A go bag is a pre-packed bag that lets you evacuate your home within minutes. The standard goal is 72 hours of self-sufficiency: enough water, food, first aid, documents, and gear to keep you alive and functional until you reach safety or help arrives. The key is packing everything you’d need while keeping the bag light enough to actually carry. A good target is no more than 20% of your body weight, so a 150-pound person should aim for 30 pounds or less.
Water and Food
Water is the heaviest and most important item. The CDC recommends storing at least one gallon per person, per day for three days. That covers drinking, cooking, and brushing teeth. Three gallons weighs about 25 pounds, which is already most of your weight budget, so many people carry a smaller supply (one to two liters of bottled water) plus a portable water filter or purification tablets to treat water they find along the way.
For food, focus on calories that require no cooking and no refrigeration. Peanut butter, granola bars, trail mix, jerky, crackers, canned tuna with pull-tab lids, and hard candy all work well. Energy-dense foods give you the most fuel per ounce. If you have infants, pack formula and any special dietary foods separately. Rotate your food supplies every three to six months so nothing expires before you need it.
First Aid Supplies
The Red Cross recommends a family kit include 25 adhesive bandages in assorted sizes, sterile gauze pads (both 3×3 and 4×4 inch), a roll of adhesive cloth tape, a gauze roller bandage, antibiotic ointment packets, antiseptic wipes, an instant cold compress, tweezers, non-latex gloves, a thermometer, and two triangular bandages for slings or tourniquets. An emergency blanket (the thin, reflective kind) weighs almost nothing and can prevent hypothermia.
Beyond the standard kit, pack any prescription medications you take daily, along with a written list of drug names, dosages, and your doctor’s contact information. A two-week supply is ideal. Add basic over-the-counter options like pain relievers, anti-diarrheal tablets, and antihistamines. Check medication expiration dates every time you rotate your food.
Documents and Cash
Store copies of your most critical documents in a waterproof bag or container inside your go bag: government-issued ID (driver’s license, passport), health insurance cards, homeowner’s or renter’s insurance policies, bank account information, and any medical records that would be hard to replace. Digital backups on an encrypted USB drive work as a second layer.
Cash matters more than you’d think. When power is out, card readers don’t work. Keep a minimum of five days’ worth of cash in small bills. If all you have is a twenty-dollar bill and you’re buying a one-dollar bottle of water, that water just cost you twenty dollars. A reasonable emergency cash reserve, depending on your area, could range from a few hundred to over a thousand dollars when you factor in fuel, food, water, and potential motel stays.
Clothing and Shelter
Pack one full change of weather-appropriate clothing per person. Include sturdy shoes (not flip-flops), a rain jacket, warm layers, extra socks, and underwear. A compact sleeping bag or emergency bivvy takes up little room and keeps you warm if you’re sleeping in your car or outdoors. A small tarp or poncho doubles as a rain cover and ground sheet.
Tools and Communication
A battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA weather radio is one of the most important tools in your bag. NOAA broadcasts on seven preset frequencies and provides real-time weather alerts, evacuation notices, and shelter information even when cell towers are down. Many models combine AM/FM reception, a flashlight, and a USB charging port in one device, which saves weight and space.
Round out your tools with:
- Flashlight with extra batteries (or a hand-crank model)
- Multi-tool or knife for cutting, prying, and repairs
- Whistle for signaling rescuers
- Waterproof matches or a lighter stored in a sealed container
- Duct tape wrapped around a pencil to save space
- Phone charger, ideally a portable solar or battery bank
- Local maps in case GPS is unavailable
Sanitation and Hygiene
When municipal water is off, basic hygiene prevents illness from spreading fast. Pack a toothbrush and toothpaste, hand sanitizer, soap, toilet paper, and feminine hygiene products. Heavy-duty garbage bags serve double duty: waste disposal and improvised rain protection. Wet wipes or towelettes let you clean up without water. Sunscreen, insect repellent, and lip balm are easy to forget but genuinely useful, especially if you’re on foot for any length of time.
A small container of household bleach (unscented) can disinfect surfaces and, in a pinch, treat questionable water. FEMA includes it on their disaster supply checklist for both purposes.
Items for Kids and Pets
Children need comfort items as much as supplies. A small stuffed animal, a few crayons, or a familiar snack can make a stressful evacuation far more manageable. Pack diapers, wipes, formula, and any children’s medications separately so you can grab them quickly.
For pets, the CDC recommends a two-week supply of food and water stored in waterproof containers, along with non-spill bowls, a leash, a collar with current ID tags, a harness, and a two-week supply of any medications your pet takes. Keep written feeding and medication instructions in the bag in case someone else needs to care for your animal.
Choosing the Right Bag
A hiking-style backpack with padded shoulder straps and a hip belt distributes weight far better than a duffel bag. Look for water-resistant material and multiple compartments so you can organize items by category. Keep heavier items (water, canned food) close to your back and centered between your shoulders and hips. Lighter items like clothing and documents go toward the outside.
Store the bag somewhere accessible, not buried in a closet behind boxes. Near your front door, in a coat closet, or in your car trunk all work. Everyone in your household old enough to carry a pack should have their own, scaled to their size and strength.
Keeping Your Go Bag Ready
A go bag you packed two years ago and forgot about will fail you. Check it every three to six months. Replace expired food, swap out old batteries, update medications, refresh cash if you’ve borrowed from it, and adjust clothing for the current season. Review your documents to make sure insurance policies and ID copies are still current. Set a recurring calendar reminder so it actually happens.