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Emergency supplies
Germany's emergency supplies list, 10 days
Germany's Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK) asks every household to be able to supply itself for 10 days, and says even 3 days helps a lot. Below are its amounts per person, worked out for 1 and 4 people, with a link to the BBK checklist.
Read8 min read
Updated11 Nov 2026
TopicHour zero
Official sources6
What the BBK says
On its preparedness page the BBK answers the question of ten days or three: „Sie sollten sich für möglichst zehn Tage selbst versorgen können. Aber auch ein Vorrat für zumindest drei Tage hilft schon sehr.“ That is: you should be able to supply yourself for ten days where you can, but even a stock for at least three days helps a lot.
Its guide, „Vorsorgen für Krisen und Katastrophen“ (Preparing for crises and disasters), counts water, food, medical care and hygiene as part of that. Start with three days and build up to ten.
Checked on 11 Nov 2026 at bbk.bund.de and in the guide's PDF. The German name for this stock is Notvorrat.
Water: 2 litres per person per day
The BBK sets aside 0.5 litres of that for cooking. The rest is for drinking.
| People | 3 days | 5 days | 10 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 L | 10 L | 20 L |
| 2 | 12 L | 20 L | 40 L |
| 3 | 18 L | 30 L | 60 L |
| 4 | 24 L | 40 L | 80 L |
2 litres per person per day (BBK guide). The 3-person row is printed in the guide; the others are the same sum. Washing water is not included. Our water calculator uses the US rule of 3.8 litres a day, which covers hygiene too.
Food for 10 days, per person and for 4
For exact amounts the BBK guide points to the stock table of the Federal Office for Agriculture and Food (BLE). It is built on 2,200 kcal per person per day.
| Food group | 1 person, 10 days | 4 people, 10 days | Examples from the table |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grains, bread, potatoes | 3.3 kg | 13.2 kg | Crispbread, rusks, pasta, rice, oats, potatoes |
| Vegetables, mushrooms | 4.0 kg | 16.0 kg | Tinned green beans, peas and carrots, red cabbage, sauerkraut, sweetcorn; fresh onions |
| Fruit | 2.5 kg | 10.0 kg | Tinned cherries, pears, mandarins; raisins, hazelnuts, prunes; fresh fruit |
| Drinks | 20 L | 80 L | Mineral water, plus lemon juice, instant coffee, black tea |
| Milk and dairy | 2.5 kg | 10.0 kg | UHT milk, hard cheese |
| Eggs, meat, sausage, fish | 1.2 kg | 4.8 kg | Tuna, sardines, corned beef, dry sausage, tinned frankfurters, 5 eggs |
| Fats and oil | 330 g | 1.32 kg | Butter or margarine, rapeseed oil |
1-person column: BLE stock table on ernaehrungsvorsorge.de. 4-person column: the same figures times four. Sugar, honey, salt, flour, ready meals and biscuits are listed as "as much as you like".
Adjust it for the people you feed
The table is worked out for adults. The BLE names the exceptions itself:
- Children up to 12 (not babies) drink about 1 litre a day instead of 1.5.
- People 65 and over are advised to drink 2 litres a day. The 0.5 litres for cooking comes on top in both cases.
- Pets need food and water. The BBK reminds you of them by name.
- Allergies and eating habits decide what you buy. The BLE has a separate vegetarian table.
- The cooker may be out. The BBK points you to food that keeps without a fridge, can be eaten cold or cooks fast, and a camping stove or gas grill with fuel for the rest.
The rest of the BBK checklist
Beyond food and water, the checklist has these groups.
Light and heat
- Torch and spare batteries
- Candles and a lighter
- Warm clothes, blankets, sleeping bags
- Off-grid heater with fuel
Home first aid kit
- Your own medicines, at least 10 days' worth
- Pain and fever medicine, a thermometer
- Wound and skin disinfectant, plasters, dressings
- Remedies for diarrhoea, nausea and colds; electrolytes
Hygiene
- Toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap
- Toilet paper, wet wipes, kitchen roll
- Strong bin bags to line the toilet
- Camping toilet, disinfectant, detergent
Fire safety
- Smoke alarm
- Fire extinguisher or spray
- Carbon monoxide alarm
Other
- Containers of water for washing or putting out fires
- FFP2 masks
- A safety helmet
- Cash, on top of what is in the go-bag
The document folder
If you have to leave quickly, the folder of important papers goes in the go-bag.
- Documents in a fireproof or waterproof box: ID and birth certificate, insurance, deeds and contracts, school and work certificates, powers of attorney, will, vaccination card and medical records.
- A digital copy of all of it, in the cloud, on a hard drive or on a USB stick.
- What else goes in the go-bag (Notgepäck) is in the Hour zero guide.
Emergency numbers in Germany
From the BBK guide. Keep them on paper too, in case the phone is flat.
| Fire and ambulance | 112 |
|---|---|
| Police | 110 |
| Public authorities helpline | 115 |
| Out-of-hours doctor | 116117 |
Questions people ask
How much food does a family of 4 need for 10 days in Germany?
80 litres of drinks, 13.2 kg of grains, bread and potatoes, 16 kg of vegetables, 10 kg of fruit, 10 kg of dairy, 4.8 kg of meat, fish and eggs and 1.32 kg of fat. Those are the BLE's one-person amounts times four.
Are 3 days of supplies enough?
The BBK says a stock for at least three days already helps a lot, and asks you to build up from there to ten.
How much water per person for 10 days?
20 litres: 2 litres a day, of which 0.5 litres is for cooking. Water for washing and the toilet is extra.
How long does stored mineral water keep?
Almost indefinitely while sealed, says the BLE. Makers usually print two years on glass bottles and one year on PET. Keep it dark, cool and dry.
Is there an official calculator?
Yes. The BLE's Vorratskalkulator works for 1 to 10 people and 1 to 28 days, in German. For water alone, use our water calculator.
Does frozen food count?
The BLE table leaves frozen food out on purpose, because an emergency can come with a power cut.
Read next
Sources
- BBK: Vorsorgen für Krisen und Katastrophen Ten days, at least three. Checked 11 Nov 2026.
- BBK: guide Vorsorgen für Krisen und Katastrophen (PDF) Water, first aid kit, documents, go-bag, phone numbers.
- BBK: checklists (PDF)
- BLE, ernaehrungsvorsorge.de: Vorratstabelle Amounts for one person for 10 days, 2,200 kcal a day.
- BLE, ernaehrungsvorsorge.de: Vorratskalkulator
- BLE, ernaehrungsvorsorge.de: storing mineral water