This is a packing list for one adult 3-day go-bag, the kit described on Evacuation and go-bag. It is not the two-week home supply. Check off what you have packed, edit any weight to match the item in your hands, and set a pack-weight limit you can actually carry. Only checked items count toward the total. Your checks, weights, and limit are saved in this browser.
Water is the one precise default: the U.S. Geological Survey uses 8.34 pounds per U.S. gallon and 1 kilogram per liter. Three liters of water therefore weigh about 6.61 pounds (105.8 ounces), not counting the bottles. Every other default weight is a typical estimate. Weigh your own gear when you can.
Backpacking guides often suggest keeping a loaded pack at or below about 20 percent of body weight. REI states that guideline clearly and notes that it does not work in every situation. It is a hiking rule of thumb, not an official emergency-management limit. Set a number that fits the person who will carry the bag.
If officials tell you to leave, leave. Do not wait to finish packing. In a house fire, do not stop for the bag.
This checklist needs JavaScript in your browser to add up pack weight and to save your checks.
Leave a little room for last-minute items such as current medicines from the fridge or a child’s backpack. Pets need their own kit; the optional pet rows are a start, and the pets page has the fuller plan. A carrier is often carried separately from the backpack.
Sources & further reading
On this site
Official sources and further reading
- Ready.gov: Build a Kit
- American Red Cross: Survival Kit Supplies
- USGS: A Million Gallons of Water — How much is it? (8.34 pounds per gallon)
- USGS: Facts About Water (1 kilogram per liter)
- REI: How Much Should Your Pack Weigh
- Ready.gov: Prepare Your Pets