Emergency go-bag

The list adapts to you

When you add it, the checklist asks a couple of questions and keeps only the items that fit your situation.

• Who's in the family? Small kidsPets

What's inside

1. Pack document copies in a waterproof bag

   IDs, insurance, property and vehicle documents — copies go in a zip-lock bag, plus scans in the cloud in case you can't grab even the bag itself.

2. Add cash in small bills

   A power outage takes out both cards and ATMs. Small bills are easier to use than a large one when nobody has change in a hurry.

3. Store water — 3 liters per person

   That covers one day of drinking and basic hygiene. Swap the bottled water for fresh every six months, along with the full kit review.

4. Pack 3 days of no-cook food

   Canned food (don't forget a can opener — it's the first thing to go missing), energy bars, nuts, dried fruit. Nothing that needs cooking or heating.

5. Pack a first aid kit with a week's supply of daily meds

   Bandages, antiseptic, painkillers — the standard set. Separately, a week's supply of any medication you take daily — in a rush, pharmacies may be closed or unreachable.

6. Add a flashlight and spare batteries

   A phone's flashlight drains the battery in an hour or two, and you'll need that charge for calls. A separate flashlight saves it.

7. Keep a charged power bank

   A power bank drains on its own in a couple of months, even unused. Check the charge monthly — a good excuse to eyeball the rest of the kit too.

8. Add a whistle

   A whistle carries much farther and longer than a shout, and your voice tires fast under stress.

9. Pack matches or a lighter

   For a fire, warmth, or backup light if the flashlight fails. Keep matches in a waterproof container — damp ones won't strike.

10. Add a multitool

    A knife, screwdriver, can opener and pliers in one object cover half of what an emergency throws at you.

11. Pack warm clothes and a raincoat compactly

    Thermal layers or fleece, socks, a raincoat — roll tight or use a vacuum bag so they don't eat up half the space.

12. Put together a hygiene mini-kit

    Wet wipes, hand sanitizer, a toothbrush and paste, hygiene basics — travel sizes, not full bottles.

13. Pack spare glasses

    Almost everyone who wears glasses forgets this one — and without them, chaos or darkness leaves you helpless. An old pair with an outdated prescription still beats nothing.

14. Add spare keys

    House, car, garage — in case the main set can't be found or grabbed during a rushed exit.

15. Write down key contacts on paper

    Family, doctor, insurance, building management — on paper, because a dead phone won't let you open your contacts app.

16. Agree on a family meeting point

    If phone lines are down and everyone's scattered, a spot near home agreed on in advance cuts the panic in half.

17. Pack it all in a backpack, not a bag

    In an emergency your hands need to be free — for kids, for helping others, for opening doors. A backpack with wide straps beats a bag every time.

18. Make sure every adult knows where the bag is

    The bag is useless if only one person knows where to find it in a hurry. Keep it somewhere visible near the exit, not buried in a closet.

19. Review the whole kit every six months

    Check expiry dates on water, food and medication, battery and power bank charge, and whether documents and contacts are current. Tie it to clock-change weekends so you don't forget.

20. Diapers and age-appropriate baby food Small kids

    Enough for 2-3 days, with a little extra in case things run long. Pack formula and water separately if the baby isn't breastfed.

21. A compact toy or book for the kid Small kids

    A familiar small item distracts and calms a child in a stressful situation better than any explanation.

22. A supply of pet food Pets

    Enough for 2-3 days in an airtight container, plus a bowl. A stressed pet may refuse unfamiliar food, so stick with what they know.

23. Keep the carrier next to the go-bag Pets

    In a panic there may be no time to hunt for the carrier around the apartment. Store it right next to the go-bag, by the exit.

24. Pack a leash and ID tag Pets

    Even a calm animal can bolt amid unfamiliar chaos. A ready leash and an ID tag with your phone number raise the odds of not losing them.