What's the difference between a go-bag and a 72-hour kit?

A go-bag is designed for rapid evacuation — lightweight, portable, and ready to grab in seconds. A 72-hour kit is usually the same concept but sometimes refers to a larger cache at home. This guide treats them as the same thing: a pre-packed bag containing everything you need for the first 72 hours after leaving home. The key constraint is portability — if you can't carry it, it's not a go-bag.

Should I buy a pre-made emergency kit or build my own?

Build your own. Pre-made kits typically include items with poor quality (low-capacity power banks, inadequate food calories, toy-grade first aid supplies) and miss items specific to your household (medications, pet supplies, infant formula). They can be a starting point, but plan to replace the power bank, add medications, and customize the food. The one advantage of pre-made kits: they solve the inertia problem — some people who won't build their own will buy one, which is better than nothing.

Where should I store my go-bag?

By your front door or in a coat closet near the exit — somewhere you can grab it in 5 seconds. Secondary location: your car trunk. Avoid: the back of a bedroom closet, under the bed (slow to access), or anywhere you'd have to walk through the most dangerous path out. If you have multiple floors, keep the bag on the floor closest to the main exit.

How long does a go-bag supply actually last?

72 hours is the target, but real emergencies vary. 72 hours gets you past the most acute phase of most localized disasters — by then, shelters are open, roads are passable, and help is available. The bigger risk in most scenarios isn't running out of supplies; it's arriving at a shelter or family member's house without ID, medications, or the ability to communicate. Focus the bag on those basics first.

Do I need a go-bag if I have a full emergency kit at home?

Yes. Your home kit is for sheltering in place. Your go-bag is for rapid departure. The scenarios that require a go-bag (wildfire, gas leak, structural damage, chemical spill, flood evacuation) are precisely the ones where you cannot stop to pack and cannot return for 72 hours. They're complementary, not redundant.

Emergency Planner

Go-Bag Checklist — emergencyplanner.com

https://emergencyplanner.com

Printed: 3/25/2026

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Go-Bag Checklist: What to Pack in Your 72-Hour Emergency Bag

Go-Bag Checklist: What to Pack in Your 72-Hour Emergency Bag

A go-bag (also called a 72-hour bag or bug-out bag) is a pre-packed bag ready for rapid evacuation. The goal is simple: if you had 5 minutes to leave your home and not return for 3 days, everything you absolutely need is already packed. This guide focuses on practical, proven contents — not prepper fantasy. An overloaded bag you can't carry is worse than no bag at all.

Last reviewed: 2026-03-01 · Based on Ready.gov, FEMA guidance

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Water & Food

Water: 1 liter per person (bag limit — assume you'll resupply)critical
A full 3-day water supply (9 liters per person) is too heavy to carry. Pack 1 liter + water purification. Cache more in your car.
Ready.gov ↗
Water purification: tablets or LifeStraw filtercritical
Iodine or chlorine tablets are featherlight. LifeStraw filters are reliable for longer evacuations.
Food: 2,000 calorie energy bars per person (3 days)critical
Mainstay or Datrex bars are 3,600 calories each, cost $5–10, and weigh about 1 lb. Ideal for a go-bag. Rotate annually.
Manual can opener if packing canned food

Documents & Financial

Copies of critical documents in waterproof bagcritical
IDs (passport, driver's license), insurance cards, medication list, birth certificates. Originals stay home or in a bank safe deposit box.
Ready.gov ↗
Cash in small bills ($100+ minimum)critical
ATMs and card readers fail during power outages. Small bills matter — you may not get change.
USB drive with digital document backups
Encrypted drive with scanned copies of all critical documents.
List of emergency contacts (printed)critical
You will not remember phone numbers when your phone is dead.

Communication & Navigation

Battery power bank (10,000+ mAh, kept charged)critical
The most important single item in most go-bags. Charge it monthly. Check it before any storm season.
Ready.gov ↗
Phone charger cables + wall and car adapterscritical
Battery or hand-crank NOAA weather radio
When cell service fails, NOAA radio is the most reliable emergency broadcast system.
Printed local and regional mapscritical
GPS fails when cell towers are overloaded or towers are down. Printed maps don't.
Whistle
Audible signal for attracting rescuers. Far more effective than shouting.

First Aid & Medications

First aid kit (compact: bandages, gauze, antiseptic, tape)critical
Ready.gov ↗
Prescription medications: 7-day supplycritical
Keep them rotated so they don't expire. Store with original prescription label.
OTC basics: pain reliever, antihistamine, antidiarrheal
Any medical supplies (glasses, contacts, hearing aid batteries)critical
These are non-negotiable if you depend on them.

Shelter & Warmth

Emergency mylar blanket (1 per person)critical
Weighs 2 oz, fits in a pocket, retains 90% of body heat. Mandatory in any go-bag.
Change of clothes + sturdy walking shoescritical
If you evacuate at night in pajamas, you'll want this. Include socks.
Rain poncho (1 per person)critical
Lightweight, packable. Hypothermia risk goes up enormously when wet.
Small tent or tarp with cord (if extended outdoor stay is possible)optional
Only if you may be camping or in a damaged shelter situation.
Work gloves
For moving debris, assisting in shelters, or utility work.

Light & Tools

Headlamp with extra batteries (hands-free is better than handheld)critical
Multi-tool (knife, pliers, screwdriver)
Duct tape and zip ties
Repair, improvise, fix things.
Lighter and waterproof matches
Hand sanitizer and N95 masks (2 per person)

Household-Specific Additions

Baby: formula, diapers, infant medications (see infant checklist)critical
A household with an infant needs a separate supplementary bag for baby supplies.
Pets: food, water, carrier, leash, vaccination recordscritical
Pet supplies need their own bag or container — don't try to pack them with human supplies.
Seniors: complete medication list, mobility aid supplies, backup hearing aid batteriescritical

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Detailed Guidance

The Weight Problem: Packing Light Enough to Actually Carry

The most common go-bag mistake: overpacking until it's too heavy to carry. Weight targets: - Active adult: no more than 25–30 lbs - Older adult or someone not regularly active: no more than 15–20 lbs - Children cannot carry their own bags effectively under age 10 Weight savers: 1. Energy bars instead of canned food: save ~5 lbs 2. Water purification instead of 9 liters of water: save ~18 lbs 3. Mylar blanket instead of sleeping bag: save ~3 lbs 4. Digital documents instead of physical copies of everything The bag's purpose is 72 hours — not wilderness survival for a month. Focus on water, calories, shelter from cold/rain, and communication. Everything else is secondary. Pack it, weigh it, then carry it 200 feet. If that's hard, remove items until it isn't. Source: Ready.gov

Go-Bag Maintenance Schedule

A go-bag that hasn't been checked in 2 years is unreliable. Every 6 months (when clocks change is a good trigger): - Check battery power bank — charge if below 50% - Check food bar expiry dates - Check medication expiry dates - Replace batteries in headlamp - Verify cash is still in the bag Every year: - Update document copies if anything changed (new ID, new insurance, etc.) - Update medication list - Update emergency contact list - Verify printed maps are current - Swap seasonal clothing (winter coat vs. summer layers) Keep a checklist taped inside the bag lid. Date your last check.