72-Hour Emergency Go-Bag

ContextAn adult needs roughly 2,000–2,500 calories per day, and physical and emotional stress during an evacuation can push that higher. Plan 4–5 items per day per person: single-serve nut butter packets, energy bars, jerky, trail mix, dried fruit, crackers, and shelf-stable protein pouches all pack well. Avoid heavily salted or spicy foods that increase thirst — this puts unnecessary pressure on your water supply. Check expiration dates at your semi-annual review and rotate anything within 6 months of expiry into everyday use.

ContextA manual can opener is the most commonly forgotten item in kits that include canned food. A P-38 military-style opener weighs half an ounce and costs under $2. Physically verify it is in the bag before you close it.

ContextEmergency shelters stock standard provisions that may not meet your household's specific needs. Formula brands matter if your infant has already adjusted to one type — switching under stress often causes gastrointestinal problems that add to an already difficult situation. If a household member manages blood sugar, pack appropriate snacks directly alongside their medications so both are in one place.

ContextAccess to clean running water for handwashing is not guaranteed at an emergency shelter or evacuation site. Gastrointestinal illness, which spreads quickly in group displacement scenarios, is a documented and debilitating risk. A small bottle of hand sanitizer in every bag is one of the cheapest and most impactful items on this list.

ContextFor any scenario where you'll be outdoors or at a campsite for more than a day, biodegradable soap is the right choice near any water source. It works for both food handling and personal hygiene and weighs almost nothing in a small travel bar.

ContextEmergency shelters run out of basic supplies faster than you'd expect, and displacement to a campsite or vehicle has no guaranteed supply. A zip-lock bag keeps toilet paper dry regardless of rain, flooding, or a bag that gets soaked. This is consistently one of the most appreciated items in a go-bag once people are actually using one.

ContextWhen bathing is not possible, wet wipes provide a meaningful substitute for basic personal hygiene — face, hands, underarms, and feet. They also have dozens of practical uses beyond hygiene: wiping surfaces, cleaning minor wounds before antiseptic, cleaning children's hands before food. One 72-count pack per household is the minimum; two is better.

ContextThis item is absent from the majority of generic emergency checklists and is consistently needed by households that require it. Do not assume shelters or stores in an evacuation area will have adequate supply. Pack exactly what your household uses.

ContextOral hygiene has a direct effect on overall health and, equally important, on morale. After two days in a shelter or vehicle, the ability to brush your teeth is a meaningful quality-of-life factor — especially for children whose routine is already disrupted. This adds almost no weight.

ContextTest the flashlight on the day you build or review the kit — flashlights stored in drawers are frequently dead or dim when needed. Store the spare batteries in a small zip-lock bag separate from the flashlight to prevent battery corrosion from damaging the contacts over years of storage. Replace batteries at every semi-annual review regardless of whether the flashlight has been used.

ContextHeadlamps are substantially more practical than handheld flashlights in emergency scenarios because they leave both hands free — for carrying bags, managing children, reading a map, or navigating debris. A reliable headlamp costs $10–$20. This is not a redundancy with the flashlight; it is a better primary light source for most of the situations you'll actually face.

ContextDuring large-scale emergencies, cell networks and internet access frequently overload or fail entirely. A NOAA weather radio receives official emergency alerts, evacuation updates, and status information completely independent of your phone or the internet. Hand-crank models have no battery dependency and are the most resilient option. This is your most reliable source of official information when everything else goes dark.

ContextPower banks lose their charge sitting unused — a bank that hasn't been touched in six months will be at 20–40% capacity at best. At every review, charge it to 100% before returning it to the bag. A 20,000mAh bank charges most smartphones 4–5 times. For households with medical devices or monitors that charge via USB, this is not optional.

ContextA power bank without compatible cables is useless. Do a practical test: take every phone and USB-chargeable device your household would evacuate with and confirm the bag contains a working cable for each. USB-C, older Lightning connectors, and micro-USB all remain in active household use — do not assume.

ContextPre-assembled pharmacy kits are a starting point, not a finished kit — many are underpowered for actual emergency use. Supplement with blister pads if you'll be walking any significant distance, and with any items specific to your household. Use nitrile gloves rather than latex to accommodate latex allergies, which are common and may not be declared at a shelter. Check expiration dates at every semi-annual review — antiseptics and ointments degrade.

ContextThis is the hardest part of go-bag preparation for many households because insurance typically limits refills to a 30-day supply and won't pay for early fills for emergency stockpiling. Strategies that work for some people: ask your doctor to write a separate prescription specifically designated as an emergency supply; use a 90-day mail-order plan and rotate the oldest pills into the bag; or work with your pharmacist on a rotation system where new refills go into the bag and bag supply moves to daily use. For controlled substances, have an explicit conversation with your prescribing physician — options are limited but not zero.

ContextIn an evacuation, you may need to access a completely different pharmacy or clinic in an unfamiliar city. A written medication list — not just stored in your phone — enables any provider to assist you. For controlled substances, including the prescribing physician's DEA number significantly increases the chances of receiving emergency dispensing. Keep this list updated whenever a prescription changes.

ContextThink through the power requirements for any battery-dependent device before packing it. Most insulin is stable at room temperature for 28 days once opened, but should not be exposed to temperatures above 80°F or below freezing — know this before your evacuation takes you through a heat wave or a winter storm. Include a written note in the bag documenting each device's model name and basic operation instructions in case a shelter nurse or family member needs to assist.

ContextWildfire smoke, post-earthquake dust, industrial chemical releases, and building fire residue are among the most common air quality hazards during emergency evacuations. A properly fitted N95 or KN95 mask provides meaningful respiratory protection in all of these scenarios. Standard cloth or surgical masks do not. Two per person gives you a backup if one is damaged and covers at least a day of use.

ContextA fireproof, waterproof document bag ($25–$40) is worth the investment over a standard zip-lock bag for these items specifically — it protects against both fire and water, which are the two most common causes of document loss in disasters. Some documents — birth certificates, Social Security cards — take weeks to months and significant administrative effort to replace. Having originals or certified copies in a grab-ready location shortens post-disaster recovery from months to days.

ContextEncryption is not optional here: an unencrypted USB drive containing your Social Security card, passport scan, and insurance documents is a significant identity theft risk if lost. VeraCrypt is a free, open-source encryption tool that works on Windows and Mac. Store the USB in a protective case to prevent scratch damage over years of storage, and confirm the files are readable at each semi-annual review.

ContextPayment processing infrastructure fails in widespread power outages — card readers, ATMs, and digital payment apps all depend on power and connectivity. The gas station, the pharmacy, the shelter store — cash is what works when nothing else does. Small bills matter because making change in an emergency environment is often impossible, and no vendor will want to break a $100 bill when supplies are scarce.

ContextMost adults cannot recall any phone numbers from memory — they rely entirely on their phone's contact list. A laminated card survives moisture, doesn't need power, and is readable when your phone is dead or stolen. Your out-of-area contact is particularly important: in local emergencies, local phone lines typically overload while long-distance calls succeed, because they route through different infrastructure. That contact becomes your household's communication hub.

ContextIf you build your kit in summer, the clothes inside are summer clothes. Flag this explicitly: you need a plan to swap in seasonally appropriate items when temperatures change, or to pack base layers that work across a wider temperature range. Wool and synthetic base layers regulate temperature better than cotton across both cold and warm conditions. If children in your household grow quickly, clothing should be checked for fit at every semi-annual review.

ContextSandals, dress shoes, and slip-on footwear are inadequate for evacuation scenarios that may involve debris fields, flooded streets, or extended walking. The shoes in the bag should be ones each person could walk five miles in without blisters or injury. For children who grow quickly, shoe size should be checked at every semi-annual review and updated at the same time you replace worn-out everyday shoes.

ContextMylar emergency blankets fold to the size of a deck of cards, weigh less than two ounces, cost $1–$2 each, and retain up to 90% of body heat. They are effective against hypothermia, can serve as a ground tarp or rain cover in a pinch, and are highly reflective — useful for signaling in daylight. Pack one for every person in the household, including children. They are cheap enough that there is no reason not to.

ContextA poncho is far more practical than an umbrella in evacuation conditions — it leaves both hands free, covers a backpack, and functions in high wind when an umbrella would invert. Disposable plastic ponchos are adequate and cost about $1 each. Reusable nylon ponchos pack into a small pouch the size of a fist and last years. Either is a good choice; disposables add almost no weight.

ContextClearing debris, handling broken materials, using tools, or setting up a campsite or shelter all carry real injury risk without hand protection. Leather or synthetic work gloves that fit properly — not thin gardening gloves — are the right choice. This item is often omitted from go-bag guides and is consistently useful when the situation requires physical work.

ContextA multi-tool (Leatherman, Gerber, or equivalent quality) provides a knife, pliers, screwdrivers, scissors, and a file in a compact and durable form. This covers a significantly wider range of emergency tasks than a pocket knife alone. Do not pack cheap knockoffs — a tool you need to rely on under stress should be one you trust. A mid-range multi-tool costs $30–$60 and lasts decades.

ContextGPS requires power and signal, both of which can fail in large-scale emergencies. Offline phone maps are a better middle option — download them before an emergency — but a paper map requires nothing at all. Your county or state emergency management agency often provides free paper evacuation route maps; check their website and request or print physical copies. Know how to read a paper map before you need to use one under pressure.

ContextA whistle carries significantly farther than a shouted voice and can be sounded repeatedly with almost no physical effort, even when exhausted or injured. For children particularly, a whistle on a lanyard is a meaningful safety tool in a crowded shelter or evacuation scenario where separation is possible. The international distress signal is three short blasts — three long — three short. Teach this to every child old enough to use one.

ContextThe ability to light a camp stove, a candle, or a small fire is useful across a wide range of emergency scenarios, even urban ones. A butane lighter and a container of waterproof matches together weigh almost nothing and provide redundancy — if the lighter fails, the matches work. Keep the matches in a zip-lock bag as a second layer of waterproofing even if the container is labeled waterproof.

ContextDuct tape's utility in emergency situations is too broad to fully enumerate: sealing gaps against smoke, securing improvised splints, repairing torn gear, labeling bags, and dozens of other applications. Zip-lock bags serve as on-the-fly waterproofing for documents, electronics, food, and clothing — and as waste disposal bags, makeshift gloves, or water carriers in a pinch. Pack multiple sizes.

ContextMany emergency shelters do not accept pets, which means your household emergency plan must identify pet-friendly shelter options, hotels, or a host family in advance — research this before an emergency and write the options into your plan. Vaccination records are required by facilities that do accept animals. A recent photo with your contact information on the back serves as identification if your pet becomes separated from you during the evacuation.

ContextPack more than your calculated need — stress, temperature changes, and completely disrupted routines all increase consumption and accidents in infants and toddlers. If your infant has adjusted to a specific formula brand, switching brands in an emergency setting often triggers gastrointestinal issues that compound an already difficult situation. Pack the brand you use.

ContextChildren's ability to cope with the stress of displacement is strongly influenced by familiar objects and activities. A small stuffed animal, a short chapter book, or a travel-size drawing pad adds minimal weight but provides a meaningful anchor for a child whose routine is completely disrupted. This is not a luxury item — it is a psychological stability tool that benefits the whole household.

ContextA broken pair of glasses during an evacuation and no spare means that person cannot safely drive, cannot read evacuation signage, and may not be able to identify family members in a crowd. A backup pair in your current prescription, or a lens case with solution and a week of lenses, belongs in the bag. This is one of the most consequential items consistently left off of standard checklists.

ContextA written plan in the bag means any adult in your household — including one who has never read the plan before — can execute it under stress. It should include: your primary and secondary meeting points if the household is separated, the name and number of your out-of-area contact, and the specific reunification procedure if children are at school when the emergency occurs. Most school districts have a formal reunification protocol that parents are expected to know in advance — find yours on your district's website and include it in the plan.