If disaster struck today, power out, supply chains frozen, shelves bare, how long could you and your household really last with just what you have on hand?

Not what you plan to stock up on, not what you wish you had.

I mean right now.

This isn’t about fear, it’s about clarity.

Most of us assume we’d be fine for “a while,” but until you run the numbers, it’s just a guess.

Let’s do a self-test together.

Step 1: Count Your Calories

Food is the obvious first need.

A moderately active adult needs around 2,000 calories per day.

Kids and sedentary adults need less, but emergencies burn more energy.

• Action: Take a quick look in your pantry, fridge, and freezer. Count up shelf-stable calories (canned goods, pasta, rice, beans, oats, peanut butter, cooking oils, etc.).
• Reality check: Perishable items (milk, meat, fresh vegetables) may spoil within days if power is out.

Divide your total calories by your household’s daily needs.

That’s your food window, how many days until the cupboards are bare.

Step 2: Water—Your Real Lifeline

You can survive weeks without food, but only days without water.

Most people underestimate this.

• Rule of thumb: 1 gallon per person per day (for drinking, cooking, and minimal hygiene).
• Action: Check your bottled water, jugs, and the size of your water heater (it’s usually 40–60 gallons and can be drained in emergencies).
• Reality check: Do you have a way to filter or purify water if taps stop running?

Your water window may be much shorter than your food window.

Step 3: Light and Power

After sundown, the lack of light is one of the first psychological blows.

• Action: Do you have flashlights, lanterns, candles, or solar lights charged and ready? Extra batteries?
• Bonus: A backup power source for phones or radios (power bank, solar charger, car adapter).

Buyer’s Guide: Emergency Battery Pack Stations

When the grid goes dark, your phone, radio, or even a CPAP machine can turn from a lifeline into a useless brick.

ON SURVIVALCraig

Step 4: Heat (or Cooling)

Depending on where you live, temperature may be your biggest threat.

• Winter: Extra blankets, sleeping bags, safe indoor heat sources?
• Summer: Shade cloth, fans, ways to keep cool without AC?

Step 5: Security and Stability

Food and water matter, but so does keeping them.

• Action: Do you have locks, ways to secure your home, or even just a plan if tensions rise in your neighborhood?

Safekeeping What’s Yours

In a world that feels increasingly unpredictable, protecting what matters, our home, your stuff, your peace of mind, doesn’t need to be complicated or paranoid.

ON SURVIVALCraig

Step 6: Health and Sanitation

• Prescription meds; how many days’ supply do you have?
• First aid basics?
• A way to handle waste if toilets stop flushing?

Putting It All Together

Once you’ve tallied your food, water, power, and other essentials, ask yourself honestly:

How many days could you actually last, right now, without leaving the house?

For many people, the number is shockingly low.

But that’s not failure. It’s useful knowledge.

Survival isn’t about perfection. It’s about identifying your weak spots before they matter.

Challenge for You

Tonight, take 30 minutes and walk through your house with these steps in mind.

Write down your food window, your water window, and where you’d struggle first.

Then ask yourself:

• Could I stretch my supplies with rationing?
• What’s the simplest thing I could add tomorrow that would double my survival window?

Preparedness doesn’t happen all at once, it’s a mindset built day by day.

And the best time to start isn’t when the shelves are empty.

📝 Survival Self-Test Worksheet

“How Long Could You Survive on What’s in Your House Right Now?”

Use this worksheet to quickly calculate your survival window, how long your household could last if disaster struck today.