Norway’s self-preparedness list (one week)

In May 2024 Norway’s DSB raised its advice from three days to one week. Two items are less common elsewhere: cards from more than one bank alongside cash, and an alternative way to heat your home.

The official numbers

• Self-reliance: one week
• Water: 3 litres per person per day
• Iodine tablets: for people under 40 and pregnant women

What DSB (Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection) recommends

Gear

• Portable gas stove
• Iodine tablets (potassium iodide)
• Water storage for two weeks
• Alternative heater (no mains power needed)

Supplies to buy

• Bottled drinking water
• Long-life food (ready to eat)
• Pet food and water
• Stove fuel cartridges
• Heater fuel (kerosene / propane)

To arrange

• Paper list of emergency contacts
• Cash in small notes and coins

What the authorities advise beyond the kit

• Manage a week on your own so that emergency services can concentrate on those who can’t. That is the reason behind the one-week target.
• Know the siren signals. “Viktig melding – søk informasjon” (formerly “lytt på radio”) means look for information on radio, TV and official websites. The air-raid signal means take shelter. Sirens are tested at 12:00 on the second Wednesday of January and June and reach about half the populated area, so the police also send Nødvarsel to mobile phones.
• Be a preparedness friend. DSB’s 2025 self-preparedness week asked people to plan together with family, friends and neighbours.
• Cover the basics for the first days: heat, food, drink, medicines, hygiene and a way to get information.

Food to keep at home

The official list names specific foods: see the printable list below.

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 Norway food list. 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:

• Flashlight / torch (11 of 12 lists)
• Emergency radio (11 of 12 lists)
• First aid kit (home) (10 of 12 lists)
• Spare batteries (10 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 Norway? One week, according to DSB (Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection).

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: DSB (Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection). Last reviewed: October 2026.