Czechia’s 72-hour emergency list, in English

The Czech government’s 72h.gov.cz site sets out what a household needs for three days. Two details stand out: a week’s supply of regular medication, and keeping your car’s fuel tank full.

The official numbers

• Self-reliance: 72 hours
• Water: 2 litres per adult per day
• Medication: one week’s supply

What 72h.gov.cz recommends

Gear

• Fire extinguisher
• Fire blanket
• First aid kit (home)
• Flashlight / torch
• Water container with lid and tap
• Portable gas stove
• Lighter and waterproof matches
• Power bank
• Spare batteries
• Emergency radio
• Multitool / pocket knife
• Duct tape

Supplies to buy

• Bottled drinking water
• Long-life food (ready to eat)
• Pet food and water
• Hand sanitiser
• Toilet paper
• Heavy-duty bin bags and ties

To arrange

• Personal medication supply
• Cash in small notes and coins
• Copies of ID and key documents
• Full fuel tank / charged EV

What the authorities advise beyond the kit

• Only one siren signal is for the public: “Všeobecná výstraha” (general warning), a wavering tone lasting 140 seconds that can sound up to three times about three minutes apart. The test is a steady 140-second tone at 12:00 on the first Wednesday of the month.
• When it sounds: get into the nearest building, preferably an upper floor. Close windows and doors, switch off ventilation and air conditioning, and follow Czech Radio, Czech TV or regional stations.
• Stay inside until you are told the danger has passed or that you need to evacuate.

Food to keep at home

What the official list says: A stock of non-perishable food for 72 hours. Czech guides suggest tinned meat and pâté, dried meat, long-life milk, cereals, biscuits, chocolate, nuts, dried fruit and energy bars.

General advice from the official food lists:

• Stock food you already eat, and rotate it: use the oldest first and replace it, so nothing expires unnoticed.
• For 72 hours, choose food that keeps at room temperature and can be eaten without cooking: tins, crispbread, dried fruit, nuts, muesli, long-life milk.
• For a week or longer, add dry staples such as rice, pasta, oats and pulses, plus oil, salt and sugar, and a stove to cook on.
• Dry staples need water to cook: count it in your water stock.
• Store food cool, dry and dark, in airtight containers once opened.
• Allow for babies, special diets, allergies and pets.
• Keep a manual can opener, and throw away tins that are swollen, dented or rusty.

Printable 72-hour food list, combined from official lists. Print it or save it as a PDF.

What other governments add

These appear on most of the 12 official lists we compared, but not on this one:

• Blankets and warm clothing (6 of 12 lists)
• Wet wipes (5 of 12 lists)

Build your kit

Every item above is in our L1 kit (72 hours). Use the household calculator to get quantities for your household, and download the shopping list for the supplies you’ll buy at the supermarket and pharmacy.

FAQ

How long should an emergency kit last in Czechia? 72 hours, according to 72h.gov.cz.

Do I need to buy a ready-made kit? No. Building your own from the official list is cheaper and you know what’s in it. Our picks cover the gear; the rest comes from the supermarket.

Source: 72h.gov.cz. Last reviewed: October 2026.