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This page goes through it line by line. To be clear, ReadyList is independent. The official version is at beready.campaign.gov.uk, and where this page and that one disagree, they win.
Water
What it says: bottled water for 3 days, at 3 litres per person per day for drinking, with more for cooking and washing.
What to do: six 2-litre bottles per person from the supermarket. For a family of four that’s 24 bottles and well under £20. More on water.
Food
What it says: non-perishable food for 3 days that needs no fridge and no cooking. Tinned meat, fish and veg, dried fruit, nuts. Buy what you’d usually eat.
What to do: roughly nine filling tins per person plus breakfast and snacks. The full list by number of days. Don’t forget the tin opener, which the official list does.
Hygiene
What it says: hand sanitiser, wet wipes and bathroom products.
What to do: one spare of everything you’d be upset to run out of. Essentials.
Light and warmth
What it says: a torch and spare batteries, because torches are safer than candles. Blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothing, because homes get cold quickly when the heating goes off.
What to do: one torch per person and one lantern for the room. Budget from £10 to £60 depending how keen you are. Light and warmth.
Communication
What it says: an FM radio, battery or wind-up, with the frequencies written down. A charged power bank for phones or compatible medical devices.
What to do: a basic radio is about £20 and so is a decent power bank. These are the two things most homes don’t have. Radios and power banks.
Money and documents
What it says: cash in coins and notes, plus cards. Printed copies of passports, birth certificates, insurance details and instructions for medical equipment. A written list of phone numbers and regular medication.
What to do: an hour with a printer and a pen. The amount of cash is up to you; the list says it “depends on your family’s specific needs”. A fireproof pouch keeps it together.
Medical
What it says: a first aid kit with waterproof plasters, bandages, a thermometer, antiseptic, eyewash, sterile dressings, gloves, tape and tweezers. Essential medication, with repeat prescriptions requested up to 5 working days before you need them.
What to do: a boxed kit covers the first sentence for under £15. The second is a habit, not a purchase.
Babies and pets
What it says: ready-to-feed formula, since you may not be able to boil water. Nappies and wipes. Pet food and bottled water.
The shop-bought lines, in six purchases
Lighting EVER LE1000 torches, pack of two
A torch by each bed
Two torches for less than a takeaway. Start here.
Lewis-Plast 90-piece first aid kit
The official medical line
Covers nearly everything on the government list.
Fireproof document bag, A4
Copies and a float of cash
Keeps the paperwork line of the checklist in one place.
What the list leaves out
A few things I’d add, having thought about this more than is strictly healthy:
- A tin opener. Three days of tins and no way in.
- A flask. One boil lasts all day.
- A carbon monoxide alarm, if you plan to cook on anything with a flame.
- A way to keep the router on, since for most of us the internet is the radio now. How.
The official advice also says to build your kit gradually, an item or two per shop. That’s sound. Nobody needs to do this in one heroic trip to a retail park.