UK Government · Be Ready campaign · October 2026
The Be Ready checklist, item by item and ready to order
The UK Government's Be Ready campaign, launched on 22 October 2026, asks every household to be able to manage at home for 3 days. Its checklist: 3 litres of drinking water per person per day, non-perishable food for 3 days, a torch with spare batteries, a battery or wind-up FM radio, a charged power bank, a first aid kit and your essential medication. Below is that list as products you can send to your Amazon basket, plus a few extras we explain.
- How long
- 3 days (72 hours)
- Water
- 3 litres per person per day for drinking: 9 litres each for 3 days
- Food
- Non-perishable food for 3 days
- Who says so
- Cabinet Office, Be Ready (22 October 2026)
Why the first 72 hours matter
- When the power goes, water often follows: pumps and treatment plants run on electricity.
- Card payments, ATMs and mobile networks can stop within hours. Cash and a radio keep working.
- Emergency services reach the most urgent cases first. For the first three days, most households are on their own.
It has happened before: Storm Arwen cut power to around a million UK homes in November 2021, and thousands were still waiting a week later.
What's in the kit
Untick anything you already have. Quantities are already worked out for 2 people.
From your own home
These don't come from Amazon. Keep them with the kit.
- Bottled or tap water: 18 litres
- Food you already have: cans, legumes, nuts, crackers (rotate every 6 months)
- Your usual medication for 3 days, plus copies of prescriptions
- Copies of ID, passport and insurance (in the waterproof pouch)
- Cash in small notes: card payments may be down
- Warm clothes and sturdy shoes
- Important phone numbers written on paper
- Anything babies, older relatives or pets need
The Be Ready checklist, line by line
| Official list | This kit |
|---|---|
| Water: 3 litres per person per day | In the kit Collapsible containers to store it. Fill them from the tap. |
| Non-perishable food for 3 days | In the kit Emergency food rations, plus any tins you already have. |
| Torch and spare batteries | In the kit LED headlamps and AA batteries. Be Ready notes that torches are safer than candles. |
| Battery or wind-up FM radio | In the kit Wind-up and solar radio. Write down your local stations' frequencies, as the checklist asks. |
| Charged power bank | In the kit 20,000 mAh power bank. |
| First aid kit | In the kit |
| Essential medication | From home |
| Hand sanitiser, wet wipes and bathroom products | Partly Wet wipes and bin bags are in the kit. Add hand sanitiser and toiletries. |
| Blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothing | Partly Foil blankets in the 3-day kit, emergency sleeping bags in the 10-day kit. Warm clothes from home. |
| Cash, in coins and notes | From home |
| Copies of ID and important documents | Partly A waterproof document pouch to keep them in. |
| Important phone numbers | From home Write them on paper. |
| Baby and pet products | From home |
Not on the Be Ready checklist, added by us: a water filter straw and purification tablets, a manual can opener for the tins, a whistle, a multi-tool, dust masks, matches, duct tape, rain ponchos and a backpack to carry it all.
Questions
Does the UK Government give out free emergency kits?
Be Ready asks households to put together their own supplies at home. The campaign's pages don't mention free kits. Unticking what you already own keeps the cost of the list down.
How much water should I store for 3 days?
Be Ready says 3 litres per person per day for drinking. That is 9 litres per person for 3 days, or 36 litres for a family of four. Store tap water in clean containers and refresh it regularly.
Why 3 days?
In Be Ready's words, being ready for 3 days helps you manage while support reaches those in need. The EU and Canada use the same 72-hour minimum.
What goes in a grab bag?
Be Ready mentions a grab bag for leaving home quickly but gives no list for it. A practical one holds water, food, the radio, a torch, the power bank, the first aid kit, cash and copies of documents: what the backpack in this kit is for.
Sources: Be Ready (Cabinet Office) · Be Ready checklist (PDF) · GOV.UK press release
Checked against the official pages on 5 November 2026. Independent page, not affiliated with the UK Government.
Questions
Why are governments asking for this?
The European Commission, the UK's Be Ready campaign, Ready.gov in the US and Mexico City's Civil Protection all ask households to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours after a blackout, storm, flood or earthquake. That's how long help can take to reach everyone. Germany's BBK recommends supplies for 10 days. It's preparation, not a prediction.
How much water do I need?
Count on about 3 litres per person per day for drinking and basic cooking. Ready.gov says one gallon (3.8 L), which includes washing. Fill the containers from the tap and change the water every 6 months.
Is building my own kit better than a ready-made one?
Usually. Ready-made kits save time but tend to fall short on water, light and first aid. The list above follows the official checklists item by item.
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