The case for assembling your own go bag

Illustrations of a few things you would find in an emergency bag: a blanket, a first aid kit, a flashlight, and the emergency bag.

Illustration: Dana Davis

Emergency supply checklists are all over the internet, and a lot of advice can be intimidating in breadth, specificity, and cost. We understand the temptation to pick up a ready-made emergency kit and call it a day. But we strongly recommend taking the time to build your own. This not only ensures quality control, but doing so also allows you to customize your go bag to fit your needs, dependent on factors like where you live.

Read the guide

Build your own go bag→

You can assemble the basics of a well-stocked emergency kit using stuff you might already own. And because personalization is key in emergency preparedness, all of our advice might not work for everyone. But there are some essentials that everyone should have on hand just in case you need to shelter in place or evacuate during a disaster. We’ll get into a few of those below.

One thing to remember: Tools are only as good as your ability to use them. Anytime you purchase something for an emergency kit, try it out and make sure it meets your needs—before you really need it.

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Some of the gear we recommend

An illustration showing emergency preparedness supplies.

Illustration: Dana Davis

For potential hurricanes: Make sure you have a great flashlight or headlamp (or both). Then, follow our advice for making sure you’re able to communicate with the outside world, find your way in the dark, and protect your belongings.

If you live in an area prone to wildfires: Consider an air purifier, and have some respirator masks on hand. Be ready to potentially evacuate your home quickly—here’s our advice for preparing for that.

The top 10 tools for earthquake preparedness: Our recommended basics to have on hand include a good emergency weather radio and a water container.

And in case of power outages: This gear prepares your home with backup power and lighting—from a reliable power bank to a portable generator.

Our full guide to emergency preparedness→

One last thing: 5 potentially lifesaving items to add to any first aid kit

Photo: Ievgeniia Shugaliia/iStock

A standard first aid kit is essential among emergency preparation gear. But we’ve found that even the best basic kits usually lack supplies for more serious injuries, CPR, and overdoses.

Why you should customize your first aid kits, too→

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