Most emergencies in the UK are about staying at home for a few days. Occasionally, though, people are asked to leave, most often because of flooding. GOV.UK suggests keeping some essential items in a spare bag in case you need to go quickly, and the British Red Cross says that if your area is at risk of flooding you should keep essentials packed together so you can leave at short notice.
Checklist: grab bag
- Essential medication (and a copy of your prescriptions)
- Copies of ID and important documents in a waterproof bag
- Phone charger and a charged power bank
- Torch with spare batteries
- Drinking water and ready-to-eat snacks
- Cash in small notes and coins
- Spare house and car keys
- Paper list of contacts, plus a pen
- Warm layer or foil blanket, and waterproofs if flooding is likely
- Baby and pet essentials
Grab bag or home kit?
They do different jobs. Your home kit is for staying put for about 3 days. A grab bag is smaller and lighter, for the first hours or a day away from home, perhaps at a friend's house or a rest centre run by the council. Some items appear in both (a torch, first aid and documents, for example), so it's worth having a second, smaller set for the bag rather than relying on grabbing things from around the house.
What to pack
Medication and health
Medication comes first. Pack what you need and a copy of your prescriptions, plus spare glasses or contact lenses and a small first aid kit. Our suggestion: about 7 days of regular medication in the bag, and a compact first aid pouch with plasters, dressings, wipes and gloves.
Documents, money and keys
The British Red Cross suggests keeping copies of important documents in a waterproof bag, and lists spare home and car keys, cash and a paper copy of important contact numbers. GOV.UK suggests a household emergency plan kept with documents such as passports, birth certificates and insurance details. Our starting suggestion for cash is around £50 per household in small notes and coins.
Water and food
Water is heavy, so the bag is not the place for 3 days' worth. Our suggestion is one day at GOV.UK's figure of 3 litres per person: for two adults that's 6 litres, as 1-litre or 500 ml bottles that are easier to carry. Add ready-to-eat snacks such as cereal bars, nuts and dried fruit, roughly 2,000 kcal per person (our estimate).
Light, power and information
A torch with spare batteries and a phone charger or power bank are on the Red Cross list. Our suggestion: a small LED head torch with spare AAA batteries, and a charged 10,000 mAh power bank with a cable, which is about one to two phone charges. A small battery or wind-up radio is a useful extra.
Warmth and comfort
A warm layer, and waterproof clothing if flooding is a risk. Toiletries, wet wipes and hand sanitiser. A whistle is handy for attracting attention. For children, a comfort item and something to do that doesn't need charging.
Babies and pets
Nappies, wipes and ready-to-feed formula for babies. For pets: food, water, a lead or carrier, any medication and waste bags or litter. The British Red Cross reminds you to take pets with you if you leave, so they aren't trapped by rising water.
What a grab bag looks like for two adults
| Item | Amount (our suggestion) |
|---|---|
| Backpack | 1 × 25 to 35 L (one per two people) |
| Drinking water | 6 L (1 day × 3 L each, GOV.UK figure) |
| Snacks and ready-to-eat food | 6 small meals |
| Medication | 7 days of each regular medicine |
| Power bank | 1 × 10,000 mAh with cable |
| Warm layer or foil blanket, whistle | 1 each per person |
| Cash | About £50 in small notes and coins |
If you're asked to leave
- Follow the advice of the emergency services and your council, and leave if they tell you to.
- If it's safe and you have time, turn off gas, electricity and water. Never touch an electrical switch while standing in water. The British Red Cross warns you can be electrocuted in floodwater if the power is left on.
- Take your grab bag and your pets.
- Don't walk, cycle or drive through flood water.
- If your home can't be lived in, contact your local council about emergency accommodation.
Keep it ready
Store the bag somewhere easy to reach on the way out and tell everyone at home where it is. Check it when you check your home kit, every six months as GOV.UK suggests: swap out snacks and water near their dates, recharge the power bank and update medication and documents.
Related: storms and flooding, which power bank and our Grab Bag page.
Questions people ask
What is a grab bag?
GOV.UK describes it as a spare bag with a few essential items you might need to take with you if you are asked to leave your home quickly.
What should be in a UK grab bag?
Essentials such as medication, copies of important documents in a waterproof bag, a phone charger or power bank, a torch, some cash, drinking water and snacks, spare keys and anything babies or pets need.
Where should I keep my grab bag?
Somewhere easy to reach on the way out, such as near the front door or in a hall cupboard, and make sure everyone at home knows where it is.
Sources
- GOV.UK Be Ready checklist
- British Red Cross: emergency kit
- British Red Cross: prepare for floods
- GOV.UK: what to do before or during a flood
Official advice checked on 29 October 2026. Anything marked as our suggestion or estimate is Survivalify guidance, not an official figure. Survivalify is not part of the government.