Updated November 2026

^{*Use your preferred colorful metaphor}

What Is a WUSH Bag?

A WUSH Bag (Wake Up, Stuffs* Happening) is a small grab-and-go bag that lives next to your bed, packed with what you need to restart your life if you have about 60 seconds to get out of the house. Think wallet and phone, spare keys, a backup drive of your photos and documents, cash, a week of medications and an old pair of glasses. It is not a mini bug out bag: it stays small so your hands are free for your kids and pets.

On this page:

• What is a WUSH Bag?
• WUSH Bag vs. other emergency bags
• What goes in a WUSH Bag
• What kind of bag to use
• The WUSH Bag checklist
• WUSH Bag FAQ
• Where the WUSH Bag came from

How do you prepare for those fast happening emergencies that occur in the middle of the night?

A friend of the family was woken out of a dead sleep at 4 am by his cat. His house was on fire and he only had a few moments to get out of bed and collect his wife, 2 kids, and dog (the cat got out on his own, but was nice enough to give them a warning beforehand!)

The house was almost completely destroyed, all of the bedrooms and the home office were lost. Photos, computers, office filing cabinet: all gone.

The garage was where the fire started so he couldn't get to his emergency kits on the way out!

Their cars were parked out in front of the house, but he ran out without the keys so both were lost to the blaze once the house really lit up.

Talking with him about what happened, he was only in the frame of mind to grab his phone from the nightstand in addition to his family members, and only had about 3 minutes to escape before the smoke began to overtake them.

This led me to a new concept: an ultra-portable emergency kit that sits next to your bed and is ready to go in a moments notice. We're calling it a WUSH Bag.

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Wake up, Stuffs* Happening (WUSH) Bag

We talk a lot about Bug Out Bags and they are a really important preparation. But if you only had 3 minutes to get out of your house, would you be able to grab it?

Most people don't keep them in their bedroom. Hopefully you can keep it by the front door but lets be honest, 99% of us keep them buried in a random closet or in the garage.

Even if you did, would it have everything inside of it you would need to restart your life if you lost everything?

This is why a WUSH Bag is so important:

1. It's next to your bed, in a night stand, or under the bed. Within arms reach of where you sleep at night.
2. You can grab it and be out of your home in seconds.
3. It's small: you can still collect wife, kids, pets, etc without it getting in the way.
4. It has all the essentials you'll need to start your life over, and save you a ton headaches.

Lets start with that last part first, number 4, since it's arguably the most important.

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WUSH Bag vs. EDC, Get Home Bag and Bug Out Bag

Each bag has one job. The WUSH Bag is the one within arm's reach when you are asleep.

	WUSH Bag	EDC	Get Home Bag	Bug Out Bag
Where it lives	Next to your bed	On you, every day	In your car or at work	At home, near an exit
Its job	Get you out of the house in seconds with what you need to restart your life	Handle small everyday problems	Get you home when you are stuck away from it	Keep you going for 72 hours away from home
Size	Small sling or messenger bag	Pockets or a small pouch	Small backpack	Full backpack
Key items	Wallet, phone, spare keys, backup drive, cash, meds, glasses	Knife, light, phone, multitool	Water, snacks, walking shoes, light, first aid	Water, food, shelter, first aid, tools

Most families need more than one. The WUSH Bag gets you out the door; your bug out bag keeps you going once you are out.

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What goes in a WUSH Bag?

We're going to go category by category first to explain some things. If you want just the itemized list scroll down to the bottom where its summarized.

If you buy anything with the links we provide on this page we might get a small percentage of the sale from the manufacturers end. For more info click here.

Wallet & Cell Phone

Keep your wallet at arms reach from where you sleep. Preferably also next to your phone and next to your WUSH Bag. This way you can dump both into your WUSH Bag quickly if you have to bolt.

If you are disciplined enough, keep your wallet and phone in your WUSH Bag at night so it's two less things to worry about if you need to bolt. That's what I do.

Dumb Phone Backup

If you have a spouse or child who isn't keeping their phones in your WUSH bag, than consider adding a cheap dumb-phone from Walmart for $30. That way if you need to separate and communicate with each other in the days afterwards you can.

Look for one with a big battery with a long standby time. The old-style phones typically last for weeks as opposed to the couple of days smart phones last.

Make sure it is a 4G LTE phone with VoLTE (HD Voice). The big US carriers shut down their 3G networks in 2022, so old 2G and 3G phones, and some early 4G phones without VoLTE, can no longer make calls, even to 911. FCC

Be careful on Amazon: plenty of old 2G and 3G phones are still listed.

Also throw an extra charging cube and charging cable(s) that match your device. Grab a multi-port USB wall charger if you have a big family with a lot of phones to charge.

Backup Battery

We also have a backup USB battery pack. It has multiple outputs and can charge our phones up to 4 times. I only have to remember to charge it up 3-4x a year cause it holds its charge.

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Keys

Use EXTRA keys! Go to your local hardware store and get copies of your house keys. If you have duplicate car keys put them in there. If you need to get more made.

This set should live in the WUSH bag and NOT be used on a daily basis. Put them on a key ring and on a lanyard so they can be found quickly.

If our family friend had the time to take his car keys during the fire, he could have saved both vehicles before they were destroyed. That would have made their lives 100x easier after the fire.

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Portable USB Drive

Arguably the most important item in the kit, at least when it comes to preserving your past and your family legacy. This is the best, most least expensive insurance policy you will ever buy. Why? Because here is what you will put on it:

• Digital copies of all of your family photos
• Copies of all the files in your Documents and Desktop folders of your computer(s)
• Backup copies of your: (If you don't have a scanner, just try to take decent photographs with a phone)
  • Drivers License
  • Passport
  • Insurance Policies
  • Deed for House
  • Marriage License
  • Health Insurance Info
  • Credit Cards
  • Blank Check
• Backup of all important Phone Numbers: family, neighbors, friends
• Whatever other important things you can think of

NOTES:

Don't skimp on the hard drive size. Get at least more than 3TB. You will eventually need the space unless your digital footprint is just teeny tiny. You can get an inexpensive portable USB hard drive with 4 or 5TB of space for around $120.

Setup a schedule to backup to it on a regular basis. Once a month at least. Set a calendar alert on your phone to remind you.

PUT THE DRIVE BACK INTO THE WUSH BAG when you are done!!

Put a piece of painters tape on it and label it "Emergency Backup Drive" and add your name and phone number in case it gets misplaced. Also put a piece of tape over the USB port on it just to keep water out as a backup protection measure. You could also put the whole thing in a Ziploc bag.

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Printed Documents

If you and the wife/husband keep your personal stuff in separate areas, then you might not be able to grab their wallet or phone on the way out. Have printed copies of their important documents and ID's tucked into a pocket of the WUSH Bag.

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Cash

You will hopefully have your wallet with you, but if it's lost in the rush out of the house you're stuck. Put as much cash away as you are comfortable doing in the WUSH Bag. Make it a mix of small and large bills. Keep in mind that you might need at least a weeks worth of money, especially during holiday times where banks may be closed. 

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Medications

If you suffer from any sort of serious or chronic illness it would behoove you to have at least a weeks worth of backup medications in your WUSH Bag. It may take a few days to get a hold of your Doctor and get a new prescription filled. Don't take that chance or you'll may wind up with a hospital visit to boot.

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Prescription Glasses

If you're like us, you can't see very well without your glasses. Toss an old pair in there if you can. Even if the prescription is a little old and the lenses are a little beat up at least it will be better than nothing. If you have a spare box of contacts, you can go that way as well.

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Flashlight

This one is optional however it's a good add since the WUSH Bag is likely to be used at night this may be helpful, especially if you have lost power due to the reason you are evacuating the house.

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Miscellaneous

You may have a couple of items you want to throw in there: snack bars, boo-boo kit, etc. But don't go nuts. The point of this thing is to get you out of the house and into shelter somewhere else, while making sure you have whats most important to you.

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What Kind Of Bag Should You Use?

A WUSH Bag is NOT a full-blown emergency go-bag preparedness kit. It is meant to be a grab-and-go kit. As such it should be very compact and easy to store and grab. It should have a strap to allow you to keep both arms free. Ideally it will have multiple pockets on the outside so you can keep it easily organized.

We prefer a bag you carry like a messenger bag or a purse, meaning one strap you sling over your head and shoulder. If it has a handle as well that would be ideal.

A small backpack would be acceptable if you already have one lying around but it needs to be small and not over-packed.

We use a Voltaic Systems Switch Bag, mainly because we had it lying around but also because it was the right size. It has a built-in 6 watt solar panel and came with a 4000mah backup battery. (Edit: I don't think they make them anymore.)

Our top picks right now are two small slings from 5.11: the 2 Banger Bag and the MOAB 6.

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Our Top Picks: 5.11 2 Banger Bag and MOAB 6

5.11 Tactical 2 Banger Bag

Typical Price: about $75

A compact crossbody sling that 5.11 built to carry a pistol and spare magazines. That same padded main compartment holds a wallet, phone, keys, backup drive and medications just as well, and it is small enough to grab with one hand on the way out the door.

$75Amazon

5.11 Tactical MOAB 6 Sling Pack

Typical Price: about $85

The smallest of 5.11's MOAB slings at 11 liters. It rides on your back and swings around to the front to open, so you can get into it without taking it off. Room for the whole WUSH kit plus a water bottle. Want more room? We also reviewed its bigger brother, the MOAB 10.

$85Amazon

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More Good WUSH Bags

Maxpedition Remora Gearslinger

Typical Price: about $90

Maxpedition's compact single-strap Gearslinger. Built tough like the rest of their gear, and it swings to the front so you can get into it without taking it off.

$90Amazon

Eberlestock Fade Sling Pack

Typical Price: about $99

An everyday-carry crossbody sling from Eberlestock, the company behind the F4 Terminator pack. Low-key looks, so it doesn't scream "emergency bag" sitting on the nightstand.

$99Amazon

Red Rock Outdoor Gear Rover Sling Pack (budget pick)

Typical Price: $40

A simple, inexpensive sling if you want a dedicated WUSH Bag without spending much.

$40Amazon $40Add To Bag 

Our old pick, the 3V Gear Rapid Deployment Accessory Sling Pack, is sold out at 3V right now. It's a great small sling if it comes back.

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If you have something already laying around that would work then just use that. It doesn't have to be that fancy or durable. It just needs to be good enough to hold the stuff you need.

Not to harp on it, but keep it small. This isn't a mini Bug Out Bag. You're probably gonna need to grab some other things...like kids or pets!

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The WUSH Bag Checklist

So as promised, here is the list stripped away to just the items you need:

• Wallet
• Cell Phone (and/or backup Dumb Phone)
• Backup USB Battery and Charging Cables
• House & Car Key Copies
• Backup USB Drive (3TB or greater!)
• Backup Printed Documents
• Cash
• Medications
• Old Prescription Glasses
• Flashlight
• Miscellaneous little things relevant to you

That's it! Go make yours now, it probably won't take you more than 10 minutes to get most of it organized. Grab a backup drive from Amazon and go get copies of your keys made.

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WUSH Bag FAQ

What does WUSH stand for?

Wake Up, Stuffs* Happening. (*Use your preferred colorful metaphor.)

Who came up with the WUSH Bag?

I did, here on Bug Out Bag Builder, in early 2018. See the proof below.

Is a WUSH Bag the same as a bug out bag?

No. A bug out bag is a full kit to live out of for 72 hours. A WUSH Bag is much smaller and only holds what you need to get out fast and restart your life: ID, money, keys, backups and medications. If you can grab both, great, but the WUSH Bag is the one within arm's reach.

Where should I keep my WUSH Bag?

Within arm's reach of where you sleep: on the nightstand, under the bed or hanging on the bedpost. Not in a closet and not in the garage.

How big should it be?

Small enough to carry with one strap while you carry a child or lead a pet. A sling, a messenger bag or a small backpack you already own all work.

How often should I check it?

Once a month: back up your drive and put it back in the bag, charge the battery pack, and check your medications and cash. The free printable checklist has a monthly log.

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Where the WUSH Bag Came From

The idea, and the name, came out of the house fire at the top of this page. I wrote this guide and published it here on Bug Out Bag Builder at the start of 2018, then shared it on our Facebook page on February 15, 2018:

The Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine also saved this page on March 5, 2018, with the WUSH Bag already in our menu.

Since then the term has spread to other prepper sites, survival schools and even a police department’s preparedness handout. That’s great: the more people who keep a WUSH Bag by the bed, the better. If you write about WUSH Bags, I’d appreciate a link back to this page as the original.