Germany: what the BBK recommends for your emergency supplies
Germany’s Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) recommends that every household can supply itself for ideally 10 days, adding that a reserve for at least 3 days already helps a lot. Plan 2 litres (0.5 US gal) of water per person per day, 1.5 litres to drink and 0.5 litres for cooking, and build your food reserve gradually as a “living reserve”.
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The BBK’s approach in one paragraph
The BBK’s guide Vorsorgen für Krisen und Katastrophen (“Preparing for crises and disasters”) asks every household to be able to cope on its own for ideally 10 days: water and food, medical care and hygiene. It is deliberately encouraging: a reserve for at least 3 days already helps a lot, you can build it step by step, and “every preparation is valuable”. Its checklists cover food and drink, light and warmth, information and communication, medicines and hygiene, and documents.
Water: 2 litres per person per day
The BBK counts 1.5 litres for drinking and 0.5 litres for cooking, so 2 litres (0.5 US gal) per person per day. Fruit juice and other drinks can count towards the total, but part of it should be (mineral) water.
| People | 3 days | 5 days | 10 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 L (1.6 US gal) | 10 L (2.6 US gal) | 20 L (5.3 US gal) |
| 2 | 12 L (3.2 US gal) | 20 L (5.3 US gal) | 40 L (10.6 US gal) |
| 3 | 18 L (4.8 US gal) | 30 L (7.9 US gal) | 60 L (15.9 US gal) |
| 4 | 24 L (6.3 US gal) | 40 L (10.6 US gal) | 80 L (21.1 US gal) |
Remember pets, and consider storing a little more than the BBK minimum if you want water for washing; other agencies use 3 litres a day for that reason. Our water guide compares the figures.
Food: long-lasting, ready, quick to cook
The BBK gives three criteria for reserve food:
- Haltbar (long-lasting): no refrigeration, so it survives a power cut.
- Fertig (ready): can be eaten without cooking if the stove doesn’t work.
- Kurze Kochzeit (quick to cook): saves gas on a camping stove or grill.
It also asks you to think about allergies, eating habits, small children and pets. For exact quantities, the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food runs a stock calculator at ernaehrungsvorsorge.de. For a no-cooking three-day menu, see our 72-hour food list.
The living reserve (lebender Vorrat)
- Buy one or two extra packs of what you normally eat each time you shop.
- Use the oldest products first in everyday cooking.
- Replace what you use on your next shop.
The alternative, a fixed reserve you don’t touch, needs a yearly date check and timely replacement. Most households find the living reserve easier.
Light, warmth and information
The BBK checklists include:
- A torch and spare batteries; candles and a lighter.
- Warm clothes, blankets and sleeping bags.
- An off-grid heater with fuel, if suitable for your home (always with ventilation and a carbon monoxide alarm).
- An alternative way to cook, such as a camping stove or gas grill, with fuel (outdoors only).
- A solar, battery or crank radio, the NINA warning app installed, a charged power bank and a paper list of important phone numbers.
How Germany warns the public
Germany uses a mix of channels so that warnings reach people even when one fails:
- NINA, the federal warning app, with location-based warnings.
- Cell Broadcast, introduced in February 2023, which sends alerts to compatible phones in an area without an app.
- Sirens, radio and TV, and municipal loudspeakers.
All of them are tested on the nationwide Warntag, usually held on the second Thursday of September; in 2026 it took place on 10 September.
A German-style kit, item by item
| Product | Best for | Key spec | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food-grade water containers | Storing 2 L per person per day | 10 L (2.6 US gal) each | Check price on Amazon |
| Crank and solar radio | Information without power | FM/AM, USB | Check price on Amazon |
| Camping stove with cartridges | Quick-cook food, outdoors | Gas cartridges | Check price on Amazon |
| 20,000 mAh power bank | Phones and NINA app | USB-C | Check price on Amazon |
| Long-life meals | Fixed reserve | Years of shelf life | Check price on Amazon |
| Sleeping bag | Warmth without heating | Comfort ≈ 0 °C (32 °F) | Check price on Amazon |
We don’t list prices because they change often. Use the button to see the current price on Amazon.
Start with the 3-day level using our 72-hour checklist, then extend water and food towards ten days. For the EU background, read the EU 72-hour recommendation explained.
Questions people ask
How much water does the BBK recommend?
Ideally 2 litres per person per day: 1.5 litres to drink and 0.5 litres for cooking. For three people that is 18 litres for 3 days, 30 litres for 5 days and 60 litres for 10 days.
Does Germany recommend 72 hours or 10 days?
The BBK’s goal is 10 days of self-sufficiency, but it stresses that a reserve for at least 3 days already helps and can be built up step by step. That 3-day starting point matches the EU’s 72-hour recommendation.
What is a “living reserve” (lebender Vorrat)?
Buying one or two extra packs of the food you normally eat each time you shop, using the oldest first and replacing what you use. Your reserve rotates through everyday cooking and never expires.
How am I warned in Germany?
Through several channels: the NINA warning app, Cell Broadcast messages to mobile phones (since February 2023), sirens, radio and TV. They are tested on the nationwide Warntag, usually on the second Thursday of September.
Is there an English version of the BBK guide?
The BBK publishes its preparedness guide in several languages besides German; check its website for the current versions. This page summarises the key points in English.
Keep reading
- The EU 72-hour recommendation explained
- How much water to store for 72 hours
- 72-hour emergency food list (no cooking)
- /kits/blackout/
Sources
- BBK: Vorsorgen für Krisen und Katastrophen (preparedness guide, PDF)
- BBK: Essen und Trinken bevorraten (stocking food and drink)
- BBK: NINA warning app
- Germany, Federal Office of Civil Protection (BBK): emergency preparedness guide
- European Commission (DG ECHO): EU Preparedness Union Strategy, 26 March 2025
- BBK: Bundesweiter Warntag
- BBK: Cell Broadcast
- Federal Office for Agriculture and Food: ernaehrungsvorsorge.de stock calculator