How to pack a go bag for emergencies

As climate emergencies like wildfires and hurricanes become more prevalent, it's important to have essentials like food and medicine on hand and ready to go in case you need to evacuate. On today's episode, emergency preparedness expert Alyssa Provencio explains what you do and don't need in your go bag, how to create a household emergency plan and why now is a good time to prepare for disasters. Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

Speaker names marked ? are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.

• 0:00Speaker 00

  This message comes from the Southern Environmental Law Center. No one voted for dirty air and water. That's why S E L C is fighting back to defend the healthy environment everyone depends on. Because it's not political, it's fundamental. Learn more at S E L C dot org.

• 0:17Marielle Segarra?

  You're listening to Life Kit from NPR.

• 0:23Marielle Segarra?

  Hey, everybody, it's Marielle. There are some tasks that we know as adults we're supposed to do to prepare for some possible or even inevitable event, but we keep pushing them off because we don't want to think about that event happening. It's too bleak. Preparing for possible illness or death comes to mind here. Writing a will, choosing a healthcare proxy, estate planning. Who wants to think about that stuff? Another task I would add to this category is emergency planning. It's terrifying to think about a disaster like a hurricane, a flood, or wildfire hitting your neighborhood or your home. And so especially when it's all blue skies and sunshine outside, we just kind of go, la, la, la, la, la, nothing's happening, nothing's ever going to happen.

• 1:08Speaker 02

  You may have a forecast, but it's not really going to strike you until the moment is upon you, and by then it's too late.

• 1:18Marielle Segarra?

  Alyssa Provencio is a professor at the University of Central Oklahoma. Her teaching and research focus is emergency and disaster management. And she says, yeah, those blue skies can change, and you don't want to be caught without a plan.

• 1:31Speaker 02

  It's a matter of when and not if. And I think that the more people are empowered and have a plan, the better the outcomes will be.

• 1:44Marielle Segarra?

  So I know none of us want to think about a situation where we might have to flee our homes, but it's important to do it anyway. And one way to get started is to put together a go-bag.

• 1:55Speaker 02

  A go-bag isn't just about a go-bag. Creating a go-bag is another way to have conversations with your family members about what your plan is when severe weather happens or extreme events happen. And this is just another, another step that a family can take to be able to take care of one another.

• 2:14Marielle Segarra?

  On this episode of Life Kit, reporter Andy Tagel talks with Alyssa about the basics of building a go-bag, how to pack for your specific needs, and how you can get started in your junk drawer.

• 2:33Speaker 03

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• 3:39Marielle Segarra?

  What exactly is a go-bag? I've heard it called by a lot of different names. I've heard a go-bag, I've heard a bug-out bag, I've heard a 72-hour bag. So how do you define one? What exactly is a go-bag?

• 3:51Speaker 02

  So a go-bag is a kit that could be readily mobilized in case of an emergency. In terms of size and scale, it could be something quite small that, you know, a child could carry, or it could be something that is quite big that an adult could carry. I think the key here is that it needs to be mobile and the person carrying it needs to be able to carry it. Now, the generally agreed-upon guidance is enough food and water.

• 4:24Speaker 02

  For about 72 hours and equipment that kind of complements that 72-hour timeframe.

• 4:31Marielle Segarra?

  Ideally, how many of these should you have? Like, do I need one for every place that I could potentially be? You know, one for home, one for the garage, one for my office?

• 4:39Speaker 02

  You know, if you have five different go-bags, you may not remember where you put all of them. So my best sort of recommendation is that you keep one that is accessible for you. Or you keep, you know, the go-bags that are prepared for your family members all in one place. And just make sure that everybody kind of knows where they are and what the plan is.

• 5:06Marielle Segarra?

  It's supposed to be all use, right? Like, it's not like, in the case of earthquake, grab this one. In the case of flood, grab this one.

• 5:13Speaker 02

  Correct. So we use the term all hazards approach. So this means that a go-bag should be ready for any and all hazards. We've recently had wildfires in Oklahoma and there were families within miles of where I live who had to evacuate from their homes very quickly. And some had go-bags, I'm sure, some did not. And they were scrambling at the last minute to fill their cars with things that they would need. So it can be for, you know, any event where you're told to evacuate.

• 5:51Marielle Segarra?

  Who should be involved in the go-bag planning, emergency plan process? So it sounds like it should be a whole family affair. It shouldn't just be mom throwing items in a bag when she can.

• 5:59Speaker 02

  So I would say the whole family, at least those that are old enough to participate, should be involved in the planning process. And you should talk about go-bags, but you should also talk about other things. Like, if you were to be separated at the point of an extreme event happening, where would you meet up? Is there a gathering location? Do you know what the evacuation routes are? And so this also makes things a little less scary for kids. If they know that there is a plan and they know what their role is in that plan, then they feel more empowered. During the event itself. So if that means writing the plan together and each having a copy of it, or maybe even taking a screenshot of it and having it in your phone,

• 6:44Speaker 02

  is great. If it's even just key phone numbers or information, places where you can get information, that might be helpful as well. So anything, any steps that you can take for everybody to be aware and know what the plan is, I think are good steps.

• 7:05Speaker 04

  So takeaway one. Building your go bags, just like emergency preparedness overall, should be a household affair. Anyone in your home, including pets and small children, should be accounted for and included in this process as much as makes sense. So sit down and talk about your general emergency plan. Make sure everyone knows where the go bags will be, and then work on building or restocking them together. This is something you should do at least once a year. Maybe put it in your calendar like you would spring cleaning to ensure that you can swap out any expired foods for fresh ones, or restockpile any Band-Aids you might have swiped from the first aid kit. You get the picture. Now, moving on to the go bags themselves.

• 7:49Speaker 04

  You're aiming for three days of essentials, so you'll need to pack smart and light. We're not going to list off every item you could potentially include in this episode. Instead, we're going to walk through the major categories and give you some helpful tips and things to think about. To start, water.

• 8:08Speaker 04

  It's at the top of every emergency checklist because, well, it's essential to human survival, and it can also be hard to come by during a disaster. General wisdom says to account for one gallon per person per day. So you'll want to have at least three gallons of water for each member of your household on hand. But obviously, that could get heavy fast. Not to mention take up a lot of space. So.

• 8:33Speaker 02

  Sometimes that might not be water itself. It could be a filtration system. It could be a dehydration bag. Could be water purification tablets.

• 8:44Speaker 04

  Or maybe some combination of that. As much water as you feel you could comfortably carry around with you for a while. Plus, those water filtration straws you might have seen for camping and such. Next, food. At least three days' worth of non-perishables. You want to aim for a shelf life of six months to a year, so you don't have to constantly restock and throw stuff away.

• 9:05Speaker 02

  So if you have ready-to-eat meals, those can work. Granola bars, things that are also easily portable and lighter weight. You want to pay attention to calories, so a higher number of calories packed into a small container.

• 9:22Speaker 04

  A lot of people might think right away of canned goods here, but Provenzio actually advises against this because they're heavy. If you do want to pack, say, canned tuna or chicken noodle soup, make sure you pack the tools you'll need to go with them, like a mess kit, manual can opener, or a camping stove, if you really mean business. Then clothing. You want at least one full change of clothes appropriate for the climate and the seasons. And a pro tip I saw online: vacuum seal them to make more space in your bag. Provenzio says a raincoat or poncho is a good idea for everyone, plus gloves, a hat, an extra jacket if you live in a place with snow or where it gets extra cold.

• 10:01Speaker 02

  And then a pair of sturdy walking shoes. I keep the pair of walking shoes in my trunk, and usually they're just an old pair of sneakers or something that I'm not currently wearing very often. So that way, if I'm wearing sandals, I can switch into those tennis shoes or walking shoes if I need to.

• 10:22Speaker 04

  And then, of course, there's first aid and more general disaster preparedness. A lot of lists call for things like whistles, emergency blankets, but your actual first aid kit doesn't have to be anything super extensive.

• 10:34Speaker 02

  So if you're on any prescriptions and you can afford an extra set: pain relievers, antiseptic wipes, a little bottle of alcohol, bandages, gauze are some good key ones. Some wet wipes. And then this is kind of getting into more personal hygiene, but a toothbrush, toothpaste. And then, women should also think about feminine hygiene products if they use them, because those may be hard to come by.

• 11:04Speaker 04

  So takeaway two, keep in mind through this process that the point of a go-bag is to be able to get up and go with those three days of food, water, and supplies quickly. This isn't a shelter-in-place, hunker-down, throw-in-everything-you-can bag. That's a stay kit. And there are an infinite number of checklists online, by the way, for both types of bags, staying and going. You can go to ready.gov or the American Red Cross, just to name a few, if you need help with that. How thorough and wilderness-ready does the average go-bag packer need to be, especially if you don't know how to use a lot of camping equipment or medical equipment?

• 11:45Speaker 02

  I would say that there's five basic items that every go-bag should have.

• 11:49Speaker 04

  Oh, thank goodness.

• 11:51Speaker 02

  You should have a multi... So you should have a multi-tool or knife, something to cut with.

• 11:57Speaker 04

  Okay.

• 11:58Speaker 02

  You could have a rope or paracord, some duct tape, a flashlight or headlamp with extra batteries, and some kind of fire-starting tool. So that could be a firestarter, lighter, matches, but something to start a fire with. So those are kind of the five categories of tools that I would say are must-haves. I think anything in addition to that is kind of extra. And if you don't know how to use something, it probably shouldn't be in your go-bag.

• 12:32Speaker 04

  Then there's communication. Most of us are pretty reliant on cellphones, so...

• 12:37Speaker 02

  You're going to want to make sure you have a backup phone charger or power bank. And in terms of communication, if you can't get through by calling your family member, you might be able to get through with a text, because sometimes they prioritize cell tower communication for first responders. Portable radio is also good, just to listen to updates about where shelters are, where you can get different resources, if you don't have access to your cellphone or other communication device.

• 13:12Speaker 04

  Let's talk about the paper parts of your go-bag. I know we should have both digital emergency items and also physical paper. Can you talk to me about why that is? And also, just the most important documents to carry with you.

• 13:24Speaker 02

  Sure. So in urgency management, we talk a lot about redundancy. And what that means is that you should always have backups and potentially backups of backups. So the first thing that I would tell people is make sure that your information is backed up to the cloud. This could be things like health insurance or copies of account information that are important. Maybe a deed to your house that might be important if there is flooding, for example. Then you could also carry a flash drive with the same information. And then, last but not least, paper copies of anything that you may wish to have with you as well.

• 14:08Speaker 02

  And you could put these in a folder or something that is waterproof if there's a chance of wet weather. But redundancy is really important, making sure that you're able to access that key information when you need to. I would also include in paper items, a map of your local area and cash. Because if there is a power outage, you may not be able to access an ATM. And if you need to buy things while you're away from your home, then you may need to have cash on hand.

• 14:45Speaker 04

  Super helpful, yeah. I want to talk a little bit about obvious limitations to some of these things. We talked about weight, for example, with water. I'm thinking about specific medications, or if you have pets. Any other considerations that people should take when thinking about the specifics of their go-bags?

• 15:01Speaker 02

  Definitely. So you mentioned some of them. I think that if you have any kind of access and functional need, including specific medications or mobility issues, your go-bag may look different than your other family members or someone you know. Particularly when we talk about evacuation, ensuring that people who do not have vehicles know if there is a public evacuation plan. So where buses may have pickup points. There are also some registries, I know, that some cities have started.

• 15:40Speaker 02

  Putting up registries for like people who do have mobility issues or maybe are elderly and live alone and might need assistance. If you have pets, you need to think about what you're going to do in the case of an evacuation with pets. So that might be having a carrier ready for cats or having leash at the ready for dogs. If you have children, your bags may look different as well. So you may have a very specific toy that your child needs to sleep. Or if they're a little older, maybe a small portable board game would be helpful just to keep comfort and their mind at ease during the process.

• 16:28Speaker 04

  Takeaway three. Once you've got the absolute necessities covered, think about your specific needs, including logistics particular to your area, as well as any items that are critical to you or your family's mobility or health, like medications, a walking cane, or glasses. And then, should you have the luxury of time, there are the sentimental things. After the Southern California wildfires this year, I saw a post on LinkedIn from a woman who said she was really grateful to have had a go-bag ready, but in the future, what she was going to do was keep a list in that bag of all the special things she would grab if she had a few extra minutes. Her grandmother's necklace, her daughter's baby books. So just something else to keep in mind.

• 17:12Speaker 02

  That's really great, but I would say that's also a really great idea for people who can't assemble a go-bag for any reason. You know, perhaps they can't afford to put a go-bag together. And so having a list of items that you already have in your home that you can grab at the ready is really important in those situations. So you don't need to have one ahead of time if you can't afford one, but knowing what you do have available and the resources that you do have available, I think is really important.

• 17:44Speaker 04

  So you're saying if you don't have excess funds, one way to get some of those items on your checklist is just to have that checklist, like to put it on your fridge, so that when an emergency comes, you know, we have these, we have this food here, we have this water here, we have that blanket here.

• 17:59Speaker 02

  Correct, yeah.

• 18:02Speaker 04

  Takeaway four, you don't need a big budget to start building a go-bag. You can simply put that checklist on your fridge and start checking things off one by one as you're able. Provencio says when prioritizing what to buy or set aside first, start with critical survival needs.

• 18:19Speaker 02

  So that's kind of, you know, food, shelter, water, warmth, and then start building out from there. So you can start thinking about setting aside things for first aid and then maybe extra clothing, tools, utility, those kinds of things. People can, you know, go to their local thrift store or go to garage sales or go on eBay. You can start sort of building out your kit a little at a time and using these resources, you know, as they're available to you. And that's not just for people who can't afford full price. That's for everyone. So thinking about, you know, the environment and thinking about buying used is always

• 19:04Speaker 02

  a great idea, no matter what your income bracket is.

• 19:08Speaker 04

  Yeah, absolutely. I also just, you know, I just started looking at my house. I started looking in my own closet and all of my junk drawers with an eye for this specifically. And I was really surprised by all of the things I found, you know, surprised or not surprised by the 42 extra lighters just laying around, you know?

• 19:26Speaker 02

  Yeah. By how much. We all, we all have these junk drawers, right? And they all have lighters, batteries, you know, maybe an extra pocket knife or something that you haven't used in 10 years. Just put them all in one place and call them a go-bag.

• 19:45Speaker 04

  Finally, takeaway five, connect with local resources and your local community. You can often find emergency management services on your town's government website.

• 19:55Speaker 02

  So for example, if you need to know what your evacuation routes are, there might be links to maps or other resources for finding out what those evacuation routes are. They also may be able to tell you where your closest shelter would be if there were shelters that were stood up during an event. And often, your county or your city fire departments and law enforcement agencies have information on their websites as well. And if you do have access to social media when these happen, you can also follow your local emergency management.

• 20:39Speaker 04

  That can help you stay informed in the wake of an oncoming threat to your area, alert you to vital resources, and also, it never hurts to be a good neighbor. Remember, as Provencio says, it's a matter of when, not if you'll have to use that go back.

• 20:55Speaker 02

  You never know when you're going to need one, and you never know if the local authorities are going to be able to help. If your whole state is being affected by wildfires, or if your whole state is being affected by flooding, those authorities may not be able to help you specifically. So, really, having ownership over what your plan is and how to respond is going to be helpful to not only you and your family, but also to the people around you. And so, people, you know, often think about the family unit, and they think only about

• 21:39Speaker 02

  the family unit, but you also have neighbors. And your neighbor may be in the apartment next to you, or your neighbor may be a mile away, if you're in a rural area. But we know from research that people who have strong social ties and social-connected networks often do better in extreme events. So, get to know your neighbors, know what their plans are. So, it's not just about the resources you have, it's also about what your neighbors have and what your community has. So, don't be afraid to rely on other people.

• 22:20Speaker 04

  Okay, let's recap. Takeaway one: emergency preparedness is a family affair. So make sure to account for and include every member of your household in go-bag planning. Build or maintain a go-bag for each person or pet at least once a year to make sure supplies stay fresh. Keep your go-bags in an easy-to-access location and make sure everybody knows exactly where that place is and the plan should you ever need them. Takeaway two: remember, the point of a go-bag is to be able to get up and go with it at a moment's notice. Provenzio says a common mistake with these bags is trying to put too much in them. So, three days of food, water, and essentials.

• 23:01Speaker 04

  Takeaway three: make sure to account for your family's specific needs, like extra medications, favorite toys, pet food, or accommodations for mobility or transportation. If you've already covered all the bases for your family's needs and still have a little time, you might consider your keepsake list, those sentimental items you'd like to take with you, like family heirlooms or photo albums. Takeaway four: you don't need a big budget to start building a go-bag. You can put a checklist on your fridge and either start squirreling these away one by one as you're able, or if you can't spare things, make note of where items are in your home so you can quickly compile a bag in the event of an emergency. And takeaway five: connect with local resources and your local community. You never know exactly where or when disaster will strike, but the better connected you

• 23:46Speaker 04

  are, the better off you and your go-bag will be. Remember, emergency preparedness is a team sport.

• 23:53Marielle Segarra?

  That was Life Kit reporter Andy Tagle. For more Life Kit, check out our other episodes. There's one about what to do after a flood and another about how to prepare for a hurricane. You can find those at npr.org/lifekit. And if you love Life Kit and you want even more, subscribe to our newsletter at npr.org/lifekitnewsletter. Also, we love hearing from you, so if you have episode ideas or feedback you want to share, email us at [email protected].

• 24:25Marielle Segarra?

  This episode of Life Kit was produced by Sam Yellowhorse Kessler. Our visuals editor is Beck Harlan and our digital editor is Malika Gharib. Megan Kane is our supervising editor and Beth Donovan is our executive producer. Our production team also includes Claire Marie Schneider, Margaret Serino, and Sylvie Douglas. Engineering support comes from Jimmy Keely and David Greenberg. I'm Marielle Segarra. Thanks for listening.

• 24:58Speaker 03

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