Preparedness is easy to picture as something that sits at home in a cupboard. But power cuts, storms, water problems and minor injuries do not pause for the holidays. They often find you on the road, at the summer house or on the way to the beach. The good news is that the essentials are small enough to come with you.
Why preparedness should travel
A summer trip puts you somewhere less familiar, sometimes far from a shop or help, and often during the very weeks when heat, drought and fire risk peak. Bringing the basics means a small problem stays small. For trips abroad, krisinformation.se on events abroad covers what applies if something happens while you are away.
The essentials that fit in a bag
Four things cover most situations: clean water and a way to filter more, a charged power bank with cables, light such as a head torch, and a first-aid kit. Add any personal medicines and copies of important documents. See how to purify water and light and power in a crisis. The household baseline behind this list is at krisinformation.se on home preparedness.
On the road and in the car
A car trip has its own needs: water, warm layers, a power bank, a warning triangle and reflective vest, and a small first-aid kit within reach. Keep them in the car for the whole summer, not just one trip. See the car emergency kit and Trafikverket on road safety.
At the summer house or cabin
A cabin is often the place where the power is least reliable and the nearest shop is furthest away. Keep water, light, a battery radio and a first-aid kit there, so an evening without electricity is an inconvenience rather than a problem. In dry summers, check the fire-risk forecast from SMHI and whether a local fire ban applies.
Take what you need, where you are
This is the whole idea behind a modular system. You do not carry everything everywhere. You take the Water & Health module to the beach, the car kit on the road, or the whole Kapsel Core to the cabin. Preparedness that travels is preparedness you actually have when something happens.
Frequently asked questions
What should I bring on holiday?
Clean water and a way to filter more, a charged power bank, a head torch, a first-aid kit, personal medicines and copies of important documents. These cover most travel situations and fit in a single bag.
Do I need preparedness at the summer house?
Yes. A cabin often has the least reliable power and the furthest shop, so keep water, light, a battery radio and a first-aid kit there year round.
What should be in the car in summer?
Water, warm layers, a power bank, a warning triangle and reflective vest, and a small first-aid kit. Keep them in the car for the whole season, not just one trip.
How do I keep it simple?
Think in modules. Take only what each trip needs, the water and health basics for the beach, the car kit for the road, or the full system for the cabin, so you are never carrying more than makes sense.
Sources: krisinformation.se on home preparedness, krisinformation.se on events abroad and SMHI.
Reviewed by Oskar Björk, adviser and co-founder of Kapsel, defence engineer at the Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten). Last updated 2026-09-07.