UK government emergency kit advice, compared with the US, Canada and Australia

What is the UK government emergency kit advice?

The UK government’s Be Ready checklist asks households to prepare for 3 days, with 3 litres of drinking water per person per day (checked 2026-10-26).

The Cabinet Office launched Be Ready on 22 October 2026. It calls the launch the first stage of a three-year campaign, with more than 500 organisations signed up to share the message. The checklist lists:

• non-perishable food (see what to stock) and bottled water
• hygiene items
• a torch and spare batteries
• warm bedding and clothes
• an FM radio that runs on batteries or winds up
• a charged power bank
• cash in coins and notes, plus cards
• first aid and essential medication
• baby and pet supplies where they apply

The press release also says to sign up to the Priority Services Register. That is the list your water, gas and electricity companies use to find customers who need extra help in an emergency. The campaign’s own page shows no publication date, so this page uses the date of the press release.

How many days of emergency supplies do different countries recommend?

The UK, Canada and Queensland each point to 3 days, while US sources range from “several days” to 2 weeks at home.

Source	Days	Water per person	Radio	Medicines	Cash
UK Be Ready (undated page; launch 2026-10-22)	3 days	3 litres a day to drink, more for cooking and washing	FM, battery or wind-up	“Essential medication and medical supplies”; ask for repeat prescriptions up to 5 working days before you run out	Coins, notes and cards
Ready.gov (checked 2026-10-26)	“Several days”	1 gallon (3.8 litres) a day, for drinking and sanitation	Battery or hand crank, plus a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert	Prescription medication listed as an extra; no quantity	Cash or traveler’s checks
American Red Cross (checked 2026-10-26)	3 days to evacuate, 2 weeks at home	1 gallon (3.8 litres) a day	Battery or hand crank, NOAA if possible	7-day supply of medications	“Extra cash”
Public Safety Canada (page dated 2025-09-12)	At least 72 hours	About 4 litres a day (video transcript)	Radio and flashlight; batteries or manual power	“A couple of weeks” if possible	Enough for basic needs for a few weeks, if possible
Get Ready Queensland (checked 2026-10-26)	3 days	At least 10 litres in total	Battery-powered radio	A week of prescription and over-the-counter medication	A small amount of notes and coins
Australian Red Cross (checked 2026-10-26)	Not stated	Not stated (“Food and water”)	Battery or wind-up	“Medication and prescriptions”	“Cash”

The Australian rows use Queensland Government and Australian Red Cross guidance.

Why does the UK say 3 days?

The UK press release says 3 days of disruption is also the advice in France, Ireland and the Netherlands, and gives no separate reason for the number.

The Be Ready page gives a purpose for the period: being ready for 3 days “helps you manage while support reaches those most in need”. Neither page says 3 days is the most likely length of an outage. Read the figure as a floor for coping at home.

Other sources stretch it. For how long real outages run, see how long power outages last. The American Red Cross lists a 2-week supply of water and food for staying at home, with 3 days applying to a kit you carry out. Queensland says rural or remote households, or those at risk of long isolation, may need more days. Canada’s page says “at least” 72 hours.

How much water per person do emergency kit lists say?

Water ranges from 3 litres per person per day in the UK to about 4 litres in Canada, and the lists do not count the same uses.

The UK figure is for drinking only. Ready.gov specifies 1 gallon (3.8 litres) for drinking and sanitation, and the American Red Cross lists the same quantity without naming its uses. Public Safety Canada says about 4 litres. Queensland gives a 3-day minimum of 10 litres for drinking.

Worked example for a household of four over 3 days, using each source’s own rate:

Source	Rate used	Calculation	Total
UK Be Ready	3 L	3 × 4 people × 3 days	36 L
Queensland	10 L per person	10 × 4 people	40 L
Ready.gov / Red Cross	1 gal = 3.785 L	3.785 × 4 × 3	45.4 L (12 gal)
Canada	about 4 L	4 × 4 × 3	48 L

The spread is 12 litres. For two weeks at home, the Red Cross rate gives 3.785 × 14 = 53 litres per person, or 212 litres for four. Quantities for other household sizes are on the power outage emergency kit page, and cold-weather additions are in the winter storm kit.

Which radio do emergency kit lists recommend?

All six sources list a battery-powered radio, and the UK is the only one that names FM.

The UK list says “FM radio (battery / wind up)” and tells you to write down the frequencies of stations you use for news. Ready.gov adds a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert, which is a US weather service. Canada says a radio, plus a flashlight with extra batteries or a manual power option. Queensland says a battery-powered radio is one of the most reliable items during power and internet loss. The Australian Red Cross says battery or wind-up.

How much medicine should an emergency kit hold?

Medicine amounts range from “essential medication” in the UK list to a week in the US and Queensland and a couple of weeks in Canada.

The UK page gives no number of days. It says to request repeat prescriptions up to 5 working days before you run out. The Red Cross lists a 7-day supply and Queensland a week. Public Safety Canada says to include enough for a couple of weeks if possible. Ready.gov lists prescription medicines as an extra without a quantity.

If a medical device depends on mains power, such as oxygen or a CPAP machine, make a backup plan with your clinician and your electricity company before an outage, and ask your pharmacist how to store each medicine.

Which emergency kit list should you follow?

Follow the list from the country or state where you live, and use the longer figure where two sources for your area differ.

1. UK: use Be Ready. Stock 3 days, 3 litres of drinking water per person per day, an FM radio and a power bank.
2. US: use Ready.gov for the item list. Use the Red Cross 2-week figure for staying home.
3. Canada: use the 72-hour minimum and the 4-litre rate.
4. Australia: use your state or territory agency. Queensland’s 10 litres per person for 3 days is one example.
5. Medical needs: stock the longest figure that your clinician agrees with.

Then use the power outage steps when it happens. Fridge and freezer limits are on the food without power page, and phone charging tips are in how to charge a phone in a power cut.

How current are these lists?

All six lists were read on 2026-10-26, and the UK campaign runs for three years, so its checklist will grow. Public Safety Canada shows a page date of 12 September 2025, and its 4-litre water rate comes from the page’s video transcript. Australia is covered by Queensland and the Australian Red Cross. EU, Nordic and German advice differs again and is not compared here.