shield. 2 keys are included.
- EASY TO INSTALL: Installation is easy and fits most standard front, back, or side doors. You only need a Phillips screwdriver and a few minutes to improve your home's function and appearance dramatically.
Door jammers are another type of item you can use to secure entryways in your home. They work by jamming the door, so if anyone somehow gets through your locked door, they wouldn’t be able to open it anyway.
Books
Books are a great way to gather knowledge without relying on technology like the Internet. Stocking up on different kinds of books can help you keep your knowledge intact, learn more without the Internet, or pass information on to others.
Having non-digital access to information is essential when preparing for tech outages, as a situation like that could wipe out all of the knowledge humanity has amassed on the Internet.
You can get multiple books on different topics or an encyclopedia, which contains much information on many topics in a single place.
Life-Saving Strategies to Be Self-Sufficient and Keep Your Family Safe in Every Emergency
30 BOOKS CONDENSED INTO 1! YOU WILL NEVER FIND A MORE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE IN THE MARKET!
- Survival in a World of Change
- Off-Grid Water Purification
- Food Preservation Techniques
- Stockpiling Made Easy
- Wilderness Survival
- Wilderness Navigation Skills
- Emergency Medical Skills
- Emergency Sanitation Solutions
- Outdoor Cooking
- DIY Solar Power
- Self-Defense Tactics
- Home Security Essentials
- Emergency Communication
- Essential Knots for Survival
- Survival Gardening
- Hunting, Trapping, and Fishing
- Wild Edible Plants
- Firearms and Ammunition
- Sustainable Homesteading
- Urban Survival Skills
- Building Your 72-Hour Survival Kit
- Emergency Medical Care
- Basic Vehicle Maintenance and Repair
- Psychological Preparedness
- Survival Psychology
- Surviving Natural Disasters
- Herbal Medicine
- Essential Tools for Preppers
- Community Building
- Alternative Energy Sources
Temperature-Related Items
In a mass outage, those living in areas with extreme temperatures, whether high or low, will be affected by the inability to use their AC units. Controlling the temperature in harsh conditions is vital to survival.
To prepare for this type of situation, you could get thermal clothing. Thermal clothes trap your body heat and keep you warm significantly better than regular clothes. You can also add insulated coats to this.
Blankets and sleeping bags made of insulating materials, such as wool, will keep you warm even in rough, cold winter conditions without an operable heating unit.
Lightweight clothing will help you stay cool in hot temperatures. Look for clothes labeled moisture-wicking. Linen and cotton are also typically good clothes that keep you cool.
If your house gets a lot of sunlight through its windows, you should also invest in blackout curtains. These curtains block much sunlight, so they can cool your house significantly.
Double-layer, Full-Room Darkening, Noise-Reducing Rod Pocket Curtain (52 x 63 Inches, 2 Panels). Choose your Color.
- EASY TO INSTALL: Each package contains two curtain panels. Each lined blackout curtain measures 52 inches wide by 63 inches long and has a 3-inch Rod Pocket on top, which fits most curtain rods.
- MAXIMUM BLACKOUT: With a black lining backing, our 100% light-blocking curtains are thick enough to completely block out sunlight. These room-darkening curtains provide a real dark environment to sleep even during bright sunny days, protecting your indoor privacy.
- ENERGY SAVING: Our 2-layer insulated curtains help balance your room temperature by preventing summer heat or winter cold from entering. They are ideal for saving money on energy bills.
- SOUND PROOF: Our heavyweight double-layer curtain panels effectively absorb sound twice as much as ordinary one-layer curtains, protecting you from being disturbed by outside neighbors or traffic noise.
- MACHINE WASHABLE: These durable blackout drapes are thick, soft, wrinkle-free, and easy to care for. Wash in water below 86F. Iron and tumble dry at low heat as needed. Do not bleach.
This type of gear can be tailored to your family’s needs. When selecting items like first aid devices, survival food, and others, consider their medical conditions, comfort, and preferences.
Have you experienced a digital outage? What kind was it? What did you do without your digital technology? Have you made any special preparations for the loss of digital tech? Please leave a reply below to assist others in their survival prepping.
I’m the daughter of 2 original survivalists who moved from the north to sunny Florida. My mother, along with her parents, bought 30 mostly uncleared acres in 1938. The first home was made of pecky-cypress and built by a house-raising. My mother raised 10,000 chickens.
My divorced mother met and married my father in 1948. From pine trees on our property, he hand-built a log cabin. He also built a tarpaper-lined 65’x45′ pool with duck pond overflow. We had an artesian well for our water and powering our hand-built waterwheel for the pool. He built a substantial cantilevered roof workshop with a car pit in the massive cement floor.
Since my early teens, I have read a ton of books about survival, prepping, the bomb, an apocalypse, homestead living, and SHTF situations. As an adult, I continue to read sci-fi, survival prepping, and science. I practice a prepper lifestyle albeit a bit modified, read a lot, buy a lot, pack/store a lot of anything survival related.
Read my About Me post for more details on our self-sufficient living. I lived there until I went to college in 1968.
My SurvivalPrepperSupply.com blog strives to educate individuals on coping with natural and human-caused disasters using article posts about preparing for emergencies.
