UK emergency kit checklist (printable)

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This is a tick-box version of our 72-hour emergency kit guide. It follows the nine sections of that guide and is based on the UK government's Be Ready checklist, with a few extras from Ready Scotland and the British Red Cross. The whole list is below, so you can use it straight from this page. If you'd rather have it on paper, get the printable PDF and stick it inside a cupboard door.

New to the government's Be Ready campaign? Our Be Ready checklist, explained goes through the official 3-day list item by item.

How to use this checklist

GOV.UK's advice is to take it step by step:

1. See what you already have. Check your cupboards first.
2. Plan for your household. Note what you still need, including things your family relies on — medication, baby formula, pet food.
3. Build it gradually. Pick up missing items during your regular shopping to spread the cost.
4. Check it regularly. Set a reminder every six months.

Items marked (extra) aren't on the GOV.UK checklist but appear on Ready Scotland or British Red Cross lists. Add them if they fit your household.

The 72-hour emergency kit list

1. Water

GOV.UK suggests 3 litres per person per day for drinking, for 3 days. More is needed for cooking and washing.

• Bottled water for 3 days (see table)
• Extra water for cooking and washing
• Extra water for pets, baby formula or medical devices
• Use-by dates written on a note inside the kit

Don't count your loft tank or hot-water cylinder as drinking water, and GOV.UK says not to drink water from a water butt. See our water pillar.

2. Food

• Non-perishable food for 3 days that needs no fridge or cooking (for example tinned meat, fish or vegetables, dried fruit, nuts)
• Food your household usually eats
• Foods for special diets or allergies
• Manual tin opener (extra)

3. Light

• Torch
• Spare batteries
• Head torch or battery lantern (optional)

GOV.UK notes that torches are safer than candles.

4. Power and communications

• FM radio (battery or wind-up)
• Radio frequencies for your local and national news stations, written down
• Charged power bank
• Phone charger (extra)
• Spare chargers or batteries for any equipment you rely on (extra)
• Power cut number written down: 105 (England, Scotland, Wales) or 03457 643643 (Northern Ireland)

5. First aid and health

• First aid kit or first aid items
• Essential medication and medical supplies
• List of regular medications and doses
• Copies of prescriptions (extra)
• Spare glasses or contact lenses (extra)
• Spare hearing aid batteries (extra)
• Mobility aids you rely on (extra)
• Instructions for any medical equipment you use

GOV.UK says to request prescriptions up to 5 working days before you need your medicine.

6. Documents and information

• Copies of ID (for example passports, birth certificates)
• Insurance details
• Important phone numbers on paper — family, GP, utilities, insurer
• Copy of your household emergency plan (extra)
• Waterproof bag for documents (extra)
• Pen and paper (extra)

Our important documents checklist and emergency contacts list template help with this section.

7. Cash

• Cash — a mix of coins and notes
• Cards

GOV.UK doesn't set an amount; it says the cash you keep depends on your family's needs for essentials.

8. Warmth and hygiene

• Blankets or sleeping bags
• Warm clothing
• Hand sanitiser
• Wet wipes
• Hygiene and bathroom products
• Whistle (extra)
• Spare house and car keys (extra)

Babies

• Baby formula, if your baby has it: 3 days of the formula they already use (follow the NHS on making up feeds)
• Nappies and wipes
• Bottles and feeding equipment (extra)
• Comfort items and activities for children (extra)

Pets

• Pet food
• Bottled water for pets
• Lead, harness or carrier (extra)
• Pet medication (extra)

Never use a barbecue or camping stove indoors: the NHS lists this as a cause of carbon monoxide build-up.

9. Family plan

• Household emergency plan written down
• Meeting point agreed
• Back-up support arranged for anyone who needs extra help
• Everyone knows where the kit is
• Everyone knows how to turn off gas, electricity and water
• Plan to check in on neighbours, with contact details swapped
• School has your correct contact numbers
• Checked whether you're eligible for the Priority Services Register

Work out your own numbers with our free emergency supplies calculator, or tick off each item on the Be Ready kit list.

Grab bag: if you need to leave quickly

GOV.UK suggests a spare bag of essentials in case you have to leave home quickly. Ready Scotland suggests keeping some of your kit in a waterproof bag, for example if flooding is a risk. A sensible grab bag:

• Medication and medication list
• Document copies in a waterproof bag
• Phone, charger and power bank
• Torch
• Cash
• Water and a few snacks
• Warm layer
• Spare keys

Where should the kit live?

One place, known to everyone in the house, that you can reach in the dark — a hallway cupboard, under the stairs or the bottom of a wardrobe. Avoid the loft, the shed and the car boot. Keep everyday medication somewhere easy to reach rather than sealed away.

When should you check it?

GOV.UK suggests every six months. An easy reminder is the clocks-change weekends — the last Sunday in March and the last Sunday in October. The next one is 28 March 2027.

Six-monthly check

• Water and food use-by dates checked; old stock eaten and replaced
• Torch and radio tested; batteries replaced
• Power bank recharged
• Medication and medication list up to date
• Phone numbers and documents updated
• Plan reviewed with everyone at home

Notes for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

• Scotland: Ready Scotland has its own list. It also suggests face masks, pre-printed cards or large-print information you need, and a car kit for winter.
• Northern Ireland: see NI Direct's Be Ready pages, including its Household Emergency Life-saving Plan (HELP). The power cut number is 03457 643643.
• Wales: the GOV.UK Be Ready site has a Welsh-language version.

Limitations

This checklist is general information based on GOV.UK, Ready Scotland, NI Direct, NHS and British Red Cross guidance. It is not professional, medical or safety advice, and it can't cover every household's needs. In an emergency, call 999 and follow instructions from the emergency services and official sources. Advice, numbers and services differ between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Finish the job

Turn this guide into a written plan

Reading helps. Writing it down is what makes it work when the phones are flat. Start with the free plan builder, or get the full printable version:

For this topic72-Hour Emergency Kit Planner£3.99Your whole household planHousehold Emergency Plan Pack£6.99Bundle · £15.97 separatelyPrepared, Not Panicked bundle£9.99

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Sources

1. GOV.UK Be Ready — Checklist (PDF, October 2026) (checked 26 October 2026)
2. GOV.UK Be Ready — Be ready for emergencies (checked 26 October 2026)
3. GOV.UK Be Ready — Water supply interruptions or outages (checked 26 October 2026)
4. Ready Scotland — Make an emergency kit (checked 26 October 2026)
5. NI Direct — Be ready for emergencies (checked 26 October 2026)
6. British Red Cross — Prepare an emergency kit (checked 26 October 2026)
7. NHS — Carbon monoxide poisoning (checked 26 October 2026)
8. GOV.UK — When do the clocks change? (checked 26 October 2026)
9. London Fire Brigade — Fire at electrical substation, Hayes (March 2025) (checked 26 October 2026)

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