Step 01

The essentials

the concept is simple: water, food, first aid, light, and a way to communicate, gathered in one place and ready to go. most UK households have none of it in one place. this is the thing you build once and don't think about again.

Water (3 litres per person per day)

£10–30

the non-negotiable. for a household of two, that's 18 litres over 72 hours. sealed bottled water is the simplest option; dedicated food-grade water storage containers (10–20 litre) work well and take up less space. store in a cool, dark location and rotate every 6 months.

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Emergency food rations (3-day supply)

£20–60

high calorie, no cooking required, long shelf life. energy bars, tinned goods, peanut butter, crackers, dried fruit, and nuts cover the basics. freeze-dried meals last 5–25 years and are worth considering for a serious kit. aim for 2,000 kcal per person per day. a manual tin opener is not optional.

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First aid kit (comprehensive)

£20–35

British Red Cross specification: sterile wound dressings in assorted sizes, triangular bandage, non-latex gloves (multiple pairs), scissors, safety pins, emergency foil blanket, adhesive plasters, and a first aid guide. a basic comprehensive kit runs around £20–35. check expiry dates annually.

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LED head torch + spare batteries

£15–30

hands-free light is the difference between managing in the dark and not. minimum 100 lumens. lithium batteries outlast alkaline in cold storage and don't drain over time. buy at least two sets of spares and keep them with the torch in the kit.

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Battery, wind-up, or solar radio (DAB/FM)

£20–40

when the internet is down and your phone battery is gone, this is how you know what's happening. DAB and FM. wind-up or solar means no dependency on spare batteries. the BBC broadcasts emergency information on FM during major incidents.

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Portable power bank (20,000mAh, USB-C)

£25–40

enough for 4–6 full phone charges. USB-C is the current standard; include a multi-cable to cover older devices. 20,000mAh keeps a phone running for 3–5 days of normal use. recharge the bank every 6 months or it will not hold capacity when you need it.

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Cash (small notes)

ATMs run on electricity and network connections. card readers run on network connections. in a widespread emergency, neither works. £50–100 in small notes (a mix of £5s, £10s, and £20s) covers food, fuel, and small services when digital systems are down.

Emergency whistle + multi-tool

£10–20

a whistle carries further than a voice, costs next to nothing, and keeps working when you can't shout. a multi-tool adds a blade, can-opener, pliers, and screwdriver in one pocket-sized package. both together cost under £20 and take up almost no space.

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Waterproof document wallet

£8–15

holds copies of your passport, driving licence, insurance documents, medication list, emergency contacts, NHS number, and bank details. originals stay at home in their normal location; copies go in the kit. a waterproof wallet protects them from flood, rain, and general chaos.

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Where to buy emergency kit supplies (UK)

Amazon UK: Wide selection of individual components; useful for water storage containers, power banks, radios, and multi-tools
Go Outdoors: Camping and outdoor supplies; good for head torches, emergency blankets, first aid kits, and portable radios
BCB International: UK specialist in emergency preparedness and survival equipment; military-grade quality; used by UK emergency services
Decathlon: Good-value head torches, first aid kits, and outdoor gear; UK stores and online

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Keep cash in the kit

Keep at least £50–100 in small notes in the kit. Cash still works when card readers don't, networks are down, or systems are overwhelmed.

Step 02

Why 72 hours

The 72-hour rationale

most acute emergencies in the UK (power cuts, flooding, severe storms, localised infrastructure failure) resolve within three days. in major incidents, emergency services are overwhelmed for 48–72 hours and triage their resources accordingly. the 72-hour kit is built around a single assumption: for the first three days of a serious emergency, you're largely on your own. the kit is the plan for that window.

Four categories

Water

3 litres per person per day as a strict minimum; more in heat or with physical exertion. the single non-negotiable. a person can survive weeks without food. without water, the window is hours to a few days depending on conditions.

Food

2,000 kcal per person per day, minimum. no cooking ability assumed: the kit must function with no cooker, microwave, or gas supply. high caloric density, long shelf life, no preparation required.

Safety

first aid, warmth, and light. the ability to treat injuries, stay warm if heating fails, and move around safely in darkness.

Communications

a battery or wind-up radio to receive emergency broadcasts; a charged power bank to keep your phone alive; a whistle for signalling if trapped or isolated.

Shelf life and rotation

Water (stored in containers)

use within 6 months. sealed commercial bottled water: use by the manufacturer's date, typically 1–2 years.

Tinned food

2–5 years for most tins. check the base of each tin annually; discard anything bulging, rusted, or leaking.

Dried food (nuts, energy bars)

varies by product. check expiry dates when you assemble the kit and set a rotation reminder. most energy bars: 1–2 years.

Power bank

recharge every 6 months. lithium cells left fully discharged for long periods degrade and lose usable capacity.

Batteries (alkaline)

check annually. most have a 5–10 year shelf life. lithium batteries last longer in storage and perform better in cold.

Medications

rolling replacement only: as each prescription is renewed, move the newest pack into the kit and use the kit supply day-to-day.

Go-bag vs home kit

these are two different things. the home kit is the full 72-hour supply: 18 litres of water, three days of food, the complete first aid kit, everything. it lives in a cupboard. the go-bag is a smaller subset: what you could carry in one rucksack if you had 2 minutes to leave. it lives by the front door. both have their purpose; the go-bag is useless without the home kit behind it, and the home kit is useless if you've had to leave without it.

go-bag

a reduced emergency kit in a single rucksack kept by the front door; designed to be grabbed in under 2 minutes for immediate evacuation

golden hour

in emergency medicine, the period immediately following major trauma during which effective treatment has the highest chance of preventing death or serious harm

blue-light services

the emergency services (police, fire service, and ambulance), named for the blue lights on their vehicles

shelter in place

remaining in your current location during an emergency rather than evacuating; appropriate when the threat is external (toxic release, extreme weather) and movement increases risk

evacuation route

a pre-planned route out of your home or area in an emergency; you should know at least two, in case the obvious one is blocked

caloric density

the number of calories per gram of food; high-caloric-density foods (nuts, energy bars, peanut butter) are preferred for emergency kits because they deliver more energy per unit of weight and volume

shelf life

the period during which a product remains safe and suitable for use; check expiry dates on all kit items twice a year

potable water

water safe to drink; from a safe mains source, commercially sealed, or treated with purification tablets

passive signalling

making yourself visible or detectable without active effort: a whistle, a reflective emergency blanket in a window, or a note on your front door

Faraday cage

a conductive enclosure that blocks electromagnetic fields; used to protect electronics from electromagnetic pulse events; a metal tin with a tight-fitting lid works for small devices

History

UK civil defence has a long tail. the Protect and Survive series (booklets and films produced by the Home Office and distributed to UK households during the Cold War and updated through the 1980s) advised the public on surviving nuclear attack. they are historically interesting documents. the assumed self-sufficiency window was seven days, in a sealed interior room, with improvised fallout protection. not particularly reassuring.

the modern 72-hour standard came from US emergency management. FEMA's 'Build a Kit' programme, developed through the 1990s and progressively refined after major incidents including Hurricane Katrina, established the 72–96-hour self-sufficiency window now used by emergency preparedness agencies worldwide. the principle is unchanged: in a major incident, professional response takes time to mobilise and scale. the UK government now publishes its own guidance at gov.uk/prepare-for-emergencies, with the same underlying logic and similar recommended contents.

Step 03

Building the kit

Step 04

Maintaining it

a kit that's never checked is a kit that fails at the worst possible moment. rotate it like a smoke alarm battery: twice a year, same dates, no exceptions.

Water stored

30 minutes

18 litres minimum for a 2-person household; sealed containers in a cool, accessible location; labelled with the fill or purchase date.

Food supply assembled

1–2 hours

3-day no-cook supply; 12,000 kcal for two people; manual tin opener in the kit; all items checked for expiry dates.

Go-bag ready

30–60 minutes

Water, 24-hour food, torch, power bank, first aid, cash, documents, phone charger, and medication, in a rucksack by the front door.

Documents copied and stored

1 hour

Passport, driving licence, insurance, medication list, emergency contacts written on paper, NHS number: copies in a waterproof wallet inside the kit.

Household briefed

15 minutes

Everyone in the household knows where the kit is, what is in it, and what the plan is if something happens.

6-month review schedule in place

5 minutes

Calendar reminders set for April and October. The kit is now a maintained system, not a box that quietly goes off in a cupboard.

The people and organisations to learn from

gov.uk/prepare-for-emergencies: UK government emergency preparedness guide: practical, no-nonsense, updated regularly
British Red Cross (emergency preparedness): UK charity with clear household emergency guides: redcross.org.uk/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies
Ready.gov (US FEMA guide): the most comprehensive 72-hour kit guide available anywhere, directly applicable despite the US origin

Qualifications worth adding

British Red Cross First Aid (1-day course)

The single most useful skill addition for any emergency scenario: covers CPR, choking, bleeding, and burns; available across the UK; around £50–80

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training

Available through some UK councils and voluntary groups: teaches neighbourhood emergency response, triage, and working alongside emergency services in major incidents

Best resources

YouTube

Websites

Apps

Part ofEmergency Preparedness·Phase 5: Your Emergency Kit

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