Life

How to make a home emergency kit: what the UK, German and US checklists say

Keep water, food that needs no cooking, a torch, a battery or wind-up radio, a charged power bank, first aid and your medicines, cash and document copies in one place. The UK says plan for 3 days, Germany up to 10, the US several.

By Abu Bakar Saadat · Publisher: Saadat Rafiq · 3 min read · Published 27 October 2026

UK: 3 days; 3 litres of drinking water per person per day (Be Ready)
Germany: Ideally 10 days; 2 litres per person per day (BBK)
US: Several days; 1 gallon per person per day (Ready.gov)
Check it: Every six months for expiry dates (UK)
Advice from: UK Government, BBK and Ready.gov, read 27 October 2026
Checked: October 2026

Illustration of an open storage box packed with water bottles, tins, a torch, a radio, a power bank and a first aid pouch — Illustration

The three official checklists side by side

	UK (Be Ready)	Germany (BBK)	US (Ready.gov)
How long	3 days	Ideally 10 days; even 3 helps	Several days
Water	3 litres per person per day for drinking, more for cooking and washing	2 litres per person per day	1 gallon (about 3.8 litres) per person per day, for drinking and sanitation
Food	Long-life food that needs no fridge or cooking	Long-life food for the days you chose	Non-perishable food and a manual can opener
Light and news	Torch, spare batteries, battery or wind-up FM radio	Torch, spare batteries, solar, battery or crank radio	Flashlight, extra batteries, battery or hand-crank radio
Phone	Charged power bank	Charged power bank; a warning app such as NINA	Phone with chargers and a backup battery
Money and papers	Cash (coins and notes), cards, copies of ID and documents, important numbers	Cash; a folder of important documents	Not on the basic list
Check it	Every six months	No interval given	Replace expired items; review your needs every year

You don't have to buy it all at once: the UK checklist suggests adding an item or two during normal shopping. Plan for everyone at home, including babies (ready-made formula, nappies) and pets (food and water).

Step 1: pick how many days to plan for

Illustration of three stacks of water bottles, tins and boxes, getting bigger from left to right — Illustration

3 days in the UK, ideally 10 in Germany, several in the US (see the table).

Step 2: store water for everyone

Illustration of a family of four standing behind four large water bottles, one bottle each — Illustration

Multiply your country's amount by the number of people and the number of days.

Step 3: add food that needs no cooking or fridge

Illustration of tins, a jar of nuts, a bag of dried fruit and a manual tin opener on a shelf — Illustration

Tins, dried fruit and nuts are the UK checklist's examples; buy food you'd usually eat. Ready.gov adds a manual tin opener.

Step 4: add a torch and a radio

Illustration of a torch with spare batteries next to a wind-up radio — Illustration

A torch with spare batteries, and a radio that runs on batteries, a crank or solar, so you still get news in a power cut.

Step 5: get your phone ready

Illustration of a phone charging from a power bank next to a small radio — Illustration

Keep a power bank charged. Then set up these on your phone; each guide has real screenshots:

Task	Our guides
Emergency alerts	Pixel · Xiaomi · OnePlus
Medical ID and emergency contacts	iPhone · Galaxy · Pixel · HONOR
Save battery	iPhone · Galaxy · Pixel · OnePlus · OPPO · HONOR
Offline maps	iPhone · Android

Step 6: add first aid, medicines and hygiene items

Illustration of an open first aid pouch with plasters and a bandage, a medicine box, hand sanitiser and wet wipes — Illustration

First aid items, the medicines and medical supplies your household relies on, hand sanitiser and wet wipes (UK checklist and BBK).

Step 7: add cash and copies of your documents

Illustration of a folder of papers, coins, banknotes and a bank card — Illustration

Cash in coins and notes, copies of ID and important documents, and a written list of important phone numbers and regular medicines (UK checklist and BBK).

Step 8: keep it where everyone knows, and check it

Illustration of a woman showing a child the emergency box inside an open hallway cupboard — Illustration

Ready.gov says to keep it in a place everyone at home knows about. The UK checklist suggests a reminder every six months to check expiry dates and swap items.

In an emergency

Call 112 in the EU, 999 or 112 in the UK, or 911 in the US.

Questions readers ask

How much water does a family of four need for three days in the UK?

For drinking, 3 litres x 4 people x 3 days = 36 litres. The UK checklist says you need more for cooking and washing.

Why do Germany and the US give different amounts of water?

The BBK plans 2 litres per person per day. Ready.gov plans 1 gallon (about 3.8 litres) per person per day, which also covers washing.

What is NINA?

Germany's official warning app. The BBK checklist suggests having a warning app such as NINA installed.

Sources

This article is based on the sources above. We have not tested these products ourselves. Prices and availability change; check the maker's website before you buy.