Go bag checklist
One bag per person, packed and ready, in case you are told to leave home.
The kit for staying at home is in the kit; this is the one you carry. Every point has its official source at the end.
All of this, put into a plan for your home, is in the guide Ready in 7 Days.
What goes in the bag
The bag
A backpack you can carry on foot or on public transportation, one per person. Items in airtight plastic bags.
Check price: ZOMAKE, 30 liters, packableFood that keeps
At least a few days of non-perishable food, and water: Ready.gov counts a gallon per person per day.
See optionsRadio
Battery-powered or hand-crank, to follow evacuation instructions on the way.
Check price: FosPower D8, hand crank, solar, NOAA weather band and 37,000 mWh batteryFlashlight and spare batteries
A headlamp leaves your hands free for the bag and the kids.
Check price: GearLight, pack of 2Phone charger and backup battery
Your phone is your map, your alerts and how you reach your family.
Check price: Anker, 10,000 mAhFirst aid kit
Plus each person's prescription and over-the-counter medicines, and spare glasses.
Check price: General Medi, 110 piecesWhistle
To signal for help.
Check price: Pack of 2Dust mask
To help filter contaminated air.
See optionsDocuments
Copies of IDs, insurance policies and bank records in a waterproof container, or saved electronically.
Check price: YUMQUA, pack of 3, document sizeWarm blanket
One per person, or foil blankets that take up almost no room.
Check price: QIO CHUANG, 4 blanketsWrench or pliers
To turn off utilities if you are told to.
Check price: 14-in-1 pliers with safety lock
The links go to amazon.com and are affiliate links: if you buy through them we earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you.
Before you need it
- One bag per person, by the door or in the closet: everyone in the house knows where it is and who carries it.
- Know where you would go: a friend's home in another town, a motel or a shelter, in different directions. Most public shelters only allow service animals.
- Keep at least half a tank of gas in the car: gas stations may be closed or without power.
- Replace what expires and rethink the bag every year as your family's needs change.
When you are told to leave
- Listen to a battery-powered radio and follow local evacuation instructions.
- Take the bags and leave early enough not to be trapped by the weather.
- If there is time: call your out-of-state contact, lock up, unplug small appliances and leave the refrigerator on unless there is a risk of flooding.
- Sturdy shoes, long pants, long sleeves and a hat. Check whether a neighbor needs a ride.
Don't do this
- Don't take shortcuts: follow the recommended routes, shortcuts may be blocked.
- Don't drive into flooded areas or over washed-out roads and downed power lines.
- Don't go back home until local officials say it is safe.
Sources
Checked on 11/05/2026.
This does not replace instructions from the authorities or 911: if they say something different, do what they say.
Ten minutes to leave
In Ready in 7 Days, the card “You're told to leave home in 10 minutes” says what to grab and where to go, with room to write down where each go bag is. Alongside the plan for your home for three days without help.
Keep reading
When it happens
What to do in a power outage
The first hour, the fridge and what to do when the power comes back.
ReadHow to stay warm with no heating
The warm room, how to heat up safely and the signs of hypothermia.
ReadFridge and freezer in a power outage
How long each one lasts, what to throw out and what you can refreeze.
ReadCPAP, oxygen and medical devices in a power outage
CPAP, oxygen and other devices that need power: the plan before the outage.
Read
What to buy
Emergency radio for a power outage
Battery or hand-crank, and which stations to note down.
ReadWinter car emergency kit
What to carry in winter and what to do if snow traps you on the road.
ReadEmergency kit on Black Friday: what is worth buying
What is worth buying, what isn't and how to tell a real discount.
ReadHow much water to store for an emergency
How much per person, how to store it and how to make it safe.
ReadPower station for a power outage at home: which to buy
Three sizes, what to plug in and how many hours each one gives.
ReadFlashlight and power bank for a power outage
Head flashlight or lantern, which batteries and how many charges a power bank gives.
Read