Emergency Preparation encompasses four key areas, and you should be ready for all of them. An Emergency Go Bag, GOOD (get out of Dodge) Bag, Jump Bag or “Bug Out” Bag, is a quick and easy item to prepare. It will take you less than an hour to prepare.

A Jump Bag will bring you peace of mind. The Emergency Go Bag is the personalized preparation that will keep you and your loved ones (including pets) as comfortable and stress-free as possible during a crisis.

Emergency Preparation 4-Part System

Solid emergency preparation should encompass four key areas:

1. Home Emergency Supplies and Food Pantry, be ready for anything at home staying safe and sound
2. Car Emergency Kit, for urgencies while out and about
3. Infants, Kids, Seniors, Special Needs and Pets/Animals, keep the special items that your loved ones need
4. Personal Jump Bag(s), keep you comfortable and thriving during difficult situations

Make sure to prepare for all of these four pillars so you are ready for anything. But one thing at a time, today let’s just focus on the Jump Bag.

Why Prep are Jump Bag?

You are (unfortunately) very likely to use a Go Bag in your lifetime. It is handy in a wide variety of situations. And importantly, preparing one now will make sure it is well thought through and has what you need, when you need it.

Throwing things together during an emergency or after you’ve been forced to or been asked to evacuate will not yield good results. I know from personal experience. Watch the video to hear my personal story.

A Jump Bag is the bag you grab when you need to leave your home urgently. This could be because of something within the home – house fire, flooding, crime, etc. Or it could be a more broad spread problem – hurricane/monsoon, wildfire, tornado, severe weather or social unrest. It is anything that causes you to leave your home quickly.

A Jump Bag is not about the emergency.

It is all about YOU.

This bag is not about the emergency, instead it is all about you. The Jump Bag is personal to you (and each of your loved ones). It provides the clothing, toiletries and enrichment items that will support you to be as comfortable as possible during a crisis.

Got an Hour? Let’s Make a Jump Bag Now

You will likely have everything you need for a Jump Bag already in your home. So no excuses to wait. 😉

Choose an Easily Portable Bag

First thing, grab a bag or old piece of luggage that will hold about 3 days of clothes and basic supplies. Don’t choose anything too large for you to comfortably transport.

Each person large enough to carry a bag should ideally have their own Go Bag. So school age kids get their own Bug Out Bag (BOB). Supplies for infants, toddlers or pets should be packed into their guardian’s bag.

Many people choose back-packs. Use them if they are convenient for you. However, any old travel bag or zippered tote bag will do well though. I chose an old airplane-cabin-size small roller-bag. This is just the right size for supplies for me and my pet. It is also easy to move around on its rollers and is light enough to easily travel with.

Be budget friendly when thinking about the bag. Ideally use something you already have. If buying new, a simple zipper fiberglass bag will work just as well as a Louis Vuitton. In an emergency, function is key.

Now Pack it with 3-Days of Functional Clothing

This part is as simple as packing for a 3-day weekend trip. Actually, it’s easier. You are packing for basic function only here:

• 3 basic shirts, that could double as “good enough” for work
• 2 trousers, one comfy and one “good enough” for work
• undergarments and socks, for three days
• sweater or sweatshirt for warmth layer
• pajamas or lounge wear, that you would feel comfortable wearing in a congregate shelter setting
• One pair of comfortable shoes

That’s it. Don’t overpack. Remember you will also have the clothing, shoes and coat (hat & gloves, as appropriate) you have on at the time of evacuation. Keep the basics agile and easy to use. Try choosing clothing that all matches with each other. While fashion is not the main consideration, you will want to feel comfortable with yourself and also may still have to go to work or be in social settings.

Now, Toiletries, Medicines and Hygiene Kit for 3-Days

Think through your daily rituals for getting ready for the day and heading back to bed. Grab small versions of all the fundamental items you use. Cover showering, tooth brush and paste, shaving, make-up, etc.

It may not be worth carrying big special equipment such as water teeth flossers or large hair styling equipment. Try substituting with smaller more functional items.

That said, don’t skimp on taking care of yourself. If you normally put make up on or have a good morning shave, make sure to bring those items. Just consider if you could use conveniently sized make-up or shaving kit. It will be important to keep your morning routines. It will help you feel more like yourself and be more comfortable even during a stressful, emergency situation.

Pack up your medicines and vitamins. Plan enough for a week, just to give you a little more leeway. If you are prone to aches and pains, remember some pain relievers, too.

And finally, toss in lip balm, eye drops, face mask and latex gloves. These items can be especially useful under a variety of emergency situations.

Now, Pack in Enrichment

Enrichment here doesn’t mean cash, though having a small pack of cash in small bills and coins is helpful to have at hand.

Enrichment in this case means that you need to pack items that will help yourself to de-stress and pass the time. Perhaps surprisingly, many emergencies will require you to do a lot of waiting around. And unsurprisingly, urgencies are stressful. One of the best things you can do for yourself is to pack something that will entertain you and allow you to unplug from the situation.

Remember, the emergency may mean you want to keep your phone charged (more on that later) and not use the battery down for watching video, playing games or other things to keep you entertained. Choose non-power dependent fun. Bring a book (paper!), cards, hobbies.

And pack the same for the little ones and pets – toys and comforting items. These will probably become the most important things you pack, so use space in your bag for enrichment. A good book will be more valuable to you than an extra pair of leggings.

And Now Prep for Your Loved Ones

As mentioned earlier, anyone big enough to carry their own bag, needs their own bag, just their size. Engage children, partners and other loved ones in packing their own bag. For children, revamp it each year to ensure clothing is the right size and enrichment items are still interesting at their new age.

Same items apply for each person. Pay special attention comfort and fun for young people.

Supplies for infants, toddlers and pets should share your bag. It will be easier to have one bag that is slightly larger than to shlep multiple bags and also have the small one in tow.

Infants, Toddlers and Pets

Any one who needs special help such as infants, toddlers and pets also needs special attention to their needs. This may also apply to a senior, someone with a serious illness or other special needs. Pack with special attention to each of their specific needs.

For Pets, make sure to pack food, water bowl, toys, and comfort item. Also, you will likely need equipment for them to stay away from home. Pack a leash, a muzzle (which may be required in shelters), ID collar, and crate or carrying case. Consider a pet emergency kit to handle medical emergencies.

Importantly, check around now for how your local community handles emergency shelters. Make sure they are pet friendly, or find the ones that are. Find a nearby pet friendly hotel, just in case. And make a back-up plan for someone who could look after your pet.

This is an Emergency! Shouldn’t we Prepare for That, Too?

Yes, we need to prepare to handle any emergency situation. If you have already prepared a Car Emergency Kit, then you will already be prepared for most things you would face. So now you are done for any evacuation situation.

Remember, many emergencies will allow you to come back to your house after a few days. Even if the emergency situation remains, you often will be allowed to return home and sit out the rest of the issue. In these cases, your Home Emergency Kit will have what you need. So, you are done for those situations.

The main point of a Jump Bag is to help you evacuate and be comfortable for a few days. These few days allow you to transition between a sudden emergency situation and whatever comes next.

Even in the case you have a situation where you cannot return to your home (fire, flood, etc.), these precious days help you get yourself settled into your next situation. When I had a house fire and could not return to my home for months, the first few days were in a hotel, then I was able to get into a temporary apartment. I then could get out and shop and find what I needed to start fresh. So a jump bag is all one would need.

Have some basic comforts

That said, for comfort, I always like to have light and to be able to charge my phone. I received a gift from my dad that handles both things – a lantern that you can charge your phone from. Brilliant! And when dealing with power outages, I really like to have a head-lamp, so I can walk around with light hands free. I keep these in my car emergency kit, so they will be with me when I may have to “jump.”

And Prep Your Phone with Free Apps

Prepare your smart phone to be ready to keep emergency communication, contact information, and emergency skills resources. Something to do now is to download emergency weather, first aid, emergency skills, and resources apps.

Key free apps I recommend are:

• NOAA or Weather Underground Apps for excellent weather detail and severe weather notifications
• Red Cross First Aid and Emergency Skills Apps – First Aid, Pet Emergency, General Emergency, and details for specific emergencies such as Tornados, Hurricanes and more
• Governmental Resources and Advice – FEMA and CDC are excellent apps for the USA. Most governments have emergency apps, so look for your local resources.

And one that is already installed in your phone, you should fill in now. The HEALTH APP on your phone is your Emergency Contact Card. Fill in your profile, Health Information, and Medical ID. Turn on the show it on Lock Screen. A medical professional can then access your Emergency Contact Card information (and ONLY your emergency contact information):

1. Emergency Contact Person with Contact Details
2. Allergies
3. Medications
4. Health Conditions
5. Blood Type and other useful details in a medical emergency

In Summary

You’ve done the hard part, thinking of and planning a Go Bag. Implement it now, and it will be done and dusted within an hour. Well done. You can feel confident that you are ready at any time – and ready to not only survive, but to thrive.

What’s Next?

Create or recheck the rest of your Emergency Preparedness. Remember a complete Emergency Prep System will include:

1. Home Emergency Supplies and Food Pantry, be ready for anything at home staying safe and sound
2. Car Emergency Kit, for urgencies while out and about
3. Infants, Kids, Seniors, Special Needs and Pets/Animals, keep the special items that your loved ones need
4. Personal Jump Bag(s), keep you comfortable and thriving during difficult situations

Anything you don’t have complete yet, block out time on your calendar to complete it. All the resources you need are here:

• Watch the “Emergency Preparedness” Playlist on Ready and Thriving YouTube channel
• Prepare your Car Emergency Kit with checklists to handle car breakdowns, accidents, severe weather, community member emergencies, and preparing for your specific activities
• Create your Pet Emergency Kit to ensure you know what to do in sudden emergencies and are fully prepared for their unique medical needs
• Build your Home Emergency Kit and Food Pantry to handle any situation and prepare for longer situations

Bookmark the Ready and Thriving Emergency Prep page and check back to be inspired by tips to help you Prepare Well to Live Well. Stock your Food Pantry smartly to ensure you have 3 months of food that you actually want to eat – Pantry Prep and Pantry Recipes can be found here. And Subscribe to Ready and Thriving YouTube Channel to see new ideas in your YouTube feed that will inspire you to not only be Ready but also to Thrive!