Hey,
At the end of October, the UK launched its “Be Ready” campaign, telling households to prepare for 72 hours of disruption to power, water, phones and the internet.
It’s not just Britain either.
The Netherlands posted a guide to more than 8.5 million homes, Sweden and Norway advise a week and Germany says up to 10 days.
Every household needs four things covered: light, power, comms and security. So here’s what I picked for each, and what to check before you hit “Buy”.
The Tech I’d Buy to Prep for a Power Cut
(Full disclosure: most of this has only just landed, so this is “what I bought and why”, not a long-term review.)
🔦 Light
Torch: Olight Seeker 4 Pro
I ordered two of these. Based on my research, they’re some of the best torches you can buy for the money.
The Seeker 4 Pro does up to 4,600 lumens with a 5,000mAh 21700 battery. It charges over USB-C and comes with a holster. It’s rated IPX8 waterproof.
The thing is, 4,600 lumens is mostly a party trick. Turbo only holds for around 2.5 minutes before stepping down. In a power cut you’ll live on the lower modes:
300 lumens: about 11 hours
50 lumens: about 60 hours
Moon mode: up to 15 days
That’s the real selling point. It’s bright when you need it and lasts for ages when you don’t.
If you just want to tick the box, a basic torch with spare batteries is genuinely enough. The government’s checklist only asks for a battery or wind-up torch. I wanted something I’d also use after the lights come back on.
Head torch: Olight Perun 3
This is the one I’d tell most people to buy first. Hands-free light is what you actually need when you’re checking the fuse box or cooking.
The Perun 3 does up to 3,000 lumens, has a red light mode, a magnetic charging cable and an IP68 rating. The 5,000mAh 21700 battery runs up to 20 days in the lowest mode. A built-in proximity sensor dims it automatically when something is close to the lens.
The red light is the underrated bit. It lets you see without ruining your night vision, or waking up the whole house.
🔋 Power
Camping battery packs: Anker SOLIX
These are the “charge everything” backup.
The small one: Anker SOLIX C300 DC. It’s 288Wh and 300W, and costs £199.99. That’s enough to keep phones, torches and radios alive for days. It’s the one I’d start with.
The big one: Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2. It’s 1,024Wh and 2,000W for £999. This is the “keep the fridge, router and a few bigger things running” option.
The thing is, “can it power a kettle?” isn’t a simple yes.
Check the wattage on your kettle or microwave before you buy. Some UK ones pull more than 2,000W. If you need more headroom, the C2000 Gen 2 is 2,048Wh and 2,400W at £1,499.99.
📻 Comms
Walkie-talkies: Baofeng
I got a multipack of Baofeng walkie-talkies. If phone networks wobble, these don’t care. No signal, no subscription.
But here’s the catch, and it’s a big one in the UK:
The licence-free version is the BF-888S PMR446. It’s locked to the 16 legal UK channels at 0.5W power.
The standard higher-power BF-888S needs an amateur radio licence or an Ofcom business licence to use legally.
Same name, different rules. Check your listing says PMR446 before you start talking into it.
One more thing. Walkie-talkies only talk to each other, so they’re not a news source. The official advice also lists a battery or wind-up FM radio for updates.
Only 23% of people in the Cabinet Office’s 2026 survey said they had one.
🔐 Security
YubiKeys: protect your own data
This is the odd one out, but it makes sense. Cyber attacks are one of the things the government campaign is pushing people to prepare for.
A YubiKey is a small physical key that stops someone logging into your accounts, even if they have your password.
Two options:
Security Key C NFC: FIDO only. Fine for most people.
YubiKey 5C NFC: It supports more protocols and stores 100+ passkeys.
If you buy one, buy two. Keep the spare somewhere safe. Losing your only key is a nightmare.
🎯 What I’d Buy First (and what can wait)
If you want… | Get this |
|---|---|
Light with your hands free | Olight Perun 3 |
One torch that does everything | Olight Seeker 4 Pro |
Phones and radios topped up | Anker SOLIX C300 DC |
Fridge and router running | Anker SOLIX C1000 Gen 2 |
Talking when phones don’t work | Baofeng PMR446 walkie-talkies |
News when the internet’s down | A wind-up FM radio |
Accounts locked down | Two YubiKeys |
Best value start | Head torch + small battery pack |
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