Emergencies like natural calamities, cyclones, and heavy windstorms are pretty unexpected. You might not consider having a go bag without emergency alerts or disasters, but one can never know when a disaster will hit. So, creating a checklist for an emergency go bag is important to stay cautious, making a life and death difference.
An emergency kit must-have items like medicines, food and water, mobile devices, flashlights, etc. You may also consider packing the Jackery Portable Power Station for the constant power supply. The portable, lightweight, and efficient power stations help you stay connected with continuous power throughout emergencies.
Key Takeaways
- There are natural disasters more often in the United States. So, US residents must pack an emergency go bag to stay safe after a disaster.
- There are four types of emergency go bags. They are basic emergency go bags, wildfire, travel emergency, and earthquake go bags.
- Set up the bag with essentials based on the size, purpose, and situation. Choose the one that suits your requirements and pack everything you need for survival.
- A basic emergency go bag should have food and water, a power station, navigation devices, cell phones, sanitation and hygiene samples, important documents, cash, and a first aid kit.
What Is an Emergency Go Bag
An emergency go bag is a kit you can take when you have to leave your house in emergencies like a fire accident, cyclone, tornado, or other natural disaster. It is a bag to pack when you have to reside in an emergency room with essentials. A go bag with necessities like flashlights, food, water, a first aid kit, a portable Jackery Solar Generator, trash bags, etc., is important to carry until the situation returns to normal.
The go bag contains every essential item you need to stay in an emergency room or if you have to travel from one place to another for shelter. The four basic needs that should be covered in this bag are food, medicine, shelter, and power. For an emergency go bag, choose a zipper storage bag that allows space for all the items required to survive.
Why Do You Need An Emergency Go Bag
There is a high need for emergency go bags for US residents due to frequent unexpected emergencies. Packing an emergency go bag to stay protected when an emergency occurs is important. It might sound weird to pack a go bag in advance, but it is necessary to pack one with forecasts saying there will be unexpected disasters at any time.
When disaster hits, it demands you and everyone in your household to immediately evacuate. Your emergency go bag should be strong enough to carry all items and easy to carry when you leave home in a hurry.
An emergency go bag is recommended to pack for 3 days to the least and two weeks to the highest. This way, you can stay safe with essentials in case of any fire accident or other disaster. You can also stay at your neighbor’s or in your vehicle once the necessary items are packed and the bag is go-to ready. This emergency packing will make you confident that you found a way to handle the emergency.
When a disaster suddenly hits your area, it is highly impossible to take any items with you, especially in the case of a wildfire or an earthquake. You will have no time to look around and take essentials. In such situations, time also ticks faster like the situation. Preparing for the disaster and making a checklist makes a lot of difference. Here’s the checklist you need.
Emergency Go Bag Checklist
An emergency go bag is classified into four types based on the purpose and situation. There is a basic emergency go bag with all essential items packed for survival. Simultaneously, there is a travel go kit, a wildfire emergency go bag, and an earthquake go bag. You should plan for an emergency in advance and pack necessities. Once you pack it, remember to refresh the water and food every six months.
Basic Emergency Go Bag
The basic emergency go bag is a pack of items you require to live for 72 hours or 3 days. The necessary items like bottled water, non-perishable food items, medical emergencies, portable power generators, etc., in adequate quantities will ensure you live with minimum comfort away from home.
- Bottled water adequate for each family member
- Non-perishable food in sufficient quantity
- Daily prescribed medicines
- Flashlights with batteries
- Jackery Solar Generator
- Mobile phones and laptops
- Blankets and sleep bags
- Pet care, if needed
- Plastic trash bags and tissue papers
- First aid kit
Wildfire Emergency Go Bag
A wildfire emergency go bag should be easy to carry and access. Remember you must pack for a 3-day stay and ensure you keep it ready for rapid evacuation. Always use a backpack to store most essentials except food and water. Keep the food and water separately in a wheel tub for easy carrying.
- A 3-day supply of food and water for each family member
- Prescribed Medications and necessaries
- Evacuation maps with at least 2 routes
- Spare keys of your vehicle
- Credit cards and cash
- A flashlight with batteries
- Jackery Solar Generator
- Copies of important documents
- Pet food and water
- First aid kit and sanitation essentials
Travel Emergency Go Bag
A travel emergency go bag should be lightweight and easy to carry. It should have the essentials required for 3 days. Make a bag with water and food, sleep blankets, toilet essentials, strong footwear like shoes, etc. Check the travel emergency go bag checklist below.
- 3-days water and food supply
- Sleep bags and blankets
- Medications like pain relievers
- Notepad, pen, and license
- Pair of clothes and footwear for 3 days
- Jackery Solar Generator for power
- Waste-carrying trash bags
- Carry flashlights with extra batteries
- Carry sanitation essentials
Every electronic appliance in the house relies on power. From flashlights to mobiles to laptops to kitchen appliances and freezers, every item works with power, and carrying a Jackery Portable Power Station with you will save your life in many ways.
Earthquake Emergency Go Bag
This emergency kit is highly important for every resident for disasters like earthquakes and cyclones. You may experience power outages and food and water shortages for days. So, packing these essentials will make your stay easier wherever you reside.
- One gallon of water per person, adequate quantity for each family member
- Non-perishable food for 3 days and a can opener
- First aid kit for you and your vehicles
- 3 or 4 Flashlights with extra batteries
- Chargers for phones and laptops
- Prescribed medications
- Whistle or Bell
- Jackery Solar Generator
- 3 or 4 Pair of Clothes for each family member
- Cash, in small bills, is best
- Extra pair of glasses
- Copies of essential documents and passports
Jackery Portable Power Stations Explained
Portable power stations offer uninterrupted power to keep essential devices like smartphones and medical equipment operational. Their small size makes them easy to transport and ideal for remote locations where power outlets are not available. Jackery is a renowned solar brand manufacturer that is known for solar generators, solar panels, and portable power stations.
The Jackery Portable Power Stations are compact in size and can charge most emergency appliances for long hours. These power stations can be recharged with the help of solar panels, car chargers, and wall outlets, so you are never left without power. They are small in size and feature a powerful battery to charge emergency supplies whenever required.
Jackery Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station
The Jackery Explorer 100 Plus Portable Power Station is a mini portable power station ideal for emergency situations. It can be packed in the emergency go bag and transported to any location. You can charge several small devices such as smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, etc. Its small size ensures the portable power station can fit in your hand and be carried anywhere in the plane.
Appliances Running Time
- Phone (20W) = 4.2H
- Radio (5W) = 16.8H
- Tablet (50W) = 1.6H
- GPS Tracker (0.25W) = 336.6H
- Camera (9W) = 9.3H
Customer Review
“Works really well so far. Charge my phone multiple times with plenty of charge left. Holds its charge. Will definitely use it during hurricane outages. Can’t wait to use it for camping.” — Nicola.
Jackery Explorer 300 Plus Portable Power Station
The Jackery Explorer 300 Plus Portable Power Station is another reliable battery backup that can charge most of your small appliances for hours. It can charge your portable fans to keep you cool, smartphones to stay connected with loved ones, and even lights to illuminate the space at night. The foldable handle and compact design ensure it can be packed in the emergency go bag to travel to remote locations.
Appliances Running Time
- Phone (20W) = 12.2H
- Radio (5W) = 48.9H
- Tablet (50W) = 4.8H
- GPS Tracker (0.25W) = 979.2H
- Camera (9W) = 27.2H
- Lights (20W) = 12.2H
Customer Review
“I bought the Jackery 300 after Hurricane Beryl left us without power for several hours. I found out that we need a power source to keep our routers, phones, and laptops charged.” — Jose L Perez-Sanchez.
How to Prepare For An Emergency
There is an easy-to-remember and efficient three-step process to prepare for a disaster. Consider making a list of what you and your family members need. If you have babies at home, make sure you pack their essentials. In the case of elderly people, ensure you pack their prescribed medications. To put the steps into action, here’s the detailed version for you.
Plan a Kit: There is a kit you should pack to reside outside for a few days or weeks without regular amenities in case of disaster. Make sure you take a printout of the emergency checklist given above.
Create a Plan: Plan for you and your family effectively, including packing your essentials sufficiently. A minimum 3-day emergency pack is basic; two weeks is the longest for an emergency go bag.
Be Prepared and Informed: The final step is to be informed, like inquiring about weather conditions often and what is happening in your area, and be alert with your kit accordingly.
The three steps mentioned above will make sure you can stay in a place at your best with all the items packed. Take a checklist printout and tick off the items you packed. This way, you can make your emergency kit hassle-free. You may also consider packing a Jackery Portable Power Station with you, which will be useful for any emergency.
How to Make An Emergency Plan
It is quite difficult to expect a disaster, especially when everything around you is calm and normal. When you make a plan for handling an emergency, it will make a lot of difference when facing the situation. Here are 5 steps to make an emergency plan.
Set Up a Meeting Location
Firstly, set up two locations where you and your family can meet after a disaster. Ensure you choose one location close to your house and the other one a bit far if it is advised to not reside in your area for some days.
Create an Emergency Contact Plan
When you plan the locations, the next step is to list emergency contacts, such as your friends or relatives living in another city. Ensure your family members know this list of people and their contact numbers. After that, make a list of local emergency contact numbers for easier management and rescue.
Plan How to Evacuate
Now, set up easy and possible evacuation routes that are easy to go from your home. Identify those routes and practice how to exit from home. Always look out for available modes of transport from your home. It is recommended that local safety officers be contacted to handle emergencies.
Learn How to Get Emergency Alerts
Firstly, set your mobile phones and other electronic gadgets that have access to receive weather alerts like severe winds, hurricane alerts, and information during a disaster. Make sure your family has devices that receive the same alerts as you, and ensure there is at least one audible alert.
Plan How to Take Shelter in a Place
Choose safe rooms within your home and ensure it has access to radio, television, and telephones. Ensure you have an emergency go bag with all the essentials and a Jackery Portable Power Station. In case of any medical treatment, discuss with your medical provider how to care in an emergency.
Emergency Go Bag FAQs
How big of a portable power station do I need for an emergency?
The size of the portable power station required to meet the power demands during an emergency will depend on the wattage consumption of the appliances and their operating time. For instance, if you want to charge the light (20W), smartphone (20W), and portable fan (50W) with the help of the Jackery Explorer 300 Plus Portable Power Station, the working hours will be:
Working Hours = Battery Capacity in Wh × 0.85 ÷ Operating Wattage of the Appliances = 288Wh × 0.85 ÷ 90W = 2.7H
Note: We have multiplied by 0.85 to account for the power loss that happens when charging the appliances.
What should be in a go bag for fire evacuation?
A fire evacuation go bag should have a 3-day supply of non-perishable food, a 3-day water supply for each family member, a map with at least two evacuation routes, necessary medications, a pair of clothes, and extra glasses/lenses.
What are 10 items in a survival kit?
The 10 items in your survival kit include a first aid kit, non-perishable food and water, sleeping bags and warm blankets, sanitation and hygiene samples, flashlights and extra batteries, a Jackery Solar Generator, medications, mobile phones, a pair of clothes, and eyeglasses.
What should I pack in my emergency bag?
You should pack water and food in adequate quantity for 3 days, important documents, necessary medications, mobile phones, portable freezers, flashlights, batteries, a pair of clothes and blankets, toilet essentials, a first aid kit, a portable power generator, and sanitation samples.
How big should an emergency bag be?
An emergency go bag should be lightweight and easy to carry. A 40-50 liter range bag is the common size that is handy for carrying and arranging essentials. More than 55 liters is overweight, and less than 40 liters is too limiting.
Final Thoughts
You might think you can plan for the disaster when such a situation hits your neighborhood. But it is tough to do so. So, planning and arranging an emergency go bag in a room within your home is suggested. Ensure you carry essentials from food and water to a portable Jackery Solar Generator for a constant power supply without noise. They can easily fit your emergency go bag and can charge most of your appliances on the go.
How are you planning to prepare for emergency situations? Let us know in the comments below!
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