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Go Bag Checklist: What to Pack and How to Keep It Ready

By Memeza · Updated October 24, 2026

A go bag (also called a grab-and-go bag or bug-out bag) is a packed backpack you can pick up on your way out the door when a wildfire, flood, hurricane or gas leak means you have minutes to leave. It holds what one person needs for about three days away from home: water, food, light, first aid, medicine, documents and cash.

Ready.gov suggests keeping supplies in three places: at home, in the car and at work. This guide is the one you carry. The home kit covers staying put, and the car kit covers the road.

• 3 daysof water, food and supplies per person, the Red Cross target for an evacuation kit
• 7 daysof prescription medicine, plus a written list of each drug and dose
• 2 checksa year to swap out expired water, food, medicine and batteries

Why a go bag belongs in a wealth plan

Wealth is more than money: it includes your health, your safety and your ability to recover when something goes wrong. A go bag is cheap insurance for all three. When you leave with medicine, cash and copies of your insurance policies and IDs, you can get a room, refill a prescription and start an insurance claim or aid application right away instead of rebuilding paperwork for weeks. FEMA’s Emergency Financial First Aid Kit exists for exactly that reason.

It also saves money in the moment. Stores sell out of water, batteries and power banks as soon as a storm is forecast, and what’s left costs more. A bag you packed months ago means you can skip that line. Pair it with an emergency fund and you’re covered for both the first night and the months after.

The go bag checklist

Pack one bag per person, so each one stays light enough to carry. Items marked Essential are on the Ready.gov or Red Cross basic lists. Tick items off as you pack: your ticks are saved in this browser only, and you can print the list to keep in the bag.

Carry enough safe drinking water for your route and arrange the rest of the supply; a filter is a backup, not a guaranteed replacement. CDC advises choosing treatment for the germs present and following the instructions. Some filters require disinfection afterward. Water contaminated with fuel or toxic chemicals cannot be made safe by ordinary filtering, boiling or disinfecting: use another safe source and follow local alerts.

How to pack it

• Heavy items in the middle, close to your back. Water and food sit best there; the bag pulls less on your shoulders.
• What you need first goes on top. Medicine, documents, cash, the headlamp and the first aid kit should come out without unpacking everything else.
• Everything that must stay dry goes in its own bag. Documents, phone gear and spare clothes each get a waterproof or zip-top bag.
• Keep it light enough to walk with. If you can’t carry it for a mile, move some water to the car or the home kit and carry a filter instead.
• Store it by the door you’ll use. A hall closet or the floor by the main exit works. Everyone in the household should know where the bags are.

Keep it ready

A go bag is only useful if what’s in it still works. Pick two dates a year that are easy to remember, such as when the clocks change or the start of spring and fall, and put them in your calendar with the button above the checklist.

• Every 6 months

  • Replace water and food that are near their dates (eat the old food).
  • Swap in fresh medicine and check the first aid kit.
  • Test the headlamp and radio; replace weak batteries.
  • Recharge the power bank.
  • Swap clothes for the coming season.

• Once a year

  • Rethink your needs, as Ready.gov advises: a new baby, a pet, a move or a new medicine changes the list.
  • Update document copies, emergency contacts and the cash amount.
  • Check kids’ clothing and shoe sizes.
  • Walk your two evacuation routes and agree on a meeting place.

• After you use it

  • Restock right away, while you remember what ran out.
  • Add anything you wished you had.
  • Dry out the bag and clothes before repacking.

Build it or buy it?

Ready-made kits are a quick start, but they often skimp on the items that matter most: enough water, a bright light and a real first aid kit. Building your own lets you spend where quality counts and use what you already own, like a spare backpack, old phone cables and clothes. Either way, add the personal items no kit includes: your medicine, glasses, documents, cash and contact list. You don’t have to buy it all at once. Adding two or three items each payday spreads the cost over a couple of months.

Common questions

What is a go bag?

A go bag is a packed backpack with what one person needs for about three days away from home: water, food, a light, a radio, first aid, medicine, copies of documents, cash and a change of clothes. You keep it by the door so you can leave within minutes when told to evacuate.

How much water should be in a go bag?

The Red Cross plans on one gallon per person per day for three days of evacuation supplies. That is about 25 pounds per person. Carrying 2–3 liters is a portability compromise, not a full three-day supply; keep additional water accessible and plan where safe replacements will come from. Filters and tablets have limits and cannot make fuel- or toxic-chemical-contaminated water safe.

How often should I check my go bag?

Check it every 6 months to replace expired water, food, medicine and batteries, recharge power banks and swap clothes for the season. Once a year, rethink what your household needs and update document copies and contacts. Restock right after you use it.

Should every family member have their own go bag?

Yes. One bag per person keeps each bag light enough to carry and means everyone has water, food and a light if you get separated. Children can carry a small bag with their own clothes, snacks and a comfort item, and pets need their own kit too.

What documents should I keep in a go bag?

Copies of IDs and passports, insurance policies, a deed or lease, bank and credit card details, medical information and a list of medicines, kept in a waterproof pouch or on an encrypted USB drive. FEMA’s Emergency Financial First Aid Kit has a checklist of what you need to apply for aid and file claims.

Related guides

• Home Emergency Kit: A Two-Week Supply List for Staying Put
• Car Emergency Kit: What to Keep in Your Car
• Emergency Funds 101: How Much You Need and Where to Keep It

Sources

1. Build A Kit, Ready.gov, Federal Emergency Management Agency
2. Survival Kit Supplies, American Red Cross
3. Financial Preparedness, Ready.gov, Federal Emergency Management Agency
4. Prepare Your Pets for Disasters, Ready.gov, Federal Emergency Management Agency
5. Evacuation, Ready.gov, Federal Emergency Management Agency
6. How to Make Water Safe in an Emergency, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

This guide is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not financial, medical, legal, or tax advice. Follow instructions from local officials during an emergency, and consult a qualified professional for guidance specific to your situation.

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