Evacuation go bag checklist
A go bag is the version of preparedness that works when you have ten minutes and no time to think. Pack it once, check it twice a year.
One bag per person, packed and reachable
Use a backpack you can carry with one arm free, and keep it by the door you would actually leave through.
- Three days of water and food that needs no cooking
- A change of clothes, sturdy shoes, and a warm layer
- Flashlight, spare batteries, and a charged power bank with cables
- First aid basics, hand sanitizer, and any daily medication
Documents and money
The paperwork you need to file a claim or prove who you are is the hardest thing to replace after a disaster.
- Copies of IDs, insurance policies, deeds or leases, and birth certificates
- A photo of each room and of serial numbers on major items
- Two hundred dollars in small bills, since card readers fail with the power
- A written list of contacts, account numbers, and your insurer's claim line
Pack for the people who cannot pack for themselves
Kids, pets, and older relatives need their own supplies, and they are the reason most families turn back.
- Formula, diapers, wipes, and one comfort item per child
- Pet food, a leash, a carrier, and vaccination records for shelters
- Spare glasses, hearing aid batteries, and a written medication list with doses
- Mobility aids and any charger a medical device needs
Keep it current
A go bag rots quietly. Put two calendar reminders on it and treat them as maintenance.
- Rotate water, food, and batteries every six months
- Swap clothing sizes for growing children each season
- Refresh prescriptions and reprint document copies once a year
- Store digital copies in an encrypted cloud folder as a backup
Common questions
What is the difference between a go bag and an emergency kit?
A go bag is what you carry out the door in minutes. A home emergency kit is larger and stays put so you can shelter in place for 72 hours or more. Most households need both.
How much water should a go bag hold?
About one gallon per person per day for three days. If that is too heavy to carry, pack one day of water plus a filter or purification tablets.
Where should we store go bags?
By the exit you would use, or in the car if your main risk is wildfire or flooding. Avoid basements and attics, which may be unreachable in the moment you need them.
See where your household stands
The Household Resilience Check scores this dimension along with seven others in about five minutes.
Take the Household Resilience Check →Keep going
- Build a 72-hour household emergency kit
- Get your home ready for a multi-day power outage
- Hurricane preparedness checklist for your household
- Earthquake preparedness checklist for your household
- Tornado preparedness checklist for your household
- Flood preparedness checklist for your household
- Wildfire preparedness checklist for your household
- Winter storm and power outage checklist
- Car emergency kit checklist
- Pet emergency preparedness checklist
- Emergency water and food storage
- Prepare your household for a heat wave
- California earthquake preparedness for households
- Florida hurricane preparedness for households
- Texas winter storm and grid outage preparedness
- Emergency preparedness for renters
- Oklahoma tornado preparedness
- Pacific Northwest earthquake preparedness
- New York City emergency preparedness
- Set up an emergency fund that actually gets used
- Run an annual insurance coverage review
- Document your accounts and passwords for your household