Bug Out Bag List
A bug out bag is a kit you can carry out the door. Ready.gov says it should be carry-able on foot or by public transit and gives no weight; the Red Cross says an evacuation kit covers 3 days of water and food. This list follows both, by category, and tells you to weigh your own bag. Read 2026-11-02.
What makes it different from a home kit
A home kit can be heavy and stay put. A bag has to be lifted. The Red Cross describes one easy-to-carry kit that works "at home or take with you," with 3 days of food and water for evacuation and 2 weeks for the home. Ready.gov's evacuation page says to pack the essentials, make sure everyone knows where the bag is, and keep it carry-able on foot or by transit. Neither page gives a weight limit, and neither says how heavy a bag should be, so this page does not either. The full home version is the 72-hour emergency kit checklist.
Water
The agencies' figure is 1 gallon per person per day (Ready.gov and the Red Cross). Three days is 3 gallons per person, our arithmetic. Water is the heaviest thing on any list, so test it: fill what you plan to carry, lift it and decide.
A treatment method lets you carry less. The survival water filter hub explains the options, the Sawyer Squeeze review reads one filter from its maker's pages, and tablets, bleach and boiling gives the CDC methods. CDC says no filter on its own is enough for everything and to read the whole guidance. Stored water at home is covered in emergency water storage.
Power and light
| Item | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Phone, charger and a backup battery | Ready.gov lists a phone with chargers and a backup battery | Ready.gov |
| Battery or hand-crank radio | Both agencies list one; Ready.gov adds a NOAA Weather Radio | Ready.gov, Red Cross |
| Flashlight and extra batteries | Both agencies list them | Ready.gov, Red Cross |
| Whistle | Ready.gov and the Red Cross list one | Ready.gov, Red Cross |
On air travel, the FAA says spare lithium-ion batteries, including power banks, go in carry-on only, up to 100 Wh each (101 to 160 Wh with airline approval). That is an aviation rule, not a bag rule, but it is the one place a battery limit is written down. A full-size power station is for the home kit: see what a solar generator can run, our best solar generator hub and the Jackery Explorer 300 for what the smallest class does.
Food
Plan 3 days per person, per the Red Cross. Ready.gov asks for non-perishable food your household will eat, plus a manual can opener. Pick items that need little or no cooking and little water. My Patriot Supply's 72-hour sample pack was $34.99 on 2026-11-02 and the company states it feeds one person for 72 hours; its page says it needs 3.57 gallons of water to prepare, which is water you would need to carry on top of drinking water. The survival food kits hub covers the five checks, and the My Patriot Supply review reads the kits in full. The freeze-dried food shelf life page explains the storage limits.
Clothing, shelter and sanitation
Ready.gov's kit page lists a sleeping bag or blanket, a change of clothes and sturdy shoes, and, for hygiene, moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties. The Red Cross adds an emergency blanket, rain gear and work gloves. Ready.gov also lists a dust mask, and the Red Cross lists N95 or surgical masks. Duct tape, plastic sheeting and scissors appear on both lists, but they are home-shelter items more than carry items, so pack them only if you have room after the essentials. A multi-purpose tool is on the Red Cross list and a wrench or pliers on Ready.gov's; one of the two is enough.
A three-day walk-through
It helps to pack by time, not by category alone.
- Hour 0. Phone charged, radio and light at the top, documents and cash within reach. This is the part that decides how quickly you can leave.
- Day 1. Water, food that needs no cooking, a change of clothes and the first aid kit.
- Days 2 and 3. A treatment method for water you find on the way, a second set of batteries, and medicines. The Red Cross says 7 days of medications, so the bag's supply is the shortest list you have.
If you need to leave for longer than 3 days, the Red Cross figure of 2 weeks is the home supply, so decide whether you are going somewhere that already has it.
Documents, cash and contacts
- Copies of family documents, saved electronically or in a waterproof container (Ready.gov).
- Cash or traveler's checks (Ready.gov; Red Cross).
- Emergency and family contacts, local maps (Red Cross; Ready.gov).
First aid and medicines
Both agencies list a first aid kit. The Red Cross says a 7-day supply of medications. This site does not give first aid guidance, so take your first aid list from the Red Cross and Ready.gov and ask a clinician about medicines.
What to skip
- Anything that duplicates another item.
- Anything you did not test. Pack the bag, carry it around the block, and drop what you did not use.
- Heavy gear. A generator, a large battery and a month of food belong at home.
- Food that needs a stove, fuel and lots of water if you will have none.
How to check the weight yourself
Because neither the Red Cross nor Ready.gov states a weight, do this:
- Pack everything on this list for one person.
- Weigh it on a bathroom scale while holding it, then subtract your own weight.
- Carry it for the distance you would actually walk.
- Remove items until you can do that without strain. If you cannot carry a day of water, plan to treat water on the way.
Where the bag fits in the plan
Pack for the first 3 days, then cover the rest from home. The bag is the small version; the home version lives in the 72-hour emergency kit checklist, with the 14-day quantities.
FAQ
What should be in a bug out bag?
Water, food, a radio, a light, a charged phone and backup battery, documents, cash, first aid and medicines, per Ready.gov and the Red Cross.
How much should it weigh?
Neither agency says. Weigh your own and carry it.
How many days of food and water?
The Red Cross gives 3 days for an evacuation kit.
Should it include a water filter?
The agencies list stored water; filters are covered in the water hub and the Sawyer review.