Buying guides
What to look for when you buy kit, with no paid rankings.
Everything to buy: an emergency kit list with what to look for
Light, power, water, warmth, first aid and go bags. Specs to check, and what not to buy.
Power cutsPortable power stations: is one worth it, and what size do you need for a UK power cut?
A plain watt-hour worksheet for phones, lights, the router, CPAP and the fridge, what 300 Wh and 1,000 Wh really run, and what to…
Buying guidesWind-up and solar radios with DAB and FM: what to buy for a UK emergency
Which emergency radio to buy in the UK: FM first, DAB+ if you can, long wave no longer needed. Crank, solar and battery power…
Buying guidesFirst-aid kit: buy one or build your own?
Ready-made or DIY first-aid kit for a UK home: what Be Ready and HSE lists include, what a basic shop kit contains and misses,…
Power cutsSolar panels on your roof: why they switch off in a power cut, and what you can do
Why most UK rooftop solar panels stop working in a power cut, what 'island mode' and battery back-up mean, what to ask an…
Power cutsDo portable solar panels work in a UK winter?
What a 100 W folding solar panel can realistically give you in December versus June in London, Manchester and Edinburgh, using…
Power cutsEmergency lighting for a power cut: torches, lanterns, head torches and candles
Be Ready says torches are safer than candles. How to light a home in a power cut: a head torch each, a lantern for the room…
How we write these posts
Official guidance first: GOV.UK Be Ready, UKHSA, the NHS, the Drinking Water Inspectorate, the Met Office and, where the UK has none, allied guidance such as Sweden's and Finland's. We give the date we read each source. We don't publish target maps or guess where attacks might happen, we don't promise anything will keep you safe, and we don't use countdowns or invented deadlines. Editorial policy · RSS feed