Kaulav/Prepare/United Kingdom

How long should you be prepared in the UK? Three days.

The UK Government's Be Ready campaign (October 2026) asks every household to be able to cope on its own for 3 days. Store 3 litres of drinking water per person per day, non-perishable food you'd usually eat, a torch, an FM radio, a power bank, cash, medicines and copies of your documents.

The official rule in the UK
days
3 days on your own, by official advice
010 days
Water
litres a day, per person
Emergency
free from any phone
At a glance

The official numbers for the UK

Every figure comes from the official source, linked below.

Cope on your own for3 daysBe Ready, Cabinet Office, October 2026
Drinking water3 litres per person per dayCooking and washing need extra
Water for 3 days9 litres per personKaulav's arithmetic from the official figure.
FoodNon-perishable, no fridge or cooking neededTinned meat, fish or vegetables, dried fruit, nuts
Check your kitEvery six months
Emergency number999Power cut: 105 (England, Scotland, Wales) · 03457 643643 (Northern Ireland)
The kit

What the official kit list includes

The Be Ready checklist, in its own order.

  1. Bottled water01
  2. Non-perishable food02
  3. Hand sanitiser, wet wipes, hygiene and bathroom products03
  4. Torch and spare batteries04
  5. Blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothing05
  6. FM radio (battery or wind-up)06
  7. Charged power bank07
  8. Important phone numbers and information08
  9. Cash (coins and notes) and cards09
  10. Copies of IDs and documents10
  11. First aid kit11
  12. Essential medication and medical supplies12
  13. Baby formula (ready-made is best)13
  14. Nappies and wipes14
  15. Pet food and bottled water15
Water maths

How much water to store

The checklist says 3 litres per person per day for drinking. For 3 days, that works out to:

1 personlitres
2 peoplelitres
3 peoplelitres
4 peoplelitres
5 peoplelitres

Kaulav's arithmetic from the official figure. Cooking, washing and pets need extra.

Beyond the kit

Also advised

What the official guidance adds.

Sources

Straight from the source

Kaulav is independent. We summarise official guidance, link to it, and never rewrite safety steps.

How much water do I need for 3 days in the UK?

“Being ready for 3 days helps you manage while support reaches those most in need.”

9 litres per person for drinking: 3 litres a day for 3 days. Cooking and washing need extra, and pets need their own supply.

Quoted from the official source. In an emergency, call 999.
Good to know

Questions people ask

How much water do I need for 3 days in the UK?

9 litres per person for drinking: 3 litres a day for 3 days. Cooking and washing need extra, and pets need their own supply.

What should be in a UK emergency kit?

Bottled water, non-perishable food, a torch with spare batteries, a battery or wind-up FM radio, a charged power bank, cash, copies of documents, a first aid kit and your medicines, plus anything babies or pets need.

Is the Be Ready campaign official?

Yes. Be Ready is a UK Government campaign run by the Cabinet Office, launched in October 2026. Kaulav is independent and links to it.

From the official advice to your kitchen table

Kaulav turns this into
your household's plan.

A kit sized to who lives with you, reminders before anything expires, offline maps and a power-cut mode, all built on the UK's official advice. Works with no internet. iPhone, early 2027.

Join the waitlist · $9.99 founding price
Compare

Every government gives a different number

United KingdomYou are heredaysCabinet OfficeUnited StatesSeveral daysReady.gov · FEMAGermanyideallydaysBBKNetherlandshoursNCTV · Denk vooruitFrancehoursSGDSNSwedenat leastdaysMSB, now MCFEuropean Unionat leasthoursEuropean Commission