Kit builder · Work and travel
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For the day the trains stop or the roads close and you are a long way from home: the British Red Cross ‘on the move’ kit and GOV.UK Prepare’s plan, for your bag or your desk drawer.
The British Red Cross has a short list for an ‘emergency kit on the move’: weather-appropriate clothing, ready-to-eat food, bottled water and a flask for hot drinks, a phone with a charger or power bank, essential medication, spare glasses or contact lenses, cash and bank cards, and a paper list of emergency contacts. That is the spine of this builder, and almost all of it fits in a desk drawer or the bottom of a work bag.
The rest is a plan rather than kit. GOV.UK Prepare asks you to check whether your workplace has a plan for what you should do if you can’t contact it in an emergency, and to decide on a meeting point for times you might not be able to get home. In snow, the British Red Cross says make sure someone knows your route and when you expect to arrive; in hot weather, GOV.UK Prepare says allow extra time, check your operator’s advice and follow ‘Do Not Travel’ warnings.
Tell us how many of you travel, and whether there are children at school or nursery, and the list adjusts. Nothing here is a knife or a blade: you don’t need one, and carrying most knives in public without a good reason is an offence (see the questions below).
Who is this for?
Your list: 16 items, 9 essential
You probably own some of this already: only buy the gaps. Each price shows when it was checked.
- Power bank and charging cable1 power bankEssential
The British Red Cross ‘on the move’ kit says a mobile phone and charger or power bank. For travel in snow, it says charge all devices before you leave and take a battery pack if you have one. Your phone is your ticket, your map, your news and the way you tell people where you are.
One each, kept charged, with a cable that fits your phone. A small one that lives in the bag beats a big one left on the desk.
INIU B5 20000mAh Power BankAlso good: Anker Nano Power Bank 10000mAh — £39.99as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · 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.£22.40Check price →Compareas of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · 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. - Emergency numbers on paper1 cardEssential
The British Red Cross says keep a paper copy of your emergency contact numbers, in case your phone loses power. GOV.UK Prepare also suggests adding emergency contacts or medical information to your phone’s ‘ICE’ or Medical ID, so the emergency services can see it without unlocking the phone.
A card in your wallet or bag: home, family, work, your child’s school or nursery, and a taxi firm near work. Tell the person you list as your emergency contact.
Make a household emergency plan → - Water bottle1 bottleEssential
Bottled water is in the British Red Cross ‘on the move’ kit. In hot weather, UKHSA says take a refillable bottle filled with water when you go out, and extra water for journeys on public transport or by car.
One each, filled before you leave. A stopped train in summer is when it matters most.
- Ready-to-eat snacksEssential
Ready-to-eat food is on the British Red Cross ‘on the move’ list. A long delay, a walk home or a late night at work is easier with something to eat that doesn’t need a shop or a microwave.
A couple of things that keep, such as cereal bars or nuts, in the bag or the desk drawer. Swap them now and then so they don’t go stale.
- Flask for a hot drinkOptional
The British Red Cross puts a flask for hot drinks in its ‘on the move’ kit. In winter, a hot drink on a cold platform or a long walk home makes a real difference.
One small flask each for winter journeys; filled at home or at work before you set off.
Thermos Stainless King 1.2LAlso good: Thermos Stainless King 470ml — £20as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · 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.£27Check price →Compareas of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · 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. - A warm or waterproof layer1 setEssential
The British Red Cross ‘on the move’ kit starts with weather-appropriate clothing. What you wear to sit in an office or a warm train is rarely what you want for an hour on a platform or a walk home in the rain.
A packable waterproof or a warm layer, hat and gloves in winter, kept at work or in the bag.
- Shoes you could walk home inOptional
If the trains stop, some journeys end on foot. In icy weather, GOV.UK Prepare and UKHSA say wear shoes with good grip to avoid slips and falls; keeping a comfortable pair at work is our suggestion.
A pair at work or in the car if your work shoes aren’t made for walking.
- Essential medicationEssential
Essential medication is in the British Red Cross ‘on the move’ kit. A missed train home shouldn’t mean a missed dose.
A day or two of anything you take regularly, in its packaging, and a note of what you take. Take it as prescribed; this builder doesn’t size doses.
- Spare glasses or contact lensesOptional
The British Red Cross lists spare glasses or contact lenses in its ‘on the move’ kit. An old pair in the desk drawer is enough.
One spare pair, or a few days of lenses and a case.
- Some cash, and a bank cardEssential
The British Red Cross ‘on the move’ kit says cash and bank cards. If the power or the network is down, card machines and phones may not work, and a bus fare or a taxi deposit may need cash.
A little cash tucked somewhere you won’t spend it, and a physical card in case your phone dies.
- Small torchOptional
Not on the ‘on the move’ list, so optional. A walk home after dark, a stairwell in a power cut or a dark car park is easier with a light that doesn’t drain the phone you need for calls. GOV.UK Prepare says torches are safer than candles.
A small one or a head torch that fits in the bag.
Nitecore NU25 Head TorchAlso good: Silva Seek 420 — £29.99as of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · 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.£43.02Check price →Compareas of 21 Oct 2026, 10:37 BST · 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. - Something reflective for walking in the darkOptional
Rule 3 of the Highway Code says help other road users see you: wear or carry something light-coloured, bright or fluorescent in poor daylight, and reflective materials when it is dark, which drivers can see up to three times as far away. Useful if you end up walking home along roads in winter.
A reflective band or a slim hi-vis vest that lives in the bag.
- Plasters, including blister plastersOptional
A walk home in work shoes is how blisters start. St John Ambulance says gel blister plasters cushion the area and stop further rubbing, and GOV.UK Prepare includes waterproof plasters in a basic first aid kit.
A few plasters and a couple of blister plasters in a pouch. Your workplace’s own first aid kit covers anything more.
Small first aid kits we’ve checked → - A plan B: another way home and a place to meetEssential
GOV.UK Prepare says decide on a meeting point for situations where you might not be able to return home, and the British Red Cross says make sure someone knows your route and when you expect to arrive when you travel in bad weather. Check your operator’s advice before you set off, allow extra time, and follow ‘Do Not Travel’ warnings (GOV.UK Prepare).
Nothing to buy: a second route home, a friend or colleague near work you could stay with, and a place to meet that everyone at home knows.
- Know your workplace’s planEssential
GOV.UK Prepare says check whether your workplace, or the place you volunteer, has a plan for what you should do if you can’t contact it during an emergency, for example in a power cut.
Ask once and write it down: who to call, whether to come in, and where the fire assembly point and first aid kit are.
- Tickets and Delay Repay detailsOptional
National Rail says that if a cancelled or delayed train makes you late, you may be able to claim compensation from the train company, and Delay Repay is a nationwide scheme that makes this easier. Each company sets its own thresholds in its Passenger’s Charter.
Keep your ticket or booking reference until you have claimed. Some companies let you register a season ticket online so claims are quicker.
One of each goes into your Amazon basket in one go (Amazon may ask you to sign in first). Change the quantities or take out anything you already own before you pay.
We don’t add these up: each price is shown beside its item, and you’ll probably only need some of them.
Don’t travel against advice. GOV.UK Prepare says check the advice your transport operator has issued before you set off, allow extra time, and follow ‘Do Not Travel’ warnings. In snow, the British Red Cross says tell someone your route and when you expect to arrive.
No knives. GOV.UK says it is illegal to carry most knives in public without a good reason. The exception is a folding pocketknife with a cutting edge of 3 inches or less that is not a lock knife. Nothing in this kit needs a blade; if you do carry a multi-tool, it must be that kind: non-locking, with a blade of 3 inches or less.
Walking home in the dark: the Highway Code says wear or carry something reflective so drivers can see you, and cross near a street light if there is no crossing.
In hot weather, take extra water for journeys on public transport or by car (UKHSA). In cold weather, wear shoes with good grip and several thin layers (GOV.UK Prepare).
In an emergency, call 999. Add an emergency contact or Medical ID to your phone so responders can see it without unlocking it (GOV.UK Prepare).
Get your personalised checklist
A printable PDF sized to 1 adult, with a QR code back to your list.
Your kit covers supplies. The Family File covers everything else: who to ring, where the paperwork is, what someone would need to know.
Questions
What should I keep at work in case I can’t get home?
The British Red Cross ‘on the move’ kit is a good list: weather-appropriate clothing, ready-to-eat food, bottled water and a flask for hot drinks, a phone charger or power bank, essential medication, spare glasses or contact lenses, cash and bank cards, and a paper list of emergency numbers. Add comfortable shoes and a small torch if you might walk home. GOV.UK Prepare also says check your workplace’s plan and agree a meeting point with your household.
Should I carry a multi-tool or a knife in my commuter kit?
No, and nothing on this list needs one. GOV.UK says it is illegal to carry most knives in public without a good reason, with an exception for folding pocketknives that have a cutting edge of 3 inches or less and are not lock knives. A multi-tool with a locking blade, or a blade longer than 3 inches, is not covered by that exception. If you want one at all, choose a non-locking one with a blade of 3 inches or less.
Can I claim if my train is delayed or cancelled?
Often, yes. National Rail says you may be entitled to a full refund from the retailer of your ticket, or compensation from the train company that caused the delay. Delay Repay is a nationwide scheme that makes claiming easier; each company publishes its thresholds in its Passenger’s Charter, and you claim online or by post. Keep your ticket or booking reference.
What if my children are at school when everything stops?
GOV.UK Prepare says check that your child’s school or childcare provider has the correct contact numbers for you, and that schools should have plans for emergencies such as severe weather. Agree in advance who else could collect your child, tell the school, and make sure your children know your mobile number and home address.
Sources (10)
- British Red Cross: prepare an emergency kit (home, on the move, car)
- British Red Cross: snow and cold weather (travelling)
- GOV.UK Prepare: get prepared for emergencies
- GOV.UK Prepare: hot weather (journeys and ‘Do Not Travel’)
- GOV.UK Prepare: cold weather, snow and ice
- UKHSA: Beat the heat, staying safe in hot weather (GOV.UK)
- Highway Code: rules for pedestrians (1 to 35)
- GOV.UK: selling, buying and carrying knives and weapons
- National Rail: compensation and refunds (Delay Repay)
- St John Ambulance: what to put in a first aid kit
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