We’re not even living in precarious times anymore. Things are straight up weird.
Wildfires, earthquakes, power outages, hurricanes, and major floods feel like they’re happening at higher frequencies these days. Hopefully you’ll never have to grab a bag and GTFO of your home, but given the state of things lately having one ready to go isn’t exactly overreacting.
The goal isn’t to survive indefinitely in the wilderness. It’s having the basics covered if you need to evacuate quickly, bug-in during a blackout, or spend a few unexpected days without normal access to things like water, food, and electricity.
Here’s what I’d keep on hand.
Light
Your phone is already doing enough during a crisis. Save its battery for communication, navigation, and receiving emergency alerts and use a dedicated flashlight or headlamp to see in the dark.
Pack:
- Flashlight
- Headlamp
- Extra batteries (AA and AAA)
- Glow sticks
There’s plenty of debate in survival circles over flashlights vs. headlamps. Headlamps are better for close-up, hands-free tasks, while flashlights offer brighter, longer-reaching beams. Personally, I pack one of each.
Communication & Power
Your phone isn’t much help if/when the battery dies and the cell towers are down.
Consider keeping:
- Hand-crank or battery-powered emergency radio
- Whistle
- Portable power bank(s)
- Charging cables for your devices
- Wall charging cube
Store your cables in a ziplock bag with the emergency supplies rather than discovering during an evacuation that your one USB-C cable is nowhere to be found.
Navigation
GPS is fantastic right up until the government hits the internet kill switch. Just kidding. The US would never…
Pack:
- Physical map of your area
- Compass
- Written list of important phone numbers and addresses
- You can ‘laminate’ this at home with clear packing tape
You don’t need to become a wilderness navigation expert. Just know a few alternative routes out of your neighborhood (or around a shut-down freeway) in case your usual option is a sudden no-go.
Fire & Basic Tools
Knowing how to start a fire is one of those skills that sounds a little basic until you actually have to do it. Learn a few different methods for starting a fire in case your lighter fails and you realize you’ve used the last of your waterproof matches.
Throw in:
- Waterproof matches
- Lighter(s)
- I prefer having two
- Ferro Rod
- Multi-tool
- Duct tape
- Paracord
- Fishing line
- Tarp
- Small scissors
- Work gloves
Water, Water, Water
You can survive without Wi-Fi. You can survive without your favorite coffee shop. Water is a non-negotiable.
Have water stored at home, plus a way to treat questionable water if you’re evacuating or your normal supply experiences contamination.
Useful options include:
- Bottled water
- Collapsible water bottles
- Water filter
- LifeStraw-style personal filter
- Iodine water purification tablets
- Metal or reusable water bottle
Remember that filtering and purifying aren’t always the same thing, so know what your particular filter or tablets actually remove before you find yourself standing next to a suspicious puddle wondering if it counts as hydration.
First Aid
You don’t need to recreate an emergency room in a backpack, but a decent first-aid kit is a must.
Include:
- Bandages
- Gauze
- Medical tape
- Antiseptic wipes
- Gloves
- Tweezers
- Scissors
- Pain reliever
- Any essential medications
- Blister treatment
- Instant cold pack
And check the expiration dates once in a while. While an emergency kit containing seven-year-old ointment and meds that expired in 2014 is technically a collection, it’s not a preparedness strategy.
Hygiene
Nobody wants to evacuate their house only to realize they’ve packed granola bars, a Swiss Army knife, wool socks, and absolutely nothing to clean themselves with.
Pack travel-sized:
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Deodorant
- Soap
- I prefer soap sheets for size and weight
- Hand sanitizer
- Wet wipes
- Toilet paper
- Menstrual products, such as tampons, pads, or a cup
- Quick-dry towel
- Trash bags
Because once you’ve covered the basics of staying clean, the next question is what you’re going to wear while you’re doing it.
Clothing
Pack clothes that are practical, comfortable, and durable. Make sure they fit, are in good condition, and don’t have any holes, tears, or surprises that could become a problem down the road. This is not the time for distressed jeans and crop tops to shine.
Think:
- Extra socks
- Underwear
- T-shirt
- Durable pants
- Warm layer
- Rain jacket or poncho
- Sturdy shoes
- Hat
- Emergency blanket
If you live place where temperatures can swing dramatically, pack accordingly. A Southern California wildfire evacuation kit and a Minnesota winter storm kit are going to look somewhat different.
Food
You don’t need to pack an entire grocery store in your backpack, but you should keep several days’ worth of easy-to-eat, shelf-stable food at home, close to your emergency bag.
Think:
- Protein or granola bars
- Peanut butter
- Crackers
- Trail mix
- Jerky
- Canned food
- Dried fruit
- Electrolyte packets
And if you’re storing canned food, you’ll need a can opener.
Don’t Forget the Boring Stuff
The things nobody thinks about until they’re suddenly incredibly important:
- Cash in small bills
- Copies of important documents
- Identification (photo IDs, passport, etc)
- Insurance information
- Spare keys
- N95-style masks
- Prescription medications
- Eyeglasses
And if you have pets, make them a bag, too. Food, water, treats, medications, leash, bowls, waste bags, copies of vaccination records, and a few items (toys, stuffies, a blanket, etc) to make your pet’s evacuation experience more comfortable.
Make It Grab-and-Go
The best emergency kit in the world is useless if everything is scattered throughout your house.
Store your bug-out bag somewhere accessible, ideally near an exit, and make sure everyone in your household knows where it is.
The Most Important Part: Ounces Equal Pounds, Pounds Equal Pain
Make sure you can actually carry your emergency bug-out bag.
Keep your bag as lightweight and practical as possible, prioritize essentials, and periodically pick it up and walk around with it.
You don’t need to become a full-blown doomsday prepper. You just need to be the person who isn’t standing in the driveway during an evacuation thinking, Wait… where’s my phone charger?
Because when things get weird, having the basics already packed is one less thing to worry about.
