Warm, Cook & Light
Keeping the family warm, fed and safe after dark
0 of 23 bought
£0 of £1,518 spent
£744 critical
£1,518 for everything
Buy now: under 72 hours
£744 critical£1,370CriticalAdult and teen sleeping bags, 0 °C comfort
£210
Decathlon MT500; check size
CriticalChildren's sleeping bags
£70
Decathlon MH500 children's 0 °C; correct fit
Foam insulating mats
£55est.
Portable fallback; beds are better indoors
CriticalBlankets, thermal base layers, hats and warm socks
£180est.
Reuse existing bedding and clothes where possible
Room and fridge-freezer thermometers
£30est.
1 room, 1 per fridge or freezer
Two-burner propane camping stove kit
£73
Foker stove £53.70, 37 mbar regulator £13.26, hose and clips £5.64; supplier to confirm the full matched system
6 kg propane cylinder
£90est.
First cylinder agreement and gas; store upright, outdoors, ventilated, away from drains and children
Cooking and eating kit
£70est.
Lidded 3–5 litre pan, kettle, 5 bowls, mugs and cutlery sets, 2 utility lighters
CriticalManual tin openers
£8.00est.
One with the food, one in the grab bags
CriticalBattery smoke alarms
£45est.
Budget for 3; meet the needs of your floor plan
Fire extinguishers, 2 kg foam or powder
£90est.
One per floor plus the garage
CriticalHead torches
£75est.
Petzl Tikkina for adults and older children; 3 AAA each
Child-safe torches and LED room lanterns
£50est.
AA/AAA models with secured battery compartments
CriticalBatteries, smart charger and cables
£120est.
72 AA and 48 AAA alkaline, a smart charger with 16 AA and 16 AAA rechargeables, 4 USB cables
Buy next: over 72 hours
£149Second 6 kg propane cylinder
£90est.
Only after safe outdoor storage is checked
Wood-burning camping kettle
£59
Kelly Kettle Base Camp 1.6 L: boils water on twigs, outdoors
To do
Check every
Monthly: alarms and torches. Quarterly: batteries and power banks charged.
Where it lives
Bedding and lights in the main house; stove and cylinder in a secure outdoor spot; batteries stored separately from devices.
Know-how
Warmth
- Gather in one room with layers, hats and hot water bottles filled from the flasks.
- Check the children often. Move somewhere else before the house gets too cold for them.
Cooking
- Propane stove outdoors only. The garage, shed and garden house count as indoors.
- Never heat a room with the hob or oven.
- Boil once, keep it hot in flasks, and save gas.
Light and fire
- Head torches, not candles, near the children.
- An extinguisher on every floor and a fire blanket in the kitchen.
- A CO alarm wherever anything burns.
Infographic · tap to enlarge