Prepper Glossary
Bug Out Bag List
A bug out bag list is the checklist of items packed for a 72-hour evacuation: water and treatment, calories, first aid, clothing, light, documents, sanitation, and a way to get information. In the United States the list should stay light enough to carry. The bag supports movement. It is not a garage in backpack form.
Also called: bug out bag checklist, BOB list, bug out bag essentials, 72-hour bag list, go bag list
By Dan Whelan, founder of New World Survival
Researched from government agencies, university extension services, and other published sources. See our sources
At a glance
Pack by category, then cut weight.
The list below is the extractable core: eight categories that keep one person moving for three days, plus a short list of shared extras. Everything else has to earn its ounces.
Quick facts
Purpose
Pack a bug out bag for about 72 hours away from home
Weight check
Walk it two miles; cut what you did not need and could not carry
Typical pack size
30 to 55 liters
Cousin list
Household prepper checklist
Mainstream name
Go bag list
The list
What goes in a bug out bag?
Pack by category, then cut weight.
Water
- One bottle you will actually drink from
- Filter, purification tablets, or both
- Do not load three gallons. That is the home kit's job.
Food
- Six to nine compact meals you will eat cold if needed
- A small snack buffer
- Any required comfort calories: a familiar bar beats a fancy meal you hate
Medical
- Compact first-aid kit
- Personal prescriptions in original or clearly labeled bottles
- Written list of doses and allergies
- Spare glasses if you need them to move
Information
- Battery or hand-crank NOAA radio
- Paper map of the local area
- Written meeting place and phone numbers
Documents and money
- Copies of IDs, insurance, and medical cards in a waterproof pouch
- Some cash in small bills
- A photo of family members and pets
Clothing
- One change of clothes
- Extra socks
- Rain layer
- Season extra: insulation in the North, sun coverage in the Southwest
Hygiene and sanitation
- Wipes, soap, toilet kit
- Garbage bags
- Menstrual supplies if needed
Shared extras
- Emergency blanket or bivy
- Work gloves
- A small repair item you already know how to use
Only if they fit the weight budget.
That list is the extractable core. Everything else has to earn its ounces.
Bag vs home
Bug out bag essentials vs a full household list
Essentials are what keep one person moving for three days. A household prepper checklist is the pantry, the plan, and the home bin.
| Category | In the bag | At home |
|---|---|---|
| Water | Bottle plus treatment | Gallons |
| Food | 6 to 9 meals | Days to weeks |
| Radio | One shared radio can live in one adult bag | Spare batteries in the bin |
| Documents | Copies | File originals separately |
| Shelter | Light emergency layer | House, or a real tent only if you train with it |
If an item is easier to grab from a closet than to carry two miles, it does not belong in the bag.
Build steps
How to use this list without overpacking
Choose the pack first. A 30 to 55 liter bag with a hip belt.
Set a weight cap before you shop.
Pack water and meds first.
Add food you already eat.
Add light, radio, documents, clothes, hygiene.
Weigh the bag.
Walk two miles.
Remove what you did not need and could not carry.
A list that never meets a scale is a wish list.
Pre-packed vs build-your-own
Retail "loaded bug out bag" checklists look complete and often fail on two points: the pack is uncomfortable, and the food is a bar nobody wants. Open any pre-packed kit the day it arrives. Compare it to this list. Dump what you will not eat. Weigh what remains.
Build-your-own from a grocery store and a drugstore usually wins on food and fit. Buy the pack that sits on your hips.
Two people or a family
Bug out bag list for two people or a family
Do not build one 70-pound suitcase.
- Each adult carries water, calories, clothes, and their own meds
- One adult carries the shared radio and the documents pouch
- Kids get a small pack: clothes, bottle, snacks, comfort item
- Pet food, leash, and vet records go in an adult bag
Split weight on purpose so one missing adult does not take every document.
What not to put on the list
Leave these in the house or the car unless you have a specific, trained reason:
Extra cooking systems you have never used
Duplicate tools
Large water cubes
A week of canned food
Seasonal clothes for the wrong climate
Anything illegal to carry in your state
Gear whose only job is looking prepared
A tactical backpack full of unused pouches is still an empty plan.
By region and season
Seasonal additions for US regions
Keep the core list stable. Change the edges.
Hurricane / flood
Copies of insurance, dry bags, more socks, a written destination
Wildfire
N95 or similar mask, eye protection, a route that does not use the one smoky canyon road
Winter storm / ice
Extra insulation, gloves, a layer you can walk in
Heat / Southwest
More water treatment, sun coverage, electrolytes you will drink
Tornado alley
This bag is secondary; a helmet and a known interior room at home matter first
Local hazard beats a generic internet dump.
Avoid these
Common mistakes
Copying a 60-item list into a 25-liter bag
No medications
No documents
All the water and none of the treatment
Food the household has never tasted
Never walking the finished bag
Using this list as a substitute for a home 72-hour kit
Keep going
What is a bug out bag? The definition
The Evacuation Bag kit Steps, picks, and costs
Printable checklist Check it off as you pack
What is a 72 hour kit? The home-side reserve
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
What is a bug out bag list?
A bug out bag list is the checklist of water, food, medical, clothing, light, documents, and sanitation packed for about 72 hours of evacuation.
What are bug out bag essentials?
The essentials are water plus treatment, calories you will eat, first aid and meds, light, a radio, document copies, a weather layer, and hygiene. Weight comes after those.
How much food goes on the list?
Six to nine meals per person, plus a small snack buffer. The house holds the rest.
Should I print a 200-item survival list?
No. Long lists create bags nobody can carry. Use eight categories and a scale.
Is a go bag list different?
No. In US search, a go bag list is the same 72-hour list with mainstream wording.
Where do I put shared items?
In one adult bag, labeled, so the other bags stay lighter.
Related terms
Keep reading
Last updated: September 29, 2026