How to pack an emergency go bag
Pack an emergency go bag you can grab in five minutes during a fire alarm, storm warning or long outage. Include water and easy food for three days, a phone power bank and cable, a flashlight, a first aid kit, a list of your prescriptions and a spare pair of glasses, copies of key documents, cash, a change of clothes, and a card of phone numbers on paper.
Why it matters: A packed bag turns an evacuation order into a five minute exit.
In an emergency, call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, first. Reading a page is not training: take a certified class and practice on a manikin.
Steps
- Choose a backpack you can carry for a long walk, and store it near your exit.
- Pack three days of water and easy-to-eat food.
- Add a charged power bank and cable, a flashlight and spare batteries.
- Add a first aid kit, a list of your prescriptions, and a spare pair of glasses or contacts.
- Add copies of ID, insurance and important papers in a waterproof pouch, plus a paper card of phone numbers.
- Add cash in small bills, a change of clothes, comfortable shoes and basic toiletries.
- Add anything a pet needs.
- When told to evacuate, take the bag and go; call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, if anyone is hurt or trapped.
- Check the bag twice a year and take a certified first aid class to make the kit useful.
Common mistakes
- Packing originals of documents you would hate to lose; pack copies.
- Storing the bag somewhere you cannot reach in a hurry.
- Filling it so full you cannot carry it.
Teach this to someone
A one page sheet for showing a friend, a teenager or a parent: what to say, what to show, and one question to check it landed.
Teach: How to pack an emergency go bag
What to say
Pack an emergency go bag you can grab in five minutes during a fire alarm, storm warning or long outage. Include water and easy food for three days, a phone power bank and cable, a flashlight, a first aid kit, a list of your prescriptions and a spare pair of glasses, copies of key documents, cash, a change of clothes, and a card of phone numbers on paper.
What to show
- Choose a backpack you can carry for a long walk, and store it near your exit.
- Pack three days of water and easy-to-eat food.
- Add a charged power bank and cable, a flashlight and spare batteries.
- Add a first aid kit, a list of your prescriptions, and a spare pair of glasses or contacts.
- Add copies of ID, insurance and important papers in a waterproof pouch, plus a paper card of phone numbers.
- Add cash in small bills, a change of clothes, comfortable shoes and basic toiletries.
- Add anything a pet needs.
- When told to evacuate, take the bag and go; call your local emergency number, 911 in the US, if anyone is hurt or trapped.
- Check the bag twice a year and take a certified first aid class to make the kit useful.
Check question
Where should the go bag live?
Answer: Near your exit, easy to grab. It is only useful if you can reach it in minutes.
Your checklist
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Quick quiz
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Related skills
Sources
- US national emergency preparedness guidance for households, 2026. Reviewed September 28, 2026.
Written in our own words from the sources above. It is general information, not advice for your situation; where a professional, your doctor or your lease says something different, follow them.
Last reviewed . First published .