Plan a household grab bag

A grab bag keeps a small set of useful items together in case you need to leave home at short notice. Start with medicines, contact details, basic clothing, water, familiar snacks, a torch and a way to hear updates, then adapt the contents to each person, any pet and the reason you may need to go.

What is a grab bag for?

A grab bag is a small, portable collection for leaving home. It is different from a cupboard of household supplies, which is useful when you stay inside. The bag should support the first part of a journey or temporary move. It does not need to solve every problem or contain every possession.

Think about the situations that could lead your household to leave. A local authority or emergency service may tell people to evacuate because of flooding, a fire, a structural problem or another local hazard. Sometimes there is time to prepare, but a fire or urgent incident may leave no time to collect a bag. Follow the instruction you receive and leave immediately if emergency services tell you to go.

Decide who will carry the bag and where it will be kept. A bag that is too heavy, stored behind furniture or packed with items that need regular replacement may not be useful. Choose a weight each person can manage safely and keep the bag near an accessible exit without blocking the route.

Some households may need more than one small bag rather than one large one. A person who uses a mobility aid may need the bag attached or placed where it will not interfere. A child may carry a light personal item while an adult carries shared supplies. Talk through the plan in a calm moment and ask each person what would help them leave safely.

The grab bag contents guide gives a detailed checklist. Use it as a starting point and remove anything that does not fit your household, its health needs or your likely route.

What should I put in first?

Begin with things that would be difficult to replace or that support immediate needs. This often includes essential medicines in their original packaging, a written list of prescriptions and allergies, contact details, glasses or hearing aids, and a phone charger that fits the device. Follow medicine storage instructions and speak with a pharmacist or clinician about any plan involving time away from home.

Add water and a small amount of familiar food that can be eaten without cooking. Keep in mind that the bag is not a long-term food store. The amount depends on the people travelling, the circumstances and the instructions from officials. Do not guess quantities for babies or pets; ask a health visitor, clinician or vet.

A torch and spare batteries or a charged light may be useful if the route or destination is dark. Keep a battery powered radio if you have one and know how to find local broadcasts. Do not write radio frequencies from memory. Use the broadcaster's own finder for current local information.

Pack basic clothing suited to the season, a light waterproof layer, and comfort items that help a child or person with additional needs manage a change of routine. Add hygiene items in leakproof packaging and any supplies needed to use a toilet safely. Keep the bag compact and avoid heavy tools or objects that could injure someone if the bag is dropped.

Some items are better kept beside the bag than inside it. A phone may need to remain in use until the last moment, and medicines may be stored according to temperature instructions. Put a short note on the bag listing the items to collect at departure. Rehearse where these items are kept and who will fetch them.

Which documents and details matter?

Include a concise contact sheet with names, phone numbers and a meeting point. Write down a contact outside the immediate area if household members might become separated. A printed note can help if a phone battery is low, a device is lost or mobile service is unavailable. Keep the information private and share it only with people who need it.

Think about which documents would be hard to replace or useful when speaking to a service provider. You might keep copies of key identification, insurance details, medication information, care contacts or property information. Do not place irreplaceable originals in a bag that could be lost. Store secure digital copies separately and protect accounts with suitable privacy settings.

Cash may help if a card reader, internet service or power supply is unavailable, but carry only an amount that fits your circumstances and personal safety. Keep it discreet. A bank card and a note of essential account contact routes may be more practical than carrying a large amount of cash.

Keep copies in a waterproof sleeve or document pouch and update them when contact information changes. Check that a support person can find the information, but do not expose sensitive details on an outside label. The documents and cash guide explains how to balance access with privacy.

How should I adapt a bag for flooding?

Follow local flood warnings and evacuation instructions. Do not wait for a bag to be perfect if officials tell you to leave. If safe and time allows, take the bag, medicines and essential documents, and tell a trusted contact where you are going. Do not enter floodwater to retrieve supplies or move a vehicle.

Keep the bag where it is unlikely to be cut off by rising water and where you can reach it without entering a flooded area. In a home with a basement or lower floor, store it above the level that local guidance identifies as a concern. Protect any paper documents with a sealed pouch, but assume that no container can make it safe to enter floodwater.

Flood conditions can disrupt roads, water, electricity and mobile service. Keep a local contact route and a paper map or written meeting place if that suits your area. Check official flood information before travelling. Do not plan a route through a flooded road, and follow signs and instructions from emergency services.

In England, use the official flood warning service and the Environment Agency's current information. In Wales, use Natural Resources Wales flood information. In Scotland, check SEPA and Floodline. In Northern Ireland, consult nidirect and the relevant local authority. The flood kit guide explains what to keep accessible, while the flood preparation guide covers household steps before and during a warning.

A grab bag does not make a building safe. If water is entering, electricity is affected or you are told to evacuate, follow the instructions of emergency services and utility providers. If you are in immediate danger, call 999 when it is safe to do so.

How do I plan for pets?

Decide who will bring each animal and how it will be contained. Keep a secure lead, harness, carrier or travel crate close to the exit. Add identification details and the vet's contact information. A pet may be frightened by noise or unfamiliar people, so plan a safe way to handle it without delaying an evacuation.

Ask your vet what food, medicines and records your animal may need. Keep the food it normally eats, its medication and any instructions together if storage permits. Do not guess how much water or food an animal needs. The amount depends on the animal and circumstances, and a veterinary professional can advise.

Check whether a likely destination accepts pets and what arrangements apply. Do not assume a hotel, relative's home or public shelter will accept every animal. Keep a backup contact who can help if you cannot take the pet, and agree how that person will access the carrier, lead and care information.

The pet emergency kit guide helps tailor the supplies for dogs and cats. Keep the pet's plan alongside the household list, but store animal food separately from human food and medicines.

How do I choose and store the bag?

Use a bag that is comfortable, durable and easy to recognise. It should close securely and fit the items without forcing them together. A backpack keeps hands free, but a person with shoulder, balance or mobility concerns may need a different arrangement. Test the weight with the person who will carry it, using only ordinary safe movement.

Put heavy items near the centre of the bag and keep frequently needed things accessible. Use small pouches to group medicines, documents and hygiene supplies, and label each pouch in clear language. Keep sharp objects out of the bag unless they are necessary and safely covered.

Store the bag in a cool, dry, accessible place. Tell household members where it is and keep a simple list of the items that must be added at departure. Do not place it where it blocks a doorway, stair or mobility aid. In a rented home, avoid fixing hooks or shelves without permission.

A small bag is not a replacement for daily essentials. Plan how to collect a phone, keys, wallet, glasses and medicines that are in use. If a medicine needs refrigeration, ask the clinician or pharmacist how to transport it safely. Write down the advice instead of relying on memory.

What should I do if I need to leave?

Listen to emergency services and local authorities. If they give an evacuation instruction, follow the specified route and destination. Do not wait for a relative to arrive if doing so would make you late or unsafe. Tell another person where you are going when you can do so without delaying departure.

Take household members, essential medicines and the bag if it is immediately available. Do not spend time collecting possessions or taking photographs if the instruction is urgent. Switch off utilities only if authorities or providers instruct you to do so and the controls can be reached safely.

At a reception point or temporary accommodation, follow staff directions and explain any medical, mobility, communication, dietary or pet needs. Keep the contact sheet and medicine list available. If you become separated, use the agreed meeting point or contact rather than searching unsafe areas.

Once safe, check official updates before returning. An area may remain closed even if the immediate hazard is no longer visible. Keep receipts and incident information if your insurer or landlord may need them, and contact your local authority or utility provider about support arrangements.

Where do UK evacuation instructions come from?

Emergency services, local authorities and relevant agencies communicate instructions according to the incident and location. In England, local resilience partners and emergency services may coordinate advice with national agencies. In Wales, local authorities and Natural Resources Wales publish relevant information. In Scotland, the local authority, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and SEPA may each have a role. In Northern Ireland, nidirect, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, police and local councils publish service information.

The route and organisation vary with the hazard. For a flood, use the official flood warning service for your nation. For a fire, follow the fire and rescue service. For a wider emergency, use current government and local authority instructions. Social posts can be useful for finding a service, but confirm the instruction on an official channel before acting on non-urgent information.

Keep your plan flexible. A reception location may change, a road may close or a family member may be at work. Follow the current route rather than a route printed in an old plan. Keep a phone charged when possible, but also write down contact details and an agreed meeting point.

How do I review it?

Check the bag when seasons change and after a household move, new prescription, change in mobility or change in pet arrangements. Replace food, water and batteries according to their labels. Confirm phone numbers, insurance details, meeting points and support contacts. Remove items that are no longer suitable.

Ask every person to locate the bag and say what they would collect last. If the steps are unclear, move the bag or rewrite the note. Consider a short practice of gathering people and leaving by a normal safe route. Do not simulate a hazard or enter a dangerous place to test the plan.

Three useful actions today are to choose a storage place, write an emergency contact sheet and put together the medicines and documents that are safe to keep in the bag. Then use the grab bag builder to organise the household list. It is a planning aid, so adapt it to current instructions and individual needs.

The household plan tool can help record contacts and meeting arrangements. Keep a copy where household members can reach it and make sure someone knows how to use it if you are away.

The guides in this hub answer four separate questions: the grab bag list covers general contents; the flood kit guide adapts supplies for water related disruption; the documents and cash guide helps with records and privacy; and the pet guide adds animal care. Read only the sections that fit your household, then record the choices in one plan.

Common questions

Related guides

Sources

• UK Government flood preparation guidance
• UK Government flood warning service
• Natural Resources Wales flooding information
• SEPA flooding information
• Northern Ireland public information about flooding
• British Red Cross emergency kit information

Sources checked 30 October 2026.

Reviewed by the PrepperReady team, 30 October 2026.