72-Hour Bug Out Bag Checklist: Practical Emergency Gear
What This 72-Hour Bag Is For
This is a portable emergency kit for a short-notice evacuation during events such as wildfires, hurricanes, floods, or extended utility outages. It should support the real needs of your household while you travel to a safer place or wait for services to stabilize.
Ready.gov recommends planning around water, nonperishable food, communication, lighting, first aid, medication, sanitation, documents, and household-specific needs. Use local emergency-management guidance to adjust for your region’s hazards.
Pack one manageable bag per person where practical, then keep bulky water and additional supplies in a home or vehicle kit.
Plan Before You Buy Gear
Write down two meeting places, an out-of-area contact, evacuation routes, pet arrangements, and the alerts used by your local authorities. A bag cannot replace a household communication and evacuation plan.
Start with medication, identification, water, food, weather protection, a light, and a way to receive emergency information. Add disability, infant, older-adult, cultural, and pet needs for your household.
Store copies of sensitive records securely. An encrypted digital copy can be useful, but keep essential phone numbers and instructions on paper in case batteries or networks fail.
Keep the Bag Carryable
There is no safe universal pack-weight rule. Age, health, mobility, terrain, heat, and distance all matter. If the bag strains your shoulders, changes your balance, or cannot be lifted quickly, reduce it.
Test the packed bag on a short walk in ordinary shoes and weather. Move duplicate or heavy supplies to a vehicle kit when your evacuation plan depends on driving, and make alternate arrangements for anyone who cannot carry a pack.
Water is heavy, so pair an initial supply with a realistic resupply plan and follow local instructions about water safety.
Review It Twice a Year
Check expiration dates, battery condition, clothing sizes, seasonal layers, contact information, and medication arrangements at least twice a year. Replace leaking, damaged, or recalled items.
Avoid packing unfamiliar tools solely because they appear on survival lists. Each item should solve a likely problem, be legal where you live, and be something you know how to use safely.
Keep the bag in an accessible location known to the household—not buried in a garage or locked where only one person can reach it.
Customize for Your Local Plan
This checklist is a starting point, not a mandate to buy every item. Select what fits your climate, household, evacuation routes, and local guidance.
If officials issue an evacuation order, follow it promptly. Your kit should make that decision easier by keeping essentials organized and ready to go.
Checklist
Water & Hydration
- Water bottles — Durable, BPA-free.
- Collapsible water container — Saves space when empty.
- Portable water filter — LifeStraw or Sawyer-type.
- Water purification tablets — Backup for filters.
- Metal container — Can be used to boil water.
Food & Cooking
- Energy bars / protein bars — High-calorie, no-cook.
- Freeze-dried meals — Lightweight, just add water.
- Canned food (Pop-top lids) — No can opener required.
- Nut butter packets — Dense energy source.
- Electrolyte powder — Critical for hydration.
- Lightweight mess kit — For cooking and eating.
- Spoon or spork — Eating utensil.
- Small camping stove / fuel tabs — For boiling water and cooking.
Fire & Light
- Lighters (2 or more) — Primary fire source.
- Waterproof matches — Backup fire source.
- Ferro rod / fire starter — Works when wet.
- Tinder — Cotton + petroleum jelly works well.
- Headlamp — Hands-free lighting.
- Flashlight — Powerful beam.
- Extra batteries / hand-crank light — Power assurance.
Shelter & Clothing
- Emergency bivy or compact sleeping bag — For warmth and shelter.
- Tarp or poncho — Protection from rain and wind.
- Paracord (50 ft / 15 m) — Versatile utility rope.
- Weather-appropriate clothing — Layers are key.
- Extra socks — Keep feet dry and healthy.
- Gloves — For warmth.
- Hat / beanie — Heat retention.
- Sturdy footwear — No sandals. Capable of long walks.
Medical & Sanitation
- First aid kit — Basic medical supplies.
- Prescription medications — Essential daily meds.
- Pain relievers — Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen.
- Bandages / gauze — Wound care.
- Antiseptic wipes — Cleaning wounds.
- Tourniquet — Severe bleeding control.
- Toothbrush & toothpaste — Oral hygiene.
- Wet wipes — General hygiene.
- Hand sanitizer — Disinfection.
- Toilet paper (compressed) — Compact and essential.
- Heavy-duty garbage bags — Waste disposal or emergency poncho.
Navigation & Communication
- Paper maps (local + regional) — Digital maps may fail.
- Compass — Navigation aid.
- Power bank — Recharge devices.
- Charging cables — Connect devices.
- Hand-crank or battery radio — Information access.
- Emergency whistle — Signaling for help.
Tools & Utility
- Multi-tool — Pliers, screwdrivers, knife.
- Fixed-blade knife — Utility-focused, dependable.
- Duct tape — Repairs almost anything.
- Zip ties — Fasteners.
- Small pry bar — Opening crates, doors.
- Work gloves — Hand protection.
- Basic sewing kit — Clothing repair.
Personal Safety
- Pepper spray — Defense (where legal).
- Protective gloves — Safety.
- Eye protection — Debris safety.
- N95 mask / respirator — Dust and smoke protection.
- Earplugs — Noise protection.
Documents & Cash
- Copies of ID — Proof of identity.
- Emergency contact list — Phone numbers written down.
- Cash (Small bills) — $1, $5, $10 bills.
- USB drive (encrypted) — Important digital files.
- Notebook & pen — Taking notes.
Mental Resilience
- Playing cards — Entertainment.
- Small book — Reading material.
- Family photo — Morale booster.
- Personal stress-relief item — Comfort.
Sources & review notes
Reviewed against the following primary or authoritative guidance. Product availability and local rules can change.
- Build an emergency kit — Ready.gov