PrepBe Ready checklist: what have you got, and what's missing?
An independent tool based on the UK government's Be Ready checklist. Tick what you already have. You'll see what's missing, how much your household needs, and a shopping list you can print.
Shopping list
Everything on the list, for 2 adults for 3 days. Tick it off as you go.
- Bottled water18 litres: 2 people for 3 days
- Food that keeps, with no fridge or cooking2 people for 3 days, about 12,000 kcal on Prep's planning figures
- Hand sanitiser, wet wipes and bathroom products
- Torch and spare batteries
- Blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothesOne for each person: 2
- FM radio, battery or wind-up
- Charged power bank
- Cash, in coins and notes, and your cards
- Copies of ID and important documents
- Phone numbers and medication details on paper
- First aid kit or first aid items
- Essential medication and medical supplies
- Baby formula, if you use it
- Nappies and wipes
- Pet food and bottled waterFor 1 pet for 3 days. No official volume exists: 3 litres is Prep's planning estimate of 1 litre per pet per day.
Check again by six months from now.
Based on the Be Ready checklist (GOV.UK/BeReady), in our own words. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Kcal figures are Prep's planning figures. Checked 2 November 2026.
From preppantry.app. Checked 2 November 2026. Independent tool, not official advice.
How it works
The list follows the Be Ready checklist published in October 2026, in our own words. Be Ready asks households to be ready for 3 days, and to build up gradually. You don't need to buy it all at once, and you may have much of it already.
Quantities use your household. Water is 3 litres per person per day, which Be Ready says is for drinking only: cooking and washing take more. Children count as people here, as they do in Be Ready's figure, so a child gets 3 litres. Our supplies calculator starts from the Prep app's 2 litres for a child, so it can show a lower figure.
Be Ready gives no calorie figure. The kcal shown beside food is the Prep app's planning figure of 2,000 kcal for an adult and 1,600 for a child, as a rough guide to the amount. It isn't official.
Baby and pet items appear only if they apply. No official source gives a volume of water for pets, so the amount shown is an estimate.
Example: two adults and a child need 27 litres of water for 3 days: 3 people × 3 litres × 3 days. In 2 litre bottles, that's 14 bottles.
Common questions
What's on the Be Ready checklist?
Water, food that needs no fridge or cooking, hygiene items, a torch, blankets and warm clothes, an FM radio, a power bank, cash, copies of documents, phone numbers and medication details on paper, first aid items and essential medication, plus baby and pet products if you need them.
Is this the government's own checklist?
No. Prep is an independent tool that isn't connected to the government or the Be Ready campaign. The official version is the PDF linked under Sources.
How much water do I need for 3 days?
Be Ready says 3 litres per person per day for drinking, so 9 litres per person for 3 days. A household of four needs 36 litres. The British Red Cross says about 10 litres a day covers basic cooking, washing and hygiene as well.
Do I have to buy everything at once?
No. Be Ready suggests starting with what's already in your cupboards, then picking up an extra item or two on your regular shopping trips.
How often should I check my kit?
Be Ready suggests a reminder every six months to check dates and swap out anything that needs replacing, or sooner if your household's needs change.
Sources
- Be Ready checklist (PDF)
- Be Ready household emergency plan (PDF)
- Be Ready: be ready for emergencies
- British Red Cross: prepare an emergency kit (about 10 litres a day)
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Checked on 2 November 2026. This is an independent tool and not official advice. See sources and method.