Prepare Your Phone, Not a Bunker.
Updated: 7 hours ago
Over the past two weeks, several governments have told their people to get ready for emergencies. This is a 72-hour emergency kit checklist with the tech side most lists skip, plus a straight account of what is confirmed and what isn't.
Here's where I stand.
I don't know what's coming, and neither does anyone else. Preparing once, calmly, works whether it's a storm, a blackout, or something bigger. Be ready. Not scared.
If you want the short version on paper, I made a free 72-Hour Tech & Scam Checklist: Get the free checklist here.
What governments are actually saying
Let's start with what's on the record.
On 22 October, the UK government launched an updated "Be Ready" campaign. Households are asked to be able to manage for about 72 hours if power, water, phones or the internet are disrupted. The government calls it the first stage of a three-year campaign aimed at events like severe weather.
Here is how the advice compares:
Country | Advice | Source and date |
United Kingdom | About 72 hours; three litres of water per person per day | GOV.UK, 22 Oct 2026; BBC, 27 Oct 2026 |
European Union | At least 72 hours; non-binding guidelines for national authorities published 3 Nov | European Commission, Mar 2025 and 3 Nov 2026 |
Canada | At least 72 hours; about four litres of water per person per day | Government of Canada, page updated 12 Sep 2025 |
France | Three-day kit; Normandy authorities renewed the advice on 27 Oct after severe weather | Greek Reporter citing InfoNormandie, 30 Oct 2026 |
Germany | Up to 10 days | Economic Times, 29 Oct 2026 |
Sweden | At least one week | Swedish Civil Defence Agency (MCF), 30 Sep 2026 |
Norway | About a week | Economic Times, 29 Oct 2026 |
Japan | Reported: at least three days, ideally a week | Trending Topics, 29 Oct 2026 |
The reasons officials give are ordinary ones: floods, storms, cyberattacks and power failures. The UK Defence Secretary, Wes Streeting, said the advice wasn't triggered by any particular piece of intelligence. UK Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, told Parliament it wasn't launched in response to a specific or imminent threat. The British Red Cross called preparing "a sensible precaution rather than evidence of a particular emergency". And CBC reported there is no indication the announcements were co-ordinated or tied to an expected event, though the timing set off speculation online.
To be fair, officials don't only talk about weather. Streeting also pointed to cyberattacks and hostile states or terrorists. Sweden's guidance says to be ready for a crisis or war. Naming a risk is not the same as announcing an event.
People noticed anyway. BBC Newsnight reported that retailer Maplin's radio sales rose 92 percent, torches 284 percent and power banks 106 percent, while Robert Dyas radio sales were up 160 percent on the week before.
And the EU? Not new. Brussels asked for 72-hour household self-sufficiency in its Preparedness Union Strategy in March 2025.
What FORTRESS is, and what it isn't
FORTRESS is a US Department of Defense initiative. Snopes reports it stands for "Federal Operations for Resilience, Troop Resources, Energy, Supply, and Survivability". Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced it in his 30 September speech.
Fox News Digital reported on 25 October that it would require military bases to operate for at least 90 days without civilian power, fuel, water or supply lines. A Pentagon spokesperson shared that report on X, but according to Snopes, the department has not confirmed the 90-day figure. So that number is reported, not confirmed.
It's a military requirement for military bases. It is not instructions for civilians, and it is not a countdown. Snopes also notes Hegseth said it wasn't meant to spread concerns about war on American soil.
Militaries plan for bad days. That's the job.
Do I trust them? Why preparing works either way
I don't trust any government to tell everyone everything. I never have. Institutions hold things back, sometimes for decent reasons and sometimes not.
But I have no proof of a specific event, and I won't pretend I do. Neither do the people posting screenshots at midnight.
Here's the thing. You don't have to settle that argument to act. A kit that gets you through a three-day blackout also gets you through a storm, a burst pipe, or a cyberattack on a utility.
Seneca said we suffer more in imagination than in reality. Most of the weight people are carrying this week is imagination. Do the checklist once. Then let your mind rest.
Your 72-hour basics
I'll keep this short, because the official lists are good. Start with these: Government of Canada emergency kits https://www.canada.ca/en/services/policing/emergencies/preparedness/get-prepared/emergency-kits.html, UK Be Ready https://www.gov.uk/government/news/households-encouraged-to-take-small-simple-steps-to-stay-prepared-in-an-emergency, and the European Commission's population preparedness guidance https://civil-protection-knowledge-network.europa.eu/news/population-preparedness-new-guidelines-published.
Water. Canada says about four litres per person per day for drinking and hygiene. The UK says three litres for drinking.
Food. No-cook food, plus a manual can opener.
Cash. Canada suggests having enough to cover basic needs, in case machines and cards fail. Small bills are easier to spend.
Medication. Canada suggests a couple of weeks' supply if you can, and a written list with doses.
Light. A flashlight and spare batteries.
Medical equipment. If someone relies on a powered medical device, tell your utility company now. In the UK, that's the Priority Services Register.
Canada also says to replace anything that expires, like food, water, batteries and medication, at least once a year.
Your tech go-bag
This is the part most checklists leave out. Your phone is your map, address book, bank, radio and flashlight. Treat it that way.
Power. Get a power bank and a cable for every phone. Charge the bank once a month. Put a reminder in your calendar.
Low Power Mode. Turn it on when the battery drops. It dims the screen and limits background activity, which stretches your charge.
Offline maps. Download your area in your maps app now, while you have a signal.
A paper contact list. Family, doctor, pharmacy, neighbours. If your phone is dead, you can't read your contacts.
A radio. Battery-powered or hand-crank, with spare batteries.
Documents. Scan your ID, insurance, medical records and key account details. Store them in the cloud with multi-factor authentication, which means a second step like a code when you sign in. Keep paper copies in a waterproof pouch.
Two-factor backup codes. Text-message codes may not arrive if the network is down. Print the backup codes and keep them with your documents.
Official alerts. Sign up for your country's official alert service. In Canada, that's the WeatherCAN app.
A corded landline phone. Canada's guidance notes cordless phones may not work without power. If you have a landline, keep one phone with a cord.
Charging cables and a car charger. A spare cable fails more often than you'd think. Keep a spare.
Free tool: The 72-Hour Tech & Scam Checklist puts all of this on one printable page, with a paper contact sheet and the scam red flags below. Get the free checklist.
The scams that follow every emergency
Fear is what scammers sell.
The FTC has warned for years that scams often follow disasters, with scammers posing as government officials, charities or contractors. After the UK's emergency alert test in September 2025, which warned about fake "government" emails asking for feedback on it.
The pattern is always the same; urgency, secrecy, authority, fear. If all four show up at once, you're being worked.
Fake emergency alerts. A text or email that says "urgent government notice" with a link. Real alerts come through your phone's built-in alert system. They don't ask you to click a link and enter details.
"Move your money now" calls. Someone claims your bank is freezing accounts. No legitimate bank asks you to transfer money to a "safe account".
Fake survival kit and generator shops. Countdown clocks. "Only three left." If the pressure is the selling point, walk away.
Fake relief and charity requests. The FTC advises giving only to charities you know and trust, and being wary of ones that sprang up overnight.
"Prepper experts" Anyone who wants your email, your card number and your fear.
Epictetus said it's our judgments about events that disturb us, not the events themselves. A message marked URGENT only works if you judge it urgent. So don't.
The one rule:
Stop. Close it. Call someone you trust.
A calm person asks questions. A frightened person pays.
If someone you love has been scammed, tell them first that it isn't their fault. Then contact the bank right away and report it. In the US, report at reportfraud.ftc.gov. In Canada, report to the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre.
I told the story of a retired nurse who lost $400,000 to a phone scam. She hung up first. They got her anyway. Read how it happened. Also, before you share any alarming video this week, check who's behind it. I wrote about that habit in my Georgia voter data post.
Help the people you love
Marcus Aurelius said you have power over your mind, not over outside events. You can't control the news. You can control the kitchen drawer.
If you're an adult child, don't open with "the government says the world is ending". It doesn't, and your parent will hear fear. Ask a practical question instead:
"Where would you go if the power was out for three days?"
"Do you have a flashlight you can find in the dark?"
"Who would you call if your phone died?"
"If a text said it was from the government, what would you do?"
Then do the boring things together. Print the contact list. Charge the power bank. Put the backup codes in the folder.
If you're the parent, you don't need permission to do this. You've handled worse than a long blackout. Do it for yourself.
If you'd like help with the tech side, my Tech 4 Grown-Ups Academy Toolkit is about 62 pages of plain-language, step-by-step how-tos. It's $39.99, includes free updates, and comes with a seat in Seminar 1, live on Zoom. It's a digital product and non-refundable.
Get the free checklist
One page. Print it. Put it where you'll find it.
The 72-Hour Tech & Scam Checklist covers the 72-hour basics, your tech go-bag, documents and accounts, a paper contact sheet, scam red flags, and the one rule. Get the free checklist.
Be ready. Not scared.
General information only. This is not professional emergency, medical or financial advice. Follow your local authorities.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a 72-hour emergency kit?
It's a set of supplies and information that lets you manage for about three days without power, tap water, phone service or open shops. The Government of Canada advises being self-sufficient for at least 72 hours. Your kit should include water, no-cook food, medication, light, a radio, a phone charger, cash and copies of key documents.
Are governments warning about a specific emergency?
No specific event has been identified. UK officials said their Be Ready campaign wasn't triggered by any particular intelligence or by a specific or imminent threat. The British Red Cross calls preparing a sensible precaution, not evidence of a particular emergency.
How do I avoid fake emergency alert scams?
Real alerts arrive through your phone's built-in alert system, and they don't ask you to click a link and enter personal details. If a text or email claims to be an urgent government notice, stop, close it and call someone you trust. Never share codes, passwords or banking details because a message says it's urgent.
Michael Routhier is the founder of Tech 4 Grown-Ups, providing honest, unfiltered digital literacy for adults 55+, and host of The Virtuous Machine, exploring the ethics and human cost of AI. Read by tech-curious readers in 200+ countries. Explore more at tech4grownups.com.
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