How to Build a Go Bag: A Practical 72-Hour Guide

A go bag (also called a bug-out bag or grab-and-go bag) is a pack you can pick up in under a minute when you have to leave fast: a wildfire evacuation order, a flood, a gas leak, or a day you can’t get home. It isn’t a survival fantasy. It’s about 72 hours of basics for one person, packed in advance so you aren’t making decisions while stressed.

The American Red Cross recommends a 3-day supply of water and food for evacuation (and two weeks for sheltering at home). That 3-day number is where the “72-hour bag” comes from. Ready.gov, run by FEMA, adds a simple reason to bother: after a disaster you may need to get by on your own for several days before help or stores are back.

Free download: Go Bag Checklist (PDF). Print it and keep a copy inside the bag.

Step 1: Pick the bag (and keep it light)

Choose a comfortable 30–40 liter backpack with padded shoulder straps and a hip belt. Weight matters more than gear lists admit. Aim for a packed weight of roughly 15–20% of your body weight or less. That’s about 25–30 lb for a 160 lb adult. If you can’t walk a mile with it on, take things out. A bag you can carry beats a bag that is “complete.”

Two practical tips:

• Use a bag you already own if it fits well. An old school backpack or carry-on works. Spend your money on water, light and power first.
• Pick a plain color. You want something that disappears in a crowd or a shelter line, not a pack covered in patches.

If you do need a bag, a light 30-liter daypack like the Osprey Sportlite 30L is a reasonable size. Any well-fitting 30–40 L pack does the job.

Step 2: Cover the Big 4 first

Everything else is secondary to these four. If you only finish this step this weekend, you’re already ahead of most households.

1. Water. Carry at least 1 liter in a sturdy bottle, plus a way to make more. A squeeze filter like the Sawyer Squeeze SP129 weighs a few ounces and is rated for bacteria and protozoa. It does not remove viruses or chemicals, so pair it with purification tablets such as Aquatabs when the water source is questionable.
2. Food. About 2,000 calories a day for three days: bars, nuts, jerky, trail mix, peanut-butter packets. A Datrex 3600-calorie bar is compact insurance with a long shelf life. It isn’t tasty, so add a few foods you actually like.
3. Light. A headlamp keeps both hands free. The Black Diamond Spot 400 runs on AAA batteries, which you can buy almost anywhere. Pack spares.
4. Phone power. A charged power bank and the right cables. A 20,000 mAh bank like the Anker Zolo 20K holds several phone charges. Power banks slowly lose charge in storage, so top it up when you check the bag.

Step 3: Health, warmth and documents

Health. A small first aid kit (bandages, gauze, tape, antiseptic wipes, gloves, pain reliever), at least a 7-day supply of prescription medications, and a written list of medications and doses. The Red Cross list calls for that same 7-day supply. Ready.gov points out that about half of Americans take a prescription medicine every day, and pharmacies may be closed after a disaster. A simple AM/PM pill organizer makes the week easy to grab.

Masks. N95 respirators help with wildfire smoke and dust. Masks like the 3M Aura N95 come in packs, so put two in each bag.

Warmth and weather. An emergency Mylar blanket (Swiss Safe 75-pack is enough for the whole family and the car), a rain poncho such as the Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite2, a change of clothes, a warm layer and two pairs of socks. Keep sturdy shoes next to the bag. Wear them; don’t pack them.

Documents. Copies of your ID, insurance cards, and deed or lease, plus a medication list and emergency contacts, in a waterproof pouch. A small encrypted USB drive with scans is a good backup. Add cash in small bills ($100–200). When the power is out, card readers and ATMs go down too.

Step 4: Tools and communication

• Multi-tool. One good tool beats five cheap ones. The Leatherman Wave+ is a well-known, well-reviewed choice. It’s pricey, and any sturdy multi-tool works.
• Duct tape and cord. A flattened roll of Gorilla Tape and 50 ft of 550 paracord cover a lot of repairs.
• Fire. Two lighters and waterproof matches.
• Signal. A whistle (three blasts means “help”).
• Information. A battery or hand-crank NOAA weather radio. The Midland ER310 is a popular crank model that can also top up a phone. It’s bulky, so many people keep it in the home kit and put a small battery radio in the go bag.
• Paper backups. A local paper map with two evacuation routes highlighted, a pen and a small notebook, and a written list of emergency contacts, including one out-of-area contact. Phones die and local networks jam. A relative in another state is often easier to reach than someone across town.

Step 5: Family, kids and pets

Build one bag per adult. Kids old enough to carry a small backpack can carry their own clothes, a snack and a comfort item. Put everything else (diapers, formula, wipes, a favorite small toy) in a shared family bag.

For pets: food and water for three days, a collapsible bowl, a leash or carrier, waste bags, a copy of vaccination records and a recent photo of you with your pet (it helps prove ownership if you’re separated). Ready.gov and the Red Cross both list pet supplies in their kits.

For anyone with medical needs, add spare hearing-aid batteries, glasses or contacts, and backup power for any device that needs it. Make a short written note of the person’s conditions, medications and doctor.

Step 6: Where to keep it

• By the door you actually use, or in a closet near it. If you have to dig for it, it isn’t a go bag.
• A smaller version in the car. Water, a blanket, a flashlight, snacks, a phone cable and walking shoes. Ready.gov recommends kits for home, work and car because you don’t know where you’ll be.
• Not in a hot trunk long term. Heat shortens the life of food, water, medications and batteries. Rotate car items more often.

Step 7: Keep it ready (a 15-minute routine twice a year)

Pick two easy dates (the clock changes in spring and fall work well) and do this:

1. Swap food, water, batteries and medications that are near expiration.
2. Recharge the power bank and test the headlamp and radio.
3. Update clothes for the season and for kids who’ve grown.
4. Re-check documents and the contact list.
5. Write the check date on a tag on the bag.

Plan the exit, not just the bag

A bag without a plan is just a heavy backpack. Take ten minutes with your household:

• Two ways out of your neighborhood, in different directions.
• A meeting spot near home and one outside the area.
• Who grabs what: one person takes the bags, one takes the pets, one takes the kids.
• Sign up for local alerts. Most counties offer free emergency text or email alerts. Search your county name plus “emergency alerts.”

Then do one practice run: grab the bags, load the car and time it. The first time usually takes longer than people expect, and that’s the point of practicing.

What you can skip

You don’t need a tactical vest, a giant knife or a 70-liter pack. Most real evacuations look like a drive to a relative’s house, a hotel or a shelter. Plan for traffic, crowded lines, no power and spotty phone service. That’s what a go bag is for.

Shop the list (or don’t)

Everything above is on the Emergency Preparedness gear page. Those are affiliate links, and you don’t need to buy everything at once. Start with water, light and a power bank. Many of these items are already in your house: a backpack, a flashlight, spare clothes, a first aid kit. Use what you have, then fill the gaps.

Sources

• American Red Cross, Survival Kit Supplies: 3-day evacuation supply, 7-day medication supply, documents, cash, emergency blanket.
• Ready.gov (FEMA), Build a Kit: 1 gallon of water per person per day, NOAA radio, whistle, kits for home, work and car, prescription medications.
• U.S. EPA, Emergency Disinfection of Drinking Water: boiling, bleach and tablet methods.

This guide follows common emergency-management guidance. Adjust it for your climate, health and local hazards, and always follow evacuation orders from local officials. General guidance, not professional advice. Gear picks are based on public specs and reviews; we haven’t hands-on tested every item.

Next: the 72-hour home emergency kit and the 30-day preparedness plan.