Immediate danger to life: call 999 or 112.
UK Ready is an independent information site. Current official instructions for your area take priority over this general guidance.
Sources checked 24 October 2026
Be Ready asks households to consider supplies for emergencies lasting a few days. Ready Scotland specifically recommends three days of suitable food and bottled water in its kit guidance. UK Ready suggests building a workable three-day starting kit, then considering seven days of household resilience where space, budget and needs allow. These are UK Ready planning targets, not a legal requirement, a guarantee of rescue time or proof that you could safely stay in every emergency.
Start with: A torch and spare batteries, a battery or wind-up radio, a charged phone power bank, drinking water, familiar ready-to-eat food, a manual tin opener, essential medicines, basic first aid supplies, soap, hygiene supplies, warm clothes, blankets and a paper emergency plan. Include glasses, hearing aid batteries and mobility aids where needed. Check smoke and carbon monoxide alarms separately; an emergency kit does not replace them.
Choose supplies you already use so they can be rotated through normal shopping. Food which needs prolonged boiling is a poor foundation for a power and water outage. Account for allergies and dietary requirements. Pack baby feeding equipment, nappies and pet supplies for the households that need them.
Build gradually
Keep a separate, manageable grab bag if you may be asked to leave. Its weight should suit the person carrying it. In a fire or weapons attack, leave belongings behind; do not retrieve the bag.
Maintenance: Follow food and water labels, check battery condition, recharge power banks according to their instructions and update prescriptions through normal care arrangements. Avoid buying expensive equipment before checking whether basic water, food, lighting and care arrangements are in place.
The government's Be Ready campaign centres on being ready for three days of disruption. Keep 3 litres of drinking water per person per day and three days of familiar food that needs no cooking or fridge.
The British Red Cross essentials: torch, radio and spare batteries; a charged power bank; usual medicines, first-aid supplies, hand sanitiser and wipes; some cash, paper contacts and copies of documents; baby and pet supplies and any medical equipment backup. Ready Scotland adds blankets, accessible information, spare glasses or hearing-aid batteries, mobility aids and assistance-animal supplies.
You don't have to buy everything today or buy a branded kit — start with what you have. Full detail: food and water for three days.
Planning for longer? See the two week emergency food and essentials checklist — an optional fourteen-day extension of the three-day starting point.