Home Emergency Kit List: What Governments Around the World Recommend
1. The short answer
Most governments agree on the basics: enough water, no-cook food, light, a radio, first aid, medicines, cash, documents and a charged power bank to manage on your own for a few days. Where they differ is how long and how much water:
- 3 days (72 hours): US, UK, Canada and the EU.
- Longer: Sweden says prepare for one week; Germany says 10 days ideally, though 3 days already helps; Japan says at least 3 days, ideally a week.
Below is a side-by-side table with links to every official page, a combined checklist, and what to put on your phone so it's still useful with no signal — offline apps like Lookout and 70 BPM, and games like Captain Star, Zero G and Down the Drone. 70 BPM is not a medical device; in an emergency, call 911, 999 or 112.
70 BPM · Free heart rate app for iPhone
70 BPM: see what caused every heart rate spike
70 BPM lays your Apple Health heart rate over your calendar, so every spike has a name: the standup, the client call, the commute home.
Free to download · Optional Pro in-app purchases · Reads from Apple Health · Stays on your iPhone · Not a medical device; in an emergency, call 911, 999 or 112
Lookout · Free dual camera recorder
Lookout: film the moment and the reaction
Lookout runs your iPhone's front and rear cameras in one capture session, so both angles are of the same moment and line up without manual syncing.
Free to download · Lookout Pro in-app purchase · iPhone, Mac & Apple Watch · Records, does not edit. What Lookout is
Down The Drone · Free AR shooter for iPhone
Down The Drone: an AR drone shooter that plays offline
Hostile drone swarms fly in over your sofa, down your hallway, across your backyard. Aim, fire and hold the line, right where you’re standing.
Free to download · No ads · Plays offline · Full game: US$5.99 in-app purchase
Captain Star · Endless space shooter
Captain Star: an easy first shmup
Easy to pick up, impossible to put down. Your ship goes where the pointer goes, each wave has one goal, and restarts are instant.
US$0.99 on the Mac App Store · Steam for Windows · Apple TV and iPad
Zero G Space Game · Arcade asteroid shooter for Mac
Zero G Space Game: the asteroid field that fights back
Spin, thrust, fire and wrap the screen. Real inertia, a shield you can time into a parry, hyperspace, and waves that keep escalating.
Mac App Store · Free to download · macOS 13+ · Two full waves free, then a one-time Unlock Full Game
2. The official advice, country by country
| Country | How long | Water | Official page |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Several days (72-hour kit) | 1 gallon (~3.8 L) per person per day | Ready.gov Build A Kit (07/01/2026) |
| United Kingdom | 3 days | 3 L per person per day for drinking | Be Ready |
| Canada | At least 3 days (72 h) | 2 L per person per day (drinking, cooking, hygiene) | Canada.ca Emergency kit checklist |
| European Union | At least 72 hours self-sufficiency | — | EU Preparedness (26 Mar 2025) |
| Germany | 10 days ideal; 3 days helps | 1.5 L drinks + 0.5 L cooking per adult per day | BBK Bevorraten |
| Spain | 72 hours (EU strategy); no national kit page found | 1.5 L per person per day minimum (Catalonia) | Generalitat de Catalunya – Kit de emergencias (updated 26 Feb 2026) |
| Japan | 3 days minimum, ideally 1 week | 3 L per person per day | 首相官邸 災害への備え |
| Sweden | One week | — | MCF Grunder i hemberedskap |
Notice that water advice varies: Canada's 2 litres covers drinking, cooking and hygiene, while the UK's 3 litres is for drinking only and the US gallon covers drinking and sanitation. If you're unsure, follow your own government — and more is safer than less.
3. Combined checklist (meets all of the above for 3 days)
| Item | Why | Got it? |
|---|---|---|
| Water: 3–4 L per person per day | Covers the strictest 3-day advice (US/UK) | ☐ |
| No-cook, non-perishable food + tin opener | Every list | ☐ |
| Torch + spare batteries | Every list; UK says safer than candles | ☐ |
| Battery or wind-up radio | US, UK | ☐ |
| Charged power bank / phone backup battery | US, UK | ☐ |
| First aid kit + medicines + dose list | US, UK, Canada | ☐ |
| Cash, ID and document copies | US, UK, Canada | ☐ |
| Hygiene: wipes, sanitiser, bin bags | US, UK, Canada | ☐ |
| Blankets, warm clothes | UK, Canada (winter) | ☐ |
| Baby and pet supplies | US, UK, Canada | ☐ |
| Games, cards, books, puzzles | US (for children), Sweden | ☐ |
For a week (Sweden) or 10 days (Germany), scale water and food up accordingly.
4. Water and food
Store bottled water somewhere cool and dark and rotate it. Canada suggests using the spring and fall clock changes as a reminder to swap supplies; the UK says every six months. Food should be things you already eat that need no fridge or cooking. In a power cut, keep the fridge shut: Ready.gov says about 4 hours for a closed fridge and about 48 hours for a full freezer. Germany's BBK recommends foods that need no refrigeration and little or no cooking.
5. Light and power
Torches over candles (UK). Radio for news when mobile networks fail. And for every phone in the house: save battery first — low-power mode, dim screen, short sessions — and keep a power bank charged.
6. Your phone, offline
The UK government warns you could lose internet and mobile signal in a power cut. Before an emergency: download offline maps, set up Medical ID / ICE, save documents and numbers (and keep paper copies), and install apps that work with no connection.
These apps are built for exactly this — they run fully offline: - Lookout — App Store: camera + GPS, near-360° capture, private on your device. - 70 BPM — App Store: calm and heart-rate check-ins for stressful moments. Not a medical device. In an emergency call 911 (US/Canada), 999 (UK) or 112 (EU).
More in our guide to offline apps for emergencies.
7. Family calm and entertainment
Two governments say it directly: Ready.gov lists books, games and puzzles for children, and Sweden's MCF lists "spel, kortlek, böcker, pussel" and says diversion helps people cope. Pack cards and books, and keep a few offline games: Captain Star App Store, Zero G (formerly Astro Belt) App Store and Down the Drone App Store. Or film a family torchlight movie with Lookout. See best offline games.
8. Special needs
Every list says to plan for your own household: medicines, glasses, baby formula, pet supplies, and backup plans for powered medical equipment. Canada adds that people in remote areas may need extra items, and to check local government advice. The UK runs a Priority Services Register for people who need extra support in power cuts.
9. FAQ
How many days should a home emergency kit last? At least 3 days in the US, UK, Canada and EU; Sweden says a week; Germany 10 days ideally.
How much water per person per day? US: 1 gallon. UK: 3 L for drinking. Canada: 2 L for drinking, cooking and hygiene. Germany: 1.5 L + 0.5 L for cooking.
Do I need a power bank in my emergency kit? Yes — the US and UK both list one.
Should I include games in an emergency kit? Yes. Ready.gov and Sweden's MCF both list games and puzzles.
10. Sources
- Ready.gov, Build A Kit (07/01/2026): https://www.ready.gov/kit
- Ready.gov, Power Outages (06/04/2026): https://www.ready.gov/power-outages
- GOV.UK Be Ready: https://beready.campaign.gov.uk/be-ready-for-emergencies/
- GOV.UK Power cuts: https://prepare.campaign.gov.uk/be-informed-about-hazards/power-cuts/
- Canada.ca Emergency kit checklist: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/policing/emergencies/preparedness/get-prepared/emergency-kits/get-kit.html
- European Commission Preparedness (26 Mar 2025): https://commission.europa.eu/topics/preparedness_en
- BBK Bevorraten: https://www.bbk.bund.de/DE/Warnung-Vorsorge/Vorsorge/So-koennen-Sie-sich-vorbereiten/Bevorraten/bevorraten.html
- MCF Grunder i hemberedskap: https://www.mcf.se/sv/rad-till-privatpersoner/hemberedskap---preppa-for-en-vecka/grunder-i-hemberedskap/
- 首相官邸 災害への備え: https://www.kantei.go.jp/jp/headline/bousai/sonae.html
11. Updated
Last updated: 30 October 2026.
12. Pick your country's guide
US · UK · Deutschland · España · 日本 · Sverige — and get offline apps: more offline apps.