What should your bug out bag contain in the event of a disaster?

You never know when you are going to have to escape at short notice. The politics of the moment are far from predictable. Disasters never strike in time, and few stores stay open during wildfires or insurrections. At the beginning of 2026, wildfires and resulting chaos seem especially likely in the American West after a record level snow cover levels in winter, which also means less water in spring and summer.

That’s why it’s important to plan well in advance and prepare an emergency kit, disaster preparedness experts say, and stock up on essential items that can keep your family healthy and safe in the event of a hurricane, flood, earthquake, blizzard, wildfire or all-too-human breakdowns.

But not all disasters are the same. There are two main scenarios you need to prepare your family for, says Jonathan Sury, a senior associate at Columbia University. National Disaster Preparedness Center.

In some cases, you may need to hop in a car with a go bag or bug-out bag, equipped with the bare necessities, like a three-day supply of water, purification tablets or water filtersA good flashlightand the batteries. A fast-moving wildfire might be a good example of this scenario. In other cases, like during a severe snowstorm, you might find yourself sheltering in place, perhaps without tap water or access to the electrical grid – and in serious need of help. a good power bank or two. Regional wildfires may also require long-term emergency preparation, given smoke inhalation and potential power outages related to public safety.

“You have to think in that mindset, ‘We could have a power outage,'” the National Weather Service preparedness manager said. Charlie Woodrum. “We could lose water for a few days or even a week, and we could also lose water”… You need to plan for both power outages and water loss. » At that time, in January, he spoke before a historic winter storm season in much of the United States. But the same assumptions can apply to other disasters, from earthquakes to winds and fires.

Here’s how to prepare for a short-term emergency and what to stock up on in advance. Of course, this is not a civil war or apocalypse survival guide. But the tips and equipment presented here should help you and your family safely weather a natural disaster such as a storm, flood, earthquake or wildfire, not to mention a systemic failure of your water system or electrical grid.

Also take note of my colleague Adrienne So’s advice that the the best form of emergency preparedness is getting to know your neighborsAnd WIRED’s Guide to Surviving Extreme Weatheras well as WIRED’s guide to finding reliable emergency information in the middle Very reduced federal resources. Are you more worried about losing your job? Check WIRED’s guide to a digital travel bag when you are forced to escape from work.

April 2026 Update: I’ve incorporated advice from University of Oregon wildfire experts Heidi Huber-Stearns and Amanda Stasiewicz, and added additional context on wildfire preparedness. I added several power banks, including one from Nimble and one from Ridge, as well as the Watch Duty wildfire awareness app. I also added the MERV 13 air filters and a box fan needed to make a DIY air purifier in a snap. Prices and descriptions have also been updated, with unavailable products replaced where necessary.

What should you put in your emergency Go bag?

Often you get a little warning before an emergency arrives at your door. But an evacuation order can come with unsettling suddenness – and by the time everyone in your area is raiding local supermarkets for water and purification tablets, it may be too late to get yours. This is especially true if there is a sudden boil water advisory.

Your list of essential items for your emergency preparedness kit will depend on your situation, your family, and your needs. Since October 2025, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has held a emergency kit checklist on its website. Columbia University also offers online resources on how to prepare for or respond to specific disasters and emergencies, including a online preparation assistant to help each family understand their own emergency needs.

For wildfire preparedness specifically, Amanda Stasiewicz, a wildfire expert at the University of Oregon, recommends protecting your home before any sudden evacuation by following home prep tips from the nonprofit Institute for Business and Home Safety. This includes creating a defensible area by removing all flammable materials within 5 feet of the home, including doormats and potted plants.

But it’s also good to keep a basic emergency kit so that you and your family are prepared for… whatever happens. Here’s a good starter kit with essential items to throw in your travel bag and keep handy at home or in the car.

Sury and other emergency preparedness experts recommend storing a gallon of water per person per day, not only for hydration, but also for food preparation, sanitation and all the other nice things we need water for. Sury keeps a week’s supply of water at home, which can be purified with a simple household bleach in case of emergency. (Be careful if you do this, and follow the Environmental Protection Agency’s advice on dosing.) Woodrum of the National Weather Service notes that you can also fill a bathtub with usable water before a storm, but don’t drink stagnant water without purifying it first.

But in practice, you probably won’t have room for a full week’s worth of water in the trunk of your car if you’re on the go. It’s here water filters come and stock up, especially if you don’t have guaranteed access to a reliable water supply. For chemical purifiers that are easy to transport, WIRED reviewer Scott Gilbertson favors Aquamira Water Treatment Drops ($15)which fits easily into any emergency evacuation kit. Sury says Aqua Tabs ($12) is a great brand that’s widely available. For added simplicity and ease in filtering microorganisms and particles, you may also consider a water bottle with an attached filter like the Katadyn BeFree ($45), although I tend to prefer the stainless steel filtered bottle of Clearly Filtered ($75) for durability and repeated use. For an inexpensive filtration option for the whole family, Lifestraw provides an affordable solution personal water filter ($18) which can be sucked up like a straw.

FEMA recommends keeping at least a few days’ worth of nonperishable food on hand. In practice, you’re likely to grab all the Snickers bars, granola bars, ramen packets, and other dry goods you have in the house when you go out. Sury says nutrient-dense canned foods like beans or sardines are also a great option, provided that cans tend to be a bit heavy and often require a can opener.

Nothing is as portable and durable as dehydrated food, including the emergency case of ramen that I always have in one way or another. One of the nation’s oldest manufacturers of dehydrated food kits, with roots in military rations, is Oregon’s Mountain House brand, which offers portable products, three-day emergency meal kits ($70). Nutrient Survival also offers a 14 Day Emergency Food Kit ($179) which includes lasagna and macaroni and cheese. Don’t do it expect rehydrated foods to taste the same as the original.

Even if you don’t camp, you may still want to get a good camping stove in case of emergency or another way to cook without needing electricity. Note that most emergency experts do not recommend using gas-powered equipment indoors due to the risk of fire and carbon monoxide. But if you have a garage that you can ventilate, that’s not really a problem with a small Coleman. As an added benefit, it’s portable, lest you need to get out of it quickly.

A less obvious food need in the event of a breakdown is a good cooler. It is of course useful to keep food cool. But many medications also need to be temperature controlled, notes Sury, a disaster preparedness expert in Colombia. And so if this applies to anyone in your family, a little cooler can also be a piece of emergency equipment, when combined with a block or two of ice from the freezer.

Do you live in the West? In 2026? You will need an air purifier. Smoke is coming (probably). As the last half-decade has proven, the East Coast is not immune either. And The more we learn about wildfire smoke, the worse it seems for everything from stroke to cardiovascular risk, premature death, mental health, fertility and more. An air purifier will be good for your peace of mind, especially if you buy one before a major wildfire causes stores to be out of stock. The Coway Airmega Mighty is our favorite affordable purifier. The larger ProX is a beast for large spaces and high ceilings. Or you can just check out WIRED’s complete guide to best air purifiers. Try to create at least one “clean air” room in your home during a lasting air quality incident, notes Huber-Stearns of the University of Oregon, who has studied the effects of smoke on health and warns that children with developing lungs should always be considered a vulnerable population.

A good air purifier isn’t in everyone’s budget, especially not if you’re trying to create a clean space for multiple rooms. But that doesn’t mean you’re out of luck when trying to create healthy air for your family. Heidi Huber-Stearns of the University of Oregon recommends following the Environmental Protection Agency’s simple instructions for Build Your Own DIY Boxed Fan Purifier with duct tape, cardboard, MERV 13 certified air filters and a good old box fan. My colleague Kat Merck Recommends this Lasko Classic 20 Inch Fan as being both inexpensive and reliable. Filter King filters are a reliable and widely available choice for air filtration. Studies have shown comparable effectiveness between DIY air purifiers and commercial models. But be careful, you must make sure to replace the filters so that they remain effective. They get dirty quickly if smoke occurs.

Sometimes what worries us is illness. Sometimes it’s wildfire smoke. Or particles from God knows what else. But have you ever regretted having had good filter masks hang out ? Huber-Stearns recommends staying indoors in filtered air as much as possible if PM 2.5 particles are at high levels. But using masks when you’re out and about can also help avoid negative health consequences.

The world runs on electricity. The electricity network can be fragile. Lithium-ion power packs are the modern answer, but they may be a volatile technologyso you don’t want to resort only to the cheapest ones. Among the laptops power banks And larger capacity power plantsWIRED testers have long recommended Jackery’s portable devices, ranging from the 8-pound, 288-watt-hour Model 300 that also includes solar options to a 62-pound monster with about seven times that capacity.

If you are bunkering and don’t have a built-in generator, you may want to consider a fuel-based generator as a Westinghouse 4,000 Watt Gasoline ($729) for your energy needs. But the NWS’s Woodrum urges caution if that’s your path. Fuel-burning generators spew carbon monoxide, which can be deadly if it builds up. Fuel-based generators are not safe indoors and are not recommended within 20 feet of an indoor space. So plan accordingly.

In addition to basic power banks, you’ll probably want to make sure you can jump out of your own car without needing (overwhelmed) emergency personnel. After test starters Among a number of the most famous brands, the model that has proven itself as an unstoppable tank is the Wolfbox 4000A Jump Starter ($170)which can rev up a V6 literally dozens of times without falling below efficient levels, and also serves as a power unit. But when space is limited, the NOCO Boost X GB45 ($125) is also a powerful yet compact option.

Small devices are also important, whether they’re phones or handheld gaming consoles, for keeping your mental health in order. This Nimble is WIRED’s top pick among the smallest portable power banks. WIRED Gear Team Director Martin Cizmar also recommends this magnetic power bank from Ridge to keep all your Apple devices charged, including an Apple Watch with a proprietary magnetic charging port and older devices that still use Lightning cables. “The Ridge is compact, durable and, in addition to its two built-in cables, has MagSafe, so it will fit on the back of your most important device (your phone),” he writes. The 10,000 mAh charge is enough to charge any iPhone twice, and three times for smaller iPhones, and a small LED screen will show the remaining charge. What sets this Ridge apart in a situation that requires hurrying is that the MagSafe is powerful enough to stay put on your phone while you’re on the go.

This may go without saying, but what battery-powered portable devices do you own? Have extra batteries for them.

You will need light in the event of a power outage. Candles and matches are also very popular. But for walking or for focused light, let’s dare to suggest… the absolute the best flashlight? The one you can drown in water – and then purify the water with its light?

For ambient light when you’re standing still, you want a lantern. There are of course many fuel-based options, but a long-lasting battery-powered model Coleman LED Lantern ($22) is a proven, no-frills option that promises 175 hours of battery life before needing to change batteries.

You can of course buy a American Red Cross Ready-to-Use Emergency Medical Kit ($43)Or this one is supposed to stay in your car. Adventure Medical Kits also makes a product more extravagant Mountain Series Explorer Medical Kit ($87). but for thrifty people, see this guide for put together a better emergency kit yourself for less money.

In addition to any necessary prescription medications, over-the-counter pain relievers and antacid tablets are helpful additions to any emergency kit. The same goes for feminine hygiene products, toothbrushes and toothpaste.

But prevention is the crux of the fight. Nitrile gloves are useful for avoiding all kinds of contaminants. Hand sanitizers ends up being…a big deal. Just like the good old disinfectant wipes. This will also be important in the event of burns, which have a nasty tendency to infiltrate. “Anything that maintains hygiene is very important,” says Sury. “Especially if we don’t have running water, we just don’t want to get viruses, fecal or oral-borne bacterial infections.”

According to Sury, the most important category that people tend to overlook when thinking about emergency preparedness is intangible assets. This can be as simple as having a family communications plan and predefined meeting points, so you know what to do if members of your family become separated. But it’s also important to have digital backups of key documents, Sury said, “anything that has high value and could potentially be damaged in a disaster.” This may include insurance documents, property and car titles, medical information such as prescription drug lists and instructions, physician contact information, and passport and state ID photographs.

You probably have access to some form of cloud storage. See WIRED guide to the best cloud storage services for every need and type of device, and make sure you use a good password manager to secure all sensitive data. But especially if Internet access is not guaranteed or if you prefer not to store certain documents on the cloud, another secure option is a portable external storage drive which fits easily into a waterproof pouch. WIRED Reviewer Scott Gilbertson Recommends OWCs Elektron Envoy Pro SSD ($300)) as a portable storage drive that will withstand the elements and can get wet and travel with you anywhere. Or simply store the essentials on a USB key as WIRED’s best compact pick, the dramatically named Patriot Supersonic Rage Prime ($67).

Wait, does that sound dramatic? Well, maybe, but it’s better to be safe than to be sorry. Disasters take many forms, some of which are human-made. Here is WIRED’s guide to how to obtain and configure a burner phone in a way that cannot be tracked. But to avoid trackers on phones, you will also need a Faraday bag to block tracking signals, like a SLNT Faraday bag from Silent Pocket. Real burner phones are not purchased online. But if all you need is a secure phone to cross a border, what you really want is an affordable phone. cell phone separated from incriminating data: the Moto G Stylus 5G will meet your needs here.

Whatever is happening with the Internet or satellites, a radio is a good source of information in an emergency. Have one. The classic advice from the preparer is crank radio. But for short-term emergencies, a battery-powered model is also an option.

Another thing people forget to do until the internet is already down? Download emergency phone apps. Since October 2025, FEMA has an app. Your local city or state government probably also has opt-in emergency push notifications. Consider registering. WIRED has also listed a number of other personal security appsincluding a subscription service called Rescu that can connect you directly to first responders.

For wildfires, Stasewicz, a wildfire expert at the University of Oregon, highly recommends downloading an independent wildfire awareness app. Monitoring servicewhich offers up-to-date information on wildfires across the country and has become an important lifeline, especially during the Los Angeles fires of 2025. The app will most likely provide evacuation information faster than your local sheriff, Stasewicz notes, giving your family much more time in an emergency. The app is free for emergency information in a single county, but there are subscription tiers for those who want to donate or monitor broader regional wildfires and receive information. more detailed information on disasters.

I know, I know, an ax sounds cooler. But in an emergency, you don’t really want to get an ax wound. And if you’re not the type to use one regularly, an emergency situation is not the time to learn that an ax can slide off the side of an unstable log and toward your waiting foot quite easily. Use this corner. This will be useful if you need firewood for fires.

This is another overlooked item that is recommended by everyone from emergency experts to anyone who has ever encountered a child. In stressful or prolonged situations, rely on distraction. It can be as simple as a book of riddles, a good construction kit, or forethought in going out to catch the Nintendo Switch2 and a small power bank like Nimble, WIRED’s first choice.

Do you plan to leave Fido or Meowser behind when the rains come to clean these streets? Assuming not, perhaps keep a pet carrier with portable food and water dishes on hand. If you have horses, you will need to have a trailer and something that can tow them. If you have a pet boa constrictor, I don’t have any good advice.[[I have a pet boa constrictor and I recommend putting it in a pillowcase. —Ed.]

A can openerto open the cans. A pair of scissors for all kinds of things. Duct tape and sheets to build temporary shelters or to protect against rain. A box of matches in a ziplock bag. A notepad and a pen. Unbreakable plates and cups, whether paper or metal. A shovel. I really hope you have a good shovel.

Yes, they still exist. Yes, that’s a good idea.

A short list of what matters

At the University of Oregon, much of Stasiewicz’s research focuses on the human impacts of wildfires. So when I asked her what aspect of emergency preparedness wildfire victims often regret neglecting, she responded with one word: “Memories.”

“Our checklists explain how to survive a fire,” she said. “They say, ‘Bring your medicine, bring your ID, bring your important documents, take your computer and your wallet’… But they don’t mention anything about what’s going to help you rebuild if you lose everything. For some people, it’s the art they bought on their honeymoon. It’s the recipe book of the great-grandmother from Germany. It’s the photo albums of the photos you couldn’t digitize.”

For children, what helps them feel better after an evacuation might be their favorite stuffed animal. It’s good to make a little list of what matters, Stasewicz notes, because when the stress of the fire hits, it’s really hard to remember. However, you will remember it later.

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