What goes in every bag

Pick a bag below first, then tap a category to see every option for it.

Build the bag before you buy the bag

Most people build a bug out bag backwards: buy a pack, try to fill it, discover it weighs 40 pounds and they skipped the water filter. I did exactly that with my first bag in 2010.

Start from a complete, tested list. Take out what you don't need, add what you do, then put money down.

BTW, nothing in these lists is here just because a manufacturer sent it to me. These are my best recommendations based on my one criterion for inclusion: will it work when I need it to?

1


Pick a bag

Six pre-filled kits, each sized for a job: 12 hours, 24 hours, 72 hours, longer, or a boat. Not sure which? Each one is explained below the cards.

2


Make it yours

Every item grouped by category with a price and weight. Remove what you own. Hit + Add items to swap in a different filter, a bigger med kit, a radio you can get licensed for.

3


Check out in one click

Your whole list lands in an Amazon cart at once, in-stock items only. No account, nothing to install.

Build Your Bug Out Bag Online

Which bag do you need?

These follow the BOBB Five-Part Emergency Kit System: small kits that stay where you'll need them and stack together when things get serious.

12 hours

Every Day Carry

Pocket and pouch gear that goes to work, the store, the kids' game. Handles the flat tire at night and the hour stuck in a building with no power. Cheapest kit, and the one you'll actually carry.

Build an EDC →
24 hours

Get Home Bag Build this first

Lives in your vehicle or at your desk. One job: you're somewhere else when it happens and need to get back to your people on foot. Shoes, water and filter, real light, weather protection, comms.

Build a GHB →
72 hours

Bug Out Bag

The classic. Gets one person out of a bad area and keeps them fed, watered, warm and able to signal for three days. The pre-filled list is straight from the 72-hour BOB guide.

Build a BOB →
72+ hours

INCH Bag

No going back and no resupply coming. Heavier, more redundancy, repair and food procurement. Most people don't need it; most who build it carry too much. Build the BOB first, then decide.

Build an INCH →
Overboard

Boating Survival

A dry-bagged kit for when you leave the boat before you planned to: signaling, flotation support, water, exposure protection, a way to be found. Sized to clip to you, not stow in a locker.

Build an Overboard kit →
Custom

Start from zero

An empty bag and the whole catalog. For when you already know your loadout and just want the one-click checkout and the printable list.

Build your own →

What the pre-filled bags assume

One adult

Add consumables per extra person. Stove, shelter and tools can be shared by two.

Temperate to hot

Real winters? Upgrade the sleep system and add layers. The shelter guide covers how.

Under 20% body weight

If you can't walk three miles with it, it's too heavy, whatever the list says.

Prices are a guide

Updated periodically, not live. Expect Amazon's total to differ a little.

Before you check out

Shop your house first

Remove anything you already own. Your closet plus a few targeted buys beats buying it all at once.

Buy the boring stuff first

Water treatment, a real first aid kit, a headlamp with spare batteries, good socks. Gadgets don't keep you moving.

Pack it, weigh it, walk it

Then come back and fix the list. Every kit I've built got lighter after its first real carry.

Questions people ask

Can I save my bag and come back to it? +
It stays in your browser on this device for a while, but there's no account yet, so take the printable list if you want to keep it. A shareable, saved bag is on my list for the tool.
Do I have to buy from Amazon? +
No. Print the list and buy wherever you like. Many of the items also come straight from the makers; I link to those in the reviews.
Is there a kids' or family version? +
Not as a pre-filled bag yet. Build the GHB or BOB for the adult, then add per-person consumables and anything a child needs to be comfortable and quiet: snacks, a small toy, a familiar blanket.
How often are the lists updated? +
When I find something better in testing, or when an item is discontinued. The BOB list has been through more revisions than I can count since 2010.

Ready? Pick your bag.

Six tested starting points. Ten minutes to a kit you can actually carry.

Jump to the bag cards

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How to Get Started

Choose a bag type from the list below

We've filled each type of bag with a selection of quality products that will provide a good foundation for you to build on and customize. Feel free to add or remove products. You can also start from scratch by selecting 'Build Your Own Bag' below. Visit our FAQ section for more detailed directions.

12 HOUR

Every Day Carry Bag Builder

Our Pre-Filled 12-Hour Bag.

Build an EDC bag
24 HOUR

Get Home Bag Builder

Our Pre-filled 24-Hour Bag.

Build a GHB bag
72 HOUR

Bug Out Bag Builder

Our Pre-filled 72-Hour Emergency Kit.

Build a BOB bag
72+ HOUR

I'm Never Coming Home Bag

Longer than 72-Hour Bag.

Build an INCH bag
bag1.png

Custom Bag Builder

Build your own from scratch.

Build Your Own Bag
Over Board

Overboard Bag Builder

Our Pre-filled Boating Survival Bag.

Build an Overboard bag