Emergency grab bag contents (UK checklist)
Your 3-day kit is for staying at home. A grab bag is the opposite: a small bag for each person, ready by the door, for the rare times you are asked to leave home quickly, for example in a flood or a gas leak.
The short answer
One bag per person with: water bottle, snacks, medicines (labelled), copies of documents, cash, phone charger and power bank, torch and batteries, warm layer and waterproof, toiletries, glasses / hearing aids, contacts list on paper, spare keys. Add pet food and a lead, a comfort item for children and baby supplies if you need them.
The checklist
One bag per person, ready by the door, in case you are asked to leave home quickly.
- Water bottle
- Snacks
- Medicines (labelled)
- Copies of documents
- Cash
- Phone charger and power bank
- Torch and batteries
- Warm layer and waterproof
- Toiletries
- Glasses / hearing aids
- Contacts list on paper
- Spare keys
- Pet food and lead
- Comfort item (children)
- Battery or wind-up radio
- A tin opener if you pack tins
- Baby items: nappies, wipes, ready-to-feed formula
Getting it right
- Keep it by the door or in the hall cupboard, where anyone can grab it in the dark.
- Copies, not originals: passports, birth certificates, insurance details and instructions for medical equipment, in a clear, zip-top waterproof pouch.
- A paper contacts list: phones run out of battery; paper doesn't.
- Medicines labelled with names and doses, so someone else could take over care.
- Pets: food, lead or carrier, and microchip number, vet details and a recent photo sealed in a waterproof bag.
- Check it monthly: grab bags have a way of losing their charger.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between an emergency kit and a grab bag?
The emergency kit is for staying at home for about three days when services stop. The grab bag is a small bag per person, kept by the door, for when you have to leave home quickly.
Should every person have their own grab bag?
Yes, one per person, so everyone carries their own water, snacks, medicines and warm layer, and nobody is left without if you get separated.
What documents should go in a grab bag?
Copies, not originals, of passports, birth certificates, insurance details and instructions for medical equipment, in a waterproof pouch, plus a written list of medicines and doses and a paper contacts list.
Where should I keep my grab bag?
Near the front door or in the hall cupboard, where anyone in the house can find it quickly.
Official sources
Checked against these official pages in October 2026. Advice and phone numbers can change, so the official page always has the final word.