Climate change is leaving more and more of the population exposed to a series of worsening environmental disasters: the current Los Angeles wildfires, 2024’s hurricanes Helene and Milton, damaging windstorms during a 2022 blizzard in the Northeast, among many others.

No matter where you live, being prepared for the emergencies most likely to happen in your region is key to keeping a cool head, and being taken care of in the event of an evacuation. 

“Make a plan ahead of time,” said Susan Spierre Clark, assistant professor of environment and sustainability at the University at Buffalo, who has spoken to dozens of people following disasters for her research. “Know where you can go if there’s an evacuation, know where emergency services are and how to get in touch with them, and have a bag ready to go, preferably stored high up, where it can’t get wet in a flood, but easy to get to as you leave.”

You want your bag to be big enough to hold what you need, but not so big it hinders your mobility, so pack judiciously. If you own a car, and anticipate evacuating in that vehicle, you may have more wiggle room when it comes to packing a single go-bag versus multiple go-bags. While each person or family will have different necessities, there are some essentials that most people will want to have packed and ready to go.

Go-bag basics: documentation, money, and sustenance

You can’t pack your wallet in a go-bag because it’s something you need on a regular day, but you can make sure your wallet is packed. Keep key items there so that if you can grab it safely on your way out the door during an emergency it is actually useful to you—it should at least contain photo identification and cash in case electricity goes out and a debit or credit card becomes unusable (but it doesn’t hurt to pack those, too, in case electricity is up and running). At the end of each day, always slip your cards back into your wallet after using them. You don’t want to realize you left them in a pocket or on a table while evacuating. 

You might not always be able to get to your wallet before you leave, however, so plan ahead by making copies of the documents you keep in your wallet and storing the copies in your go-bag. You can also add copies of other important documents, such as insurance and medical paperwork, proof of address, the deed or lease to your home, passports, and birth certificates (keep originals in a waterproof and fire-proof safe). 

The US Federal Emergency Management Agency recommends stocking up on one gallon of water per person per day—covering at least three days. Spierre Clark also recommends packing a filtering and purifying water bottle, just in case you need to take a drink from a questionable water source. Bottles like Grayl’s GeoPress Ti Purifier remove waterborne pathogens, such as rotavirus, hepatitis A, giardiasis, cryptosporidium, cholera and dysentery, and use activated carbon to adsorb a number of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides, and heavy metals. A three-day supply of non-perishable food is also a must. Spierre Clark notes that granola bars are a good item to pack because they don’t take up much space. Dried fruit and peanut butter are also good options, as are canned meats, fruits and vegetables (just don’t forget to pack a can opener).

For those with infants, pack formula or anything needed for breastfeeding, as well as anything babies and young children might need that you won’t easily find elsewhere. Spierre Clark suggests “a portable place for them to sleep comfortably, sippy cups, bottles. And anything to comfort them, like pacifiers, stuffed animals and blankets.”

For anyone with pets, make sure you pack a safe way to transport them, such as collars, leashes, and carrying cases. They’ll need their necessities, too: food, water, medications, and prescriptions.

Go-bag health: first-aid, medications, and wipes 

A go-bag should also contain medical care that’s not easily replaced: a three-to-seven-day supply of any prescription medications and their corresponding prescriptions. It’s useful to have over-the-counter medicines, as well. You might need pain relievers, anti-diarrheals, antacids, and laxatives.

A first-aid kit should also be in the bag, as should personal hygiene items, including any feminine hygiene products of choice, and diapers and rash cream for families who need them. And then there are wet wipes. While they aren’t a great environmental purchase for regular use—they’re made up of non-biodegradable plastic fibers and can take up to 100 years to break down in landfills—they can be very useful in extenuating emergency situations.

“You can’t underestimate the value of wet wipes for so many different things,” said Spierre Clark. “Keeping yourself clean or cleaning up after eating—you never know when you might need them.”

If you are packing a go-bag in a region where wildfires are a risk, N95 masks can help protect your respiratory system from contaminated air.

And no matter what situation you find yourself in, make sure to pack an extra set of weather-appropriate clothes for each member of your family, as well as items to help with temperature control—blankets and solar-charged heating packs to stay warm or fans and cooling packs that don’t need to be refrigerated to stay cool. If you wear glasses, don’t forget to stash an extra pair in the go-bag, or extra contact lenses and cleaning solution.

Go-bag technology: from high-tech smartphones to low-tech paper maps

Sign up in advance to receive notifications from national and local weather services, as well as public alert systems in your area so you’ll know when it’s time to go. Like your wallet, you’ll want to grab your phone on the way out the door. Pre-pack a charger and extra charging banks in your go-bag, and make sure to check often that they are fully charged. 

A phone can also serve as a flashlight or map, but in the event that there’s no power or internet, you’ll want to have the analog versions of everything more high-tech that you keep in the bag. A flashlight and a radio can also help you out in a bind, especially if they are the hand-crank variety, so you don’t have to worry about batteries. Even if you know your region well, it’s a good idea to pack a waterproof map in your go-bag, as well as a list of emergency contacts—both of family and friends, and nearby emergency services. “We don’t memorize phone numbers anymore,” said Spierre Clark. “Have them written down on paper in case you can’t access them on your phone.”