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The Best Gear for Your Bug-Out Bag

In the event of a wildfire, a hurricane, a flood, or any number of other emergencies, it’s essential to have a fully stocked go bag (also called a “ready bag,” “go bag,” or “bug-out bag”) of emergency gear. This way, you and your family can quickly evacuate to a shelter or other secure location armed with basic survival supplies and tools.

Things to know

Essential picks

  • When building a go bag, consider the recommendations here as a baseline.

Customization

  • Be sure to also consider your individual needs in an emergency, including medications.

Bag options

  • We’ve selected a durable inexpensive backpack as well as a pricier model for upgrading.

Pre-made bags?

  • We still don’t recommend them, but we understand their appeal and tested several.

For this guide we focused on gear that could be easily carried in a backpack, emphasizing lightness and portability wherever possible. For sheltering in place, we have a separate guide to the best emergency-preparedness supplies to help you manage at home for a period of time following a disaster that knocks out utility services or cuts off outside resources to your area. We hope both of these guides will help you be prepared with reliable and versatile tools that can help you manage whatever emergency you may face.

Continue reading the complete article written By Doug Mahoney and Joshua Lyon here

LAST UPDATED

May 8, 2022

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Media Mentions from Wirecutter

Wirecutter’s mission is to recommend what really matters. Each year, we independently test and review thousands of products to help you find just what you need. Our goal is to save you time and eliminate the stress of shopping, whether you’re looking for everyday gear or gifts for loved ones.

We strive to be the most trusted product recommendation service around, and we work with total editorial independence. We won’t post a recommendation unless our writers and editors have deemed something the best through rigorous reporting and testing.

MEDIA MENTIONS

Fresh drinking water is essential. This water filtration system ensures you will never run out as long as there is a nearby natural water source. It can filter out bacteria, protozoa and microplastics.

Allen Foster

MEDIA MENTIONS

Faster and more efficient than pumping or waiting for chemical treatments, the Sawyer Squeeze System offers on-the-go hydration at a good flow. This product is long-lasting, affordable, reliable, cleanable, and very user-friendly.

Alan Dixon
AdventureAlan

MEDIA MENTIONS

But Sawyer was way ahead of me — 15 years ahead, to be precise. In 2008, the brand started its Clean Water for All initiative, which provides Sawyer filters to developing countries around the world. And the company spends 90% of its profits funding it.

Shauna Farnell