MCF’s recommendation - seven days of home preparedness

April 1, 2026

MCF's home-preparedness recommendation is that every household in Sweden should be able to manage on its own for at least seven days without mains electricity, running water, mobile networks or digital payments. This seven-day standard is the practical heart of the official brochure "If crisis or war comes", sent to every Swedish household. As of 1 January 2026 the agency is called MCF, the Swedish Agency for Civil Defence and Resilience (previously MSB, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency), but the recommendation is the same.

What does seven days mean?

MCF's recommendation is concrete. Seven days without mains electricity, running water, functioning sewage, mobile networks or digital payment services. That means you need:

Water: at least three litres per person per day, for drinking and cooking. If the tap fails, know how to purify water yourself.
Food: for seven days, preferably items that do not need refrigeration or long cooking, such as freeze-dried food for a week.
Warmth: sleeping bag, blankets, warm clothing. Without electricity, heating disappears fast.
Light: head torch, candles, matches.
Communication: battery-powered radio, power bank, cash.
First aid: medical kit, prescription medicines, hygiene supplies.

MCF also recommends having a plan. Do you know where to go if you need to leave home? Do your family know you are safe? Are important documents accessible? A ready-packed emergency bag covers the grab-and-go half of that plan.

If crisis or war comes: what the brochure asks of you

The seven-day recommendation is the everyday version of the message in the government brochure "If crisis or war comes". The brochure explains heightened alert, how you will be warned, and why households that can look after themselves free up public help for those who need it most. In short, the same one-week standard, framed for the most serious situations. For the full picture, see our guide on if crisis or war comes.

Why has the recommendation been strengthened?

Sweden has undergone a reassessment of its vulnerability in recent years. Cyberattacks on hospitals and government agencies. Infrastructure failures cutting power and water. Geopolitical instability in Europe's near abroad. In autumn 2024, an updated version of the booklet "If crisis or war comes" was sent to every Swedish household.

The new tone is clear: this is no longer a theoretical exercise. It is an expectation.

Most households do not meet the recommendation

According to surveys, 55 per cent of Swedish households have taken no preparedness measures at all. Among those who have, it is usually torches and extra water, not a complete solution for seven days.

The barrier is rarely lack of interest. It is the practicalities. What should you actually have? Where do you buy it? How do you know it is right? And how do you keep it organised over time?

From recommendation to reality

Kapsel is built directly on MCF's recommendation. Seven days, the essentials covered, everything certified and organised. Developed with an adviser from the Swedish Armed Forces. Quality-checked in Sweden. See The Core for the full system in one step.

It is not the only way to solve your home preparedness. But it is the simplest way to actually meet the recommendation, without spending weekends researching, shopping and organising on your own.

One bag. Three capsules. Seven days. MCF's recommendation, met.

Build your own or buy a complete system

The recommendation tells you what you need to manage. It says nothing about how to solve it. There are three routes, and they cost differently in money and in time.

Put it together yourself. Cheapest in kronor, most expensive in time. You keep track of what is missing, where it is and when it expires. Most households start here. Fewer finish.

Buy a ready-made box. Quick. Quality varies a great deal, and many boxes are built for 48 or 72 hours rather than seven days. Read the contents list before you compare prices. A complete emergency kit should cover all seven days.

Buy a system. Costs more at the point of purchase. The point is that it is packed, labelled and possible to top up, so it still works in two years.

Kapsel Core is the third option. One bag, three capsules and over 30 components, built to the seven-day standard and quality-checked in Sweden. From 4,999 SEK.

What to look for when you choose

Five questions separate a considered solution from a bag of gear.

How many days is it built for? Forty-eight hours and seven days are not the same thing, and the price difference between them is often smaller than people expect.
How many people does it cover? Water and food scale per person, not per household. A box for two does not stretch to four.
Can it be topped up? Most contents last between two and five years. A solution without refills is a solution with an expiry date.
Do you know where things are? Equipment you have to empty onto the floor in the dark is equipment you will not use.
Are there instructions? Gear you cannot operate is not preparedness.

Kapsel Core scored 9.6 out of 10 and was named best in test 2026 by Testproffs, who tested eight systems against roughly these criteria. See the full review.

Frequently asked questions

What is MCF, and what happened to MSB?

MCF is the Swedish Agency for Civil Defence and Resilience. From 1 January 2026 it took over the home-preparedness role previously held by MSB, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency. The name changed; the seven-day recommendation did not. The old msb.se now redirects to mcf.se.

How many days should I be able to manage on my own?

At least seven days without mains electricity, running water, working sewage, mobile networks or digital payments. Plan around water, food, warmth, light, communication and first aid for a full week.

What is VMA, and how will I be warned?

VMA (Important Public Announcement) is Sweden's public warning system. It reaches you by radio, TV and a message to your phone, and outdoors by the warning siren. When you hear it, go indoors, listen to the radio and wait for information. Live updates are published at krisinformation.se. A battery or hand-crank radio matters most when the power and networks are down.

What does an emergency kit cost?

Ready-made solutions in Sweden currently range from roughly 500 SEK to 13,000 SEK. The spread depends almost entirely on how many days and how many people the solution is built for. A box for 48 hours and one person can be had for under a thousand kronor. A complete system for a week and several people costs several thousand. Always compare contents per person and per day, not the headline price. We break the maths down in what an emergency kit costs.

What is the difference between a crisis box and an emergency bag?

In practice the words are used interchangeably. The difference that matters is whether the solution is built to stay at home or to be carried. A box in a storage room works during a power cut. If you may need to leave, the same contents have to be portable.

Is a ready-made box enough for seven days?

It depends on the box. Many are sold as preparedness but hold food and water for one to three days. Do the maths yourself: about three litres of water per person per day, and food that can be prepared without electricity. If those numbers do not add up to seven days, the solution is not built to MCF's recommendation.