Start Here with Be Prepared UK

Start With the Problems Most Likely to Affect You

Preparedness starts with ordinary disruptions, not worst-case scenarios.

Think about what would happen if your electricity went off for a day or two, the water supply stopped, severe weather kept you at home, card payments stopped working or you suddenly couldn't get to the shops.

Those are the situations worth preparing for first because they can happen without society collapsing around you.

Your aim is simple. You want your household to be able to carry on safely and comfortably for a few days without immediately depending on somebody else to solve the problem.

Begin With What You Already Have

Before buying anything, look around your home.

You probably already own far more useful emergency equipment than you realise. Blankets, torches, batteries, basic first aid supplies, food, bottled drinks, power banks, warm clothing and a manual tin opener are all useful preps.

Then ask yourself one question.

If the power, water and shops were unavailable for three days, what would I run out of first?

That is where you should start.

Water Comes First

Water is one of the easiest things to overlook because we normally only have to turn on a tap.

Store enough drinking water to get your household through several days. You can use bottled water, clean food-safe containers or collapsible water containers if storage space is limited.

Don't forget that water is also useful for cooking, basic washing and flushing toilets.

You do not need to solve a month's worth of water storage on day one. Start with a day, then two, then three, and increase it gradually.

Build a Practical Emergency Food Supply

You do not need expensive survival food.

Start with ordinary long-life food that you already eat. Rice, pasta, oats, beans, soup, tinned tomatoes, tinned meat, fish, lentils, tea and coffee are all useful examples.

Buy a little extra when you shop, put the newest food at the back and use the oldest first.

This gives you a rotating emergency food supply without wasting money or filling your cupboards with food nobody actually wants to eat.

Also think about how you would prepare that food during a power cut. Some of your emergency supplies should be edible without cooking.

Prepare for Power Cuts

You do not need to power your entire house.

Start with the things that actually matter.

Make sure you have reliable lighting, spare batteries and a way to keep your phone charged. A basic power bank can be extremely useful during a short power cut.

It is also worth having another way to receive information. Broadband and mobile networks can both be affected during a major outage, which is why a battery-powered or wind-up radio can be useful.

Think About Warmth, Cooking and Hygiene

If the heating stops during winter, concentrate on keeping people warm rather than trying to heat the whole house.

Warm clothing, blankets and duvets are simple but effective. If necessary, keep everyone in one room and close the doors to reduce the space you need to keep warm.

For cooking, a simple alternative method can be useful, but anything involving a flame or fuel must be used safely and according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Hygiene matters too. Hand sanitiser, wet wipes, disinfectant and heavy-duty bin bags can become surprisingly useful if your water supply is interrupted.

Keep Some Cash and Important Information Offline

Card machines, banking apps and ATMs all depend on electricity and communications.

You do not need large amounts of cash at home, but keeping some smaller notes available gives you another option if electronic payments temporarily stop working.

It is also worth writing down important information such as emergency contacts, medication details, insurance information and useful telephone numbers.

Your phone is incredibly useful, right up until the battery dies.

Don't Forget Medication and First Aid

Keep a sensible supply of any medication you depend on and avoid leaving repeat prescriptions until the last possible moment.

Your household should also have basic first aid supplies that are easy to find and that everyone knows how to access.

Check them occasionally and replace anything that has expired or been used.

Prepare Gradually

You do not need to spend hundreds or thousands of pounds to become better prepared.

Add a few useful things each month.

Some extra food this week. A power bank next month. More water storage after that. A radio, better first aid supplies or another torch when the budget allows.

Preparedness should make your household more secure. It should not put you into debt.

Download the Free Sensible Prepper Checklist

If you want something you can work through at your own pace, I have created a free Sensible Prepper Checklist.

It covers the main areas worth thinking about and gives you a practical starting point without turning preparedness into an expensive shopping exercise.

You can download it by joining the free Patreon tier.

Download the Free Sensible Prepper Checklist

Watch Be Prepared UK

The Be Prepared UK YouTube channel covers practical UK preparedness without the doom-mongering.

I look at subjects including power cuts, water storage, emergency food, government preparedness advice, communications, pets, technology and the real risks that could disrupt everyday life in Britain.

Watch Be Prepared UK on YouTube

What Should You Do First?

Don't try to prepare for everything.

Start with the most obvious gaps in your own household.

Make sure you have water. Make sure you have food. Make sure you can see in the dark, charge a phone, stay warm and get information.

Then improve things gradually.

That is sensible preparedness.