Go Bag Checklist
Pack it once, store it in your car. When the order comes, you grab it and go — nothing to think about.
Wildfire evacuations average under 15 minutes of warning. A pre-packed go bag is the only prep that works under pressure.
The go bag rule
One bag per person, fits in your car’s trunk, accessible in 30 seconds. A shared household bag is better than nothing, but when families separate during evacuations — which happens — each person needs their own documents and medications. Refresh your bag once a year: check expiration dates on food and medications every May before fire season starts. Keep a second copy of every critical document in the cloud so you can access them from any device, even if you lose the bag.
Documents & IDs
These cannot be replaced quickly. Losing them in a disaster creates months of bureaucratic delays on top of everything else.
- ✓Photo ID or passport (every household member)
- ✓Insurance policies — home, auto, health
- ✓Property deed or mortgage statement
- ✓Vehicle title
- ✓Social Security card
- ✓Birth certificates
- ✓Marriage or divorce certificates
- ✓Medical records summary
- ✓Medication list with dosages
- ✓Emergency contact list (printed)
Tip: Photograph every document in this list and upload to a secure cloud folder (Google Drive, iCloud, or Dropbox). You can access them from any device after evacuation — even if the physical copies are lost.
Medications & Health
Wildfire smoke is toxic. N95s are not optional — they’re the minimum protection for the air you’ll breathe during and after.
- ✓7-day supply minimum of all prescriptions
- ✓Extra glasses or contacts, case, and solution
- ✓Hearing aids and spare batteries
- ✓First aid kit (bandages, antiseptic, gauze)
- ✓N95 masks — minimum 4 per person
- ✓Any medical equipment or devices (CPAP, glucose meter, inhaler)
Cash & Cards
ATMs and card terminals fail during mass evacuations. Cash is the only reliable payment method in the first 24–48 hours.
- ✓$200–500 cash in small bills (ATMs fail in disasters)
- ✓Primary debit or credit card
- ✓A secondary card (in case one is declined or lost)
Electronics & Communication
Cell towers overload quickly during mass evacuations. A NOAA radio gives you official emergency updates even when your phone has no signal.
- ✓Phone + wall charger + 10,000+ mAh power bank
- ✓Battery-powered NOAA weather radio
- ✓USB drive with digital copies of all documents
- ✓Laptop if critical for work (optional — only if it takes under 60 seconds to pack)
Clothing & Shelter
Assume you may not have a hotel for the first night. Emergency mylar blankets are light, cheap, and take up almost no space.
- ✓3 days of clothes per person
- ✓Sturdy closed-toe shoes
- ✓Rain jacket
- ✓Lightweight sleeping bag or emergency mylar blankets
- ✓Work gloves
Food & Water
Target a 3-day minimum. A portable water filter can supplement or replace stored water and dramatically reduces weight if needed.
- ✓3-day supply of non-perishable food per person (bars, nuts, jerky, crackers)
- ✓Manual can opener
- ✓1 gallon of water per person per day (or portable water filter + purification tablets)
- ✓Pet food if applicable
For pets
Shelters and hotels often have restrictions on pets. The recent photo of you with your pet is your proof of ownership if you and your pet are separated.
- ✓Carrier or crate
- ✓Leash
- ✓Collar with ID tag
- ✓Food and water bowl
- ✓7-day food supply
- ✓Medical records and vaccination proof
- ✓A recent photo of you with your pet
Vehicle readiness
Gas stations run out of fuel within hours of a mass evacuation order. This is not an exaggeration — it happens every major event.
- ✓Keep gas above half-tank from June through October in fire-prone areas
- ✓Jumper cables
- ✓Tire inflation kit
- ✓Paper maps of your region (GPS can fail or route you into danger)
Store it right
- ✓Store in a cool, accessible location — your car trunk or garage near the exit. Not your attic, not under a bed.
- ✓Check annually in May, before fire season. Expiration dates on food and medications are real.
- ✓Replace food and water every 12 months even if they haven’t expired — heat in a car trunk accelerates spoilage.
- ✓Update documents whenever they change — new insurance policy, new ID, new prescription.
Related tools & guides
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Go bag FAQ
What is a go bag?
A go bag (also called a bug-out bag or 72-hour kit) is a pre-packed bag or container that holds everything you need to survive the first 72 hours after an emergency evacuation. For wildfire preparedness, it means you can leave immediately when an order is issued without having to think about what to grab. Everything critical is already packed, in your car or near your exit.
How heavy should a go bag be?
A practical go bag should be light enough that every person in your household can carry their own — typically 20–35 lbs for an adult. If you're storing it in your car trunk rather than carrying it on foot, weight matters less. Prioritize documents, medications, and critical electronics first. Food and water add the most weight; a portable water filter can replace several gallons of stored water if weight is a constraint.
Can I share a go bag with my family?
One shared bag per household is better than no bag, but one bag per person is the right target. In an emergency you may get separated, or one person may need to leave before others. Each person's bag should at minimum include their own ID, medications, and a phone charger. You can consolidate heavy shared items like food and a water filter into one bag if needed.
What's the difference between a go bag and a bug-out bag?
The terms are used interchangeably in most contexts. "Go bag" typically refers to a bag prepared for short-term emergency evacuation — 72 hours to a week — to a nearby shelter or hotel. "Bug-out bag" comes from survivalist culture and sometimes implies longer-term self-sufficiency in a remote location. For wildfire evacuation purposes, they mean the same thing: a pre-packed bag you can grab and leave with immediately.