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Go Bags & Supply Kits

​In a disaster, you may have to evacuate rapidly. It's important to have your emergency supplies packed and ready to go. It's also possible that you may need to shelter-in-place. Preparing supplies for a variety of safe locations after a disaster is smart, because you never know where you'll be when a disaster strikes. There are a number of strategies for packing supplies into kits with different purposes, such as a go bag for work or school (when you are on the go) and an under-the-bed kit to help you get from your bed out to safety if a disaster strikes during the night. These kits can build on each other to reduce duplicate expenses for supplies. For example, your go bags and under-bed kit can be part of your shelter-in-place supply kits. Scroll down for more information. 
​On this page, you'll find:

Video: Are your go bags ready? 
In this Neighbors Ready! QuakeUp! video, you’ll learn about the 3 evacuation levels so you’ll know when to leave during an evolving emergency, and how to organize your emergency supply kits to make sure you have what you need and are ready to go. We'll provide lists with suggestions on what to include, and we'll discuss how to pack your bags efficiently. We’ll talk about three different types of kits: under-bed kits, go bags (for 1 - 2 days), and evacuation kits (for 3 days - 2 weeks). Scroll down to find additional resources for further research, including a transcript of the presentation with speaker notes. ​Want to take notes? Download the slide deck with speaker notes.
What Can't you live Without? Put it in your Go Bag Now. 

Types of Emergency Supply Kits
Go bags and emergency kits come in many sizes and shapes depending on their purpose and your needs. It's easy to get confused and overwhelmed, so we suggest you start small and gather your supplies in one place, starting with supplies you already have on hand. Functionally, three different types of emergency go kits include: 
  • Under-bed kits - for safely getting out of bed and out of the house in a disaster 
  • Go bags - fast grab-and-go supply kits with survival essentials for 1-2 days, giving you enough supplies and tools during a short journey to safety. You may be away from home for work, school, or at another place when a disaster strikes. Carry it hidden in your car or store it at places where you spend a lot time regularly.
  • Evacuation kits - kits with supplies and tools to help you survive for a longer duration, such as 3 days to 2 weeks. Evacuation kits build on the supplies you already have in your go bags. ​​

Under-Bed Kit Basics
You spend up to a third of your life sleeping. Prepare under-bed safety kits to help you and family safely get out of the house in a disaster that damages your home. Protect your feet, hands, and head. 
Consider including: 
  • Sturdy shoes and heavy gloves
  • Protective eyewear, N95 dust mask
  • Hard hat or bike helmet
  • Flashlight, whistle
  • HELP/OK sign, neighborhood map and contact list
​​On a Budget? Use supplies you already have or shop at discount stores.​
Containers for underbed kits
You probably already have a container in your home: backpacks, old pillow cases, shipping boxes, space saver vacuum storage bags, or even a heavy duty trash bag. A bed caddy or pocket is a great idea for storing important items that you use everyday, such as glasses, a flashlight, and your cell phone; it will keep all these important items in place and within reach, especially important if the lights are out or during an earthquake. Consider tying or fastening your kit to a bed leg to keep it in place during an earthquake. 

What goes into a Go Bag?
Disasters can strike at any time. Go bags, or bug-out bags, contain items you need to help you stay safe no matter where you are, with supplies for a minimum of 1-2 days. Your go bag should:
  • Reflect your personal needs
  • Be accessible wherever you go
  • Include essentials a variety of weather conditions.  
​Every member of the family should have a go bag, including your pets. Beyond the basics, what you put in each go bag depends on the special needs of the go bag owner. Start with a list of go bag supplies, and customize it as needed. 
​Check out this video: Trish Reading, our go bag expert, shares what she packs in her bag and why. 

First-Aid kits
You can buy first-aid kits pre-made, but often they don’t have everything you need. You can build your own kit, or buy one and add to it things you need for your family, such as any personal items such as medications and emergency phone numbers or other items your health-care provider may suggest. Keep a kit in your vehicles, go bags, and at home. Check out these First-Aid checklists from the Be 2 Weeks Ready program, created by Oregon Emergency Management. Learn more about creating a first aid plan on our First-Aid Plan webpage. 
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Click for lists to build first aid kits for home, car, and go bags (Source: Be 2 Weeks Ready, Oregon Emergency Management)
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Click to find The American Red Cross recommendations

​Evacuation Bags
Evacuation kits provide supplies and tools to help you survive for a longer duration, such as 3 days to 2 weeks. Evacuation kits build on the supplies you've packed in your go bags. During an evacuation, you may need to go to a shelter or a friend's home, for days, weeks, a month. Here's a minimum list: 
  • Start with your Go Bag, including protection for head, hands, feet. Flashlight whistle, chargers, masks, water, snack, critical medications, money, critical documents.
  • Next, think about what you may need for a longer period of time, such as: extra clothing, hoodie, jacket, poncho; more personal hygiene supplies and medications for two weeks, and so on. 
Download our go bag checklists as a list you can build from. You'll also find these lists in our "Get Prepared Now!" booklet, along with a lot more tips and information to help you get prepared. ​
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Click to download the checklist

A bag for each family member
Every member of the family should have a go bag, personalized to their particular needs, including your pets. Here are some tips for each type of family member:
  • Infants: Keep emergency supplies for infants in their own dedicated baby duffel bag. Their preparedness needs change monthly (in terms of food, diaper sizes, and so on). You'll want to update their items more frequently than other family members.
  • Growing children: Pack their clothing 1 to 2 sizes larger, and include an item for quiet entertainment and comfort, such as a favorite toy.
  • Pets: Pack a separate bag for pets, with extra water and food, collar and restraints, and plastic bags for dog doo. Some shelters won't accept uncrated animals, so an all-in-one pack with a crate can be ideal.
  • Seniors: Pack personal medical equipment, aids, canes, and doctor's contact information. Consider how much the senior can lift when selecting a bag.  
  • Persons with disabilities:  Consider the special needs of people with disabilities--medications, equipment, and so on--and pack accordingly. 

Choosing a bag
There are many different designs and types of bags to chose from. When looking for a bag for your kits, consider the following: 
  • Look for a high-capacity backpack with many built-in storage compartments and modular pouches with clear tops for quick and easy identification. 
  • If you need more supplies than will fit in a single backpack, consider adding a duffel bag to hold your additional stuff.
  • Consider how much weight the person carrying the bag can lift, and any physical limitations. For many seniors, a bag with wheels is a requirement. 
For households with 3 or more family members, consider organizing:
  • By Person. Label it with their name and store all of their needs in it including medications and personal items.
  • Add a personalized container (like a pouch) to your emergency kit for each family member.

Tips for organizing your bags
Many people organize their go bags and evacuation kits using off-the-shelf school backpacks. But with only one compartment, all your stuff is dumped in, making it hard to find what you need in a hurry. Locating what you need involves wading through layers and layers of stuff, and supplies on the bottom get crushed. 
Organize supply groups
One way to better organize your supplies is to use clear cubes or ziplock bags to organize different types of supplies together. For example, if you store all of the things that could expire together, it'll make the job of refreshing your evacuation bag much easier. 
Optimize the balance of weight, sizes and frequency of use. Evacuation bags may get quite heavy. Organizing your stuff in a way that balances the weight, size of items, and their frequency of use, can improve your ability to carry what you need. We found some tips from experienced backpackers helpful. Ideas include: 
  • Pack side pockets first, with water, food, first aid kit, and map
  • Pack bulky and lighter items in the bottom, such as winter jacket and extra cloths
  • Heavier items should go in the small of your back, but no sharp items next to your back
  • Keep waterproof and rain garments easily accessible
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Source: "How to pack a backpack," https://www.msrgear.com/blog/how-to-pack-a-backpack/
About weight: For some people, a bag with wheels is a requirement. If you are carrying your pack on your back, your pack should not weigh more than 1/4 to 1/3rd your body weight. ​

Why do an inventory periodically?
If you've pack your bag once, and then bury it in a closet for ten years, the contents may be expired, stale, or too small. Your breakfast bars may be as rigid as hardtack. Consider these best practices: ​
PictureClick image to view Visual Checklist for Disaster Supplies.
  • Review and repack seasonally, like in the Spring and again in the Fall. Add a reminder to your calendar. 
  • Rotate food items and medicines. Add expiration dates on each item and pack items that expire together to make this task easier. 
  • Change out seasonal clothes as weather conditions change. 
  • Keep an inventory of items in your emergency supplies. When disaster strikes, having a list of items will remind you of what you have without needing to rummage through everything. 
  • Note last-minute items that you use every day, and don't want to forget, such as your keys, wallet, glasses, refrigerated medicines, and so on. 

Resources & Checklists
Neighbors Ready! go bag checklists. You'll also find these lists in our "Get Prepared Now!" booklet, along with a lot more tips and information to help you get prepared. ​
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FEMA Disaster Supplies Checklists. An extensive set of checklists, including checklists for a first aid kit, sanitation and hygiene supplies, equipment and tools, comfort items, food and water, clothes and bedding, and documentation and keys.   
FEMA Shelter-in-Place Pictogram Guidance. The Shelter-in-Place The Shelter-in-Place Pictogram Guidance provides the public clear protective action guidance for 10 hazards and three building types. The guidance includes recommended interior locations by hazard, additional protective actions, and duration. Guidance provides the public clear protective action guidance for 10 hazards and three building types. The guidance includes recommended interior locations by hazard, additional protective actions, and duration.
Fire & Evacuation: Oregon Ready Set Go.  Sign up for TVF&R alerts. Know when to evacuate and what to do before you must go. Attend a Ready Set Go Webinar. Learn about the fire risk for your home and neighborhood, and how to prepare your home to reduce wildfire risk. 
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