It’s a scary time to go shopping. There are shortages of all sorts of odds and ends, and knowing what you actually need to get you through the Covid-19 pandemic can feel super stressful. The WIRED Gear team has spent the past few days talking to experts (as well as among ourselves), and have come up with this master guide to everything you might need right now (and a few things you should avoid buying for the sake of the greater good).
Need more information? Be sure to check out our full coverage of all things Covid-19, and to pay attention to any new information coming from the Centers for Disease Control and other reliable sources.
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Updated March 20: We’ve added more retailers so you have more options and replaced links for items that are out of stock.
General Tips
First thing’s first: Know when you might be sick.
Symptoms of the Coronavirus include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. It can also cause body aches, coughing, nasal congestion, runny nose, and sore throat. A lack of these symptoms alone does not mean you are free of the virus. Many who get Coronavirus show few or no symptoms, which is why we recommend following these recommendations from the CDC on how to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
- Stay home (especially if you’re sick) unless you absolutely need to leave.
- If you are out and about, keep your distance from others (about six feet). Avoid groups of 10 or more.
- Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough (into your elbow or use a tissue).
- Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. A lot. You can use hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol if you’re on the go.
- Clean and disinfect areas in your home you frequently touch.
Food and Supplies You (Might) Need
Frankly, the most necessary supplies are things you should already have on hand: Food, water, and a warm place to sleep. It’s also a good idea to make sure you have basic emergency supplies on hand.
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3 Weeks of Food: Don’t buy more food than you need, but now’s a good time to cook some of the dry stuff that’s been sitting in your pantry! We recommend dried beans, rice, pasta, popcorn (it’s a great snack!), and an Instant Pot (Amazon, Target) (or, frankly, any pot and heat source) for emergency food supplies. Here’s a list of some good types of foods to buy, if you can find them. Canned items are great to have around. Fresh vegetables and fruit will be good for the next week or two (you can freeze those blueberries!), and frozen veggies are a good choice. Milk is fine but check the expiration date. Oat and almond milk (and Lactaid!) have a longer shelf life. Utilize that freezer.
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Water Purifier: You don’t need to panic-buy a bunch of bottled water to reach the recommended two weeks of water in any emergency kit. It’s just a lot of wasted plastic. It’s unlikely anything will happen to your water supply. The easiest method? Snag a Pur water pitcher (Walmart, Best Buy) to filter your water if you’re nervous. It’s also nice to have a Lifestraw stashed somewhere safe; it’ll be good enough for most emergencies. The straw is selling out fast so this Lifestraw bottle is another alternative (Amazon, Target).
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Water Kettle/Boiler: You’re likely not going to lose power, so a water boiler is also a great option. It’s wonderful for coffee, tea, and heating water faster than the stove. Here’s a basic kettle, and here’s a really nice Cuisinart kettle with temperature options (Amazon, Target). Again, don’t hoard bottled water!
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First Aid Kit: Everyone should have one and now is a good time to make sure yours is still stocked with acetaminophen. Here’s a cheap first aid kit on Amazon and another option from Walmart.
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A Plan If Someone Gets Sick: It might be on paper or in a Google spreadsheet, but please read, think about, and prepare a plan for what to do if someone in your house gets sick (which room should they be in?), how to deal with childcare if local schools or daycare get shut down, and more. The CDC has a Household Plan of Action list here. It’s also a great time to make sure your phone’s medical ID and emergency contact information are up to date. Make sure you have a good medical emergency plan in place, including the names/contact information of your doctors and a list of local hospitals and clinics that take your insurance (for others to reference if you’re ill).
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A Month of Needed Medications or Baby Supplies: Don’t forget to refill medications, pick up baby stuff like diapers, or snag other monthly-use items you might forget about, like toothpaste, toilet paper (please don’t go nuts), shampoo, or anything you are extremely low on right now.
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Soap and Hand Sanitizer: It’s tough to find both of these, but they’ll be in stock sometime soon. If you want to try and DIY it, here’s WIRED’s guide to making your own hand sanitizer.
Stuff You Definitely Don’t Need
Please do not buy more than a few weeks’ worth of supplies at a time. Panic-buying massive amounts of toilet paper and cleaning supplies won’t make this problem better, and it might hurt those in need. Grocery stores are already struggling to keep up with demand for some items as everyone panics and buys too much. Try not to strain the system further or some people in your community won’t have access to items they need.
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No Face Masks (Unless You’re Sick): Wearing a face mask does offer some protection from Covid-19, but you’re better off washing your hands instead of buying them in bulk. There’s a shortage of these masks right now and buying them means you’re taking them away from medical professionals and actual sick people who need face masks most. Please don’t buy a mask unless a medical professional recommends it to you.
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No Dehydrated Food: It’s full of salt and there are massive shortages. Don’t make a bad thing worse. Stick to the food recommendations above. Our own Matt Jancer wrote a rant on why you should avoid dehydrated food right now.
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No (Extra) Toilet Paper: Don’t buy more unless you need it! Now’s also a great time to consider making the switch to a glorious heated bidet, which can help conserve toilet paper during shortages and makes your bum feel much cleaner anyway. We also like these bidets.
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No Hoarding an Insane Amount of Anything: You don’t need to stockpile survival supplies or prepare for nuclear winter. Just try to limit your close exposure to others, wash your hands, and avoid touching your face. Keeping normal supply streams running where they need to go is a good way to help everyone else.
Gear to Feel a Little Calmer at Home
Navigating something like Covid-19 can cause stress and anxiety among even the most level-headed people. It’s important to take good care of yourself—in no small part because stress takes a toll on your immune system. Do whatever you can to relax if you have time, whether that’s hanging out on the couch with your kids or taking your pup for a walk. Here are some products that help us chill out.
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Casper Weighted Blanket for $169 (Amazon, Casper): Compressing yourself can actually help you decompress. Weighted blankets are nice to have—we liken them to a warm hug. They’ll help you get to sleep (which is important!) and they also might mask the sound of you yelling into the void. Think something else might be preventing you from catching Zs? We’ve got an entire gear guide dedicated to sleep to help you.
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Vuori Sweatpants from $63 (REI, Vuori): What good is staying home without some dressing down? If you don’t already have a pair of comfy sweatpants lying around, we on the Gear team really like Vuori. Forced to leave your house? Keep ’em on and call it athleisure.
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Calm Meditation and Sleep App for $12 per month (Android, iOS): Mind racing? You’re not alone. Coronavirus-related fears are affecting much of the population, so much so that we wrote a story about how to quell the coronavirus anxiety spiral. Turning to a phone app to combat stress may seem ironic, but you may find it helpful. It’ll guide you through meditation and it also has programs designed to help lull you to sleep. A one-week trial is free for new users. You may also want to read our take on hope in a time of hopelessness.
If Your Kids Are Stuck in the House
If you have small children, odds are you’ve spent the past week or so panic-buying Legos and tiny trampolines on Amazon. We have a few suggestions for you here, but we’ve also assembled a bigger list of gear to make this time with your kiddos more fun. Be sure to read our full guide on How to Entertain Your You