Emergency kits prepare you for being stuck somewhere for a while. This might be in your home or your car. We recommend you have a kit in both your home and your vehicle.
You can read the below or if you prefer something more interactive, have a go at taking our How prepared are you quiz.
Emergency kit checklist and emergency contacts list
You can download our Emergency Kit Checklist and Emergency Contacts List, which you can print and use at home. It is purposely made into a concise two-pager, so you can hang it on your pinboard or the fridge, and forget about it until you need it. You can fill out key details for your personal situation on it, which will help you during an emergency. Don't forget to check once in a while to see if the details are still up to date, such as emergency phone numbers for family and medical providers.
What is a grab bag
A grab bag can be grabbed in an emergency where you need to leave your home urgently.
Why do I need both
This page explains what you should have in each type of kit.
Home emergency kits
In emergency incidents, you may be instructed to Go In, Stay In and Tune In until it is safe to leave. Having a home emergency kit means you are prepared for situations like this.
You should make sure that you have a home emergency kit ready in either a box or waterproof bag that can be accessed easily.
You might already have several of the items that can help increase your resilience in times of emergency. Perhaps you often buy a few extra tins of veg, if they are on offer. Or perhaps you have a head torch at home, or a roll of duct tape. All these items can help in times of crisis. Hopefully, some of the other ones mentioned here may give you some ideas as well.
We recommend having a Home Emergency Kit, so you can look after you and your family for at least 7 days of disruption. This next section will look at the type of items you have available at home, which could be used as part of your home emergency kit.
The more items you have, the better prepared you are. However, we are not recommending that you need to go out and buy all this equipment. A lot will be based on your personal situation and potential vulnerabilities. It can also depend on personal preference, affordability, presence of storage space, the location you live in, type of property you live in, size of your family, your ability to use the equipment, etc.
Of course, our list of items is not exhaustive and you can go further.
Remember: For any equipment you get, you need to maintain it well and keep an eye on expiry dates.
Questions that will impact what you need
There are some considerations you need to take into account, to decide on what equipment you should have and how much, such as how many people are in your household, the location where you live, the type of home you are in, etc. You may also have some additional challenges to think about.
Do any of these situations apply to your household
Is anyone in your household bedbound?
If yes, additional considerations could be: If there were an evacuation due to risk to life, how could you evacuate, what equipment may be needed? And where could you go?
Is anyone in your household reliant on electric medical equipment for their health and wellbeing?
If yes, additional considerations could be: If there were a power outage, how long would the battery run for? Have you got spare batteries? Do you need a generator and spare fuel?
Do you have any babies or very young children that would need extra supplies or support?
If yes, additional considerations could be the availability of nappies, special food, baby formula, sterilisation of bottles, etc.
Do you have anyone that requires prescription medication, which their life depends on?
If yes, additional considerations could be: If there were a 7-day disruption in access to that medication, how would you manage?
Do you have any pets?
If yes, additional considerations could be the availability of specialist equipment, electricity dependence, sanitation, access to food, etc.
Kit essentials, in no particular order, for up to 7 days of disruptions
- health: first aid kit, medication, prescription details, dust masks/face masks
- communication: wind-up radio, small power bank
- power: larger power bank/solar generator, spare batteries
- light: wind-up torch, head torch, candles, lighters, matches
- food: non-perishable food, camping/gas stove, spare gas bottles, disposable cutlery, plates and cups, can and bottle opener
- water: bottled water, water purification device (e.g., LifeStraw and tablets), jerrycans/buckets
- hygiene: spare hygiene products
- very useful: multi-tool knife, whistle, tarpaulins, survival blankets, duct tape, funnels for liquid, notebook and pens, mini-tool kit, zip ties, rope or cord, entertainment (cards, board games, drawing kit, etc)
Further preparations
There are many other types of equipment that may help you be prepared for an emergency. For example radio communications equipment, satellite phone, satellite Internet (e.g. Starlink), back-up/portable generators, solar panels with charging batteries, rainwater collection and purification systems, spare fuel and spare gas. Any of these preparations are likely to be higher cost, may need installation and may require ongoing servicing. There will also be rules and regulations to follow to ensure safety.
Home safety checklist
- make sure you have a suitable fire extinguisher
- fit and test your home smoke alarms
- fit and test your home carbon monoxide alarm
- know how to shut off and turn on your mains utilities supplies: mains water (your stopcock), mains gas, mains electricity (most likely in your fuse box)
- create your emergency contacts list
Vehicle emergency kit
In incidents where you are stranded in your vehicle for a long period of time unexpectedly, either because of traffic or an emergency incident, you should make sure that you have a vehicle emergency kit ready in your vehicle.
- refreshments: spare bottled water and snacks
- weather: small shovel and ice scraper
- light: head torch and spare batteries
- warmth: survival blankets and warm jacket
- directions: paper UK road atlas
- health and safety: warning triangle, hi-vis vest, car fire extinguisher, first aid kit, sunglasses
- communications: spare phone charging cables and a power bank
- other useful items: jump leads, tyre air pump, tow rope, duct tape, toilet roll
Top tips
There are useful links on our severe weather pages, in general:
- when you’re travelling, ensure you are properly prepared
- when making a journey, check Met Office's weather portal
- check that you know where to find traffic and travel information
Grab bag
We recommend having an Emergency Grab Bag, so if you were suddenly evacuated from your home with no time to prepare, you would have the most essential items with you. This next section will look at the type of items you could have in your Emergency Grab Bag.
The more items you have, the better prepared you are. A lot will be based on personal preference, affordability, presence of storage space, size of family, etc. A grab bag should be kept in either a box or waterproof bag that can be accessed quickly.
Grab bag essentials
- identification: copies of important documents (ID, birth certificates, etc.) in a waterproof case
- communication: phone charger, power bank
- warmth: spare set of warm clothes/blanket, poncho
- health: essential medication
- hygiene pack: toothbrush, toothpaste, hand gel, tissues, etc.
- access: spare keys to your home and vehicles
- money: some spare cash
When making up your grab bag you think about your individual requirements, for example, medication or pets.
Are you prepared to help your pets
Pet essentials, in no particular order, include:
- pet food and treats
- bottle(s) of water
- tin opener and pet food
- pet medication, vet records and vet's contact number
- sturdy leashes, harnesses and/or carriers so you can move your pets safely and they can't escape (remember they may be scared and may act differently from usual)
- current photos of your pet in case they get lost
- pet beds and toys, if there is room
All free-roaming pets should have an identification tag and collar, too.
Are you at risk of flooding
- is your property at risk of flooding or do you live near a watercourse? If you don't know your flood risk, use the GOV.UK flood risk checker
- if you may be at risk of flooding, have you signed up to receive the Environment Agency Flood Warnings?
- have you signed up to receive Met Office Severe Weather Warnings?
If you are at risk of flooding or live near a watercourse, it is your responsibility to protect your home in the event of a flood. We recommend having prepared some Flood Protection Equipment ready to use.
We suggest the following for your flood kit. Have you considered any of them? If you live in a high-rise building it unlikely you will need this equipment.
Flood kit
- aquasacs/hydrosacks
- plastic sheeting and tarpaulins
- air brick covers
- flood barriers
- toilet bungs
- non-return valves
Further actions
- find your Electricity Block Letter at PowerCut115
- register for the Priority Service Register to receive extra help in a utility outage (if eligible)
- is your device capable of receiving the National Emergency Alerts?
- make sure you know how to turn off and isolate your mains water, electricity and gas supplies
National prepare
Find out more on the Government's National Prepare website.