What Do I Put in my Earthquake Go Bag?

Emergency go bag checklist for survival kit back pack

Published June 14, 2022 • Updated on December 21, 2022 at 9:28 pm

A "Go Bag" is vital for families who need to make a quick getaway with little or no warning. It's useful for when a home is evacuated due to fire, flood, earthquake, mudslide, or any other natural disaster that strikes.

Here's a checklist you can use, built from a wealth of resources and past reports, to help you prepare your own "Go Bag." In bold are items that are absolutely essential:

QUICK VIEW

• Backpack (40 ml - 50 ml per person)
• Water
• Medications
• Toiletries
• First Aid
• Food
• Gear
• Clothing
• Pet care products
• Documents and cash

BACKPACK

In an emergency, being able to move quickly is important. When considering size, remember that larger bags will be tougher to grab in a hurry.

• A 40-50ml bag (at most) is highly recommended
• Each person needs their own go bag

WATER

• Know how much you need to survive for 3 days and how much you can comfortably carry

MEDICATIONS

• Pack prescription medications good for a few weeks

TOILETRIES

• Soap
• Cleaning towels
• Deodorant
• Disposable tissues
• Feminine towels
• Lotion
• Maxi pads (can also be used as a bandage if needed)
• Moist towelettes
• Razors
• Sunscreen
• Toilet paper
• Toothpaste
• Toothbrush

San Francisco Bay Area Earthquake Tracker

Bay Area Quake Central

FIRST AID

• One decent, well-stocked kit
• Hand sanitizer
• Thermometer

FOOD

• Non-perishable food like energy bars work and take up little space

GEAR

• Hand crank and/or battery-powered flashlight
• Battery-powered radio or television
• Cell phone charger(one or two)
• Whistle
  • Good for locating people in a crowd or at night
• Can opener (manual)
• Duct tape
• Dust masks
• Entertainment (deck of cards or small travel game)
• Glow sticks
• Goggles
• Large trash bags
  • Can be used as a poncho or cut open to make a tent
• Leather work gloves
• Matches
• Multi-use knife
• Rope or rubber bands
• Sticky pad, pencil and paper

CLOTHING

• Face coverings and masks
• One set of clothing (think layers)
• Underwear (three recommended)
• Socks (three pairs recommended)
• Comfortable, sturdy pair of shoes
• Extra clothing (think layers)
• Extra blankets, hand and feet warmers or thermal clothing to keep you warm
  • Consider a Mylar emergency blanket, which is lightweight and packs up small
• Poncho

PET CARE PRODUCTS

• Food
• Toys

DOCUMENTS AND CASH

• Photocopies of important documents:
  • License or ID
  • Credit cards
  • Passport
  • Social security
  • Prescriptions
  • Emergency cash
    • Credit cards might not work
    • Consider having about $100-$200 with lots of ones (that way you never need change)
    • Emergency contact numbers written down
      • If your phone dies, you may not be able to remember the phone numbers of friends and loved ones
      • Include an out of state contact
      • Family photo of immediate family, children or pets -- crucial in case you get separated from your loved ones and need to help finding them
      • Paper street maps (GPS might go down)
      • Apps
        • MyShake
          • The State of California created an early warning system that can alert residents seconds before an earthquake strikes
          • ShakeAlerts are sent the moment USGS researches detect a quake over 5.0 magnitude

          

          
          BAY AREA QUAKE CENTRAL
          You can take steps to plan and prepare for the next big one. Access our Bay Area Quake Tracker, the latest earthquake stories, extensive quake prep checklists, videos and many other disaster preparedness resources all in one place: NBCBAYAREA.COM/QUAKES