EVAQ8 1-Person Emergency Grab Bag review
By Tom Calder
A neatly assembled British-made grab bag that maps closely to the government's Prepare guidance, covering light, warmth, first aid and basic food and water for 72 hours. You pay a premium for the convenience of not building it yourself, and you'll still want to add your own stored water and personal medications.
- Best for
- Someone who wants a ready-made, UK-assembled 72-hour grab bag without sourcing parts themselves.
- Skip it if
- You're happy to follow the free gov.uk Prepare kit list and assemble the same items yourself for…
We earn a commission if you buy through the retailer links on this page. It doesn't change our verdict. How we make money →
Researched, not used. We haven't used this product. This review is built from the maker's specifications, owner reports and our own sizing.
What we like
- UK-assembled and dispatched, with contents aligned to standard 72-hour emergency guidance
- Sensible core kit in one bag: wind-up torch, first aid, sleeping bag, purification tablets, powerbank and multi-tool
- Contents can be customised on request, so you can tailor it to your household
Worth knowing
- Priced well above the cost of assembling an equivalent kit yourself from the gov.uk list
- Only a single 500ml water ration is included, so you must store additional water separately
Out of stock when we checked: our alternatives
Closest in size first, then by our score. None of them was showing out of stock when we last checked.
Best for A lightweight warmth-and-shelter layer for a car kit or grab bag when two people are caught out in bad weather.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 16:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Best for Waterproofing the contents of a grab bag or rucksack — documents, electronics, spare clothes and a first-aid kit.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 16:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Best for A reusable emergency bivvy for a car, walking pack or grab bag where cold and wet are real risks.
as of 2 Nov 2026, 16:07 GMT · Details
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.co.uk at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.ⓘ As an Amazon Associate, PreparedBritain earns from qualifying purchases. We may earn a commission when you buy, or a fee when you request a quote, through our links. When two products are close, commission can decide which one we pick. A clearly better product always wins. Amazon prices come from Amazon's own product data and show the date and time they were retrieved. Prices at other retailers are checked by us, less often. Prices and stock can change at any time, so always check the retailer's price before you buy.
Our review
EVAQ8's one-person Go Bag is a 2.5kg ready-packed 72-hour kit from a British supplier: a wind-up torch, foil blanket, sleeping bag, biscuit ration, water, purification tablets, a small first aid kit, a power bank and a multi-tool. It saves assembling a bag yourself. It has no radio, and you still need to add your own water and medicines.
What is in the bag
EVAQ8 lists the kit under the code E180 as its Go Bag Emergency Kit with 72-hour survival supplies. The contents on its page are a wind-up LED torch, a 500ml water pouch, a 2,400kcal biscuit ration, two light sticks, a sleeping bag, a foil blanket, a whistle, a mask, a compact first aid kit, ten water purification tablets, a drinking bottle, work gloves, four wipes, four AA cells, a small power bank and a multi-tool, all in a rucksack at a listed 2.5kg. Its description quotes 2,500kcal for the ration and the list says 2,400, so expect the latter.
What it covers from the government list
Set against the government's Be Ready checklist, it covers the torch, the first aid items, a day's food, something to keep warm, and a way to treat water. It does not cover the FM radio, so add a battery or wind-up set. Its 500ml of water is a fraction of the three litres per person per day for three days the checklist recommends, so this is a bag you keep beside stored water, not instead of it. Copies of documents, cash, medicines and a phone charger lead are yours to add.
Shelf life and upkeep
EVAQ8's page for the E180 does not state a shelf life. Its similar boxed one-person kit lists five years for the ration and the water pouch, and a minimum of four years for the kit as a whole, so write the purchase date on the bag and plan to replace the ration, water and tablets within that. Charge the power bank on arrival and every few months; a bank stored flat for years may not come back. Check the first aid kit's sterile items for expiry dates, which the HSE says most carry.
When it arrives, unpack it once. Try the torch, read the first aid kit's leaflet, and add a printed card with your emergency contacts, the frequencies of your local radio stations and your medication list, then repack it and put it where you leave the house: a cupboard by the door, not the loft.
How it compares
On our grab bag comparison the EVAQ8 family bag scales the same idea to a household. Building your own around a Sea to Summit dry bag costs less if you already own a torch and first aid kit, and you choose each item; our 72-hour kit for thirty pounds shows what a supermarket shop covers. The Go Bag's case is speed: it arrives done.
Our verdict
Buy it if you want a bag by the door this week and would rather pay for the assembly than do it. Skip it if you already have a torch, a first aid kit and a power bank, since you would be paying for duplicates and could put the money into stored water and a radio. Note the page showed the kit out of stock when we checked, so compare the current listing's contents with EVAQ8's list before paying.
A researched review, built from the maker's specs, manual and UK listings; facts checked 2 Nov 2026. Sources: EVAQ8: Go Bag Emergency Kit, 72-hour survival supplies (E180); EVAQ8: one-person compact safety and survival kit, with shelf-life statements; HSE: what to put in your first aid kit; UK Government Be Ready: emergency kit checklist.
Who shouldn't buy this
Don't buy if you're happy to follow the free gov.uk Prepare kit list and assemble the same items yourself for less.
Key specs
| Covers | 1 ppl |
| Duration | 3 days |
| Items | 16 |
This is a Researched review: we haven't used this product. We check every specification against at least two independent sources, re-check the UK price on a schedule where we can track it automatically, and say plainly who it isn't for. Commissions never change a rating.
Questions
Does the EVAQ8 one-person Go Bag include a radio?
No. The listed contents cover light, warmth, first aid, food and water treatment but not a radio, so add a battery or wind-up FM set.
How long does the EVAQ8 Go Bag last in storage?
EVAQ8 states no shelf life for the E180. Its similar boxed kit lists five years for the ration and water and at least four years for the kit, so replace consumables within that.
Is there enough water in the EVAQ8 Go Bag?
No. It holds a single 500ml pouch. The government's Be Ready checklist recommends three litres per person per day for three days, so keep stored water with the bag.
Can the EVAQ8 Go Bag contents be changed?
EVAQ8 sells the kit as listed and offers other kits with different contents. Check its page for the current list, since contents and codes have changed over time.
Free alerts for your home
Home Alerts emails you when a power cut, a Met Office warning or a flood warning covers your postcode. Free for your own home. Sign up in a minute.
Start free →