The three-day emergency kit: the complete UK checklist

In October 2026 the Prime Minister asked households to keep three days of tinned food and bottled water. It was not a new idea. Ireland, France, the Netherlands and the EU have published the same advice for years, and the UK government's own Be Ready checklist sets out exactly what it means. This page turns that guidance into one tickable list with real quantities, plus links to a deeper guide on each part of the kit.

Water

The government figure is about 3 litres per person per day for drinking, so 9 litres per person for three days. Cooking and washing need more. Full detail in the water guide.

• Bottled drinking water: 9 litres per personSealed supermarket bottles are fine. Five 2-litre bottles per person covers it with a little spare.
• Extra water for cooking and hygieneRoughly another 4 litres per person per day if you can store it. Clean containers you can fill when a warning is issued count.
• Two clean containers with lids (10 litres or so)For collecting water from a bottled water station or a bowser if the mains fail.

Food

Three days of food that needs no fridge and no cooking. Choose things you already eat so the stock rotates naturally. More in the food guide.

• Six no-cook meals per personTinned meat, fish, beans, vegetables, soup, rice pudding, pouches of ready-to-eat rice or lentils. Two main meals a day.
• Snacks with energyDried fruit, nuts, oatcakes, crackers, cereal bars, long-life milk, biscuits.
• Manual tin openerThe item most kits forget. Keep it in the kit, not the drawer.
• Anything for special dietsGluten-free, diabetic, allergies, religious requirements. Three days of it.

Light and warmth

Torches are safer than candles, and a home without heating gets cold within hours in winter. See light and warmth.

• Torch, one per two people, plus a spareLED, battery-powered. A head torch leaves your hands free for a tin opener and a toddler.
• Spare batteries for everythingCheck the sizes. Store them in the kit, in their packaging.
• Blankets or sleeping bagsOne per person. Fleece blankets are cheap and pack small.
• Warm layers, hats and socksEasier to stay warm than to get warm.

Information and communication

If the power and the mobile network go, FM radio is how official information reaches you. See radio and communication.

• Battery or wind-up FM radioDuring a national emergency the BBC prioritises news and safety information on radio.
• Your local station frequencies, written downTape them to the radio. BBC local radio and Radio 4 (92 to 95 FM) at minimum.
• Charged power bank and cablesOne per phone if you can. Recharge it at every six-month check.
• Key phone numbers on paperFamily, neighbours, GP, school, insurer, and 105 for power cuts.

Money and documents

Card machines and cash points stop with the power or the network. See cash and documents.

• Cash in small notes and coinsEnough for three days of essentials. Many households settle on £50 to £100.
• Copies of important documentsPassports, birth certificates, insurance policies, medical equipment instructions. Paper copies in a waterproof folder.
• Written list of contacts and medicationWho to call, who to check on, regular medicines and doses for everyone in the house.

Health and hygiene

See first aid and medication.

• First aid kitPlasters, bandages, sterile dressings, antiseptic, eyewash, gloves, tape, tweezers, thermometer, paracetamol.
• A week of regular medicationRequest repeat prescriptions at least five working days before you run out, so you always have a buffer.
• Hand sanitiser and wet wipesHygiene without running water.
• Toilet roll, bin bags, toiletries, period productsThree days of each.

Babies, children and pets

See babies, children and pets.

• Ready-to-feed formulaSafer than powder when you cannot boil water. Three days of your baby's usual intake.
• Nappies, wipes and nappy bagsAround seven nappies a day.
• Something to do without screensCards, a book, a favourite toy. Boredom is the real emergency for a six-year-old.
• Pet food, water and a carrier or leadThree days of food and a litre of water a day per animal.

Home basics

Not things to buy, but things to know. See prepare your home and the household plan.

• Everyone knows where the gas, electricity and water shut-offs areLabel them. Try the stopcock once so you know it turns.
• Smoke alarms tested this monthMonthly. Put it in your phone calendar.
• A grab bag packed in case you have to leaveSee the grab bag guide.
• Household plan written down and sharedMeeting point, who checks on whom, where the documents are.

How much for my household?

Quantities scale with people, not with fear. Put your household in and the calculator gives you shopping-list numbers.

What it costs

Most of this is already in your home. Buying the rest gradually, over four or five weekly shops, is the least painful way to do it. Our budget guide has a shop-by-shop plan, and if you would rather not carry the water at all, get it delivered with the weekly shop.

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Where to keep it

One place, known to everyone, reachable in the dark. A large plastic storage box with a lid in a low cupboard works for most homes. Keep the torch and radio at the front. If you live in a flat, a box at the bottom of the wardrobe is fine. Write the date you last checked it on a piece of tape on the lid.

Keeping it fresh

Check the kit twice a year: swap water and food nearing their dates into the normal cupboard, recharge the power bank, test the torch and radio, and update the contacts list. Our six-month kit check is a ten-minute routine, and the reminder email nudges you when it is due.