What to Pack in a 72-Hour Bug Out Bag

A bug out bag (BOB) is a pre-packed kit built around one goal: covering your household's basic survival needs for about 72 hours if you have to leave home on short notice. That window comes from a widely-used preparedness guideline — most relief agencies expect it can take roughly three days for organized outside help to reach an affected area, so a BOB is built to bridge that gap on your own.

What Goes in a Bug Out Bag

A solid BOB covers water, food, and the handful of things that are hardest to improvise in a hurry:

• Water — a 3-day supply for every person and pet in the household
• Food — a 3-day supply, ideally lightweight and shelf-stable
• First aid kit, any regular medications, and warm clothing
• Sturdy walking shoes and thick socks
• Maps and basic navigation tools
• Sanitation supplies, a blanket, and a tarp
• Important documents — birth certificates, passports, and similar records
• Cash, since card readers and ATMs may not work
• A multi-tool, a couple of knife types, and duct tape

Waterproof plastic storage containers work well for keeping a BOB's contents dry and organized until it's needed.

The "Get Me Home" Bag: A Smaller, Second Kit

A BOB is built for leaving home. A "Get Me Home" bag solves a different problem — getting back home if your car breaks down or public transit fails while you're out. Keep one in the car or at the office, packed lighter than a full BOB: high-energy food, bottled water, sturdy footwear, seasonal clothing, a map, a flashlight, and a rain poncho, all in a comfortable, waterproof backpack.

Why Freeze-Dried Food Belongs in Both

Space and weight are the two constraints that matter most in either bag, and freeze-dried food solves both at once — it weighs a fraction of its hydrated equivalent and takes up far less room than canned goods. A few reliable choices for a bag like this: macaroni and cheese, scrambled eggs, a few freeze-dried meat options, casseroles, and biscuits with gravy for full meals. For snacking, freeze-dried fruit (bananas are a good source of potassium) and cubed chicken breast both travel well and need no preparation.

More on Building Your Preparedness Plan

Organizing a prepper's pantry covers the home-base side of food storage that a bug out bag is meant to supplement. End-of-month preparedness checklist has more free, practical steps worth taking care of ahead of time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a bug out bag?
A pre-packed kit designed to cover a household's basic survival needs — water, food, first aid, and a handful of essentials — for about 72 hours if you need to evacuate on short notice.

Why is 72 hours the standard for a bug out bag?
It's a widely-used preparedness benchmark based on how long it typically takes organized disaster relief to reach an affected area, so a BOB is built to cover that gap independently.

What's the difference between a bug out bag and a "Get Me Home" bag?
A bug out bag is for leaving home during an emergency; a "Get Me Home" bag is a smaller kit kept in a car or at work to help you get back home if your usual transportation fails.

Why is freeze-dried food a good fit for a bug out bag?
It weighs a fraction of its hydrated equivalent and takes up much less space than canned food, which matters most in a bag built around portability.