Go Bag Essentials: What to Pack and Why

A go bag is simple in concept: a backpack packed and ready to grab if you have to leave your home quickly. House fire, flood evacuation, wildfire coming over the ridge — you don’t have 45 minutes to figure out what to bring. You have 10 minutes, maybe less.

Most families don’t have one. Many who do have an overstuffed bag that’s never been opened since they assembled it, or an underpacked bag that wouldn’t last a night.

This guide covers what actually belongs in a family go bag, why each item earns its spot, and how to think about weight and organization so the bag is useful rather than a burden.

What a Go Bag Is (and Isn’t)

A go bag is not:

A complete 30-day survival kit
A camping pack
Your entire pantry redistributed into bags

A go bag is a 72-hour evacuation kit — three days of essential supplies designed for one scenario: you leave your home quickly and may not have access to stores, power, or clean water for a few days. You’re most likely going to a family member’s house, a hotel, or a community shelter — not living in the wilderness.

That context matters because it shapes every packing decision. You don’t need a hatchet. You do need a phone charger.

The Right Bag

Before contents, you need a bag worth carrying. A regular school backpack or grocery tote will fail under the weight of 72 hours of supplies for two people.

The 5.11 Tactical Rush 24 Backpack is a consistently well-reviewed option — durable, organized, and large enough for a two-person kit without being comically oversized. The MOLLE webbing lets you attach external items if needed. At around 24 liters, it’s the right volume for a 72-hour kit without crossing into “this is uncarriable” territory.

What to look for in any bag:

20–35 liters (big enough for supplies, small enough to carry fast)
Padded shoulder straps and sternum strap — you may be walking
Multiple compartments for organized access
Water-resistant exterior, or at minimum a rain cover included

If you already have a quality backpack that fits these criteria, use it. The bag isn’t precious — the contents are.

Water: The Non-Negotiable

FEMA recommends 1 gallon of water per person per day. For two people over 72 hours, that’s 6 gallons — which you cannot carry in a backpack.

The go bag solution is twofold:

Water pouches for immediate needs (most pre-made kits include these; you can also buy individual water pouches separately)
A portable water filter for resupply from any available source

The Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter is the standard recommendation for go bags. It’s compact, lightweight (3 oz), effective against bacteria and protozoa, and rated for 100,000 gallons of lifetime use. You can fill it from a stream, puddle, or suspect tap and have water that’s safe to drink.

One important caveat: the Sawyer Squeeze (and LifeStraw) remove bacteria and protozoa but do NOT remove viruses. In most U.S. natural disaster scenarios — floods, hurricanes, wildfires — viruses are a low risk. If you’re traveling internationally or concerned about viral contamination, look at filters with a purification stage (SteriPen UV or Sawyer Squeeze + purification tablets).

Water packing strategy:

4–6 pouches per person for immediate needs (no setup required)
Sawyer Squeeze + two water pouches/bags to fill from tap or natural source
Keep the filter accessible — it’s the highest-value item for extended scenarios

Food

Go bag food needs to meet three criteria: shelf-stable (2+ years), calorie-dense, and edible without cooking.

Best options:

Emergency food bars (like Datrex or Mainstay): 400-calorie bars, 5-year shelf life, compact. Not delicious, but functional.
Trail mix, nuts, jerky: Better taste, reasonable shelf life. Rotate every 12–18 months.
Protein bars: Easy to eat, familiar. Replace them annually.
Individual peanut butter packets: High calories, shelf-stable, no prep.

Avoid: anything requiring boiling water unless you also pack a compact stove and fuel (adds weight and complexity). Avoid glass containers. Avoid anything your family members won’t actually eat under stress — a child who refuses a food bar at hour 24 is a problem you don’t need.

Pack enough for 3 days: roughly 1,500–2,000 calories per adult per day, less for children. Don’t optimize for variety; optimize for reliable calories.

First Aid Kit

This is one item worth buying right rather than building yourself. A pre-assembled kit designed for travel or outdoor use gets the balance right — comprehensive enough to handle real problems, compact enough not to dominate the bag.

The Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight and Watertight .5 is built for exactly this use case. Waterproof packaging, organized interior, and supplies covering the scenarios you’re most likely to encounter: cuts, blisters, minor burns, sprains, headache.

First aid kit minimums:

Adhesive bandages in multiple sizes
Gauze pads and rolled gauze
Medical tape
Antiseptic wipes
Antibiotic ointment
Elastic bandage (ACE wrap)
Moleskin for blisters
Ibuprofen or acetaminophen
Antihistamine (for allergic reactions)
Nitrile gloves (2 pairs minimum)
Scissors and tweezers
Emergency guide or instruction card

Add separately based on your family:

Prescription medications (7-day supply, labeled clearly)
EpiPen if anyone has severe allergies
Infant/children’s medications if applicable

See our first aid kit guide for a full breakdown of what’s necessary versus what’s overkill for a family kit.

Light

You need reliable, hands-free light that doesn’t depend on fresh batteries.

A headlamp beats a flashlight for go bag purposes — both hands stay free. The Black Diamond Spot headlamp is a reliable mid-range choice. Whatever you choose: waterproof, LED (battery life is dramatically longer than older bulb styles), and bring one extra set of batteries in a small plastic bag.

Light checklist:

1 headlamp per adult (pack a small child-friendly flashlight for kids)
Extra batteries in a labeled bag
Optional: a few glow sticks as backup (no battery dependence, useful for marking location)

Communication

During an emergency, you need two things from a radio: weather alerts and news about what’s happening.

A hand-crank or solar-powered emergency radio covers both without any dependence on battery supply. The Midland ER310 Emergency Crank Weather Radio is a well-regarded option — hand crank, solar charging, NOAA weather alerts, and a built-in phone charging port.

For family communication during evacuation:

Designate a meeting point before you need one
Agree on an out-of-area contact who both adults can reach independently
Consider a pair of two-way radios if family members may be separated (kids at school, spouses at different workplaces)

Phone Charging

Your phone is your most important communication and navigation device. Plan to keep it charged.

A quality portable charger belongs in every go bag. The Anker PowerCore 26800 provides multiple full phone charges and comes in a travel-appropriate form factor. Charge it every six months whether you’ve used it or not.

Include the right cables for every phone in your household. This sounds obvious and is the most commonly forgotten detail.

Warmth and Shelter

Emergency Mylar blankets are one of the most valuable items per gram in a go bag. They weigh almost nothing, take up negligible space, and retain up to 90% of body heat. Pack one per person, plus one extra.

Depending on your climate, consider:

Rain poncho: Compact, lightweight, essential in wet climates
Warm layer: One lightweight fleece or packable down jacket per person (useful in winter, unnecessary in Florida summers — know your scenario)
Extra socks: Sounds mundane. Dry feet matter more than you’d think after the first day.

Documents and Cash

Everything important, waterproof:

Copies of IDs (driver’s license, passports)
Insurance cards and policy numbers
Prescription information
Emergency contact list (don’t depend on your phone for this)
A small amount of cash in small bills ($100–$200 minimum) — ATMs and card readers fail in power outages
Any important account numbers or access information

Put all of this in a waterproof document pouch. Update it annually or whenever something changes.

The Complete Go Bag Checklist

The Bag

Quality backpack, 20–35L

Water

4–6 water pouches per person
Sawyer Squeeze water filter
2 collapsible water bottles or bags for filter use

Food

72-hour calorie supply per person (food bars, trail mix, protein bars)
Manual can opener if including canned food
Utensils (spork)

First Aid

Complete first aid kit
7-day supply of prescription medications
Copies of prescriptions

Light

Headlamp per adult
Extra batteries
Glow sticks (optional)

Communication

Hand-crank emergency weather radio
Portable charger + all necessary cables
Phone with emergency contacts saved + written contact list

Warmth and Weather Protection

Emergency Mylar blanket per person + 1 extra
Rain poncho per person
Warm layer (climate-dependent)
Extra socks and underwear (1 change per person)

Documents and Money

Waterproof document pouch with copies of IDs, insurance, prescriptions
Cash in small bills

Tools

Multi-tool or knife
Whistle (for signaling)
Duct tape (small roll)
Lighter or waterproof matches

Sanitation

Hand sanitizer
Toilet paper (compressed travel roll)
Waste bags
Wet wipes

Family-Specific Additions

Infant formula, diapers (if applicable)
Pet food and water bowl (if applicable)
Children’s medications
Any assistive devices (spare glasses, hearing aids, etc.)

Weight and Organization

A fully packed go bag for two adults runs 20–30 lbs. That’s manageable for most adults for hours, not days. If you’re packing for children who can carry their own bag, give them age-appropriate weight (elementary-age kids can carry 5–10 lbs comfortably).

Organization principle: most-needed items most accessible.

Top pocket or most accessible compartment: documents, cash, headlamp, phone charger
Main compartment: food, water filter, first aid kit
External or easy-reach: rain poncho, Mylar blankets, whistle

Practice opening your bag in the dark. If you can’t find the flashlight without looking, reorganize.

When to Review and Update

Set a calendar reminder to review your go bag every six months:

Check food and water expiration dates — rotate anything expiring within 6 months
Replace batteries even if not depleted
Recharge the portable power bank
Update documents if anything has changed (new prescription, new insurance, etc.)
Adjust for season (add or remove warm layers)

A go bag that’s never updated is better than nothing — but an outdated kit can surprise you at the wrong moment.

Start Here If You’re Overwhelmed

If assembling a complete go bag feels like too much at once, start with three items today:

Water and a filter — the highest-priority survival item
A portable charger and cables — the highest-use item for most families in real emergencies
A flashlight or headlamp with fresh batteries — immediately useful in any power outage

Add everything else over the next few weeks. A partial go bag is infinitely better than nothing, and a complete one is just a few shopping trips away.