Experts Explain Why You Need An Emergency Go Bag (And What Should Be In It)

When it comes to personal safety, no one ever wants to imagine that the worst could ever happen to themselves or their loved ones. But whether you live in an area that is prone to natural disasters or not, having essential survival items on hand can make a huge difference when push comes to shove. Earthquakes, floods , tornados, hurricanes , tsunamis and other worst-case scenarios might not seem like they could happen to you, but as many who have survived such events would tell us, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Not only does having something like an emergency go-bag or survival kit on hand provide peace of mind, but it can also keep you and your family safe from harm in a wide manner of events, including the most unexpected. “Disasters can happen anywhere, anytime — even in someone’s own home," Stephanie Fox, a spokesperson for the American Red Cross , told HuffPost. "Having the supplies needed to navigate the emergency can allow for a quicker and calmer response. And now, with the increasing frequency and intensity of climate-driven disasters, it’s more important than ever for families to be prepared.”

She said the Red Cross strongly encourages everyone to have an emergency preparedness kit filled with the proper supplies they may need in the event of an emergency or disaster. In Fox’s opinion, having two different options on hand is ideal: one with essentials to sustain your family for three days in a backpack or tote bag, and a more substantial option stocked with two weeks’ worth of supplies.

"Each individual or family should stock their emergency kit to accommodate their own personal needs," she said. "Food, water and any prescription medication are extremely important components to a kit.” She went on to add that “you’ll also want to make special considerations and accommodations for those most vulnerable in your family unit like children, the elderly, the disabled and pets.”

Survivalist, author and television host Ky Furneaux is a proponent of researching past natural disasters in your area to determine what kind of potential emergency situations you might find yourself in. “Are you in a flood plain? Is there a history of bushfires? Are you on the coast where you could get hit by hurricanes? This will give you an idea of what you need to prepare most for,” she told HuffPost. Even if there is no history of natural disasters where you live, she said, it is a good idea to have a go bag ready in case your area gets struck by a “once-in-a-lifetime event.” 

While there are many pre-made survival kits and go bags available for purchase, Furneaux believes the best survival bag is one that you have put together yourself. She said that “too many people have survival bags that they have bought as-is, and they don’t know what is in them nor how to use all of the contents. By tailoring your own bag to your own needs, you will always know what you have and how to use it.”

Wilderness self-reliance educator and traditional skills practitioner Donald Dust gets millions of TikTok views on this very topic. He agrees with Furneaux that making your own is the best way to go. He argued that pre-made “bug-out” bags can be gimmicky and give people a false sense of security, but that “there is a self-reliance factor people will find when they research, plan, educate and train with their bug-out bag.”

All of the experts agreed that emergency bags should contain copies of important travel and identification documents. Dust also recommended scanning them and loading them into your Cloud account, along with sending paper copies to relatives who live away from you. He also noted that you should never fill the pack itself all the way up. “Leave room for things that could be provided at relief centers or objects that might be added along your route of travel," he said.

Furneaux also emphasized that the single most important survival item (besides a blade) is having a good mindset. “If you can stay positive and be adaptable, then you have won half the battle.” Dust echoed these sentiments, explaining that “your mental ability to stay cool, calm and collected is essential. Having the ability to logically say ‘it’s time to go’ is a must...The mind is super powerful and if you have prepared yourself mentally, physically and emotionally, you will live.”

Below, we’ve compiled a selection of essential survival items for creating your own emergency go-bag inspired by our experts’ suggestions. They include everything from fire starters to popular multitools on Amazon , fresh undies, headlamps, solar charging stations and more. It’s a great jumping-off point when creating your own survival bag and you’ll be able to have peace of mind knowing that you and your family have practical resources close at hand should disaster strike. As Dust put it: “You never know when you will get that knock on the door.”

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