72 Hour Bug Out Bag list: 9 Emergency Essentials

Whenever I take the family camping, I’m amazed at the sheer amount of stuff we bring along, and how long it takes to pack. For what should be an experiment in simplicity, we end up with box after box and bag after bag of accessories, knick knacks, and creature comforts. But when it comes to our 72 Hour Bug Out Bag list of must haves, that just won’t cut it. When planning ahead for the emergency essentials you’ll need when escaping a disaster, on foot or mobile in your car, you’ll be packing 72 hour kits with the expectation of survival, and these 9 lifesaving selections can help make the difference, and keep you and your family out of a truly desperate situation.

There are a lot of options for 72 Hour Kits for sale – Amazon “Go bags”, from a wide assortment of unknown brands, selling the same selection of glamorous but silly survival gear as an “Emergency Survival Kit”. Believe it or not, there are even options for 72 Hour Kits under $50. I can tell you, I would never trust my family’s survival during an emergency to a Bug Out Bag built that cheaply. Don’t get me wrong, being caught off-guard, leaving your home to escape a wildfire or flood, it would be better to have one than to have nothing, but the danger posed by ready-made 72 hour kits is the Prepper’s number one enemy – complacency.

You don’t necessarily have to build a DIY 72 Hour Kit from scratch, but even purchasing one of the better, more expensive pre-packed survival bags, does not solve the problems that stem from a lack of mental, emotional, and skills preparation. You need to have a plan, know your inventory, and have practice using the items you’re carrying. No amount of additional gadgets will stop you from soaking your clothes with condensation in a mylar sleeping bag used incorrectly.

So, get real with yourself and know that even IF you decide to go with a prepackaged kit, you need to familiarize yourself with the gear you and your family will be depending on, because more than anything, they’ll be depending on YOU.

How this list was assembled:

The 72 Hour Kit list is a starting point of emergency essentials for preparedness and flexibility. Thinking 72 hours ahead after a disaster, this pack is designed to get you from point A to point B within a couple of days, with minimal external support. In the West Coast, we’re dealing with more and more common wildfires and related evacuations. In the midwest, it’s floods and tornados, and in the south, hurricanes. Whatever your most likely disaster scenarios, you are assuming a temporary lack of access to your home water and food storage for a while. You need a short-term adjunct to your home preps, that you can carry with you.

In 72 hours, roads may be blocked or damaged, and some municipal services will have failed, but civil order will be mostly intact, with the exception of opportunistic criminals and desperate folks who haven’t prepared. You won’t be able to build a bunker with it, but a pack with these preps will keep you away from grocery stores long enough to make it to your sister’s house out-of-state, or avoiding the FEMA camp until you can get back to check on your home.

After you have your basic needs covered, a FANTASTIC additional resource to draw on for a deep-dive into planning your next Bug Out Bag, is The Prepared – Bug Out Bag List.

Without further ado, here’s my list of the top 9 essential lifesaving items for your 72-Hour Survival Kit. (You won’t find Number 7 in any pre-packed Emergency Survival Kit!)

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Daily requirements: (Items 1-5)

This section contains things you know you’re going to need. Not “just in case”, but with confidence.

1: Water

Funnily enough, 72 hours is about how long you can go without water before your system shuts down completely. Unless you plan on testing this limit, you’re going to need water. FEMA recommends 1-gallon water per person, per day, but only half that’s for drinking. These individual serving-size water pouches fit nicely in any bag, avoiding the bulk of big, heavy water bottles.

2: Food

Smaller, lighter, and more nutritionally dense. These are the criteria I use for the food for 72 hour kits. When I discovered these Survival Tabs, I thought it must be a gimmick, but after researching them, I do believe they’re the best travel option for short term survival, especially when supplemented by whatever “real food” is available in the moment. I don’t plan on doing any cooking for 72 hour kits, and not needing additional water for rehydrating freeze-dried food is a big plus for my 72-hour loadout. While these tablets are not well-rounded enough, nutritionally, for months of healthy survival, they can and will keep you going for days, and they are easy and tasty to consume. 12 tablets (1 pouch) is one day’s ration, totaling 36 tablets for 72 hours.

3: Hygiene

I recently heard one of my podcast heroes, Eric Weinstein say “I’ve only once in my life gotten to a level of hygiene so low that my risk-taking suddenly changed. It’s an emergency program that says that you cannot afford to not take massive risks if you’re this dirty…”. While 72 hours probably isn’t long enough to get to that point, with all that’s going on around you, you need to have a clean face, clean hands, and a clean…you know. These wipes will keep you and your family on the “good enough” side of clean.

4: Shelter

Here in Portland, while in some seasons you might be able to sleep in the open, you definitely need to get out of the rain when it’s coming down. A shelter can provide much needed warmth and protection from the elements, not to mention a bit of privacy. In this article I have tried really hard to only have one item per entry, but this one was the hardest. While these survival tents do work, it will not be sufficient if temperatures are below freezing, so I highly recommend supplementing with the wool blanket in the bonus section. I have chosen the dark color for blending in, just in case. If you need to be rescued, you can always turn it inside out and sacrifice the warmth benefits to become highly visible.

One thing to note about these mylar survival products, is that condensation can be a major safety risk. They are so good at trapping and reflecting your natural heat, that accumulation of significant moisture can occur, which will get you wet and miserable, and even risk your life, since wet clothes don’t insulate as well. (Especially cotton, which will cause you to loose heat rapidly once it’s wet.) Practice with it, before you have to use it for realsies.

5: Light

Night comes for us all, but it doesn’t have to mean darkness. With a good flashlight, you can banish the heebie jeebies, and stay operational for a few extra hours. LED flashlights these days offer long life and super bright output. Some people like the super bright ones, or the big ones that can double as a club, but personally, I really like these pocket-sized amber ones. They are plenty bright enough to see by, but aren’t going to attract too much attention. They’re small, but sturdy and cheap, so I can stash them everywhere around the house.

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Utility Preps: (Items 6-9)

These items are for those likely scenarios, major risks or serious issues, where having common-sense preparation makes them minor inconveniences. When preparing 72 hour kits, I try to avoid the really speculative “what if?” scenarios, and focus on what really is most likely to add value in a temporary emergency.

6: First Aid Kit

Having a good First Aid Kit with Trauma enhancements provides a ton of protection, from the most common basic injuries to unlikely but life-threatening emergencies. The value for weight and value for money are both really high. First aid kits for 72 hour Go Bags should be well organized, with a plentiful assortment of the basics, and a few of the high-value trauma items. I recommend the one below.

Please note: some of the items in this pack require training to use effectively. Do not let an emergency be the first time you try figure out how they work. Practice with your gear if you want it to help you.

7: Cash

Having a cash stash gives you some flexibility for moving around, picking up things you need, and getting out of a tight spot, and you can’t know for sure that payment networks will be up and running. How much you need is a matter of personal preference, but I think a good rule of thumb is whatever it would cost to stay in a motel for 3 nights, and a cheap dinner.

8: Walkie Talkies

It is not realistic to think that you and your crew are going to be able to stick together for a full 72 hours. There will be situations where it’s valuable to let someone rest, or to scout ahead and report back. Walkie Talkies will provide a backup option if cell phones service is temporarily down. An earpiece is a nice add-on for Operational Security, so everyone doesn’t hear your conversation in a difficult moment.

9: Clothes

Rain is something we spend a lot of time worrying about in the Northwest. If you get wet, your ability to stay warm in cool weather drops dramatically. A backup set of clothing is a must for us. Regardless of your climate, however, within 72 hours, even with your clean wipes, your clothes are going to be getting pretty ripe, especially in the sweaty places like underwear and socks. A clean set of clothes will be helpful even just to wear while you’re washing your others. I recommend a change of underwear and socks, a lightweight wool long-sleeved shirt, and wool pants. Wool is the best fabric for warmth, and definitely avoid cotton. Polyester and other synthetics do a good job of keeping you warm, but tend to trap extra moisture, getting hotter and stinkier. Depending on the season you may want to have a base layer as well. Here’s a great utility shirt that makes a stylish option for your comfort and survival.

Summary

With these 9 emergency essentials, you will be in a good position to make it through the 72-hour survival window, staying well long enough for the winds to change, rains to cease, tornado to dissipate, etc, etc, so you can return home. You will have the confidence to know that you’ve taken care of your family’s emergency needs for this critical short-term window, and you can start turning your resources towards making longer-term preps for more life-altering scenarios.

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Bonus Items:

Ok, ok, 9 Essential Items is a really short list, and everyone reading this is screaming “what about X?”, about their favorite tactical prep equipment that I left out. The above list will truly get you through 72 hours, but if you still have space in your pack, and can’t get enough gear recommendations, below are the 6 most essential items I wanted to include in the 9, but didn’t.

1: Backpack

Technically, this was a list of what to include in your backpack, but you do need a place to stash this stuff. So, here is a great backpack, with enough space and solid construction, that is comfortable and inconspicuous. While this is not a camping/hiking bag, I do think that a padded belt is an important comfort enhancement if you’re going to be wearing the bag for a few hours.

2: Multi-tool

A 72-hour kit list like this is not about having everything you need to go off into the woods to scratch a homestead out of the rocks to survive the apocalypse. It’s about managing relatively predictable difficulties with flexibility, to stay in good shape long enough for the situation to turn. The multi-tool strikes the right note, there. It is a flexible tool with a wide variety of uses, in a compact and fairly lightweight package. You can spend a lot on a multi-tool, but here’s a good one that isn’t crazy expensive.

3: Work Gloves

There is a high chance during an emergency that you’re going to have some labor to do. Breaking down sticks, moving rocks, (quickly) touching hot things, etc. Your hands are basically the multi-tool God gave you, and a good pair of leather work gloves are useful for protecting them in a wide range of situations.

4: Wool Blanket

The emergency tent in Item #4 should get you through the night safely if temperatures stay above freezing, but you will be infinitely more comfortable with a wool blanket. Wool also retains its warmth when damp, which means it’s a great intermediate layer to use to help mitigate the condensation that is a typical part of mylar survival products. If temperatures drop below freezing, don’t even try the survival tent without this enhancement.

5: Maps

If you’ve had to abandon your home base for some reason and you’ve already got your 72 hour kit, you should have a plan where you’re going. There’s no telling if your expected route will be available, however. Freeways can be shut down for a variety of reasons, and your phone’s GPS may not be working. During emergencies, plans change, and finding a suitable secondary route or a backup destination is going to be a lot easier with a map. They’re inexpensive and lightweight. I recommend the Rand McNally water resistant folding road maps for your state, and any neighboring states you might be close enough to.

6: Self-defense Firearm

In a 72-hour window, you’re not likely to have to contend with roving street gangs, but opportunistic criminals will look for the right moment to jump someone for their valuables. With your other preparations, you can avoid high-traffic areas that will be attractive for thugs, but what if you encounter someone who doesn’t care about your family’s needs and is willing to take what they want by force? A firearm you’ve practiced with is a great tool to level the playing field and make you harder to victimize. While I don’t make specific firearm recommendations on this site, I do recommend having one, (or several) and there is a lot of information out there to guide your purchase, if you’re looking for it. Just remember, the best tool isn’t worth anything without the skill and mindset to use it correctly.

Conclusion

While they also include valuable essentials, most prepackaged 72 hour kits are overburdened with gimmicky survival gear that reflects a lack of careful thought and planning. The goal of the 72 hour bag is to have what you need to survive away from home for a few days without getting into a more desperate circumstance. They should be lightweight, and highly functional, with only the emergency essentials, not packed to the gills with equipment for far-fetched contingencies. After you’ve got the basic preps in place, you can move forward with confidence towards more exotic preparations, knowing that you’re preparing your family for emergency scenarios in a careful, responsible way, to get what you want – a family that gets through the hard times together – because you put in the work ahead of time.

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