When an emergency strikes, there's no time to think — there's only time to act. A well-packed go-bag ensures that whether you're a professional responder deploying to an incident or a citizen evacuating your home, you have the essentials to sustain yourself and do your job effectively.
This checklist is designed for emergency managers, first responders, and prepared individuals who take readiness seriously.
What Is a Go-Bag?
A go-bag (also called a bug-out bag or 72-hour kit) is a pre-packed bag containing everything you need to survive and function for at least 72 hours following a disaster or emergency deployment. The goal is simple: grab it and go.
The Response Depot Go-Bag Checklist
🔦 Communication & Navigation
- Battery-powered or hand-crank NOAA weather radio
- Fully charged portable phone charger (power bank)
- Paper maps of your local area and region
- Compass
- Whistle for signaling
- Notepad and waterproof pens
💡 Light & Power
- High-lumen tactical flashlight with extra batteries
- Headlamp (hands-free lighting is critical in the field)
- Glow sticks for marking or signaling
- Solar-powered lantern
🩹 First Aid
- Comprehensive first aid kit (including tourniquets and wound packing gauze for responders)
- Prescription medications (minimum 7-day supply)
- Copies of prescriptions and medical records
- Nitrile gloves
- CPR face shield
🥤 Water & Food
- Minimum 1 liter of water per person per day (3-day supply)
- Water filtration device or purification tablets
- High-calorie, non-perishable food (energy bars, MREs)
- Manual can opener
- Collapsible water containers
📋 Documents & ID
- Copies of ID, passport, and driver's license
- Insurance cards and policies
- Emergency contact list (printed — don't rely on your phone)
- Cash in small bills
- USB drive with digital copies of critical documents
🧥 Clothing & Shelter
- Weather-appropriate change of clothes
- Sturdy, closed-toe shoes or boots
- Emergency mylar blanket
- Rain poncho
- Work gloves
🦺 For Professional Responders
- ICS vest (color-coded to your role)
- Agency ID and credentials
- Incident Action Plan (IAP) templates
- Personal protective equipment (PPE) appropriate to your hazard
- Radio with extra batteries or charger
- Laminated ICS organizational chart
Tips for Maintaining Your Go-Bag
- Review it every 6 months — rotate food and water, check battery levels, and update documents.
- Keep it accessible — store it near your exit, not buried in a closet.
- Customize for your role — a firefighter's go-bag looks different from a public health official's. Tailor yours to your specific deployment scenario.
- Test it — do a drill where you grab your bag and leave in under 2 minutes. You'll quickly discover what's missing.
The Bottom Line
A go-bag is only useful if it's packed, maintained, and within reach. Don't wait for a disaster to find out what you forgot. Build it now, review it regularly, and be ready to move at a moment's notice.
Have questions about emergency preparedness or need help building a readiness program for your organization? Explore our consulting services or get in touch with the Response Depot team.