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Bug out bag list: the essentials, sorted by what you will need first

By the Plain Prepper editors. Updated 2026-10-15.

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Quick answer

Start with the Red Cross basics: water at one gallon per person per day and food for 3 days, a flashlight, a battery or hand-crank radio, extra batteries and a first aid kit. Add a 7-day supply of medications, a multi-purpose tool, hygiene items, copies of key documents, a phone charger, contact information, cash, an emergency blanket and local maps. Ready.gov adds a whistle and a dust mask. Then add what your family and your local hazards call for.

The core list, item by item

Category	What to pack	Listed by
Water	One gallon per person per day; a 3-day supply for evacuation	Red Cross, Ready.gov
Food	Non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items for 3 days	Red Cross
Light	Flashlight plus extra batteries	Red Cross, Ready.gov
News and alerts	Battery or hand-crank radio, NOAA Weather Radio if possible	Red Cross, Ready.gov
First aid	First aid kit; medications for 7 days and medical items	Red Cross
Tools	Multi-purpose tool	Red Cross
Hygiene	Sanitation and personal hygiene items	Red Cross
Signal and air	Whistle to signal for help; dust mask to help filter contaminated air	Ready.gov
Phone	Cell phone with chargers and a backup battery	Ready.gov
Warmth	Emergency blanket; a sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person	Red Cross, Ready.gov
Navigation	Map of the local area	Red Cross, Ready.gov
Money	Extra cash	Red Cross, Ready.gov

The Red Cross calls these the minimum and says the kit should be easy to carry, so you can use it at home or take it with you if you must leave. It sets a 2-week supply of water and food for home, but only 3 days for evacuation, which is what a bug out bag is for.

Documents, contacts and cash

Paperwork is the part of a bag most people skip. The Red Cross lists copies of:

• A medication list and key medical information
• Proof of address and the deed or lease to your home
• Passports and birth certificates
• Insurance policies

Ready.gov adds identification and bank account records, and suggests saving them electronically or keeping them in a waterproof, portable container. The Red Cross also lists family and emergency contact information; a paper copy still works if your phone dies. Both lists include cash.

Add what your household needs

After the basics, the Red Cross says to add the things each person needs:

• Medical: hearing aids with extra batteries, glasses, contact lenses and syringes. Ready.gov notes that about half of all Americans take a prescription medicine every day, and that refilling one during an emergency can be hard.
• Babies: bottles, formula, baby food and diapers.
• Children: games and activities.
• Pets: collar, leash, ID, food, carrier and bowl. Ready.gov warns that most public shelters allow only service animals, so plan where a pet can stay.
• Everyone: an extra set of car and house keys, a manual can opener and two-way radios.

Add for the hazards where you live

The Red Cross suggests extra items depending on which disasters are common in your area:

• Weather: rain gear, towels, extra clothing, a hat and sturdy shoes.
• Smoke or dust: N95 or surgical masks.
• Repairs and shelter: work gloves, plastic sheeting, duct tape and scissors.
• Water: household liquid bleach.
• Fire and signals: matches and a whistle. Ready.gov says to keep matches in a waterproof container.

For a work bag, Ready.gov says to be ready to shelter at work for at least 24 hours, with food, water, medicines and comfortable walking shoes stored in a grab-and-go case.

If you may leave on foot: borrow from the Ten Essentials

Ready.gov warns that your evacuation route may be on foot. The National Park Service's Ten Essentials, a system it credits to The Mountaineers, fills the gaps a household list leaves:

• Light: NPS recommends headlamps because they are hands-free, with extra batteries.
• Shelter: a tarp, bivy sack or emergency space blanket.
• Water treatment: supplies to treat water, not only water to carry.
• Sun and clothing: sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat, plus a layer for the worst weather you could meet.
• Fire and repair: waterproof matches or a lighter, fire starters, duct tape, a knife and scissors.

NPS also says to check expiration dates on first aid items and replace them as needed.

Weight: the water is the heavy part

USGS puts water at 8.34 pounds per gallon. A 3-day supply at one gallon per person per day is 3 gallons, or about 25 pounds for each person before anything else goes in. NPS lists water treatment supplies alongside carried water, which can lighten the load where you can find water on the way. Our bug out bag guide covers how to choose and fit the pack itself.

Ready.gov's evacuation advice also helps the bag do its job: keep at least a half tank of gas at all times, plan where you will go and how, pick a meeting place, and leave a note saying when you left and where you are going.

What to look for when you buy

Questions people ask

What should be in a bug out bag?

The Red Cross basics: 3 days of water and food, a flashlight, a radio, batteries, first aid, 7 days of medications, a multi-tool, hygiene items, documents, a charger, contacts, cash, an emergency blanket and maps.

How much water goes in a bug out bag?

The Red Cross says one gallon per person per day for 3 days when evacuating; at USGS's 8.34 pounds per gallon that is about 25 pounds per person.

What documents should I pack?

The Red Cross lists copies of a medication list, medical information, proof of address, your deed or lease, passports, birth certificates and insurance policies.

Is a bug out bag different from a home emergency kit?

The Red Cross plans for 3 days of supplies to evacuate and 2 weeks at home, so the bag is the smaller, portable part.

Sources

• Survival Kit Supplies, American Red Cross
• Build a Kit, Ready.gov
• Evacuation, Ready.gov
• Ten Essentials, National Park Service
• A million gallons of water: how much is it?, U.S. Geological Survey
• Emergency Bivvy with Rescue Whistle, SOL (Survive Outdoors Longer)
• Ultralight/Watertight Medical Kit .7, Adventure Medical Kits
• Spot 400 Headlamp, Black Diamond

Sources checked 2026-10-15.