Rain will come, bring an umbrella.
Our shelf
Pick your country to see local-specific picks.
Pocket-sized hollow-fibre water filter, 0.1 micron. Removes bacteria and protozoa.
Why we chose it: Reliable, light, easy to use, lasts up to 100,000 gallons with backwashing. The default starter filter for a reason.
Typical price: €25–35 (US: $25–30)model SP128
Soft-bottle gravity filter, 0.1 micron, replaceable element.
Why we chose it: Swiss-made, dependable, fits collapsible bottles for easy storage. Strong distribution in EU outdoor stores.
Straw-style filter you drink directly through. Removes bacteria and protozoa.
Why we chose it: The most widely-available emergency filter, sold in NL outdoor shops and supermarkets. Inexpensive enough to put one in every kit.
Typical price: €18–25 (US: $17–22)
Pocket-sized pump filter. One-handed pump, treats water from any source.
Why we chose it: MSR has decades of trail-tested water filter design. The TrailShot is fast and works on shallow water other filters cannot reach.
Rigid food-grade water container with built-in spigot. Stackable.
Why we chose it: The category leader for emergency water storage in North America. Available across Europe via outdoor retailers and Amazon EU.
Chlorine-based water purification tablets. One tablet treats 1 litre.
Why we chose it: Used by aid agencies and disaster responders worldwide. Ships well, has a 5-year shelf life, weighs nothing.
Silver-ion-and-chlorine tablets. Treats and preserves water for up to six months.
Why we chose it: Swiss-engineered, dual-active chemistry. Useful when stored water needs to stay drinkable longer than chlorine alone provides.
Freeze-dried meal pouches with 5-year shelf life, made in Estonia.
Why we chose it: EU-based supply chain. Real food (not just energy bars), boil-water-and-eat preparation, ships within Europe quickly.
Dutch-made freeze-dried meals, 8-year shelf life, family-sized portions available.
Why we chose it: Made in the Netherlands. Strong flavour profiles, family-pack portions, and the buying-local angle that matters for a long-term pantry.
Norwegian freeze-dried meals using high-quality ingredients. 5-year shelf life.
Why we chose it: A favourite of Scandinavian outdoor expeditions. Higher ingredient quality than the bulk options; meaningfully better-tasting after a hard day.
Swedish freeze-dried meals, 5-year shelf life, broad menu including breakfasts and desserts.
Why we chose it: Used by Scandinavian armed forces and search-and-rescue teams. Reliable EU supply, sensible portion sizing, calmly priced.
Simple burner that runs on denatured alcohol. No moving parts, no fuel canister to replace.
Why we chose it: Fuel is cheap, widely available (spiritus / methylated spirits), stores indefinitely. A first stove that does not become useless when one specific fuel runs out.
Compact gas canister stove. Boils water fast, packs to almost nothing.
Why we chose it: The standard fast-boil canister stove. Reliable across temperatures, decades-old design refined to a sharp point.
Entry-level gas canister stove available at every Decathlon in NL.
Why we chose it: Honest price, available locally without ordering online, good enough as a starter. Replace it later if you need more, but you will use it many times before then.
Dutch-brand first aid kit, well-organised pouches, hiking and outdoor focus.
Why we chose it: Care Plus is a Dutch outdoor-medical brand with strong distribution in NL. Better-organised than the cheapest options.
Higher-quality first aid kits assembled by St John Ambulance.
Why we chose it: Curated by a charity that actually trains medics. Ships across Europe and the UK.
Outdoor-focused first aid kits sized for households up to seven days.
Why we chose it: Designed by wilderness medicine instructors. Available via outdoor retailers and Amazon EU.
Free 1-hour course teaching how to control major bleeding. Available worldwide.
Why we chose it: The single highest-leverage hour of medical training a non-clinician can take. Teaches tourniquet use and direct pressure.
Hands-free LED headlamp, AAA-battery powered, 350 lumens.
Why we chose it: French outdoor company with decades of headlamp experience. Reliable, repairable, lasts years.
Brighter alternative to the Petzl Tikka, with red night-vision mode and waterproofing.
Why we chose it: Black Diamond builds tools climbers depend on. The Spot is the household-friendly version of that engineering.
Rechargeable headlamp, up to 1500 lumens, dual beam (flood + spot).
Why we chose it: When you need real output (clearing a basement, walking outside in deep dark), Fenix is the brand that delivers without falling apart.
AAA-powered headlamp. Waterproof, replaceable batteries, simple controls.
Why we chose it: AAA batteries are the most common cells on Earth. When you need a headlamp that works on whatever batteries you can find, this is it.
Reliable USB-C power bank for phones and small devices.
Why we chose it: Anker has a long track record on quality. Widely available in NL retailers (Coolblue, Bol.com).
Compact lightweight power bank with built-in USB plug. Pairs with Goal Zero solar panels.
Why we chose it: Goal Zero is the canonical name in portable solar. The Flip is small enough to live in a backpack and works with their broader solar ecosystem.
High-capacity power bank, good for keeping a phone alive across multiple days.
Why we chose it: Higher capacity than the Anker PowerCore tier. Widely reviewed, decent on price, the right pick when you need real runtime.
AM/FM/SW radio with solar panel, hand crank, USB output, Bluetooth speaker.
Why we chose it: Eton has been making emergency radios for decades. The FRX5 is the do-it-all option: solar, crank, AAA backup all in one unit.
AM/FM emergency radio with solar charging, hand crank, and a phone-charging USB output.
Why we chose it: Sangean is a serious radio brand. The audio quality on FM is noticeably better than the bargain options. Reliable and well-built.
AM/FM/NOAA radio with crank, solar, USB-rechargeable battery, ultra-bright LED flashlight.
Why we chose it: Strong all-rounder at lower price point than Eton FRX5. Midland is well-distributed across EU.
London-based map shop with international shipping. Carries detailed topographic maps for the Netherlands and the rest of Europe.
Why we chose it: The serious mapping retailer. Better selection of topographic and walking maps than any general bookshop.
German lock manufacturer with 100+ years of history.
Why we chose it: Engineering quality, EN-rated grades, widely available in NL hardware stores. Worth choosing over the no-name option at your local supermarket.
Typical price: €25–150 (padlocks); €60–250 (door cylinders)
Photoelectric smoke alarm with optional CO detection. 10-year sealed battery.
Why we chose it: Well-tested, widely available in NL, and the 10-year sealed battery means you replace the unit, not the battery, the failure mode that kills people.
Combined smoke and CO alarm with phone alerts and self-test.
Why we chose it: Phone notifications when an alarm goes off in an empty house are genuinely useful. Higher price, but the extra signal is real.
UK fire-alarm specialist. Wireless interconnected alarms, when one goes off, all of them do.
Why we chose it: Used by UK social housing and serious renovators. When you want hardwired or interconnected alarms across the house, AICO is the reference.
Swedish-made fixed-blade knife in carbon or stainless steel.
Why we chose it: The Mora Companion is the affordable knife outdoor schools recommend. Decades-old design, sharp out of the box, easy to maintain.
French folding knife, carbon or stainless steel, locking blade.
Why we chose it: Made in France since 1890. Inexpensive, sharp, easy to sharpen yourself. The pocket knife adults teach kids to use.
Lightweight rip-stop tarp for emergency shelter.
Why we chose it: Decathlon is everywhere in NL. Not the lightest or most rugged, but for a first tarp it is honest value.
Almost every country has a Red Cross or Red Crescent national society. Most run household-friendly volunteer programmes.
Why we chose it: If your country is not on this list yet, the IFRC directory is the most reliable starting point.