Here’s Exactly What You Should Pack in Your Go-Bag (Plus Where to Buy It)

If the wildfires in Los Angeles have taught us anything, it’s that things can change in an instant. That’s why it’s important to be prepared. Having a go-bag at the ready is no longer just for doomsday preppers; it’s the smart, prepared thing to do.

Last year we took a one-day critical survival skills training course with Thomas Coyne, the founder of the Thomas Coyne Survival School. He emphasized that with little to no gear in tow, common injuries and getting lost can turn quickly into survival scenarios. Oftentimes, help may not just be hours but days away, which is why it’s so important to have the proper skills and tools to survive. Though the volume of what you can tote along with you is a bit different when preparing a go-bag versus a day pack, many of the same principles apply. In the case of a go-bag, it’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

Of course, if you’d like to spare yourself the shopping trips and you’d rather go with a ready-made option, the Uncharted Supply Company includes 60 professional-grade survival tools designed for two. If you’d rather build your own, here are items that are recommended:

First Aid Kit

Professional help won’t always be available in emergency situations, so you should have robust first aid supplies that are able to tackle more traumatic injuries, especially significant bleeding. All that gear is dead weight if you don’t know how to use it, so study up on the Tiny First Aid Guide and pack it along, too.

Flash Light and Head Lamp

Pack flashlights, batteries, and a head lamp that’ll allow you to go hands-free. Add in a small lantern if it’ll fit in your kit as well.

Thomas J. Story

Multi Tool

We’re stans for the lightweight Leatherman Skeletool. With knives and a screwdriver, it’s basically a pocketknife but even more practical.

Hand Sanitizer

We learned to love it in the pandemic, and it’s an essential for a survival kit.

Thomas J. Story

Non-Perishable Food

Think tinned fish, power bars, and other canned food that has a long shelf life.

Baby Wipes

These are nice to have on hand for obvious reasons.

Work Gloves

These provide essential hand protection in emergency situations where you might need to handle debris, sharp objects, or rough terrain.

Goggles

Goggles provide eye protection against debris, dust, chemical splashes, and other hazards that could be encountered during an emergency evacuation or survival situation.

P100 Masks

N95 masks are great, but a P100 offers the highest level of particulate filtration, blocking out at least 99.97% of airborne particles, including oil-based aerosols, making it highly effective against dust, smoke, fumes, and other hazardous airborne contaminants.

Courtesy of Danner

Sturdy Shoes

A good pair of shoes can go a long way, literally. Our favorites are the Danner Mountain 600s, which provide durability and comfort in a survival situation. You might need to walk long distances in them, so they should be lightweight and comfortable.

Hand Crank Radio

Stay abreast of the latest local info without draining your power source or needing batteries.

Power Bank

Keep a couple power banks charged up in your bag, and consider getting portable solar panels too.

Cell Phone Chargers

Forgetting your phone charger in any travel scenario is a bummer. Be sure to pack backups.

City Map

We all rely heavily on our phones for directions, but if the power and grid are out, you’ll want a paper map. Also, consider a compass.

Weber Grill Starter Cubes

It goes without saying that if the emergency situation you’re in is wildfire-related, don’t use these. That being said, a small fire strategically built away from combustibles will keep you warm, signal your rescuer, boil your water, and cook your food.

UCO Stormproof Survival & Emergency Matches Kit

Stormproof Matches are windproof and waterproof. They also light up quickly and consistently in driving rain, heavy winds, and falling snow with a burn time of up to 15 seconds. Plus, they will relight after being submerged in water. You’ll also want to pack a lighter, though those don’t offer the same waterproof qualities.

SOL Emergency Whistle

As Thomas Coyne mentioned in his interview with us, signaling is crucial, and in fact, it’s the one skill he wished more people knew about: “Should things go wrong when you’re far from help, you want to get rescue started as quickly as possible. Have a way to signal searchers both on the ground, and in the air, day or night.” While the acronym of these whistles might make you chuckle, these Survive Outdoors Longer emergency whistles are essential for signaling. Be sure to make your whistles in rounds of three, the international signal for distress.

Flagging Tape

There are over 10,000 search and rescue teams in the West at any given time, and most of them do fly-overs at low elevation when searching for missing persons. That means that it’s super important to make a signal they can see from the air. Make triangles with a combo of this tape and sticks—again employing the rule of three for signaling distress—so that rescue planes flying low can see you.

Sawyer Squeeze Water Filtration System

There are lots of water filtration systems on the market, and lots of knockoffs, too. When it comes to purifying your water, especially in survival situations, you really don’t want to take risks considering the potential presence of illness-inducing bacteria and viruses, which can cause diarrhea and further dehydration, something you really can’t afford in critical situations, or ever, really.

Courtesy of Grayl

Grayl Purifier Bottles

Some models of these filtering water bottles are coated in titanium or stainless steel, meaning you can heat them over a flame and boil water in them. Plus, there are no BPAs or chemical insulation to be worried about.

Aquatabs

Water purification tabs for viruses is essential, and these tablets are awesome. Our instructor preferred a combo of the water filter and iodine tablets, but these are also great.

Cash

Be sure to carry at least $50 in $1 bills, $50 in $5 bills, $20 in quarters. Cash is king.

Prescriptions, Passports and Personal Documents

Don’t forget contact lenses and backup glasses.

Pet Supplies

Don’t forget your furry friend’s treats, food, and meds. Pack a toy to make them feel more at ease in a chaotic situation.

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