A New Kind Of Meal Prep
20+ Things You’ll Be Glad You Have In Your Family’s Bug-Out Bag
You’re really going to want that solar power bank when the electricity is out.
by Katie McPherson
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If the last few months of “once-in-a-lifetime” hurricanes have taught our country anything, it’s that you kind of have to be prepared for the worst, even when you least expect it. But when you know a big storm or weather event is coming, it’s easy to panic a little and get overwhelmed. What do you need to pack to evacuate? What do you need to stay? This is when it pays to have a bug-out bag already packed for your family (maybe more than one, depending on how many of you there are).
Wondering how to build your family’s disaster supply kit without spending your last dime in the process? You can definitely go about this the slow and steady way. When you order something from Amazon or stop into the grocery store, tack on an item or two from your bug-out bag list. Then you won’t feel like you dropped a couple hundred dollars all at once just to shove your new investment into a closet for months.
Prepping a bug-out bag is actually a great way to give yourself some peace of mind if you live in an area with severe weather, like hurricanes, tornadoes, or flash floods. Knowing you can grab your bags and leave with everything you need for a few days is so much better than scrambling to put it all together in the days leading up to a storm. And it’s important to start with the essentials: food and water.
0172 Hours’ Worth Of Nonperishable Food
Emergency preparedness experts usually say 72 hours’ worth of food is enough to last you until your power comes back on, or you can safely leave the disaster area to get somewhere else. Ready.gov, the U.S. government’s emergency readiness resource, recommends the following foods for your stash:
- Shelf-stable (or no refrigeration required), low in salt, and do not require cooking (e.g., canned and dried fruit, granola bars, energy bars, peanut butter, jam, jelly, honey)
- Canned and dry vegetables and fruit
- Low-salt crackers, Ritz crackers, graham crackers, or animal cookies
- Cereals, package oatmeal
- Breakfast bars
- Peanut butter, jelly, or honey
- Nuts
- Canned and dry soup, like Lipton and Knorr noodle packages
- Canned meats, like tuna, chicken, salmon, or sardines
- Powdered milk, cocoa mix, instant coffee, or other dry beverage mixes
- Krusteaz instant pancake mix, Jiffy muffin mix, or Bisquick
- Sugar, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and chicken and beef bouillon cubes
Important note: If you pack canned goods, don’t forget a small can opener! Camping cookware will be helpful, too. If you want to go ahead and pack your food into your go bag, store edible goods in airtight, pest-resistant containers and keep it all in a cool, dark place.
02The Same Amount Of Water & Supplies To Clean More
Should your water become cut off or contaminated, you’ll want enough clean drinking water on hand to last you three days. FEMA and the Red Cross recommend you have one gallon of water per person per day available to drink at home. If you can’t pack that much around on your back (and who can), Ready.gov recommends keeping portable water filtration cartridges or straws in your bag. This LifeStraw has more than 117,000 reviews on Amazon and a 4.8-star rating.
03Cash
If power’s out, credit and debit cards may not get you anywhere. Have cash in a variety of bill sizes in your bag so you can still buy provisions as needed.
04A First Aid Kit
It doesn’t have to be fancy; it just needs to have the essentials. This kit has everything you’d need to handle minor cuts and scrapes, tucked nicely into a hard case so nothing gets squished or contaminated.
05Power Banks
Chances are you’ll want to charge your phone or other devices, and having a power bank that recharges using solar is crucial. This one doubles as a flashlight and has built-in cords so you’re not fumbling around in the dark to connect any.
06Flashlight & Batteries
If you pack a battery-powered flashlight, don’t forget to toss some extra AAs in your bag with it. Or, you can avoid carrying heavy batteries by purchasing a small, powerful, rechargeable flashlight. There are a ton available on Amazon. Just ensure that the flashlight you buy matches the ports your power bank has so you don’t find out they’re incompatible mid-crisis.
07Important Documents, Ideally In A Dry Bag
Home insurance policies, Social Security cards, birth certificates — you might need them, and getting copies can be a major pain. And let’s be honest, we all have some photos, letters, or other paper goods that just can’t be replaced. Gather them up ahead of the storm, tuck them away safely inside a weatherproof pouch, and pop the pouch into your bag.
08A Hand Crank Radio
Pack a lightweight hand crank radio — with a little elbow grease, you’ll be able to get weather updates no matter how long the power’s been out. This one is endorsed by the American Red Cross, so it shouldn’t fail you when you need it most.
09Basic Hygiene Supplies
Don’t weigh yourself down with a million chapsticks here. Think toilet paper, wipes, travel-size toothpaste, and a toothbrush for each person. Tampons or pads are easy to forget, but if you happen to be on your period when disaster strikes, you will really appreciate past-you for packing some.
10Pet Food, Meds, & An Extra Collar With Leash
When you’re just trying to go, you don’t want to fumble around looking for the dog’s leash or the cat’s carrier. Store whatever you need to transport your pet with your bag, and bring a spare leash and collar just in case something on the first set breaks.
And, of course, don’t forget to pack food, water, and any necessary meds for your fur babies.
11Sleeping Bags Or Emergency Blankets
If you already own sleeping bags for everyone in the family, great! If you don’t, or you’re wanting to find something smaller to pack in your already overstuffed go bag, emergency mylar blankets are much slimmer to pack around. Bonus points for being super affordable.
12Prescription Medications & OTC Must-Haves
You’re going to want some meds after a natural disaster. Pain relievers are good to have, and throw in some Tums and antidiarrheals to help you with all that powdered soup mix, y’know? A travel pill carrier like this one can keep things organized without you having to carry entire bottles of meds.
Getting prescription meds ahead of time can be difficult, so when you hear a storm is heading your way, go ahead and toss yours in a small bag and keep them near your bug-out bag. Maybe you can’t pack away a stash of them like Advil, but you can make them easy to grab in an emergency.
13A Change Of Clothes For Each Person
We’re thinking 72 hours here, so chances are you’ll all want a fresh pair of undies (and everything else) at some point. One spare outfit is enough to get you through without weighing you down too much.
14A Backpack To Hold It All
Bug-out bag experts on Reddit — not sure how you learn this much, but they seem to know their stuff — say you should wait to buy your actual bag until you have all your other gear. This will help you buy one that’s right for your needs and supplies. Until then, you can use any old suitcase or duffel, a heavy-duty storage container, or even a cooler with wheels.
Keep an eye out at local thrift stores, especially outdoor secondhand and consignment shops, for hiking backpacks. Bags designed for long-distance hiking hold a lot and are made to be as comfortable as possible. You might be able to nab a great bug-out bag for less this way. This pack is a fairly affordable option with good reviews, and it includes a helpful rain cover to keep your pack and its contents dry.
15Handy Dandy Items For Solving Problems
What good is your tarp if you have nothing to hang it up or pin it down with? And what should you do if your bag rips, and now your carefully packed supplies are falling out? Set aside a small pouch to fill with stuff that just makes other stuff work better, like:
- Zip ties
- Duct tape
- Fishing line
- A needle and thread
- Matches or a lighter
- Scissors
- Safety pins
- Super glue
- Bungee cords
- Parachute cord
16What should I put in a bug-out bag for kids?
If your little one is big enough to carry a pack, you can pack it with things like their own headlamp, water bottle, blanket, food, and more. Make sure they have a whistle and glow sticks so they’re always easy to find, and laminating a card with emergency contact numbers on it for them can’t hurt either. Some small comfort items are a good idea, too, if there’s room.
As you gather everything you need for your family’s bug-out bags, hopefully it brings you a little bit of peace knowing your loved ones will have everything they need, no matter what.
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