The Most Comprehensive Bug Out Bag Checklists
Have you wondered about all the bug-out bag checklists on the internet? You may call them 72-hour kits, either way, we need them for our family. This is how I see it, I am not planning on bugging out unless my neighborhood needs to be evacuated. If Mark and I head to the hills we may become targets of some loony people who are crazy. I must be clear here, I own a weapon and I believe in protecting my family, however possible.
Here’s the deal, we need the items I have listed below even if we do not bug out. I have readers that physically can not bug out, or have no place to go if they leave their homes. Even if we leave our homes will the destination be safe for our family? Maybe or maybe not.
If the stores close abruptly can we provide the food, water, and OTC drugs for our family for an extended period of time? Please do not think the government will rescue you, that’s not going to happen. Period. If you are on food stamps, you need to be prepared to feed your family without them. The government will no longer be refilling the EBT card you have in your possession.
I call this my Come to Jesus message, please be prepared for the unexpected. You need to take care of your family, it’s called being self-reliant. Tough times are coming, I promise.
I quote Wikipedia EMP-Electromagnetic Pulse
“EMP interference is generally disruptive or damaging to electronic equipment, and at higher energy levels a powerful EMP event, such as a lightning strike, can damage physical objects such as buildings and aircraft structures.”
Utilities/Internet Will Not Work
The store may be closed, or our country may be hit by an EMP, in which case my car will not work due to the electronics being fried. If by chance you have a car that will survive an EMP you may be able to drive to a store.
The pharmacies won’t be able to process your prescription needs because the Internet will not work. Forget the ATMs, they will not work, and neither will your direct deposit. You get the picture. We’ll be back to primitive times. Have you read the book “Lights Out” by Ted Koppel? If not, you need to, it will open your eyes as to how unprepared our country is in regard to our power grids. It’s pathetic, I kid you not.
Bug Out Bags Food
I store this food in my home because the heat is extremely hot here in Southern Utah. I can grab it if we need to evacuate.
Please check out this post for details on these food items. Linda’s Grab and Go Food Storage
Bug Out Bags
You can start by filling boxes with the items you feel your family needs to put in a bug-out bag later. I purchased some oversize bags with wheels for Mark and me and each of our daughters and their spouses.
I store my water and food separately from my bug-out bag. Remember, there are a number of different kinds of bug-out bags as detailed below. Some of my new readers may have not seen this post about my grab-and-go food bag. Food in a Bag
Pet Bug Out Bag
- Water/food dish
- Photo of the dog (to be circulated in case they get separated from you)
- Complete medical records
- Chip ID information
- Leash/harness/collar
- Sweater
- Toys
- Blanket
- Brush/comb
- Cat or Dog food (enough for at least three days)
- Water (enough for at least three days)
- Pet First Aid Book
- Vet wrap 2″ and 4″/trauma pad
- Gauze bandage rolls (2″, 4″, and 6″)
- Adhesive tape
- Tweezers/scissors/surgical soap
- Thermometer/mineral oil
- Disinfectant solution
- Styptic powder/cornstarch
- Benadryl/triple antibiotic ointment
- Eyewash
- Saline
- Medication, 5-day supply
- Tick-Flea Meds
- Paper towels/plastic bags/zip-lock bags
- Dog and/or cat carrier(s)
- Cat litter box/litter
PRINTABLE List: FSM 72-hour kit Pets
Child Bug Out Bag
- Family picture(s) with names and phone numbers/email addresses (in case they get separated from you, or if you have a child who can’t verbalize who they are)
- Fingerprints, if you have them
- Water (enough for three days)
- Food that is age-appropriate, or that your child will eat: MREs (Meals Ready To Eat—just add water), food that is ready to eat without water, freeze-dried veggies, freeze-dried fruit, freeze-dried yogurt bites, snacks, graham crackers, peanut butter crackers, cereal, raisins, fruit leather, fruit snacks, etc.
- Candy (such as suckers)
- Juice boxes
- Cup, plate, bowl & silverware/child mess kit
- Reading books
- Colored pencils/non-electric pencil sharpener or markers, crayons (not for car or garage-they’d melt)
- Paper, tablets, coloring books
- Puzzles, games, small activities, and Play Dough
- Medications: Motrin/Tylenol, Cough syrup (rotate yearly)
- Any medication you use occasionally: antibiotic ointment, Vaseline, saline spray, etc.
- Baby wipes/diapers/formula/baby food/baby food grinder/pacifiers
- Solar or small blankets
- Small pillow
- Hand sanitizer
- First Aid Kit (child-size Band-Aids)
- Extra clothes/jacket/sweater (sweat suits are ideal for storage because you can cut the sleeves and legs off if the weather is too warm or wear them as is in cold weather)
- Child size N-95 masks–practice with these BEFORE you need to use them
- Bible/Scriptures, etc.
PRINTABLE List: FSM 72-Hour Kits For Children
Adult Bug Out Bag
- Water for at least three days (1-4 gallons per day), water purifiers and water purifier bottles (like Sports Berkey Portable Water Purifier)
- Food to last for at least three days: MREs (Meals ready to eat); hot and cold ready-to-eat food packages; freeze-dried fruits and vegetables; and candy, gum, jerky, fruit snacks, raisins, fruit leather, granola bars, peanuts, crackers, etc.
- Aspirin, Aleve, Ibuprofen, Vitamin C, cold remedies, Essential Oils, etc., and antacids (for upset stomachs) Don’t forget Tylenol PM or something similar to use as a sleeping aid.
- Ax/shovel combo
- Baggies (all sizes)
- Batteries (all sizes-rotate yearly)
- Bible/Scriptures
- Bee sting & bite kit
- Blanket–solar is thinner
- Pillow
- Bleach (household chlorine–nonscented)
- Books
- Bung wrench/Gas shut-off wrench
- CASH-small bills/coins (if we lose power, ATMs won’t work; credit/debit cards won’t work)
- Can opener (non-electric)
- Canned stove (stove in a can)
- Candles/glow sticks
- Cards or small games to play
- Chapstick/lip balm
- Chargers in case we have electricity
- Coats/Jackets/Sweaters/Extra Clothes & Shoes
- Coffee Pot, pitcher, container
- Cooking pot, griddle, or fry pan
- A cooking stove of some kind/fuel/fire starter/striker
- Compass
- Contact lenses & supplies
- Cotton Swabs/Kleenex Tissues
- Disinfectant
- Duct tape
- Emergency sewing kit
- Fingernail clippers/nail file
- Fire extinguisher
- First Aid Kit
- Hand Warmers
- Flashlights (preferably solar or crank); don’t forget batteries (store batteries outside the flashlights to keep them fresh)
- Garbage Bags
- Glasses (extra pair of eyeglasses)
- Gloves/latex or non-latex
- Hair brushes/combs
- Hats, gloves/scarves
- Headlamp
- Hearing Aid, plus batteries
- Imodium/Anti-Diarrhea medicine
- Instant milk (chocolate would be good as well)
- Ipecac (check with poison control if possible)
- Hot pads, dish towels/rags/dish soap
- Lanterns/compact lights
- Latex/Non-latex gloves
- Masks N-95 minimum
- Matches (waterproofed)
- Mess Kits
- Mirror
- Scissors
- All Purpose Knife
- Mosquito Spray
- Personal Hygiene (tampons, pads, feminine supplies, etc.)
- Post It Notes/pencils/pens/crayons
- Radio/crank and or battery type (pack batteries)
- Rain Poncho
- Rope
- Safety pins, several sizes
- Shaving cream, shavers (disposable)
- Solar lights
- Sunglasses
- Temporary toilet and bags
- Thermal Underwear
- Thermometer
- Toilet Paper, shampoo, hand soap, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, deodorant, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and tweezers
- Tools
- Tent(s)
- Umbrella
- Utensils, plates, cups, and silverware to cook and eat with
- Vaseline
- Wet wipes-lots of them, they might be our only shower
- Whistles, Walkie Talkies, (test before you need them for distance) like Motorola Talkabout 2-Way Radios #MR350R/ FRS/GMRS Radio (22 channels, 121 privacy codes, 2662 Combinations)
- NOAA Weather Radio
- Work Gloves
PRINTABLE List: FSM 72-hour kit Adults
Emergency Car Kit
- Names and phone numbers of who to contact in an emergency
- Battery/crank-powered portable radio/extra batteries
- Flashlight/preferably one with solar/crank/LED
- Compass and maps; not everyone has GPS in their car and on phones
- Can of motor oil
- Fire Extinguisher(5 pound ABC type)
- Flares and/or orange cones
- Jumper cables
- Rags/paper towels
- Shovel
- Pocketknife
- Tire gauge
- Toolbox
- Window scraper for ice
- Tow Rope
- Bungee cords
- Duct tape
- Waterproof matches
Necessities for Survival
- Water
- Blankets
- Jackets/sweaters
- Emergency cash: approximately $50.00 in small bills
- First Aid Kit
- Baby Wipes
- Hand Sanitizer
- Scissors/pens/pencils (not crayons-they melt)
- Emergency snack food and/or MRE meals (items may need to be replaced more frequently if stored in extreme heat conditions)
- Whistles
- Umbrella
- Hand warmers
- Extra blankets
- A 12-volt air compressor, work gloves, a tire plug set (buy them cheaply at Walmart), emergency repair tape – self-fusing silicone tape
PRINTABLE List: Emergency Car Kits
First Aid Kit
- Ace Wraps: 3-inch & 4-inch
- Allergy Medicine
- Anti-Bacterial Wipes
- Antifungal Ointment
- Anti-Diarrhea
- Anti-Itch Cream
- Aleve (Naproxen)
- Alcohol: 90-100% proof
- Apple Cider
- Aspirin/Advil
- Bandage Scissors
- Band-Aids/Butterfly, Several Sizes
- Bee Sting Kit
- Benadryl, Liquid, and Chewable
- Betadine/iodine swabs
- Birth Control
- Boudreaux’s Butt Paste
- Bug Spray 100% Deet
- Burn Gel
- Calamine Lotion
- Castor Oil
- Cold Medicine/Cough Syrup
- Contacts/Contact Cases/ Extra Glasses/Saline
- Condoms
- Cotton Balls
- Cotton Swabs
- Dramamine (motion sickness)
- Dressings for open wounds
- Duct Tape and medical tape (all different sizes)
- Ear-Loop Masks (N-95), all sizes
- Ear Plugs
- Elastic Gauze Bandage Rolls
- Epsom Salt
- Essential Oils Book
- Eye Patches
- First-Aid Book
- First-Aid Shears
- Flashlights w/Batteries
- Floss
- Gloves (non-latex)
- Gauze Pads (sterile and non-sterile)
- Hand sanitizer
- Heat packs-Heating pads-Thank you Janet for this reminder: Hot water bottle
- Hemorrhoid Ointment/Suppositories
- Ibuprofen
- Mylar Blankets
- Hydrocortisone
- Lip balm/ ChapStick
- Lotion or Body Cream
- Menstrual Pads and Tampons
- Mucinex
- Mucinex Dm
- Motrin
- Monistat (Yeast Infections)
- Mouthwash
- Molefoam/Moleskin
- Multi-Task Knife
- Nasal Decongestant
- Nasal Spray (Afrin)
- New Skin Liquid Bandage
- Non-stick Sterile Pads
- Nystatin and Triamcinolone Acetonide
- Nail Clippers
- Neosporin
- Orajel
- Petroleum Jelly
- Pepto-Bismol Chewables
- Peroxide
- Pregnancy Test
- Quick clot
- Rolled Gauze
- Scissors
- Silver Gel
- Silver Liquid
- Silver Cough Lozenges
- Sleep-Aid Medicine
- Splinter Removal Kit
- Splints
- Soap
- Stethoscope
- Sunscreen
- Surgical Face Masks (N-100), all sizes
- Tick Remover
- Toothbrushes/Toothpaste
- Tucks Pads-Which Hazel
- Tweezers
- Tylenol
- Vicks VapoRub
- Zantac (Acid Reducer)
- Ziplock Bags
- VITAMINS
- B-12 Vitamins
- B-complex vitamins
- Calcium
- D-3 Vitamins
- Magnesium
- Mature Complete Multivitamin
- Omega 3 Fish Oil
- Vitamin C
- Essential Oils
PRINTABLE List: First Aid Kit List
Some of these bug-out bag checklists may seem long and cumbersome, just remember to start with a little and add the items your family may need. You will be one step closer to being prepared for the unexpected. You can do it, one item at a time. May God bless this world. Blessings, Linda
A real good list for bugging in also.
Hi Janet, you are so right! I’m bugging in but I’m sure you know that! Linda
On your picture of the bags I see one with Thrive cans in it and what looks like a list on top, what products are in that kit?
Hi Cindy, I’m glad you asked. I should have added a link to that post. Those Thrive products are pouches and pantry cans. https://www.foodstoragemoms.com/my-72-hour-kits-today/ I hope that link works for you, it spells out everything. Linda
I don’t believe you can have too much. For a “bug out bag” or escape and evasion kit it has to be minimal, but despite all the arguments, most of us will pack our cars and vehicles and our homes with supplies. And if we have shelters or other places to go to, then any of us would stash supplies there as well.
I like a comprehensive list to help people pack or stock the things they need most or might need later and then there will be those items they have not thought of or should have to be fully prepared.
Hi Frank, great comment, this list is long, but people can pick and choose the ones they feel most important to them. If they bug in they will need most of these. Good to hear from you, Frank! Linda
72 items for a BOB??? How big a person do you have to be to carry all of that excessive “stuff”?? That is a Wish List not a Need List.
Hi Bill, it’s several lists for people to choose from, that’s all. Linda
i know your intention is to SiP, as is my own, but I have heard that in situations where families are evacuated to shelters, dogs must have a muzzle. If you are packing for storm/fire evac I would add muzzles in your pet bag for each dog, just in case.
Hi Jenny, that’s a great idea! I need to add that to the post! Thank you, Linda