Heatwave Kit
<p>Hot spells are now a regular part of the British summer, arriving faster than we expect. When the Met Office issues a heat-health alert, it is a signal to slow down and check on those around you. A heatwave rarely cuts the power, so this is a lighter kit meant simply to keep you hydrated and comfortable.</p>
<p>UK homes are built to hold in warmth, welcome in January but miserable in a July heatwave. Upstairs rooms can stay uncomfortably hot late into the night, disrupting sleep. Older neighbours, young children and anyone with a health condition feel the strain first, so it pays to plan ahead.</p>
<p>Everything here supports low-effort preparation: keep water within reach, replace the salts lost through sweat, and have simple comforts for a stuffy flat. Know the signs of heat exhaustion, and remember that heatstroke is a medical emergency, so call 999 without delay.</p>
This page contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Tick as you go.
See what you're missing.
Water & Hydration
4 items
Flexible water container that rolls up flat when empty. Essential for carrying treated water from source to camp.
A hydration bladder holds two or three litres inside your pack with a hose to your shoulder, so you drink steadily on the move without stopping. The easy way to carry enough water on the trail.
A collapsible water carrier stores and transports the litres you need when the taps stop — the storage side of water security that a filter or bottle can't cover.
Chemical tablets that kill bacteria, viruses, and parasites in water. Lightweight backup to mechanical filtration.
First Aid
3 items
Electrolyte rehydration salts replace what heavy sweating, sickness or diarrhoea strip out — restoring you far faster than water alone when dehydration sets in.
Comprehensive medical supplies for treating injuries, burns, and illnesses in the field. The most important safety item in any kit.
Repellent keeps biting insects — and the ticks and diseases some carry — off your skin, turning a miserable, bite-covered outing into a bearable one.
Hygiene
2 items
Biodegradable wet wipes provide quick sanitation for hands, face, and body when washing facilities are unavailable. Essential for maintaining hygiene, morale, and preventing infection in field conditions.
Antibacterial hand gel maintains field hygiene when soap and clean water are unavailable. A small bottle prevents the gastrointestinal infections that can rapidly debilitate you in a survival situation.
Communication
1 item
A wind-up or solar-powered emergency radio keeps you connected to weather warnings, emergency broadcasts, and rescue coordination when the power grid fails. Your lifeline to critical information.
Where it goes,
how often you check it.
One box, one place
A 50L Really Useful Box, kept dry, out of sunlight, accessible without a torch.
Quarterly check-in
Calendar reminder for the first weekend of January, April, July, October. 10 minutes.
Rotate the perishables
Water tanks every 6 months, food rations on best-before, batteries every 5 years.
