How much should you stockpile in Estonia? One week

Short answer. The Estonian Rescue Board (Päästeamet) asks every household to be able to "get by on your own for at least a week", with 3 litres of drinking water per person per day ¹. The government crisis portal kriis.ee publishes a one-week list that includes 21 litres of drinking water, shelf-stable food, a radio, a stove, light, a power bank and cash ².

How long should an Estonian household be able to manage alone?

At least one week ¹. The Rescue Board's own wording is: "get by on your own for at least a week" ¹. This is longer than the 72-hour model used in some other countries; the general guide /guides/72-hour-kit explains that model.

How much water does Estonia recommend?

The Rescue Board recommends 3 litres of drinking water per person per day ¹. Its page asks you to keep at least one day's drinking water at home and to have the means to get more, within the one-week self-reliance target ¹.

The kriis.ee one-week list gives 21 litres of drinking water ². The portal does not say whether that figure is per person; 3 litres a day for seven days also comes to 21 litres. For a household, multiply the daily 3 litres by the number of people and the number of days. The guide /guides/water-per-person covers storage and rotation.

What food should be in a one-week supply?

The Rescue Board asks for food for the whole family for at least one week ¹. The kriis.ee list names ²:

• instant soups and puree powders;
• canned soups and foods, canned meat, fruit and vegetables;
• crackers;
• candy, halva and cookies;
• baby food, if necessary.

Neither source gives quantities per item. Foods that need little or no cooking suit a power cut; the kriis.ee list also includes a tabletop or camping stove to heat water and cook ². See /guides/food-shelf-life and /guides/cooking-without-power.

How do you keep light, power and news without electricity?

Both official sources list a flashlight with spare batteries or other light sources such as candles and lanterns, and a battery-powered or dynamo radio, with a car radio as an alternative ¹². They also list a fully charged power bank, batteries and an alternative power source such as a solar panel or generator ¹². The kriis.ee list adds candles and matches ².

If you use a generator or a camping stove, the guides /guides/generator-carbon-monoxide and /guides/power-outage cover the safety points. For radios, see /guides/emergency-radio.

What about medicines, hygiene, cash and fuel?

• Medicines: the medicines your family uses and first-aid supplies, kept in regular rotation ¹². See /guides/first-aid-kit.
• Hygiene: moist paper towels are on the kriis.ee list ².
• Cash: listed by kriis.ee, without an amount ².
• Vehicle fuel: the Rescue Board asks you to keep the tank at least half full ¹.

The full list, item by item, is on the kit page.

Frequently asked questions

Is 72 hours enough in Estonia?

The Estonian target is longer: at least one week of self-reliance ¹.

Is the 21 litres on kriis.ee per person?

The portal does not say ². The Rescue Board's per-person figure is 3 litres per day ¹, which equals 21 litres over seven days.

How much cash should I keep at home in Estonia?

The kriis.ee list includes cash but gives no amount ².

Should my car's fuel tank be part of my preparation?

Yes: the Rescue Board asks you to keep the tank at least half full ¹.

Sources

1. Päästeamet (Estonian Rescue Board) – Ole valmis! — Emergency supplies — https://www.olevalmis.ee/en/emergency-supplies (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Government Office – kriis.ee — How can I prepare for possible crises? — https://www.kriis.ee/en/security-situation-europe/preparing-possible-crises/how-can-i-prepare-possible-crises (accessed 2026-10-20)