Recommended for Hiking & Hill Walking Kit
Getting out of the wind and rain is the fastest way to stay safe when you're stranded or caught out. In the damp British climate hypothermia can set in quickly, even in summer on the hills, so some form of shelter belongs in every kit and car.
Our picks run from a pocketable foil blanket for every bag, through a reusable survival bivvy and a rain poncho, up to a versatile tarp you can pitch as a proper shelter — match the weight and protection to how far from help you tend to be.
Waterproof emergency sleeping bag that provides shelter from wind, rain, and cold. More durable than an emergency blanket.
Cheaper bags cause condensation. Look for breathable membranes like Gore-Tex or eVent.
Emergency bivvies: 100–200g. Reusable quality bivvies: 300–500g.
Full-length zips make getting in and out much easier.
In an emergency, fumbling with a bivvy bag wastes precious body heat. Practise at home.
A lightweight reflective survival bag that traps body heat to fend off hypothermia in a cold-weather emergency. Packs down small enough to live permanently in a rucksack or car.
A versatile 3x3m tarp with multiple attachment points for building shelters in dozens of configurations. A bushcraft mainstay for staying dry off-grid.
A multipack of reflective mylar blankets that reflect body heat back to fight the cold and shock. Cheap insurance to scatter through car, home and grab kits.
Lightweight hooded rain ponchos that pack down tiny and cover both you and your pack, keeping rain off during walks, events and roadside emergencies.
A twelve-pack of hooded emergency ponchos that fold to pocket size and cost pennies each — the sort of thing you tuck into every grab bag, glovebox and coat pocket and forget about until it pours. Not built to last a season, but exactly what you want for a sudden downpour, a queue in the rain, or keeping a stranded family dry.
A self-inflating sleeping mat that puts a layer of insulation between you and cold ground, which is where most of your body heat leaks away overnight. Worth having if you might sleep out in an emergency, bed down in a cold house during a power cut, or head off on camping and DofE trips. The fast-flow valve means it inflates and packs down without much fuss.
A compact emergency bivi bag from Lifesystems that reflects body heat back to keep you warm if you're stranded or injured outdoors. The kind of lightweight insurance that lives in a rucksack for hillwalks and long drives.
The main route into storm, power cut, warmth, water and car-kit guidance.
A practical first plan for lights, phones, food, warmth and checking on people.
Buyable kit picks for the most common UK storm and outage problems.
A printable checklist for cold weather, outages, travel disruption and home prep.