Belgium's National Crisis Centre splits its emergency kit in two: the things to keep at home, and a bag you can grab in a hurry. The aim is to be self-sufficient for at least three days. Here is what it lists, and how it compares with the other 23 national guides we compiled.
The official guide
- Title: Un kit d'urgence à la maison ("An emergency kit at home")
- Publisher: Centre de Crise National, Belgium's National Crisis Centre
- Horizon: at least 3 days (72 hours)
- Link: centredecrise.be (French)
At home
Food and drink
- Water: 3 to 10 litres per person per day. The page notes that an adult drinks 1.5 to 2 litres a day; the rest is for cooking and washing.
- Long-life food that needs no water, gas or electricity to prepare.
- A can opener.
That is well above the 2 litres per person per day planned by Germany and France, or the 3 litres of Sweden and the Netherlands. For a family of four over three days, Belgium's figure means 36 to 120 litres. Start at the low end and add containers you can fill from the tap when a warning comes.
Health
- A basic first-aid kit
- Wet wipes, toilet paper and hand gel
- Iodine tablets
Light, warmth and electronics
- A torch, preferably a dynamo one
- A dynamo radio or a battery radio
- A lighter or matches
- Candles or tea lights
- Blankets for extra warmth
Children and pets
Baby food and nappies. For pets, food and water: enough for three days.
The bag to take with you
The second part is a backpack or bag you can take quickly if you have to leave:
- Money and documents: your important documents, such as copies of insurance contracts; copies of the identity cards of everyone in the household; a list of family, friends' and emergency numbers on paper; a pen and paper; and a little cash for essentials, in case you can't pay online or withdraw money. The page suggests enough for about 72 hours, but not large sums kept at home.
- Drink and food: one or two bottles of water, one litre per person, and a few biscuits, nuts or energy bars. No tins: the bag shouldn't be too heavy, and evacuees usually stay with family, friends or at a reception centre that provides food.
- Health: a first-aid kit (bandages, plasters, compresses, scissors, tweezers, painkillers, antiseptic); a reserve of any essential medicines for at least three days; tissues, sanitary pads, toothpaste and a toothbrush.
- Useful items: a phone charger and power bank, a multi-purpose pocket knife, and a whistle to signal where you are to rescuers.
Belgium's water figures at a glance
| Where | Amount |
|---|---|
| At home | 3 to 10 litres per person per day |
| Of which an adult drinks | 1.5 to 2 litres per day |
| In the bag | 1 litre per person (one or two bottles) |
| For pets | Enough for 3 days |
Iodine tablets
Belgium is one of four guides, with Finland, Denmark and Austria, that lists iodine tablets. The Crisis Centre says they are free from pharmacists, and you should only take them when the authorities ask you to.
How Belgium compares
- Unusual: iodine tablets.
- The water range: 3 to 10 litres per person per day, a generous allowance that covers washing as well as drinking.
- Leaves out: spare batteries as a separate item, which 22 of the 24 guides list. If your torch and radio aren't dynamo models, buy batteries in the sizes they take.
For a long winter outage, Belgium lists blankets but not sleeping bags, which 13 of the 24 guides include.
Build yours
Our checklist covers both halves of Belgium's kit and scales water and food to your household. For the bag, see our grab bag checklist; for water, how much to store.