Households in Sweden, US and Japan Stock Emergency Kits

Households in Sweden, the United States and Japan are maintaining personal stockpiles of water, food, cash and medical supplies in case of war, natural disaster or extended power loss, according to residents interviewed by BBC News. The report comes as UK retailers saw a spike in sales of tinned food, radios and torches after the British government advised households on what to stock for a national emergency.

Why are people stockpiling now?

The practice is not new everywhere. Countries that face frequent extreme weather, natural disasters or tense geopolitical situations have long issued preparedness guidance, the BBC reports, with some governments mailing booklets directly to homes rather than relying on voluntary pickup.

What does Sweden's government tell households to do?

In Sweden, a government booklet was posted to every household detailing how to act "in case of crisis or war," according to the BBC. Andreas Wennerberg, 30, of Stockholm, says the booklet arrived two years ago and became a "wake-up call," though he has not followed the guidance in full. He built a small stockpile in his basement that includes a crank radio, a 10-litre water tank and about 2,230 Swedish kronor (£170) in cash — some of it items he already owned. "I feel secure… I'm not that worried," he told the BBC.

How much has one US family spent on supplies?

Dan C, a 38-year-old physiotherapist in Maryland, started building his stockpile after becoming a father and says he has since spent about $6,000 (£4,470), storing supplies on basement shelves. The decision followed a stretch without power during a "very cold" February that left his house cut off for two days, he says, exposing "numerous gaps" in what he had already prepared.

His current stash includes 150 gallons of water, soft-plastic storage containers that can be filled and kept in the bath, and chlorine dioxide tablets for purifying water from streams or rivers. A "rotating pantry" of long-life staples such as oats, quinoa and peanut butter is used in regular cooking and then restocked so nothing expires unused, he says, giving his family of four roughly three months of food supplies. Dan also keeps solar panels, a camping stove, a tent, wood, a propane fireplace insert that runs off-grid, and medical supplies including bleeding-control kits. The Federal Emergency Management Agency advises US households to assemble an emergency kit, create a family plan and stay informed on how to respond to specific incidents. Dan acknowledges emergency planning can tip into catastrophizing but says for him it is simply part of being a "responsible homeowner."

What's inside a Japanese emergency bag?

In Tokyo, Ayumi T has kept an emergency bag for years to prepare for events common to Japan, and updates its contents annually, according to the BBC.

Preparedness by the numbers

• Dan C's Maryland stockpile: roughly $6,000 spent, 150 gallons of stored water, about three months of food for a family of four.
• Andreas Wennerberg's Stockholm stash: a 10-litre water tank and about 2,230 SEK (£170) in cash, built after a government crisis booklet arrived two years ago.

The full BBC survey includes additional households in the Netherlands describing their own kits, from water filter straws to disposable toilets, as part of a broader look at how families around the world define responsible preparation versus panic.