72-hour go bag checklist
The American Red Cross says a kit for evacuation needs a 3-day supply of water (1 gallon per person per day) and easy-to-prepare food, plus a flashlight, a battery or hand-crank radio, extra batteries, a first aid kit, a 7-day supply of medications, copies of personal documents, phone chargers, cash, an emergency blanket and a local map. FEMA's Ready.gov says to pack it in airtight plastic bags inside an easy-to-carry container and keep it where everyone in the house knows to grab it.
FEMA's Ready.gov says about half of Americans take a prescription every day, and an emergency can make refills hard to get. If you leave without your medicine, you may not get more for days.
- Go bag or home kit: what is the difference?
- The core checklist
- Documents, money and contacts
- Add for your family
- Where to keep it and how to keep it ready
- Gear
Go bag or home kit: what is the difference?
The Red Cross splits supplies into two sizes. The go bag is the small one you carry out the door.
| Go bag (evacuation) | Home kit (staying put) | |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 3-day supply, 1 gallon per person per day | 2-week supply |
| Food | 3-day supply, non-perishable and easy to prepare | 2-week supply |
| Medications | 7-day supply | 7-day supply |
For a family of four, a 3-day supply at 1 gallon per person per day is 12 gallons of water. See how much water to store.
The core checklist
Ticks save on this device. Items from the Red Cross and FEMA's Ready.gov.
- Water: 1 gallon per person per day, for 3 days
- Non-perishable, easy-to-prepare food for 3 days
- Manual can opener
- Flashlight
- Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (NOAA Weather Radio if possible)
- Extra batteries
- First aid kit (see the Red Cross list)
- Medications for 7 days, plus medical items
- Multi-purpose tool
- Whistle to signal for help
- Dust mask, or N95 or surgical masks
- Sanitation and personal hygiene items
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties
- Emergency blanket
- Rain gear, extra clothing, a hat and sturdy shoes
- Work gloves
- Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery
Documents, money and contacts
- Copies of personal documents: IDs, insurance policies, bank records
- Documents in a waterproof container, or saved electronically
- Family and emergency contact information, written on paper
- Extra cash
- Map of the area
- Extra set of car and house keys
From the Red Cross and Ready.gov. Use the same contact list as your family emergency plan.
Add for your family
- Glasses, contact lenses and solution
- Hearing aids with extra batteries
- Over-the-counter medicines: pain relievers, anti-diarrhea medicine, antacids, laxatives
- Baby supplies: formula, bottles, baby food, diapers, wipes, diaper rash cream
- Pet supplies: collar, leash, ID, food, carrier, bowl and extra water
- Feminine supplies
- Games, books or puzzles for children
- Two-way radios
From the Red Cross and Ready.gov.
Where to keep it and how to keep it ready
- Home: keep the bag in one set spot where it can be grabbed fast, and make sure everyone in the house knows where it is (Ready.gov).
- Work: be ready to shelter for at least 24 hours. Keep food, water, medicines and comfortable walking shoes in a grab-and-go case (Ready.gov).
- Car: keep supplies in case you get stranded (Ready.gov).
- Check it: replace anything that expires, and review the bag once a year as your family changes (Ready.gov).
- Keep food safe: store canned food somewhere cool and dry, and boxed food in tightly closed plastic or metal containers (Ready.gov).
Common mistakes
- Packing a bag nobody else knows about. Ready.gov says everyone in the house should know where it is.
- Leaving medicine out because it is in daily use. Keep a 7-day supply in the bag, as the Red Cross says, and rotate it.
- Packing originals of IDs and insurance papers loose. Use copies in a waterproof bag, or save them electronically.
- Relying on your phone for contact numbers. Write them on paper in case the battery dies.
- Forgetting cash. The Red Cross and Ready.gov both list it.
- Packing it once and never checking it. Replace expired food, water and medicine every year.
Gear for this
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A sturdy backpack or duffel bag
FEMA's Ready.gov says to keep supplies in one or two easy-to-carry containers.
Hand-crank NOAA Weather Radio
The Red Cross lists a battery or hand-crank radio, NOAA if possible. It works with no cell signal.
Power bank
Ready.gov lists a backup battery for your phone.
Waterproof document pouch
Ready.gov says to keep important documents in a waterproof container.
Emergency mylar blankets
On the Red Cross basic list. Light and small.
Weekly pill organizer
Keeps a 7-day supply of medicine sorted and ready to grab.
Questions people ask
What should be in a 72-hour go bag?
The Red Cross lists 3 days of water and food, a flashlight, a radio, batteries, a first aid kit, 7 days of medication, a multi-purpose tool, hygiene items, document copies, a phone charger, contact information, cash, an emergency blanket and a map.
How much water goes in a go bag?
The Red Cross says 1 gallon per person per day, so 3 gallons per person for 3 days.
Where should I keep my go bag?
Ready.gov says keep it in one set spot at home that everyone knows, and keep smaller kits at work and in the car.
Sources
Related entries
- W-02How much water to store for an emergency1 gallon per person per day. Work out your household total in 10 seconds.
- D-06How to make a family emergency planContacts, two meeting places, routes out, and a plan for every person, as a tick-off checklist.
- A-01What to put in a home first aid kit (Red Cross checklist)The 19 items the Red Cross recommends for a family of four. Tick them off as you go.
- D-01Hurricane emergency kit checklistThe FEMA kit list as a tick-off checklist, plus the hurricane rules that keep people alive.
General safety information only, not medical or professional advice. Rules can change, so check the linked sources and follow your local officials. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.