Preparation

Emergency Kit Checklist

Everything worth having ready before a flood, earthquake, storm or fire — and why each item earns its place. Tick as you pack; your progress stays in this browser and is never sent to us.

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Water and food

Assume the tap and the shops are both out for three days.

Light, power and information

Power and mobile networks fail early and come back late.

First aid and medicines

Pharmacies close and prescriptions cannot be refilled.

Documents and money

The things that are impossible to replace and easy to forget.

Tools and shelter

For getting out, and for the days afterwards.

Hygiene

The part people leave out, and the reason disease follows disasters.

Plan, not equipment

The most valuable items on this list cost nothing.

Where to keep it

  • Somewhere you can reach in the dark, near an exit — not in a loft or a locked store.
  • Split it: a full kit at home, a small go-bag by the door, and a few essentials in the car.
  • Sturdy shoes and a torch beside every bed. Earthquakes happen at night and floors end up covered in glass.
  • Tell everyone in the house where it is. A kit nobody can find is not a kit.

Know before it reaches you

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