Storing your kit

Where to keep your supplies, what to keep them in, and how to keep them fresh.

Two kits

A home kit holds most of your supplies, for staying in. Keep it together in one place everyone knows.
A grab bag is a small bag ready to take if you have to leave in a hurry. Keep it near the front door.
If you drive, a few things in the car help too: water, a blanket, a torch, a phone charger and snacks.

Somewhere cool, dark and dry. Heat and damp spoil food, water and batteries.
Indoors, not in the loft, shed or garage, where it gets too hot or too cold and can be hard to reach.
Somewhere you can find in the dark, such as a hall or under-stairs cupboard.
If your home could flood, keep your kit upstairs or up high.

Clear, stackable boxes with lids let you see what’s inside. Label each one.
A shelf works well too: put the oldest items at the front so they get used first.
A rucksack makes the best grab bag, so your hands stay free.
A waterproof bag or hard case keeps papers, phones and medicines dry.
Store water in its sealed bottles, or in clean food-grade containers with the date you filled them.
Put a printed copy of your plan in both your home kit and your grab bag. Laminate them, or slip them in a plastic wallet.

Check your kit when the clocks change, in spring and autumn.
Use the oldest food and water first and replace it, so nothing goes out of date.
Recharge power banks, test torches and radios, and swap any batteries that are running low.
Put things back after you use them, even for everyday jobs.
Print a new copy of your plan whenever it changes.

Checked against official guidance on 2 Nov 2026. In immediate danger, call 999.