Skill · Carry it
The 72-hour go-bag
One bag per person who can carry one. Water, meds, papers, a light. Everything else is optional until those are in.
Federal steps in this chapter do not change by state. Local orders for Arizona come from Arizona Department of Emergency Management.
6 min read · Updated October 2026
Pack for the walk to the car, then the night away
Ready.gov’s basic kit list is the national standard. A go-bag is the part you can carry if you leave on foot or in a hurry: water, food that needs no cooking, a flashlight, a whistle, a radio, a small first-aid kit, medicines, copies of documents, cash, a phone charger and battery, sturdy shoes, a change of clothes, hygiene items, and any infant or elder needs. Add local maps. Add a paper contact card.
Do not build a bag so heavy nobody will take it. Split weight. Label each bag with the person’s name. Keep them by the door you would actually use, not in a loft you avoid.
- Water: as much as you can carry, knowing the rest of the supply stays with the house kit.
- A whistle to signal for help, from the Ready.gov list. Three blasts is a widely used distress pattern.
- Dust masks, and N95s if smoke is a local risk.
- Comfort: a stuffed animal, a deck of cards, an extra pair of glasses. Morale is a supply.
- Revisit the bag when the season changes and when prescriptions change.
How to
A 3-day kit is what your household grabs if you have to leave. The Red Cross calls for a 3-day supply for evacuation and 2 weeks at home. CDC asks for at least 3 days of water and 2 weeks if possible. Ready.gov says "several days." Build the 3-day bag first, then grow the home supply.
Step 1. Count people and pets
Write down each person's age and needs
Step 2. Water: 1 gal × people × 3
Double it for very hot weather (Ready.gov)
Step 3. Food you don't cook
Non-perishable, easy to prepare, 3 days
Step 4. Add the basics list
Light, radio, batteries, first aid, meds, papers
Step 5. Pack and check yearly
1–2 easy-carry containers. Re-think needs every year
| Data point | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 1 gallon per person per day: "3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week supply for home" | Red Cross |
| Water (CDC) | At least 1 gallon per person per day for 3 days. Try to store 2 weeks. Store more for pregnant women, sick people, pets, and hot climates. | CDC |
| Water (Ready.gov) | 1 gallon per person per day for several days, for drinking and sanitation. "In very hot temperatures, water needs can double." | Ready.gov; Ready.gov kit |
| Food | Non-perishable, easy-to-prepare items: 3-day supply for evacuation, 2-week for home | Red Cross |
| Medications | 7-day supply, plus medical items | Red Cross |
| Container | Airtight plastic bags, with the whole kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers such as plastic bins or a duffel bag | Ready.gov kit |
| Upkeep | Keep canned food cool and dry. Store boxed food in tightly closed plastic or metal containers. Replace expired items. Re-think needs every year. | Ready.gov kit |
| Stored tap water | Replace every 6 months. Keep at 50–70°F, away from sunlight. | CDC |
| Work kit | Be prepared to shelter at work for at least 24 hours | Ready.gov kit |
- Water (RG, RC) · Food (RG, RC)
- Battery-powered or hand-crank radio; NOAA Weather Radio (RG, RC)
- Flashlight (RG, RC) · Extra batteries (RG, RC) · First aid kit (RG, RC)
- Medications, 7-day supply (RC); prescription medications (RG, additional)
- Whistle (RG; RC "consider") · Dust mask (RG); N95 or surgical masks (RC "consider")
- Plastic sheeting, scissors, duct tape (RG) · Moist towelettes, garbage bags, plastic ties (RG)
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities (RG) · Manual can opener (RG; RC "add")
- Local maps (RG, RC) · Cell phone with chargers and backup battery (RG; RC: with chargers)
- Multi-purpose tool (RC) · Sanitation and personal hygiene items (RC)
- Copies of personal documents (RC) · Family and emergency contact information (RC) · Extra cash (RC) · Emergency blanket (RC)
Worked example
Household: 2 adults, 2 children, and 1 dog, in Phoenix in July. Plan for 3 days.
1. Water, base: 1 gal × 4 people × 3 days = 12 gallons.
2. Hot weather: Ready.gov says needs "can double", so plan 24 gallons for the people.
3. Dog: the ASPCA kit list says "at least seven days' worth of bottled water for each person and pet." We have no per-dog gallon figure, so ask your vet and add it. Don't guess.
4. Food: a 3-day non-perishable supply (Red Cross). For calories, open the Food & water calculator. Example household: man 35, moderately active, 2,600; woman 33, sedentary, 1,800; boy 8, active, 2,000; girl 5, sedentary, 1,200. That's 7,600 kcal/day, or 22,800 kcal for 3 days. Those rows are Table A2-1 of the 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines: male 31–35 moderately active 2,600; female 31–35 sedentary 1,800; male 8 active 2,000; female 5 sedentary 1,200.
5. Medications: 7 days of each person's medications (Red Cross). That's longer than the bag's 3 days.
6. Pack: everything into one or two easy-carry containers (Ready.gov). Put a calendar reminder to re-check every year (Ready.gov), and swap stored water every 6 months (CDC).
Make sure all family members know where the kit is kept (Ready.gov). Keep stored water at 50–70°F and away from direct sunlight (CDC).
Checklist
Checks stay in this browser.
Sources
Public pages this chapter leans on. They win if anything here is out of date.
- Ready.gov — Build a kit
The national basic list
- Ready.gov — Evacuation
What leaving actually requires
- American Red Cross — Survival kit supplies
Red Cross packing companion
- Ready.gov — Water
In very hot temperatures, water needs can double
- CDC — How to create an emergency water supply
3 days, 2 weeks if possible. Replace stored tap water every 6 months. 50–70°F.
- ASPCA — Disaster preparedness
At least seven days of bottled water for each person and pet
- 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines
Table A2-1 calorie rows used in the worked example
- Ready.gov — Supply kit checklist (2024)
Printable kit checklist