Portugal's official emergency kit list, the kit de emergência, comes from an earthquake leaflet: Sismos: prepare-se e proteja-se, "Earthquakes: prepare and protect yourself", from the national civil protection authority, ANEPC. It is a short list, and an older one. Here it is in full, and how it compares with the other 23 national guides we compiled.
The official guide
| Title | Sismos: prepare-se e proteja-se |
| Publisher | Autoridade Nacional de Emergência e Proteção Civil (ANEPC), with the Portuguese Insurers' Association |
| Year | November 2018 |
| Horizon | 2 to 3 days for the home reserve |
| Link | prociv.gov.pt (PDF) |
We opened and read the leaflet. Because it is written for earthquakes, it says nothing specific about power cuts or winter, which other guides cover.
What the kit contains
The leaflet describes the kit as a set of equipment and supplies that fits in a backpack, for the first hours or days after a serious accident or disaster, when help and essential services may be disrupted. It lists:
- A first-aid kit (estojo de primeiros socorros)
- Your usual medication
- Water and non-perishable food
- Personal hygiene products
- A change of clothes
- A radio, a torch and a whistle
- A power bank for your mobile phone
- Contact details for family and friends
- Copies of important documents
- Money
The kit should be prepared in advance, suited to each person's needs, and easy to reach at home, at school, at work or in the car. It should be reviewed and updated regularly.
The home reserve
Separately, the leaflet asks you to keep at home:
- a reserve of water and tinned food for two or three days;
- a fire extinguisher, checking expiry dates regularly;
- the phone numbers of emergency services, somewhere easy to reach.
It gives no litres. Other European guides plan 2 to 3 litres per person per day, so a family of four needs 24 to 36 litres for three days. Our guide to how much water to store explains the sum.
How it compares with the other guides
Portugal's list covers 15 of the 51 items we track across 24 official guides. It includes all six that every guide agrees on: water, a torch, a radio, medication, first aid and cash. It is also one of only six guides to list a whistle, useful if you are trapped after an earthquake, and one of nine to list a fire extinguisher.
What it leaves out
Three items that most other guides list are missing:
- Spare batteries, listed by 22 of the 24 guides. A radio and torch are only as good as their batteries.
- Candles, matches and a lighter, listed by 19.
- Blankets and warm clothes, listed by 18.
There is no stove and no can opener either. If you store tins, choose ring-pull ones or add a manual opener. The April 2025 blackout, which cut power across Portugal and Spain, is a reminder that a kit should cover power cuts as well as earthquakes: see our power cut checklist.
The three gestures
The leaflet's core earthquake advice is three gestures: drop to your knees, protect your head, neck and eyes with your arms and hands, and wait until the shaking stops ("Baixar, Proteger e Aguardar"). It also asks you to agree a family meeting point, teach everyone how to turn off electricity, water and gas, and fix heavy furniture to the walls.
Building your kit
Portugal's kit is a good grab bag. To make it a full 72-hour household kit, add spare batteries, a way to keep warm and light a room, and more water. Our checklist combines Portugal's list with the 23 other guides and works out the amounts for your household.