Everything on this site, in one place
The full shopping list, by category, with the reasoning kept short. Every product link here is an affiliate link and marked ad; if you buy through one I earn a small commission and it doesn't change the price you pay. I chose these for being well made, well reviewed and from a brand you've heard of, in that order. Prices aren't shown because they change weekly; the band shows what to expect.
Light and power £20–60 for the lot
One head torch per adult, one lantern per living room, one big power bank.
- Power bank, 20,000 mAh Two phones, two charges each. Charge it monthly.Anker Zolo 20,000 mAh in my kit ad
- Budget power bank Same capacity, slower.INIU 20,000 mAh (budget) ad
- Head torch Runs on the AAAs in the box.Lepro rechargeable head torch ×2 in my kit ad
- Rechargeable head torch USB-C; the step-up.Ledlenser HF4R (USB-C) ad
- Room lantern, rechargeable Lights the whole living room.Solar / hand-crank / USB camping lantern in my kit ad
- Room lantern on AA For a parent's box: no charging to forget.Ledlenser ML4 (runs on AA) ad
- AA batteries ×24 Sealed, out of the torches until needed.Duracell Plus AA ×24 ad
- Rechargeable AA + charger If you'd rather not keep buying.Panasonic eneloop AA ×4 ad Energizer Recharge Pro charger ad
- Power-cut night light Comes on by itself when the power fails; pulls out as a torch.NiteSafe plug-in light that comes on in a power cut ad
Knowing what's going on £20–45
Broadband dies with the power and the masts follow. A wind-up FM radio is the government's answer and still the right one.
- AM/FM wind-up radio with torch My pick: local BBC stays on FM in an emergency and it's easy on batteries.Mesqool wind-up AM/FM radio, 12,000 mAh in my kit ad
- DAB/FM solar radio If you want DAB for normal use too.Mesqool DAB/FM solar radio ad
- Whistle For the grab bag: easier than shouting if you need to be found.Lifesystems whistle ad
Water £15–50
Bottled water comes from the supermarket. These are for storing and treating more. Tablets and a filter do different jobs; together they cover bacteria, viruses and parasites.
- 25 L food-grade container with tap Fill when the warning comes.25 L food-grade jerry can with tap ad
- 6 × 25 L stackable 150 litres: drinking, cooking and washing water for a big household.6 × 25 L stackable jerry cans ad
- 10 L collapsible carrier Light enough for an older parent.Starnearby 12 L water container with tap in my kit ad
- Purification tablets Bacteria and viruses. One per litre, 30 minutes.Aquatabs ×50 in my kit ad Oasis purification tablets ad
- Personal filter straw Parasites including Crypto. Not viruses.LifeStraw personal water filter in my kit ad
- Bath bladder Holds up to 100 US gallons (about 380 litres); a full bath is nearer 80 litres. Keeps it clean and sealed.WaterBOB bath bladder in my kit ad
Cooking and warmth £30–80
A single-burner gas stove turns the whole larder back on and fills hot water bottles. Window open, CO alarm fitted, never in a sealed room.
- Single-burner gas stove The UK standard cartridge stove.GREEN HAVEN camping stove + 4 butane in my kit ad
- Gas cartridges ×4 About an hour each on full.Campingaz CP250 cartridges ×4 ad CP250 cartridges ×8 ad
- Two-burner stove For big households.Campingaz Camping Chef 2-burner ad
- Manual tin opener Keep it with the tins.KitchenCraft heavy-duty tin opener ad
- Easy-grip tin opener For arthritic hands.OXO Good Grips tin opener ad
- Foil blankets ×10 Grab bags and the car.Bramble foil blankets ×10 ad
- Fleece throw One per person if you don't own enough.Bedsure fleece throw ad
- Hot water bottle One per bed. Never with an electric blanket.Fashy 2 L hot water bottle ad
- Child's hot water bottle Smaller, safer fill.Hugo Frosch junior hot water bottle ad
- Hand warmers Disposable or reusable.Little Hotties hand warmers ×10 ad Lifesystems reusable hand warmer ad
- 3-season sleeping bag If a child's room is the cold one.Mountain Warehouse Microlite 950 ad
First aid and safety £40–80
A proper kit, a thermometer, and the two things that stop a power cut becoming a house fire. Medicines come from the pharmacy with your normal shop; I don't link them.
- Family first aid kit The trusted UK brand.General Medi 210-piece first aid kit in my kit ad
- Grab-bag first aid kit Waterproof, small.Lifesystems waterproof first aid kit ad
- Child-focused kit If you'd rather one aimed at small people.LittleLife family first aid kit ad
- Digital thermometer Check the battery today.Omron Eco Temp digital thermometer ad Braun ThermoScan 3 ad
- Rehydration tablets For the stomach bug in the power cut.O.R.S hydration tablets ×24 ad
- Carbon monoxide alarm Fit one if you own the stove.FireAngel CO alarm (10-year) ad Kidde 5CO alarm ad
- Kitemarked fire blanket Many cheap imports aren't.Firechief Kitemarked fire blanket ad
- Small extinguisher Kitchen or hallway.Firechief 1 kg ABC extinguisher ad
The loo and hygiene £15–30 (or £100 for a proper one)
When the water is off, the loo will flush once and then stop. These are the cheap ways to manage until it's back.
- Bucket toilet with lid Double-bag, tie, store outside.Bucket toilet with lid ad
- Proper chemical toilet For an older parent, or if you'd rather.Thetford Porta Potti 335 ad
- Heavy-duty sacks Thick enough for the job.TIMCO XXL rubble sacks ×10 ad Heavy-duty rubble sacks ×100 ad
- Gelling toilet bags Make the bucket civilised.Cleanwaste toilet bags ad
- Wipes, bulk Washing without water.Baby wipes ×1,080 ad
- Hand gel, pocket sizes One per bag.Carex hand gel 12 × 50 ml ad
Storage and documents £30–90
Hard, clear boxes with lids. They stack, mice can't get in, and you can see what you've got.
- 35 L boxes ×3 The kit box and a parent's box.Really Useful Box 35 L ×3 ad
- 84 L box Food under the bed.Really Useful Box 84 L ad
- 43 L boxes ×3 Wardrobe-top size.Really Useful Box 43 L ×3 ad
- Airtight tubs ×18 Decant everything dry.KICHLY airtight containers ×18 ad
- Fireproof, waterproof document pouch Grab bag.JUNDUN fireproof, waterproof document bag ad Large fireproof document bag ad
- Fire and water chest For the originals.Master Lock fire & water chest ad
- Cash box £40 to £100 in small notes, then forget it.Combination cash box ad
Your parents £10–120
Most of the parents plan is free (PSR, the landline battery backup, the fridge sheet). These are the things worth buying. The full page.
- Police-approved key safe Secured by Design. Give the code to the GP, the carer and one neighbour.Supra KeySafe C500 Pro (police approved) ad Defender Pro-TEC key safe ad
- Big-button phone with SOS key Lives in the kitchen drawer, charged, with your number in it.TTfone big-button phone with SOS ad
- SOS pendant or watch Fall detection, 4G, UK company. Or use council telecare.CPR Guardian SOS watch ad
- Weekly pill organiser Fill it on Sunday; see what's running low.7-day pill organiser ad
- Smart plug for the kettle Tells you from 100 miles away whether the kettle's been on, and whether the house has power.TP-Link Tapo smart plug ad
- Mini UPS for the router Keeps the digital landline and pendant alarm alive for hours.APC mini UPS for router ad APC Back-UPS 650 ad
- Power-cut night light For the landing.NiteSafe plug-in light that comes on in a power cut ad
Your children £10–30
The comfort item is theirs to choose. The rest is a bag, a light and something to do.
- Small rucksack 13 L is right for 5 to 10s.Mountaintop 15 L children's backpack ad
- Glow sticks Safe light that children like.Emergency glow sticks (6) ad
- Cards and UNO For a long wait in a rest centre.Waddingtons playing cards ad UNO ad
- Their own head torch Hands free, and easy for children to use.Lepro rechargeable head torch ×2 in my kit ad
Your pets £20–50
Their usual food from your normal supplier (PDSA suggests a week's worth). These are the rest. The full page.
- Collapsible bowls ×2Colapz collapsible dog bowls ×2 ad
- Spare leadSpare padded rope lead ad
- Engraved ID tagEngraved brass ID tag ad
- Cat carrier Hard or soft. Leave it out so they're used to it.Hard two-door cat carrier ad Soft cat carrier ad
- Pet first aid kitPet first aid kit ad
Long-life food £5–15 per pouch
Supermarket tins do most of the job. These are for the grab bag only, where weight and no-cook matter and you'll never rotate them.
- Eat-cold pouch Straight from the packet.Wayfayrer eat-cold pouch ad
- 800 kcal hot pouch UK made, five-year shelf life.Expedition Foods 800 kcal pouch ad
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. I check availability and whether a product is still the right pick every quarter; last check October 2026. If a link is dead or an item has been replaced, tell me.