A home emergency kit (a "krislada") is the core of your home preparedness and should hold everything you need to manage on your own for at least seven days without electricity, water, or outside help. Sweden's Agency for Civil Defence (MCF, formerly MSB) recommends that every household be able to cope for at least one week. Below is the full checklist, the amounts per person, honest guidance on building your own versus buying a complete system, and what to look for when you compare kits.
Reviewed by Oskar Bjork, defence engineer (Swedish Armed Forces) and adviser to Kapsel. Last updated 2026-07-12.
Quick checklist - what an emergency kit must contain
- Water - at least 3-5 litres per person per day (drinking + hygiene)
- Food - about 2,100 kcal per person per day, food that needs no fridge or cooking
- Heat - sleeping bag/blankets, warm clothes, a safe heat source
- Light and power - torch/head-torch, batteries, power bank, candles
- Information - battery or hand-crank radio (for P4 and the VMA alert), list of key numbers
- First aid and hygiene - first-aid kit, medication, wet wipes, toilet solution
- Documents and cash - copies of ID, cash in small denominations
How much per person? (amounts for 7 days)
| Area | Per person/day | Per person/week |
|---|---|---|
| Drinking water | 3 litres | about 21 litres |
| Water total (incl. hygiene) | 3-5 litres | 20-35 litres |
| Food (energy) | about 2,100 kcal | about 14,700 kcal |
For a household of four that is roughly 80-140 litres of water and food for 28 person-days for one week. Water is heavy and bulky, so most people combine stored water with purification tablets or a filter to treat more when needed.
What to put in the emergency kit - the full checklist, area by area
1. Water and water purification
- Stored drinking water, 3-5 litres/person/day
- Collapsible water container
- Water-purification tablets or a filter
If the supply is restricted, learn how to purify water in an emergency.
2. Food (including freeze-dried)
- Food that keeps at room temperature and needs no cooking (or can be heated on a camping stove)
- High energy density: tinned food, crispbread, nuts, muesli, dried fruit
- Manual tin opener, camping stove + fuel for hot food
- Special needs: baby food, gluten-free, pet food
For the food layer, the simplest options are freeze-dried food and a long-life store you rotate through.
3. Heat
- A sleeping bag and/or extra blankets per person
- Warm layers: wool, hat, gloves, warm socks
- A safe heat source, and awareness of ventilation and carbon monoxide (CO) with any indoor combustion
4. Light and power
- A head-torch or torch per person
- Spare batteries in the right sizes
- A charged power bank; optionally a solar charger
- Candles/tea lights and matches in a waterproof pack
5. Information and communication (VMA / emergency alert)
- A battery or hand-crank radio to reach P4 and the VMA alert when networks are down
- Charged phone + backup power
- A printed list of key numbers and a family meeting point
6. First aid and hygiene
- A first-aid kit
- Prescription medication for at least a week, plus painkillers
- Wet wipes, hand sanitiser, toilet paper, bin bags
- Hygiene items for the whole family, including sanitary products and nappies as needed
7. Documents, cash and keys
- Copies of ID, insurance and key contacts (in a waterproof pouch)
- Cash in small denominations
- Important medicines and documents kept together
- Spare keys
Every layer above maps to the seven-day standard: enough water, food, heat, light, information, first aid and documents to manage a full week without power, water or heat.
Build your own emergency kit, or buy a complete system?
Assembling a kit yourself works perfectly well, and it is the right route if you enjoy sourcing each part and have time to keep it current. Be honest about the trade-offs, though. Most people who build their own discover three things: quality takes real time to source, gaps creep in (especially water, heat and communication), and the cheapest components tend to fail exactly when they are needed. A self-built box also has to be checked and rotated, or it slowly drifts out of date.
A complete, quality-checked system solves the whole week in one step and is tested as a system rather than as a pile of separate items. The trade-off is a higher up-front price for the convenience and the assurance that nothing is missing.
| Build your own | Complete system | |
|---|---|---|
| Time to set up | Hours of research and sourcing | One purchase |
| Risk of gaps | Higher (easy to miss water, heat, comms) | Lower (covered as a whole) |
| Quality control | Up to you, part by part | Quality-checked as one system |
| Up-front cost | Lower, but adds up | Higher, all at once |
Kapsel The Core is built for exactly this: one bag and three capsules (Energy and Light, Water and Health, and Personal and Shelter) with over 30 selected, certified components, developed with an adviser from the Swedish Armed Forces and quality-checked in Sweden. It is designed to stay in view, not forgotten in a cupboard. It was independently named best in test 2026 by Testproffs. See the Kapsel Core, or browse the full emergency kit collection.
Emergency kit "best in test": what to look for when you choose
Search for the "best" emergency kit and you will find plenty of opinions and the occasional magazine test. Rather than lean on any single ranking, judge a kit against the criteria that actually matter for a real week without power, water or heat:
- Complete for seven days. It should cover water, food, heat, light, information, first aid and documents for a full week, not just a day or two.
- Genuine quality. Certified components that will still work after months in a cupboard, not the cheapest version of each item.
- Durability and shelf life. Food and water with a realistic shelf life, and hardware built to last, so you check rather than replace.
- Expert-reviewed. Content and contents reviewed by someone who actually knows preparedness, so the choices are sound.
- Easy to live with. Something you keep in view and can grab in seconds, not a box you forget you own.
For more on reading "best in test" claims critically, see our guide on how to judge best-in-test claims, and if you are comparing routes, how to choose an emergency kit.
Frequently asked questions
What should you have in an emergency kit?
Water (3 to 5 litres per person per day), food that needs no cooking (about 2,100 kcal per person per day), heat, light and power, a battery or hand-crank radio, a first-aid kit and medication, hygiene items, cash and copies of key documents. Cover all seven areas so nothing critical is missing.
How much water per person?
At least 3 litres of drinking water per person per day, and 3 to 5 litres total including hygiene. Over a week that is roughly 20 to 35 litres per person.
What does MCF recommend?
MCF (formerly MSB) recommends that every household be able to manage on its own for at least seven days without electricity, water or outside help. It is a recommendation, not a legal requirement.
What does an emergency kit cost?
A basic self-built box can be inexpensive, but the cost adds up once you include quality water, heat and communication for a full week. A complete, quality-checked system costs more up front but covers everything at once. See our guide on what an emergency kit costs for a fuller breakdown.
Is an emergency kit a legal requirement?
No. It is a recommendation from MCF (formerly MSB), not a legal requirement, but the agency recommends every household be able to manage at least seven days on its own.
What is home preparedness?
Home preparedness (hemberedskap) is being able to manage at home for at least a week without electricity, water or outside help. The checklist above covers the essentials: water, food, heat, light, communication, first aid and documents.
Sources: MCF (mcf.se), krisinformation.se, Livsmedelsverket, Roda Korset.
A packed kit is what lets you leave quickly if a wildfire or grass fire forces an evacuation.
If you ever have to leave in a hurry, the packed kit is your grab bag. See what to pack in an emergency bag and how to evacuate: your bag and your plan.
More questions? Read our home preparedness FAQ.
Printable checklist
The essentials for one week, by category. Tick as you go.
Water (3 to 5 litres per person per day)
- Stored drinking water
- Collapsible water container
- Water purification tablets or filter
Food (about 2,100 kcal per person per day, no cooking needed)
- Tinned food, crispbread, nuts, dried fruit
- Manual tin opener
- Camping stove and fuel
Warmth
- Sleeping bag or blankets per person
- Warm layers: wool, hat, gloves
- A safe heat source (and knowledge of ventilation and CO safety)
Light and power
- Head torch or torch per person
- Spare batteries
- Charged power bank
- Candles and matches
Information
- Battery or hand-crank radio (P4 and VMA)
- List of important numbers on paper
Health and hygiene
- First-aid kit
- Medicines for at least a week
- Wet wipes, hand sanitiser, toilet solution
Documents and cash
- Copies of ID and insurance
- Cash in small notes
The list follows the seven-day home-preparedness standard.