Updated: July 17, 2025
With today’s world feeling so unpredictable, it is wise to take out the time to be prepared for unforeseen emergencies. One effective way to do this is to invest in an emergency preparedness bag, often called the “Bug Out Bag”, or a “To-Go Bag”. In this post, I will share the significance of Bug Out Bags, what our family packs in our bags, and why prepping them is so vital. When packing a bug out bag for unforeseen emergencies, I find it helpful to divide your packing strategy into 4 categories. I will share what these categories are and also provide great sources for further reference.
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What is a Bug Out or To Go Bag?
- Definition: There are many different names such as “Emergency To Go Bag”, “Bug Out Bag” or “Disaster Supplies Kit“. Regardless of the name, these bags are essentially portable kits that contain essential items and supplies, necessary for survival during disaster or emergency situations.
These are especially useful if you live in an area that may need to evacuate, civil unrest, harsh weather conditions, or any sort of attack.
Why Bug Out Bags Are Important:
According to ready.gov , bug out bags or disaster supply kits are essential for survival. We can never be too confident and think an emergency will never strike our area. When disasters or attacks occur, it is possible for individuals to experience lack of food, water, electricity, internet, or other vital supplies for days, or weeks! Creating emergency to go bags for you and your loved ones will ensure you have essentials readily available, while everyone who was not prepared are in a state of panic and confusion.
It’s important to make sure your to-go bag is easy to care for and is flexible. When selecting a bag to build your “kit”, make sure it is easy for you to carry, something you can grab quickly, and one that does not draw too much attention. Unfortunately, I’ve seen “emergency bags” on Amazon, that are bright colors like red. Colors such as these can draw unnecessary attention to you if conditions are not safe, creating a “target” if you will. Below are low profile bags we purchased off of Amazon, and suggestions from our friends:
How To Approach Packing Your Emergency Bug Out Bag
As you start to build your bug out or to-go bag, it’s important to pack it with the frame of mind to be self-sufficient and packing for your climate. When emergencies occur, services may not be available to provide aid right away. Or you may one day find yourself in a situation where your city is experiencing unrest or an attack. Having a to-go bag ready will provide some peace of mind and ensure you are able to survive during challenging circumstances. When building a bug out bag, I like to think pack in 4 categories. These are:
- Food & Clothing
- Health, Hygiene & First Aid Supplies
- Tools & Survival Gear
- Personal Documents & Cash
Essential Bug Out Bag Contents: Food & Clothing
Below you will find some of the essential food and water items my family and I ordered for our to go bags. These include:
When packing our to go bag, we intentionally selected a wide mouth water bottle. This way, we were able to use the interior for clothing storage. We washed our bottles out, rolled and packed clean undergarments and socks. I also know some individuals prefer to pack a stainless steel water bottle that can also be used to boil food if needed, which is another great consideration for your bug out bag.
Now I’ve heard from family and friends who served in the military that MRE’s are not the best tasting, but if you’re in an emergency situation, and need food with a long shelf life, military grade food is the way to go. Plus the reviews are not too bad on Amazon. Here are a few we purchased, or our friends purchased, and included in our bags:
In addition to the items listed above, as far as clothing we included items in our emergency to go bag that we already owned. Some of these included:
- Light hat
- Light Jacket
- Extra Shirt
- Extra Pants
- Socks
- Undergarments
- Flip Flops (recommended if you’re in an area prone to flooding)
- Baby Supplies (formula, diapers, bottles, etc.)
I recommend packing clothes that are applicable to your climate area. If you live in humid climates, perhaps pack lighter clothing. If you experience harsh winters, it may be prudent to include warmer clothing options as well for unforeseen emergencies.
Essential Bug Out Bag Contents: Health, Hygiene, and First Aid Supplies
Below you will find some of the essential health and first aid items my family and I ordered for our to go bags. It’s important to check the expiration date on these regularly since they may not last as long as some of the food and other supplies. It’s also important to keep these items in a cool dry area. Some of these supplies include:
Hand Sanitizer (be sure your sanitizer is 60% alcohol in order to be effective as referenced here on my blog)
There were other items we regularly keep in our home that were also packed in our toiletry bag. Some of these included:
- Hand Towel / Wash Cloth
- Cotton balls and/or Q-tips
- Feminie Hygiene Products
- Contact lenses and solution
- Travel Body Lotion
- Vaseline (this is also a great fire starter!)
- Travel Brush, Comb, Hair Ties
- Shower Cap
- Floss
- Personal medications that do not require refrigeration
- Cough and cold medications
- Laxatives
- Trash Bag
- Ziplock Bags
- Tissue & Paper Towels
To save on space and to ensure packing was efficient, we ordered and divided our medical supplies into multiple bags for the family. This way boxes did not take up too much space. For any medications, it is essential to keep these items in a dry cool place, track the expiration date, and discard any items that may appear to be damaged by moisture. The Center for Disease Control also published a great list of items to compliment those mentioned above.
A new item I’ve added to my emergency kit that was not included in previous years was the inclusion of Potassium Iodide Radiation Tablets. With so many threats of nuclear war, I decided to keep some of these on hand to protect our family’s thyroid in case of a nuclear fallout. Hopefully we will never need to use these, but I decided to have some on hand just in case. I am by no means a medical professional, so you should absolutely seek guidance from your doctor before consuming the goods listed in this article. However, if you wish to learn more about Potassium Iodide, visit the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission website.
Essential Bug Out Bag Contents: Tools and Survival Gear
The items listed below are what I would consider to be “survivor” tools and gear for your emergency to-go bag or bug out bag. These items should not be needed unless there is a serious threat. Here are some items we purchased:
Other items not listed above, but also included in our bug out to go bags are:
- Batteries
- Lighter
- Blankets (For cooler climates)
- Charging Cables (In case power is available)
Essential Bug Out Bag Contents: Personal Important Documents and Cash
Beyond packing survival essentials, it is important to make copies of important documents and store these in a waterproof bag. I purchased the one below for our family:
Important documents to consider:
- Passport(s)
- Birth Certificate
- Social Security Card
- Marriage License
- Adoption Papers
- Proof of Address
- Medication List
- Important Phone Numbers & Addresses
- Deed / Lease to Home
- Insurance Policies
- Blood Card
- Extra Cash (Small denominations)
- Legal Documents (Will, Trust, Power of Attorney)
- Emergency Contacts
Other items that may not be classified as a necessity, but are still items we packed were:
- Pens / Pencils
- Blank Paper
- Crossword Puzzle / Playing Cards
- Non-Digital Family Photo (in case you’re separated and need to identify someone)
There are a lot of great websites you can reference as well to help you build your bug out bag for emergencies. Some of these websites are:
- Ready.gov: The official website of the US Department of Homeland Security. This website provides a lot of comprehensive information for emergency preparedness.
- Red Cross: The American Red Cross offers resources a lot of checklists and articles on disaster preparedness, first aid training, and emergency response.
- FEMA: The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s is another US website that provides valuable insights for emergency checklists, disaster planning, and community preparedness.
I hope you found this article useful and yet I hope my recommendations are some you will never have to use! 🙂 If you have an emergency bug out bag for your family, what are some other essentials you like to include? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
I’ve never heard of a bug out bag before. It would totally come in handy here in Florida when hurricane season is upon us!
My husband and I actually have bug-out bags. I think it is so important to think about this and have it ready in case of an emergency. Now that I think about it, I need to make bags for my boys. I am going to review your list and add items. I know I am missing items or need to update my bag. Thanks for sharing this.
I have to-go bag with food and a few essentials. Nothing as organised as this. Time to go and repack!
Thank you for sharing this valuable information about the importance of emergency preparedness bags. In today’s unpredictable world, it is crucial to have a plan for unexpected emergencies. Dividing your packing strategy into 4 categories is a smart way to ensure that you have everything you need in your bug-out bag. I appreciate your willingness to share what your family packs in their bags and provide great sources for further reference. We can never be too prepared, and having a bug-out bag ready can give us peace of mind in uncertain times.
Such a great guide here. Being prepared is such a great thing. Knowing what to do specially with the imminent spread of the coronavirus across the nation.
This is it. This is the list of everything we need to create the ultimate emergency kit.
I have a fully stocked duffle bag that serves as my bug out bag, plus other survival gear stored in a cabinet. Always good to be prepared.
One of the essential items that should be in an emergency bag is an emergency flashlight. I am glad you include it on the list. This post is helpful for those who value being ready for unforeseen situations.
This is such a really great guide! I’m gonna share this with my husband. He need to see this
My sister packed a “go bag” for each of her immediate family members. I’ve really been meaning to create one for my husband and I. Your post has inspired me to get one going pronto!
This post was most beneficial. I’m rethinking my bag and found so many helpful suggestions. The links provided are great. I will pass this on to my friends.Great job!
I’ve never heard of a bug out bag before. It is good to have some emergency preparedness. There are more disasters like storms and severe weather lately, and it is important to have something set up.
It has never crossed my mind that there’s need to have a bug out bag. I’m reading about it for the first time. The list is well detailed and all the thing you have mentioned are very important to have on standby especially in case of an emergency. Thanks for sharing.
Having all this information is very helpful to me. Thank you so much for the lists
Oooohhhhhh….thank you for this! With the way the earth is turning up on us, we all need disaster bags like these. Thanks for elaborating on them.
This is great, sometimes get stuck on how to pack stuff, and its very helpful to read these tips. Thank you for sharing!