Articles

Short explainers. No scare stories.

Getting started

What the official advice says, and how to begin.

Be Ready, explained in 5 minutes
What launched, what's on the list, what it costs and what it doesn't ask of you.
How ready the UK says it is: the survey in 8 numbers
The government's 2026 preparedness survey, in 8 plain numbers.
How other countries do it
The same 3 days across most of Europe, and a few ideas worth borrowing.
Getting ready on a small budget
Free things first, then the cupboard, then the cheapest picks.

The things on the list, and how to choose them.

How much water you need for 3 days
The official figure, worked out for a family, and where to keep it.
Food for 3 days without cooking
A no-cook list from the supermarket, and how to stop it going out of date.
Why the checklist says FM radio, and which one to get
Why it has to be FM and work without the mains, and the two we'd buy.
Batteries for the box: what to buy and how to keep them
Which batteries to keep, how to store them, and what to do with old ones.
Power banks: what the number on the box means
What mAh means, how much you need and how to keep it charged.

Storms, cold and power cuts, and a twice-yearly check.

Weather warnings explained: yellow, amber, red
What each colour means, and what we'd do at home.
Staying warm in a winter power cut
One warm room, layers, hot water bottles done safely, and what never to use indoors.
The clocks-change kit check
A few minutes, twice a year, when the clocks change.

Getting a parent or a pet sorted too.