Guides

Know what to do before you need to.

Short, practical guides checked against official advice and tied to what's in your bag. These editions follow UK official advice; the steps work anywhere, and the box on every guide shows the numbers and warnings for where you are. Local editions: United States · Europe and worldwide.

Featured · Power6 min readPower cut: the first hourThe first five minutes, the first thirty, the first hour. Who to call, what never to bring indoors, and which pouch to open first.Read the guide →

Official · ChecklistThe 72-hour list, explainedEvery line of the official advice, what's already in your bag, what you still need at home. Printable. Family · 7 minLeaving the house with a babyFeeding without a kettle, the pram-or-wrap decision, what goes on your back.

All guides

Power Weather Family Water and food Health Planning

Power · 6 minPower cut: the first hourCall 105. Fridge shut. Torch, not candles. Never a barbecue indoors.Weather · 9 minFlooding: before, during, afterFloodline, the 30 cm rule for cars, what to move upstairs, and why flood water is never safe to wade.Weather · 5 minStorms and high windAmber and red warnings, what to tie down, and when staying put is the right call.Planning · 6 minCyber outage: cards, cash and commsWhen the tills, the apps and the signal go. Why £50 in small notes and a printed contacts card matter.Water and food · 7 minWater: treating, storing, rationingTablets, boiling, the bath trick, and how much a person actually needs a day.Family · 7 minLeaving the house with a babyReady-to-feed formula, sterile teats, the wrap, the pram clips, and who carries what.Family · 5 minTeaching your child the bagA ten-minute game that means a seven-year-old can find the whistle and the torch in the dark.Health · 6 minMedication and medical devicesInsulin without a fridge, CPAP without power, and the one conversation to have with your pharmacist now.Planning · 4 minThe family meeting pointTwo places, one out-of-area contact, and the card everyone carries.Family · 4 minPets in an emergencyCarriers by the door, three days of food, and which rest centres take animals.Weather · 5 minHeatwave and cold snapOne room warm, one room cool, and who to check on in the street.Planning · 8 minThe 72-hour list, explainedThe Government's advice line by line, and the gap between a bag and a home.

Official numbers

Who to call. Write these on the card.

These are the UK numbers that matter in the first hour. They are printed on the contacts card in every bag.

999Emergency: life at risk, fire, crime in progress

105Power cut: free, any network, connects to your local operator

111NHS: urgent but not life-threatening

0345 988 1188Floodline: warnings and advice, 24 hours

0800 111 999Gas emergency: smell gas, open windows, get out, call

gov.uk PrepareThe official household guidance this site is built around →