EOTWSG Survival Checklists
Use these lists as planning prompts, not a one-size-fits-all shopping order. Start with the emergencies most likely where you live, your household’s health and mobility needs, local official guidance, and the routes you can actually use. Check items as you assemble or verify them; pack, label, and practice with the kit before you need it.
Make the kit work for your household. A bag that is too heavy, inaccessible, unfamiliar, expired, or unsafe to use is not a useful bag. Adjust quantities and contents for climate, trip length, transport, budget, children, pets, and medical needs. Keep essential medication and copies of key contacts accessible.
Follow local emergency instructions and applicable laws. Use medical supplies only within your training; ask a clinician or pharmacist about medication reserves, storage, and medical-device backup. Use water treatment only as directed and for the contaminants it is designed to address. Never use a fuel-burning stove, heater, or generator indoors unless the appliance is specifically rated for that indoor use; follow its instructions and carbon-monoxide precautions.
1. Bedside Evacuation Pouch (WUSH)
A small, easy-to-reach set of essentials for leaving quickly during an immediate household emergency, such as a fire. “WUSH” stands for “Wake Up, Something’s Happening.”
2. Everyday Carry (EDC)
A compact everyday set for ordinary disruptions. Choose lawful, familiar tools that suit your work, travel, and local rules.
Core
Optional (if suitable/lawful)
3. Get-Home Bag (GHB)
A modest kit kept at work or in a vehicle for a planned trip to home or another safe destination. Set the distance based on your real commute.
Check periodically for temperature damage, expired supplies, and vehicle storage limits.
4. 72-Hour Evacuation Bag
A starting point for a short evacuation for one person. Three days is a planning target, not a guarantee.
Water & Food
Clothing & Shelter
Health & Tools
5. Urban Evacuation Variation
Adapt the 72-hour bag for dense streets, public transit, crowds, and limited storage. Discreet bags are often safer.
Respirators do not protect against every gas or vapor. Use only for designated hazards.
6. Rural & Wilderness Variation
Adapt for longer distances between services and higher exposure to weather.
7. Winter & Cold-Weather Bag
Prioritize staying dry, blocking wind, and avoiding exposure. Cold gear is bulky; test your packed load.
Never operate a camping stove or combustion heater in a tent, vehicle, or enclosed space without rated ventilation.
8. One-Week Sustainment
A longer-duration plan, ideally divided between a go-bag and supplies kept at a safe destination.
9. Long-Duration Contingency (INCH)
"I'm Never Coming Home" requires a realistic destination, transport, and support. Separate travel gear from stored destination supplies.
Travel Essentials
Destination Supplies
10. Wheeled Bug-Out Bag
A wheeled duffel, cart, or suitcase can help carry heavy family supplies or reduce lifting for some individuals, though it requires paved or smooth terrain.
Always plan an alternate route in case roads are blocked by debris or disabled vehicles that make wheeled transport impossible.