What Governments Recommend: UK Be Ready, the 72-Hour Kit and the Pentagon’s Reported 90 Days
Last updated: October 29, 2026
On October 22, 2026 the UK launched its Be Ready campaign, asking households to be ready to manage for 3 days. It joins the EU and several European countries with similar advice, while in the US the Red Cross has long recommended 3 days of supplies to evacuate and 2 weeks at home. Here’s what each government actually recommends, side by side, with links to the official pages.
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How many days each government recommends
| Who | How long | What they say | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 3 days (72 hours) | Be Ready campaign, launched Oct. 22, 2026. Two key actions: sign up to the Priority Services Register if eligible, and keep 3 days of bottled water and non-perishable food at home. | GOV.UK · Be Ready checklist |
| European Union | At least 72 hours | The EU Preparedness Union Strategy says the Commission will develop guidelines to reach population self-sufficiency of at least 72 hours. | European Commission |
| Netherlands | 72 hours, plus cash | Prepare to go without basic essentials for 72 hours. Keep €70 in cash per adult and €30 per child (the 3 days’ cash). | Denk vooruit (Dutch government) |
| Germany | 3 to 10 days | BBK: ideally be able to supply yourself for 10 days, but even a supply for at least 3 days helps a lot. | BBK |
| Sweden | At least 1 week | Plan to keep access to water, food, communication and heating at home for at least a week. | Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency |
| Switzerland | About 1 week of food | Food for about 1 week, plus 9 liters of water per person, enough to drink and cook with for 3 days. | Federal Office for National Economic Supply |
| United States (households) | 3 days to evacuate, 2 weeks at home | American Red Cross: one gallon of water per person per day, with a 3-day supply for evacuation and a 2-week supply for home. Ready.gov says to plan for several days. | American Red Cross · Ready.gov |
| Pentagon (military installations, not households) | 90 days (reported, not in official documents) | FORTRESS America, announced Sept. 30, 2026 by the Department of War, the name the Pentagon now uses: every major US military installation will generate its own power, independent of the civilian grid. The 90-day self-sufficiency standard was reported by Fox News on Oct. 25, 2026, citing internal planning documents. | Department of War release · Sept. 30 memo · Fox News (reported) |
The UK’s Be Ready campaign and the 72-hour emergency kit
The UK government’s announcement (Cabinet Office, October 22, 2026) calls Be Ready the first stage of a three-year campaign. It’s meant to help households feel better prepared for events like severe weather that can affect power, water, phones and the internet. The same 3-day message is used by France, Ireland and the Netherlands, the government says.
The Be Ready checklist covers:
- Bottled water for 3 days: 3 liters per person per day for drinking, plus more for cooking and washing
- Non-perishable food for 3 days that doesn’t need refrigeration or cooking
- Hand sanitizer, wet wipes and bathroom products
- A flashlight with spare batteries (safer than candles), plus blankets, sleeping bags and warm clothing
- A battery or wind-up FM radio and a charged power bank
- Cash in coins and notes, copies of IDs and documents, and important phone numbers on paper
- A first aid kit, and essential medicines and medical supplies
The government’s advice is to check what you already have, build the kit up gradually on regular shopping trips, and check it every six months.
For the US version of this list, see our emergency kit list and printable checklist.
Europe: 72 hours, and longer in some countries
The EU Preparedness Union Strategy commits the European Commission to guidelines for population self-sufficiency of at least 72 hours. The Netherlands moved its advice from 48 to 72 hours to match the EU, according to its Denk vooruit campaign. It also suggests keeping €70 in cash per adult and €30 per child for the first 72 hours.
Germany’s civil protection office BBK suggests a supply for ideally 10 days, saying that even 3 days helps a lot. Sweden’s Civil Defence and Resilience Agency advises at least a week at home, and Switzerland’s Federal Office for National Economic Supply suggests about a week of food and 9 liters of water per person.
The Pentagon’s FORTRESS plan and the reported “90 days”
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth unveiled FORTRESS (Federal Operations for Resilience, Troop Resources, Energy, Supply, and Survivability) in a speech at Marine Corps Base Quantico. The Department of War release about that speech is dated Sept. 30, 2026. Separately, a memorandum dated Sept. 30, 2026 establishes FORTRESS America as a Department of War program.
The release says every major US military installation will generate its own independent power, so military installations keep running if the civilian grid goes down. It also covers supply chains, strategic reserves and hardening military installations against cyber intrusion and drones.
The 90-day figure isn’t in the release or the memo. Fox News reported on Oct. 25, 2026 that internal planning documents set a requirement for major military installations to sustain essential operations for at least 90 days. This is a plan for military installations. It isn’t advice for households.
What this means for your household
For most US households, the Red Cross baseline is a good place to start: 3 days of supplies you can take with you, and up to 2 weeks at home.
What to do this week
- Check what you already have. Go through your cupboards with our printable emergency kit checklist.
- Store 3 days of water and food. One gallon of water per person per day, and food you already eat. See the water math on our emergency kit page.
- Fill the gaps over time. Add a radio, a flashlight, batteries and a first aid kit on your next few shopping trips, following the emergency kit list.
FAQ
What is the UK Be Ready campaign?
A UK government campaign launched on October 22, 2026. It asks households to be ready to manage for 3 days if services like power, water, phones or the internet are disrupted, and it publishes a checklist. It’s the first stage of a three-year campaign.
What’s in the UK 72 hour emergency kit?
The Be Ready checklist includes bottled water for 3 days (3 liters per person per day for drinking), non-perishable food, hygiene items, a flashlight with spare batteries, blankets and warm clothing, a battery or wind-up FM radio, a charged power bank, cash, copies of documents, phone numbers, a first aid kit and essential medicines.
Is the Pentagon telling military installations to prepare for 90 days?
That’s reported, not official. The Department of War’s FORTRESS America release and memo (both dated Sept. 30, 2026) say every major US military installation will generate its own power, independent of the civilian grid. The 90-day figure comes from Fox News, which reported on Oct. 25, 2026 that internal planning documents set a 90-day self-sufficiency standard for major military installations. We couldn’t find the 90 days in an official Department of War document. It’s a plan for military installations, not advice for households.
How many days of supplies should my household keep?
It depends on who you ask. The US Red Cross says 3 days for evacuation and 2 weeks at home. The UK, EU and Netherlands say 72 hours. Germany says ideally 10 days, at least 3. Sweden says at least a week, and Switzerland suggests about a week of food.
How much cash should I keep for emergencies?
The Netherlands is the one country here that gives a figure: €70 per adult and €30 per child for the first 72 hours. The UK’s Be Ready checklist says to keep cash in a mix of coins and notes, plus cards, in case electronic payments or ATMs are disrupted. The Red Cross lists “extra cash.”
Sources, checked October 28, 2026: GOV.UK, the Be Ready campaign, the European Commission, Denk vooruit (Netherlands), BBK (Germany), the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency, the Swiss Federal Office for National Economic Supply, the American Red Cross, Ready.gov and the US Department of War (all linked above). The 90-day figure was reported by Fox News on Oct. 25, 2026. Search data: Google Trends, US, Oct 28, 2026.
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