The only items you need to purchase this Black Friday

Let’s be frank.

You don’t need another matching set on your Black Friday list.

What you do need are a couple of essentials should you come face-to-face with a couple of days with no electricity or water, which was recently our reality when Hurricane Helene tore through Western North Carolina. I’m thinking practical this year because when the unexpected happens the first thing you regret are the purchases you should have made to get you through.

I’m here to get you a step ahead, and though I hope you’ll never have to go through a storm like us, you’ll at least be ready to do three things: charge your devices, have light in the darkness, and have water for flushing the toilet and washing your hands.

Two quick things to note: not all of these items have a Black Friday discount, but those that do will have an asterisk next to them! Secondly, the prices listed are the prices as of time of posting and are subject to change.

#1. $699.00 | Anker SOLIX F1200 Portable Power Station* +
$179.00 | Anker SOLIX PS100 Solar Panel with Adjustable Kickstand*

When Hurricane Helene took out our power and water, the first thing we did was take out our portable power station. This one specifically has 13 ports to hook up all sorts of devices and is an *ideal* solution to power essential devices and appliances during emergencies. In our case, we used it to charge our devices, get our Internet back up and running, hook up our coffee maker, and, at one point when we wanted a sense of normalcy, even used it to power up one of our televisions so we could watch a DVD (remember those?).

The best part? It can recharge to 80% in just one hour! Anker also has several other options at a lower cost, so check them out on Amazon.

But what about when you can’t recharge it? Well, for just a bit more, you can purchase the Anker SOLIX PS100 Solar Panel with Adjustable Kickstand.

Created with a waterproof and portable design, this solar panel charges our power station to 80% in 3.6 hours. Following Helene, this was one of the first purchases we made. We were grateful to have a car where we could keep the power station charged when it ran low (though by low the lowest we ever let it get was maybe 40%) but this solar panel will allow us to keep it charged with the power of, well, the sun!

#2. $29.99 | Duracell 2000 Lumens LED Lantern 

I can’t tell you how upset I was with myself when Helene tore through and we didn’t have a light source powerful enough to give us light in the evenings, especially when I had *almost* bought this Duracell 200 Lumens LED Lantern from Costco two weeks before the storm. Well, that changed moments after the storm when we finally ordered this lantern and, no surprise here, it’s incredible. For just $30 on Amazon, you can have this lantern that’s also:

• Solar powered
• Has a built-in rechargeable battery or can be powered with 4 D-Cell batteries (not included)
• Offers 3 light modes
• Power In and Out USB

We love this lantern so much that we also got one for my parents to have in their home. And though I never want to go through another hurricane again, I feel grateful knowing that I’m better prepared with light.

#3. $13.48 | 5 Gallon Stackable Water Bottle + $13.99 | 5 Gallon Water Bottle Dispenser

During the heavy rains, and just minutes after our power (and water) went out, my husband ran outside with several water jugs to fill them so we could flush the toilet. Yes, my initial thought after losing power was related to my cell phone battery, not remembering that without water, there was no toilet flushing. We were lucky to store enough water to keep the toilets flushing, but in the aftermath thought to purchase a 5-gallon water bottle that we’ll now keep full in case something similar happens. This one that we purchased is from Walmart, but Amazon has a couple of options too!

And finally, with no water comes little ways to keep those hands clean besides baby wipes and hand sanitizer. Thankfully, my parents’ landlord dropped off a rechargeable water bottle dispenser that they placed in the kitchen for hand washing. I know it sounds silly, but this was monumental for us after cleaning our hands with sanitizer and wipes for several days. We immediately purchased the JOYHILL 5 Gallon Water Bottle Dispenser from Amazon based on its great reviews. We haven’t used it yet, but if we ever have to I’ll let you know!

I know these aren’t flashy items or the latest trends in style, but they’re practical tools that will help keep your household going during an unexpected power outage or following a couple of days of no water and electricity after a storm.

Make the right call this Black Friday and spend those hard-earned dollars wisely. I believe in you!