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Guide 12 · Interactive infographic

The 72-hour bag

Most emergencies are spent at home. The go-bag (or bug out bag) is for the rare case when you're told to leave: a nearby wildfire, a flood or a gas leak. Having it packed saves you from deciding in a rush. Tap each number to see what it is and why it's there.

items
28
approximate weight
≈ 15.5 lb (7.0 kg)
to get out the door
5 min

The bag itself: don't make it look tactical

Preppers call it being the "gray man": someone who blends in and goes unnoticed.

A camo backpack covered in patches and military webbing screams "valuable gear inside". In an evacuation you'll share lines, buses and shelters with hundreds of people. Standing out exposes you to theft, constant requests or suspicion. A normal hiking or commuter backpack doesn't interest anyone.

The idea

Your bag should look like it belongs to someone going on a hike or to work, not to war.

How to choose it

  • Neutral, civilian colors: gray, blue, black. No camo, olive drab or coyote tan.
  • No tactical look: avoid MOLLE webbing, flag or skull patches and dangling carabiners.
  • A 30 to 45 liter hiking pack with a hip belt: it spreads the weight and lets you walk for hours.
  • Everything inside: nothing hanging off the outside that draws attention or snags.
  • Be discreet when using it too: don't unpack all your gear in front of strangers, and keep cash split up.

All 28 items, one by one

Approximate weights. You already own most of this: there's no need to buy a commercial kit.

  1. Copies of documents in a waterproof bag

    After an evacuation you'll need to prove who you are, apply for aid, file an insurance claim or see a doctor. If the originals stay in a damaged home, copies save you weeks of paperwork.

    ID and passport, health insurance card, insurance policy and deed or lease. Also keep an encrypted copy on a USB drive.

  2. Cash in small bills

    Without electricity, card readers and ATMs don't work, as the April 2025 Iberian blackout showed. Small bills avoid problems with change.

    Enough for food, transport or a pharmacy for a few days. Include coins, and split it between two places.

  3. Printed list of phone numbers

    If your phone dies or gets lost, few of us remember a number by heart. With the list you can call from someone else's phone.

    Family, an out-of-area contact, doctor, insurance and your agreed meeting point.

  4. Headlamp and batteries

    It keeps your hands free to carry things, open doors or help someone. It's safer than a candle and lasts longer than your phone's flashlight, which drains the battery you need to communicate.

    Keep batteries out of the headlamp so they don't leak. Ideally the same size as your radio's.

  5. Whistle

    If you're trapped or separated from the group, it carries much farther than your voice and takes almost no effort. It weighs next to nothing.

    The most widely recognized distress signal is three blasts in a row and a pause, repeated.

  6. Paper map of your area

    If you must leave without mobile data or GPS, a map lets you follow the routes authorities announce and find alternatives if a road is closed.

    Mark your meeting point and nearby hospitals or shelters on it.

  7. Lighter or matches in a zip bag

    To light a stove or get warm in an exceptional situation. It takes up almost no space.

    Never make a fire indoors or where there's a wildfire risk.

  8. Water: 1 to 2 liters per person

    It covers the trip and the first few hours. Carrying three days of water would be absurd: about 20 pounds. Experts agree on carrying a little water and a reliable way to get more, with a filter and tablets.

    Carry 2 liters in summer or if water sources are scarce where you live. A rigid bottle beats thin plastic ones: it won't puncture and, if it's metal, you can boil water in it.

  9. Water purification tablets

    They turn questionable water into drinkable water without boiling. They weigh a few grams and replace liters you can't carry.

    Check the expiry date and respect the waiting time on the pack. More in the water guide.

  10. Three days of food that needs no cooking

    Away from home there may be nowhere to cook. What matters is energy per ounce: nuts, bars, crackers and pull-tab cans give a lot for little weight.

    Pick things you like and eat normally, so you can rotate them without waste.

  11. Change of clothes and a warm layer

    Getting wet or spending the night in an unheated gym is uncomfortable and can be dangerous, especially for children and older people. Dry socks make a big difference.

    Quick-dry synthetics or wool: avoid cotton and denim, which don't insulate when wet and take hours to dry. Pack for the coldest time of year and swap clothes with the seasons.

  12. Emergency space blanket

    It reflects body heat and helps you stay warm if you have to wait outdoors. It weighs as much as a phone and folds as small as a handkerchief.

    In practice it's single-use: keep another one in the car kit.

  13. Rain jacket or poncho

    Flood and storm evacuations happen, precisely, in the rain. A poncho covers the bag too.

    A cheap plastic poncho works. What matters is that it's in the bag.

  14. Hygiene kit

    In shared spaces, hygiene prevents infections and makes the days easier. Without running water, wipes and sanitizer do most of the work.

    Toothbrush and toothpaste, soap, hand sanitizer, wet wipes, toilet paper and menstrual products.

  15. Large contractor trash bags

    They're good for almost anything: waterproofing clothes, a barrier from wet ground, an improvised poncho or holding waste.

    Heavy-duty 40-gallon or larger. Three or four are enough.

  16. A deck of cards or a small book

    In a shelter, hours pass very slowly. Preparedness experts stress looking after your mind: distraction reduces anxiety, especially in children.

    If you have kids, their favorite stuffed animal or toy is worth more than anything else on this list.

  17. Basic first aid kit

    Minor injuries are the most common thing when leaving in a hurry: cuts, scrapes, blisters. Treating them early prevents infection when clinics are overwhelmed.

    Band-aids, gauze, tape, antiseptic, a bandage, pain reliever and saline. Full list in the first aid guide.

  18. Regular medication and copies of prescriptions

    Interrupting a chronic treatment is one of the most common health problems among displaced people. With the prescription, any pharmacy can help you refill.

    At least a week of each medicine, in tablets rather than capsules or sachets, which break or get damp. If someone needs an epinephrine auto-injector, that's the most important item in the whole bag.

  19. Spare glasses or contact lenses

    If you depend on them, losing or breaking them leaves you with almost no independence. An old pair with a similar prescription is enough.

    With contacts, add solution and a case: a shelter won't always have the conditions to wear them.

  20. Earplugs and a sleep mask

    Sleeping in a gym with the lights on and hundreds of people is very hard. Rest is what helps you make good decisions the next day.

    They weigh less than an ounce. It's one of the tips most often repeated by people who've spent nights in a shelter.

  21. N95 or FFP2 masks

    They protect against wildfire smoke, dust after a collapse and infections in crowded spaces.

    Two or three per person. They take up almost no room in the pocket.

  22. Small battery or hand-crank radio

    When the internet and cell network fail, radio keeps informing. That's how official instructions arrive: where to go, which roads to avoid, when to return.

    Ideally with AM, which reaches farther, as well as FM. In the US and Canada, the NOAA weather band is a plus.

  23. Power bank and cable

    Your phone is your backup flashlight, your map and how you receive emergency alerts. A 10,000 mAh power bank gives about two full charges.

    Lithium batteries self-discharge: top it up every three months. If the network is jammed, text instead of calling: texts need far less capacity and usually get through first.

  24. Portable water filter

    It weighs less than a glass of water and can treat thousands of liters. It makes water from a fountain or stream drinkable on the spot, without waiting as with tablets.

    Most filters stop bacteria and parasites, but not viruses. If the water could be contaminated by sewage, as after a flood, filter it and add a tablet too. Avoid straw-type filters as your main solution.

  25. Multi-tool

    To open cans and packaging, cut tape or cord and make small repairs. One small tool replaces several.

    With a can opener and scissors. You don't need a big knife.

  26. Cord and some duct tape

    With 50 feet of paracord you can rig a tarp, tie down a load or hang clothes. Duct tape fixes a broken bag or seals a pouch.

    Wrap the tape around your water bottle or a pencil instead of carrying the roll. Never put it on a blister or wound.

  27. Closed, comfortable shoes

    When you leave there may be glass, debris or water on the ground, and you may have to walk a long way. Leaving in flip-flops is one of the most common mistakes.

    Keep an old pair of sneakers next to the bag so you don't have to look for them.

  28. House and car keys

    It sounds obvious, but they get forgotten in a hurry. Without them you can't get back in when authorities allow it.

    Leave a spare set with a trusted relative or neighbor.

Calmly: when to use it and what you don't need

When to grab it

Only when authorities call for an evacuation, or when staying is clearly more dangerous than leaving, for example with fire or smoke in the building. In most situations, such as outages, snowstorms or heat waves, the safest place is at home with your 72-hour supply.

One per person

From about age 10, each person carries their own with the essentials, so you don't depend on a single bag if you get separated. Younger children can carry a light one with a change of clothes, a snack, a toy and a card with family phone numbers. If you have pets, their food and water go in an adult's bag.

Review every six months

Check expiry dates, charge the power bank and swap clothes for the season. The daylight saving time changes are a good reminder.

What you don't need

  • Expensive commercial kits. Almost everything is already in your home. What matters is having it together and at hand.
  • MREs or freeze-dried meals. They work, but regular shelf-stable food does the same job.
  • Big knives or tactical gear. They add nothing to an urban evacuation, they're heavy and they draw attention.
  • Filling it to the top. A bag you can't carry on a long walk is useless. Test it: walk a mile with it fully loaded.
  • Untested gear. A filter or flashlight you've never used will fail you at the worst moment. Use it once before packing it.
  • Borrowing from the bag. If you take the headlamp camping, it won't be there the day you need it. The bag stays untouched.