Bug Out Kits

The bag is only the container.

Your actual kit is a coordinated system of supplies, documents, medications, clothing, tools, and personal necessities selected for your household and evacuation plan.

A useful kit should help you:

• Leave quickly
• Carry essential supplies
• Stay hydrated
• Manage medications
• Maintain communication
• Handle minor injuries
• Navigate without relying entirely on your phone
• Remain reasonably comfortable during delays
• Keep important documents together

Every item should support a realistic need.

Bug Out Bag

The backpack, duffel, or rolling bag carried by one person.

Bug Out Kit

The supplies organized within that bag or assigned to that traveler.

Evacuation Loadout

The complete system traveling with the household, including personal bags, shared supplies, vehicle equipment, water, food, pet supplies, medical equipment, and destination-specific items.

This page focuses on building the individual and household kits that form the foundation of that larger evacuation loadout.

Do not build your kit in isolation.

Before choosing equipment, ask:

• Where are we likely to evacuate?
• How will we travel?
• How long could the trip take?
• Will we stay with family, in a hotel, or at a shelter?
• Does anyone have medical or accessibility needs?
• Are children or pets traveling with us?
• How much can each person safely carry?
• What supplies will already be stored in the vehicle?

A kit designed for driving to a relative’s home will look different from one intended for public transportation or emergency shelter use.

Water

Carry enough to begin the journey and have a plan to obtain more.

Include:

• Filled water bottles
• Collapsible containers
• Water purification method
• Electrolyte packets where appropriate

Water is heavy, so your plan may combine personal bottles with additional vehicle storage.

Food

Pack simple food that can be eaten during travel or delays.

Choose items that are:

• Shelf-stable
• Easy to open
• Familiar to your household
• Appropriate for dietary needs
• Tolerant of vehicle heat

Examples include bars, crackers, nut butter, dried fruit, ready-to-eat meals, and other compact foods.

Medical

Keep essential health supplies accessible.

Include:

• Prescription medications
• Medication list
• Basic first-aid supplies
• Personal medical equipment
• Spare glasses or contacts
• Allergy information
• Copies of important medical records

Medications should remain easy to reach rather than buried at the bottom of the bag.

Communication and Navigation

Maintain access to information and your household.

Include:

• Mobile phone
• Charging cable
• Power bank
• Emergency contact list
• Printed destination information
• Paper maps
• Small weather radio when appropriate
• Whistle or signaling device

Do not depend on a single device or network.

Clothing and Shelter

Prepare for changing weather and unexpected delays.

Consider:

• Change of clothing
• Rain protection
• Durable footwear
• Lightweight blanket
• Hat
• Work gloves
• Seasonal layers
• Compact towel

Choose clothing that can handle heat, rain, long travel, and limited laundry access.

Hygiene and Sanitation

Maintain basic cleanliness when normal facilities are limited.

Include:

• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Soap or hand sanitizer
• Wipes
• Toilet paper or tissues
• Menstrual products
• Prescription hygiene items
• Small trash bags
• Face coverings or respirators when appropriate

Good hygiene becomes especially important in shelters and crowded environments.

Documents and Money

Keep critical information together and protected.

Include copies of:

• Identification
• Insurance documents
• Vehicle information
• Medical information
• Emergency contacts
• Pet records
• Lodging confirmations
• Evacuation routes

Also consider cash in small denominations and a waterproof document pouch.

Not every person needs to carry the same equipment.

Personal Kit

Each traveler should have access to personal items such as:

• Identification
• Medications
• Clothing
• Water
• Snacks
• Hygiene supplies
• Phone charger
• Comfort items

Shared Household Kit

Some equipment can be distributed among the group:

• Larger first-aid kit
• Weather radio
• Water treatment
• Tool kit
• Shared food
• Important documents
• Larger power bank
• Sanitation supplies

This prevents unnecessary duplication while ensuring critical supplies are not all stored in one bag.

The best kit is one you can actually carry, load, and use.

Compact Grab-and-Go Kit

Best for:

• Short evacuations
• Hotel or family destinations
• Small apartments
• Limited storage
• People who already keep supplies in their vehicle

Focus on documents, medications, communication, clothing, food, and water.

Best for:

• Longer travel
• Uncertain lodging
• Family evacuations
• Shelter stays
• Extended delays

This kit adds more clothing, food, hygiene, charging, medical, and comfort supplies while remaining manageable.

Best for households that need:

• Longer independent capability
• Specialized medical equipment
• Advanced power solutions
• Extensive vehicle support
• Remote travel capability
• Additional recovery tools

An expanded loadout should still be modular. Do not place every item into one oversized bag.

A modular kit is easier to organize, inspect, and adapt.

Separate supplies into labeled pouches or modules such as:

• Medical
• Hygiene
• Power and charging
• Documents
• Food
• Water treatment
• Clothing
• Tools
• Pet supplies

Modules make it easier to replace expired items, divide supplies among family members, and adapt the kit to a specific evacuation.

Color-coded pouches can also help household members locate important items quickly.

For most hurricane evacuations, the vehicle carries a large portion of the load.

Your backpack should contain the supplies you need if:

• You become separated from the vehicle
• You must enter a shelter
• You stop overnight
• You need medications or documents quickly
• Your vehicle becomes disabled
• You have to walk a short distance

Bulk water, larger food supplies, tools, recovery equipment, and heavier power systems usually belong in the vehicle loadout.

A one-size-fits-all packing list does not work.

Children

Consider:

• Age-appropriate food
• Medications
• Identification
• Extra clothing
• Comfort item
• Quiet entertainment
• Diapers or formula where needed

Older Adults

Consider:

• Additional medications
• Mobility aids
• Hearing-aid batteries
• Eyeglasses
• Medical information
• Easier-to-carry luggage

Medical or Accessibility Needs

Consider:

• Backup batteries
• Refrigerated medication plan
• Device chargers
• Accessible transportation
• Caregiver information
• Specialized supplies

Pets

Consider:

• Food and water
• Leash or harness
• Carrier
• Medications
• Waste supplies
• Veterinary records
• Identification photographs

Each person and animal should be accounted for before the kit is considered complete.

Some items should never be buried.

Store these where they can be reached quickly:

• Medications
• Identification
• Phone
• Power bank
• Water
• First-aid supplies
• Flashlight
• Vehicle keys
• Emergency contacts
• Destination information

Use exterior pockets or a clearly marked top compartment for immediate-use items.

A bag may have room for more supplies even after it becomes too heavy to carry safely.

As you pack:

• Place heavier items close to the back.
• Keep weight balanced.
• Avoid attaching excessive loose items outside the bag.
• Adjust shoulder, chest, and hip straps.
• Walk with the completed kit.
• Test stairs and vehicle loading.
• Remove items that do not justify their weight.

Children, older adults, and people with mobility limitations may need smaller kits or rolling luggage.

A packed bag should be tested before hurricane season.

Complete a simple practice run:

1. Pack every planned item.
2. Weigh the finished kit.
3. Carry it for at least 15 to 30 minutes.
4. Load it into your evacuation vehicle.
5. Locate medications and documents without unpacking everything.
6. Use the flashlight and charging equipment.
7. Check that food and water remain secure.
8. Identify anything that leaks, shifts, or is difficult to reach.

Testing often reveals problems that a written checklist cannot.

Review your kits at least twice a year and whenever a storm begins threatening your region.

Check:

• Medication expiration dates
• Food expiration dates
• Water containers
• Batteries
• Power-bank charge levels
• Clothing sizes
• Seasonal clothing
• Contact information
• Insurance documents
• Pet records
• Damaged bags or zippers

A kit that has not been opened in three years may no longer match your household.

Packing for an Imaginary Scenario

Build around your actual evacuation plan, destination, climate, and transportation.

Making the Bag Too Heavy

A kit you cannot safely carry is not ready.

Buying Equipment Without Testing It

Open packages, charge devices, and learn how everything works.

Forgetting Medications and Documents

These may be more difficult to replace than most gear.

Storing Everything in One Bag

Divide critical supplies so one lost bag does not remove the entire system.

Carrying Too Much Water in the Backpack

Balance personal water with vehicle storage and resupply plans.

Ignoring Children, Pets, and Accessibility Needs

The kit must work for the entire household.

Packing Once and Forgetting It

Supplies expire and household needs change.

Essential Personal Items

✔ Identification and important documents
✔ Prescription medications
✔ Emergency contact information
✔ Phone, charging cable, and power bank
✔ Water bottle
✔ Ready-to-eat food
✔ Flashlight or headlamp
✔ Change of clothing
✔ Rain protection
✔ Hygiene supplies
✔ Basic first-aid supplies
✔ Cash in small denominations

Household Additions

✔ Shared medical kit
✔ Printed maps
✔ Weather radio
✔ Water treatment
✔ Additional food and water
✔ Sanitation supplies
✔ Pet or child supplies
✔ Destination information
✔ Vehicle emergency gear

We believe a useful hurricane kit should be:

Purposeful

Every item solves a specific problem.

Modular

Supplies can be organized, inspected, and redistributed easily.

Realistic

The kit reflects the household’s actual evacuation method and destination.

Manageable

The finished loadout can be carried and loaded safely.

Tested

Equipment is opened, charged, fitted, and practiced with before an emergency.

Adaptable

The kit can change as the household, storm, destination, or season changes.

The goal is confidence through preparation, not fear-driven purchasing.

The educational sections of this page explain what belongs in a kit and why.

Your Product Recommendations section can then help visitors compare specific options such as:

• Backpacks and duffels
• Packing pouches
• Water containers
• Filters and purification tools
• Power banks
• Flashlights
• First-aid kits
• Weather radios
• Document pouches
• Compact hygiene supplies

Specific recommendations should be organized by purpose, budget, weight, and intended user rather than presented as one universal shopping list.

Continue building your evacuation system:

• Essentials Kit – Begin with the core preparedness framework.
• Bug Out Bags – Learn how to select and organize the bag itself.
• Compact Kit – Build a lighter grab-and-go setup.
• Elite Loadout Guide – Explore a more extensive modular system.
• Vehicle Loadout – Store heavier and shared equipment in your vehicle.
• Evacuation Planning – Connect the kit to a destination and route.
• Special Needs & Medical – Account for medication, mobility, and powered devices.

A good bug out kit is not the largest bag or the longest equipment list.

It is a practical collection of supplies that matches your household, supports your evacuation plan, and can be carried without slowing you down.

Start with medications, documents, water, food, communication, and clothing.

Add what your situation genuinely requires.

Then pack it, carry it, test it, and keep it ready.