Emergency Preparedness & Emergency Supplies
Being prepared doesn't mean expecting the worst. It means having practical equipment available when everyday services you normally rely on are temporarily unavailable.
Whether you're preparing for a power cut, severe storm, flooding, communications outage or another emergency, having the right emergency supplies at home can make a significant difference.
Explore our range of emergency preparedness equipment, including emergency radios, torches, head torches, two-way radios, emergency backpacks, backup power solutions and other practical supplies for your household, vehicle or emergency kit.
Emergency preparedness starts with the essentials
A good household emergency kit should be tailored to the people who may need it. A family with young children will have different requirements from someone living alone, while elderly household members, medical needs and pets all require additional consideration.
Some of the most useful emergency supplies to consider include:
- Drinking water and non-perishable food
- Essential medication and first aid supplies
- Reliable emergency lighting
- An emergency radio
- Spare batteries and backup power
- Essential contact details
- Suitable communication equipment
- Warm clothing and blankets
- Hygiene products
- Supplies for babies, elderly household members or pets.
You don't need to build your emergency kit in one day. Start with the essentials, check what you already have at home and gradually add the equipment your household is missing.
Emergency radios for power cuts and severe weather
When the electricity goes out, your normal sources of information may become less reliable. Your television may not work, your home Wi-Fi can disappear and continuously using a mobile phone for news can drain valuable battery power.
An emergency radio provides an additional way to receive information during a power cut or other disruption.
Depending on the model, emergency radios can offer useful features such as AM/FM reception, battery operation, a built-in torch, USB connectivity, solar charging and wind-up or hand-crank power.
The Midland ER300 Pro is an example of a multi-function emergency radio designed to combine several useful preparedness features in one portable device.
When choosing an emergency radio, consider how you intend to use it and which power options and functions are most useful for your situation.
Torches and head torches for emergency lighting
Reliable lighting is one of the simplest but most important parts of emergency preparedness for a power cut.
Although most smartphones have a built-in torch, your phone may also be your main source of communication and information. Using it continuously as a light can unnecessarily drain the battery.
A dedicated torch provides dependable portable lighting around the home, garage, garden or vehicle.
A head torch offers another important advantage: it keeps both hands free. This can be particularly useful when checking equipment, moving items, helping children or elderly household members, dealing with a vehicle or carrying out practical tasks in the dark.
For greater resilience, consider keeping more than one source of emergency lighting available, together with suitable spare batteries or charging options.
Two-Way radios for emergency communication
Mobile phones are an essential part of everyday communication, but they depend on networks, charged batteries and supporting infrastructure.
Suitable two-way radios can provide direct radio-to-radio communication without relying on your home Wi-Fi connection or a mobile phone subscription.
PMR446 radios can be useful for communication between family members or groups in suitable circumstances. Our range includes models from brands such as Midland and Motorola, including robust radios designed for outdoor and demanding environments.
Remember that actual radio range depends on factors such as buildings, terrain, vegetation and surrounding conditions. Maximum theoretical ranges should therefore never be treated as guaranteed real-world performance.
For some applications, 27 MHz communication equipment may also be relevant. Always check the applicable regulations and suitability for the country in which the equipment will be used.
Emergency backpacks and grab bags
There is an important difference between a household emergency kit and an emergency grab bag.
Your household emergency kit contains supplies that can help you remain at home during a period of disruption.
A grab bag is designed around the essentials you may need if you have to leave home at short notice.
An emergency backpack such as the Midland C1726 can provide a practical starting point for organising useful emergency equipment in one accessible place.
However, every emergency bag should be personalised. Consider essential medication, identification, drinking water, ready-to-eat food, a torch or head torch, power bank, charging cables, warm or waterproof clothing and the specific needs of children and pets.
Backup power, batteries and charging
A power cut quickly demonstrates how many everyday items depend on electricity.
Keeping spare batteries, charged power banks and suitable charging cables with your emergency supplies can help keep essential equipment available for longer.
Some emergency equipment also offers alternative power options, including solar or hand-crank charging.
The key is redundancy. Rather than relying entirely on one battery, one phone or one charging method, consider having several practical options available.
Always check the specifications of individual products. Solar panels and hand-crank generators can be useful backup features, but their charging capabilities vary between devices.
Emergency equipment for storms and severe weather
Storm preparedness isn't only about what you do after the weather becomes severe.
When strong winds, heavy rain, thunderstorms or other severe weather are forecast, checking your emergency equipment in advance can give you valuable time to prepare.
Charge phones and power banks, check your torches, make sure spare batteries are available and place your emergency radio somewhere accessible.
Also consider drinking water, food, medication, warm clothing and the needs of children, elderly or less mobile household members and pets.
Preparation is most effective when everyone in the household knows where the equipment is and how to use it.
Prepper supplies without the panic
You may also encounter terms such as prepper supplies, prepper equipment or survival equipment when looking for emergency products.
Whatever terminology you prefer, our approach is simple:
Be prepared, not scared
Emergency preparedness doesn't have to mean preparing for extreme scenarios. A severe storm, extended power cut, local flooding or communications disruption is enough to demonstrate the value of having basic supplies ready.
Start with realistic risks and practical essentials. Build from there according to your household, location and circumstances.
What should you Keep at home for an emergency?
There is no single emergency kit that is perfect for every household.
A useful starting point is to think about four priorities:
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Information – How will you receive important information if television or Wi-Fi isn't available?
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Lighting – How will you safely see and move around if the power goes out at night?
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Power – How will you keep essential battery-powered equipment available?
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Communication – How will household members communicate if normal methods become unreliable?
Then consider the basic needs of everyone in your household: water, food, medication, warmth, hygiene, children, elderly or less mobile people and pets.
Build your emergency kit step by step
You don't need a cupboard full of specialist survival equipment to become better prepared.
- Start by looking at what you already have.
- Do you have a working torch? Where is it?
- Do you have spare batteries?
- Is your power bank charged?
- Could you receive information without Wi-Fi or television?
- Do you have an emergency radio?
- Could family members communicate if mobile coverage became unreliable?
- Do you have essential supplies available for the first few days of disruption?
Each answer helps identify the next practical step.
Explore emergency preparedness equipment
Browse our selection of emergency radios, torches, head torches, emergency backpacks, two-way radios, backup power solutions and other emergency preparedness supplies and build an emergency kit that fits your household and circumstances.
Preparation cannot prevent a storm or power cut, but the right equipment and a simple plan can help you deal with disruption more confidently.
Be prepared. Stay informed. Stay connected
Deltron's Emergency Preparedness Guides
