The short answer
Start free: join the Priority Services Register if you qualify, write key numbers on paper and test your smoke alarms. Then add water and food you already eat to your normal shop, following GOV.UK Be Ready (3 litres of water per person per day for 3 days). For about £25, buy a head torch and spare batteries. For about £75 in total, add a wind-up FM radio, a first-aid kit, foil blankets and a waterproof document pouch. For about £150 in total, add a power bank, a carbon monoxide alarm, toilet bags, a water container and purification tablets.
New, dated and itemised: Be Ready 72-hour list 2026, costed and printable: the official kit list with prices we checked, item by item. Or print the free one-page 3-day checklist (no sign-up).
How this list works
Buy in this order. Each budget builds on the one before. Prices are real retailer prices we checked on 1 November 2026. They change, so check before you buy. Water and food aren't priced here because they come from your normal shopping and depend on what you already eat.
Our guides to prepping in the UK and the prepper kit explain what prepping is. This page is the shopping list.
Free: do these first (items 1 to 5)
From the National Risk Register 2026's preparedness tips:
- Check if you can join the Priority Services Register with your energy and water companies. It's free. Ofgem says you can ask to join if you've reached state pension age, are pregnant or have young children, have a disability or long-term health condition, or rely on powered medical equipment, among other reasons.
- Test your smoke alarms once a month.
- Write key numbers on paper, including 105 for a power cut (03457 643643 in Northern Ireland).
- Talk to your children about how and when to call 999.
- Check your flood risk and sign up for flood and weather warnings.
From your normal shop (items 6 to 13)
From the Be Ready checklist. Add a few to each shop rather than buying it all at once.
- Bottled water: 3 litres per person per day, for 3 days. Our supplies calculator works out your total.
- 3 days of food that needs no fridge or cooking, such as tinned meat, fish or vegetables, dried fruit and nuts.
- Hand sanitiser, wet wipes and bathroom products.
- Blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothes (most homes already have these).
- Cash: a mix of coins and notes.
- Copies of ID and documents, plus everyone's medicines and doses written down.
- Essential medicines: order repeat prescriptions in good time.
- Baby or pet supplies if you need them.
About £25: light (items 14 to 15)
| # | Item | Example (retailer) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | Head torch, one per person ideally | Alpkit Ionic 350 Lumen Head Torch (Alpkit) | £15.99 |
| 15 | Spare AA batteries | Duracell Plus AA, 12 pack (Amazon UK) | £8.40 |
| Running total | £24.39 |
Be Ready says torches are safer than candles, and not to use your phone as a torch because it drains the battery.
About £75: news and first aid (items 16 to 19)
| # | Item | Example (retailer) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | Wind-up FM radio | Duronic Wind-Up AM FM Radio with Solar Panel (EVAQ8) | £26.40 |
| 17 | Home first-aid kit | St John Ambulance Home First Aid Kit (Amazon UK) | £14.49 |
| 18 | Foil blankets × 4 | Emergency Foil Blanket, individually sealed (EVAQ8), £0.72 each | £2.88 |
| 19 | Waterproof document pouch | Waterproof Document Pouch (EVAQ8) | £5.11 |
| Running total | £73.27 |
About £150: power, safety and water (items 20 to 25)
| # | Item | Example (retailer) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Power bank, 20,000 mAh | Anker Zolo Power Bank 20000mAh (Amazon UK) | £28.99 |
| 21 | Carbon monoxide alarm (EN 50291) | FireAngel FA6813 Portable CO Alarm (Amazon UK) | £13.98 |
| 22 | Emergency toilet bags | Portable Toilet Bags with Absorbent Gel, 18 pack (Amazon UK) | £9.99 |
| 23 | Collapsible water container, 20 L | Collapsible Water Container 20l (EVAQ8) | £12.78 |
| 24 | Water purification tablets | Lifesystems Chlorine Water Purification Tablets | £3.99 |
| 25 | Whistle | Safety Whistle With Neck Lanyard (EVAQ8) | £2.94 |
| Running total | £145.94 |
Notes: - CO alarm: important if anything in your home burns fuel, such as a gas boiler or cooker. - Purification tablets: follow the dose and waiting time on the pack, and check the expiry date. - Collapsible container: fill it only when a warning is issued, as it is less tough than a rigid one.
What to leave until later
A portable power station, solar panel or a month of stored food can make sense for some homes, but they cost hundreds of pounds. Get the 25 items above first. Our post on power station sizes helps if you're thinking about one.
What to buy
About these links: plain links to ordinary retailer pages. We may earn from some links in future; we don't now. We haven’t tested these and we don’t rank them: they are examples that were in stock when we checked. Prices change. Check what you already own first. Full kit list
Torch or head torch, plus spare batteries
Look for: Runs on the same AA or AAA batteries as your other kit, so one spare pack covers everything. A head torch leaves both hands free.
- Alpkit Ionic 350 Lumen Head Torch · Alpkit · £15.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Intensity 155 LED Head Torch · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £19.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Alpkit Kula 550 Lumen Head Torch · Alpkit · £19.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Intensity 480 LED Hand Torch · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £29.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Dynamo Powered Wind-Up Pocket LED Torch · EVAQ8 · £3.60 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
Spare batteries
Look for: The sizes your torch, radio and alarms take. Check the date on the pack.
Battery or wind-up FM radio
Look for: FM (Be Ready asks for FM; DAB as well is fine). Both a crank and ordinary batteries, so you have two ways to power it.
First aid kit
Look for: Waterproof plasters, bandages, a thermometer, antiseptic, eyewash, sterile dressings, gloves, medical tape and tweezers.
- St John Ambulance Home First Aid Kit · St John Ambulance shop · £10.50 (price on 3 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Adventurer First Aid Kit · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £26.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Mountain First Aid Kit · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £42.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
Foil blankets and emergency bivvy bags
Look for: Individually sealed; one per person. A bivvy bag is warmer than a flat blanket.
- Emergency Foil Blanket Individually Sealed · EVAQ8 · £0.72 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Heatshield Thermal Blanket · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £5.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- SOL Emergency Bivvy Bag with Rescue Whistle · MilitaryKit.com · £17.45 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
Waterproof document wallet or resealable bags
Look for: Big enough for copies of passports, insurance details and medicine lists.
- Waterproof Document Pouch - Translucent PVC · EVAQ8 · £5.11 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
Power bank
Look for: From a seller you know. Check the capacity (mAh) against your phone, and that you have the right cable for each phone. Keep it charged.
Carbon monoxide alarm
Look for: A loud alarm in each room with something that burns gas, oil, coal or wood. Battery powered, so it keeps working in a power cut. A portable one can go with you into the room you use.
- FireAngel FA6813 Portable Carbon Monoxide Alarm 10 Year · Amazon UK · £13.98 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- FireAngel FA3820 Portable Carbon Monoxide Alarm 10 Year Battery · Amazon UK · £22.00 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Carbon Monoxide Detector & Alarm Portable Battery Powered (EN50291-1:2010) · EVAQ8 · £22.74 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
Water purification tablets
Look for: In date. Follow the label: tablets come in different strengths. Filter cloudy water through a cloth first.
- Lifesystems Chlorine Dioxide Water Purification Tablets · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £10.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Lifesystems Chlorine Water Purification Tablets · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £3.99 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
- Aquatabs 397mg Water Purification Tablets (100 Pack) · Amazon UK · £53.55 (price on 1 November 2026) Shop
Frequently asked questions
What are the prepping essentials in the UK?
The official starting point is GOV.UK Be Ready: water for 3 days (3 litres per person per day), food that needs no fridge or cooking, a torch and spare batteries, a battery or wind-up FM radio, a charged power bank, cash, a first-aid kit, essential medicines, copies of documents, and warm bedding.
What should I buy first for prepping?
Light first: a head torch and spare batteries, about £24 at 1 November 2026 prices. Then a wind-up FM radio and a first-aid kit. Water and food come from your normal shopping, a little at a time.
What is good food for prepping?
Be Ready suggests food with a long shelf life that needs no fridge or cooking, such as tinned meat, fish or vegetables, dried fruit and nuts. Its advice is to buy food you'd usually eat, so nothing goes to waste.
Can I prep on £25?
Yes. Do the free steps, add water and food to your normal shop over a few weeks, and spend the £25 on light. You don't need to do it all at once.
Are ready-made prepper kits worth it?
Sometimes, but compare what's inside with the Be Ready list, check food and water dates, and check you're not paying for things you already own. Building your own lets you spend on what you're missing.
Sources
We opened each page on the date shown. Official advice changes: if a source says something different now, follow the source.
- GOV.UK Be Ready: be ready for emergencies (checklist) (read 1 November 2026)
- GOV.UK Be Ready: checklist (PDF, October 2026) (read 1 November 2026)
- Cabinet Office: National Risk Register 2026 (PDF, published 14 July 2026): 'Preparedness tips' (read 1 November 2026)
- Ofgem: Join your supplier's Priority Services Register (read 1 November 2026)
- GOV.UK Be Ready: power cuts (read 1 November 2026)
- Food Standards Agency (GOV.UK): Food safety in a power cut (read 1 November 2026)
Related guides
- Prepper kits in the UK: how to judge a ready-made emergency kit
- Prepping in the UK: a calm beginner's guide
- UK emergency kit checklist (printable)
- UK stockpile shopping list: the Be Ready list, aisle by aisle
- The 72-hour emergency kit for UK households
Free tools
- Be Ready kit: every item on the official list as a tick list
- Emergency supplies calculator (water and food for your household)
- Priority Services Register checker
We're an independent UK site, not the government. We check guides against official sources and link to them. In an emergency call 999.
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