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What to buy for winter at home (UK)

Keep one room warm, keep the cold out of your body, and be ready for a power cut on the coldest night.

By the Civilian Survival Handbook editorial teamUpdated

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Read first

Official advice comes first. These guides are free.

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Checklist: what to buy

Tick what you already have (saved on this device only). Buy the rest a little at a time. The products are examples that were in stock when we checked; we haven't tested them.

Warmth without the heating

  • Look for: Several thinner layers rather than one thick one; hats and thick socks. Source

  • Look for: One per person. Check the season rating if you're buying new. Source

    • Alpkit Cloud Peak 300 · Alpkit · £129.99 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop

  • Look for: Natural rubber, marked BS 1970. Replace it every 2 years or so. You can fill it from a flask if there's no kettle. Source

    Safety: Not for babies: the NHS and The Lullaby Trust advise never using a hot water bottle with a baby.

    • StaySnug Fluffy Hot Water Bottle · Lakeland · £19.99 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop

  • Look for: A 1 litre steel flask keeps water hot for hours, so you boil once and have hot drinks all day. Source

    • Alpkit Peak 1000 Insulated Flask · Alpkit · £13.97 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop

  • Look for: Low watts (about 100 W or less) and an auto-off timer. Check the watts on the product page before you work out how long a power station will run it. Source

    • StaySnug Sherpa Electric Heated Throw Grey · Lakeland · £54.99 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop

If the power goes too

  • 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. Source

    • Alpkit Ionic 350 Lumen Head Torch · Alpkit · £15.99 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
    • Lifesystems Intensity 155 LED Head Torch · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £19.99 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
    • Alpkit Kula 550 Lumen Head Torch · Alpkit · £19.99 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
    • Lifesystems Intensity 480 LED Hand Torch · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £29.99 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
    • Dynamo Powered Wind-Up Pocket LED Torch · EVAQ8 · £3.60 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop

  • 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. Source

    • Elprico Wind Up Radio with DAB/FM Solar Charging 10000mAh Power Bank · Amazon UK · £37.98 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
    • Duronic Wind-Up AM FM Radio with Solar Panel and USB Charging · EVAQ8 · £26.40 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop

  • 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. Source

    • Anker Zolo Power Bank 20000mAh 30W Built-in USB-C · Anker UK (brand store) · £34.99 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
    • Anker Power Bank 20K 87W Built-In USB-C Cable · Anker UK (brand store) · £49.99 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop

  • Look for: Check the capacity in watt-hours (Wh) and the continuous AC output in watts against what you want to run. Our runtime calculator does the sums. Source

    • Jackery Explorer 300D Portable Power Station · Jackery UK (brand store) · £219.00 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
    • EcoFlow RIVER 2 Max Portable Power Station (512Wh) · EcoFlow UK (brand store) · £449.00 (price on 3 Nov 2026) Shop
    • Jackery Explorer 1000 Plus v2 Portable Power Station · Jackery UK (brand store) · £599.00 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
    • Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 Portable Power Station (1070Wh) · Jackery UK (brand store) · £899.00 (price on 3 Nov 2026) Shop

Safety

  • 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. Source

    • FireAngel FA6813 Portable Carbon Monoxide Alarm 10 Year · Amazon UK · £13.98 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
    • FireAngel FA3820 Portable Carbon Monoxide Alarm 10 Year Battery · Amazon UK · £22.00 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
    • Carbon Monoxide Detector & Alarm Portable Battery Powered (EN50291-1:2010) · EVAQ8 · £22.74 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop

  • Look for: Waterproof plasters, bandages, a thermometer, antiseptic, eyewash, sterile dressings, gloves, medical tape and tweezers. Source

    • St John Ambulance Home First Aid Kit · St John Ambulance shop · £10.50 (price on 3 Nov 2026) Shop
    • Lifesystems Adventurer First Aid Kit · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £26.99 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop
    • Lifesystems Mountain First Aid Kit · Lifesystems (UK brand store) · £42.99 (price on 1 Nov 2026) Shop

What not to buy

  • Patio heaters, barbecues or camping stoves indoors (carbon monoxide).
  • Hot-water bottles or electric blankets with babies.

Next steps

No product can promise to keep you safe. A plan, and knowing where official news comes from, matter more than kit.

Sources

  1. UKHSA: keeping warm and well (page, read 1 Nov 2026)
  2. NHS: carbon monoxide poisoning (page, read 1 Nov 2026)