Estonia is one of only two countries in our set, with Sweden, whose guide sets a one-week horizon. Its official advice, Soovituslik nädalane varu or "recommended one-week supply", is published on kriis.ee, the state's crisis-information website. Here is the list, the amounts it gives, and how it compares with the other 23 national guides we compiled.
The official guide
| Title | Kuidas saan ise võimalikeks kriisideks valmistuda? (How can I prepare for possible crises?) |
| Publisher | Päästeamet (Estonian Rescue Board), on the state portal kriis.ee |
| Horizon | One week |
| Link | kriis.ee |
We opened the page in November 2026 and read the list in Estonian.
What the list contains
- 21 litres of drinking water
- Packet soups and instant mash
- Soups and meals in jars
- Dried foods
- Tins: meat, fruit and vegetables
- Sweets, halva and biscuits
- Baby food, if needed
- A torch and spare batteries
- A radio that runs on batteries
- First-aid supplies and the medicines your family uses
- A charged power bank for your phones
- A candle and matches
- A camping stove (priimus) to heat water and food
- Wet wipes
- Cash
Quantities
The one figure on the list is 21 litres of drinking water. The page does not say whether that is per person or per household. For comparison, Sweden and the Netherlands plan 3 litres per person per day, and 3 litres for seven days is 21 litres. If you plan per person, a family of four needs 84 litres for the week. Our guide to how much water to store covers bottles and containers.
The page also points to a more detailed list on olevalmis.ee. That page asks for:
- enough drinking water and food for your family for at least one week;
- at least a month of regularly used prescription medicines, and a week of over-the-counter ones;
- a car fuel tank kept at least half full whenever possible.
How it compares with the other guides
Estonia's list covers 16 of the 51 items we track across 24 official guides. It includes all six items that every guide agrees on: water, a torch, a radio, medication, a first-aid kit and cash.
What it adds
Estonia is one of only four guides, with Czechia, Slovakia and Greece, to tell you to keep the car's tank at least half full. Petrol pumps need power, and the car is both your way out and a phone charger.
Its food list is also more concrete than most. Packet soups, instant mash and halva are cheap and light. Several of these need hot water, which is why the list includes a stove.
What it leaves out
- Blankets and warm clothes. 18 of the 24 guides list them. A week without heating in an Estonian winter is a real risk. See our power cut checklist for keeping warm in one room.
- Copies of your ID and documents. 19 guides list them, ideally in a waterproof pouch.
There is also no can opener on the list, which matters if you rely on tins, and no hygiene items beyond wet wipes.
Scaling to a week
A week is more than double the EU's 72-hour minimum, so build up in stages. Start with three days of the items above, then add to your stock each time you shop. Our explainer on why 72 hours is the usual baseline sets out the reasoning.
Keep it current
Pick two dates you will remember, such as when the clocks change in spring and autumn, and check your kit: expiry dates on water, food and medicines, batteries, and whether the power bank is still charged. Replace anything you have used or opened. With a week of food in the cupboard, eat the oldest first and buy new as you go, so nothing goes out of date.
Building your kit
To follow Estonia's advice, set our checklist to 7 days. It combines Estonia's list with the 23 other guides and works out the amounts for your household.