How to Make a Kid’s Bug-Out Bag

Preparing an emergency kit is at the foundation of disaster preparedness. The classic 72-hour emergency kit can take a number of forms, including the “bug-out bag,” also called a “go bag” (or even a “SHTF bag”). A bug-out bag contains the essential items you need to survive for at least three days on the go—if, for example, you’re forced to evacuate your home because of a natural disaster.

Putting together a bug-out bag for yourself is one thing, but what if your household includes children? There are special considerations for kids’ go bags, and we’ll break them down for you along with tips on putting the bag together, and how to make the process fun!

What is a Kid’s Bug-Out Bag?

Everybody in your household needs a go bag, your children included. (Pets, too, by the way!) A bug-out bag for kids is an on-the-go emergency kit catered to the age and specific needs of a child, including young infants. Generally speaking, it contains the same kind of basic survival supplies as an adult’s version as well as some specialized items. It has to take into account not only the child’s age and particular needs but also the fact that younger kids can’t carry as much as a grownup.

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Preparing a bug-out bag for your kids doesn’t only get your household ready for a potential disaster; it can also be an instructive—and even fun—exercise that serves as a learning opportunity and strengthens a child’s sense of security and family togetherness.

Essential Items to Put in a Kid’s Bug-Out Bag

Let’s dive into the details of how to create a bug-out bag for the younger members of your family. We’ll go over the additional components beyond the universal disaster-kit items that are more kid-specific but will also cover the basics. 

On that front, we urge you to check out the excellent resources available through Ready.gov, the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), and elsewhere on the Mountain House site (here and here, for example) for an even more comprehensive checklist. But to kick things off, here are some of the main items you’ll potentially want to include in an emergency go bag for kids:

• Flashlights/headlamps 

• Blanket (size that fits the child)

• Basic first-aid kit

• Medications 

• Water bottle, bottle, or sippy cup

• Non-perishable snacks

• A couple toys and/or comfort items that don’t take up much room

• Books and headphones

• Notebook or coloring book with pencils or crayons

• Extra changes of clothes

• Jacket

• Undergarments or diapers

• Wet wipes

• Single-serve cans or bottles of infant formula (if applicable)

• Pacifiers (if applicable)

• Emergency whistle

• Toiletries 

  • Soap

  • Brush or comb

  • Toothbrush and toothpaste

• Glow sticks

• Laminated card with emergency contact numbers on it

• Sleep system (sleeping bag, sleeping mat, inflatable pillow) for older kids that can carry more

• Three-day supply of emergency food for older kids that can carry more 

We go into more detail on these items below. 

First Aid Kit & Medications

From age-appropriate pain relievers to bandages, gauze, and antibiotic ointments, a small first-aid kit needs to be in any bug-out bag for children. Also, include any medications and prescriptions your child requires.

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Hydration Supplies

A go bag for kids needs to contain hydration essentials. A 72-hour emergency kit should include at least a gallon of water per person per day, though depending on the child’s size/strength, may or may not be able to be stored in the bag. Along with a water bottle, a water filter or purifier (such as a Lifestraw unit) is also important in case municipal or otherwise treated water supplies aren’t available.

Food & Snacks

The minimum three-day supply of go-bag food needs to be lightweight, packable, and non-perishable. Mountain House freeze-dried meals are a great example! These meals are easy to pack, easy to rehydrate, and have a 30 year taste guarantee. 

Sleeping & Warmth

Insulating layers are another must-have in a kid’s go bag, including at least one emergency blanket. Older kids may be able to carry their own sleep system, including a sleeping bag.

Clothing

Pack clothing that protects your child from the elements, including warm, insulating, and waterproof layers (such as a rain poncho).

Comfort Items

This is a big one for a kid’s bug-out bag—and a category all too easy to overlook. An emergency situation is stressful for anybody; it can be especially frightening and traumatic for a young person. Include a few favorite toys, beloved blankets and/or stuffed animals, and any other cherished items (within reason, of course, given space and weight considerations) that can provide comfort and familiarity in the midst of upheaval.

Survival & Safety Gear

Safety and survival gear are part of the core of any emergency kit. This includes not only headlamps, flashlights, glow sticks, and emergency whistles, but also emergency contact information. Children should have an identification card in their bug-out bag in case their family gets separated.

Older kids may be able to carry their own supply of fire-making materials—waterproof matches, fire starters, lighters, etc.—which should be part of any household emergency kit.

Hygiene Items

Basic hygiene items include a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a brush/comb, as well as hand sanitizer or soap and (if applicable) contact lens solution.

Age-Appropriate Considerations

What specifically goes into a kid’s bug-out bag greatly depends on how old the child is. A go bag for a baby looks a lot different than one for a teenager, needless to say!

Infants & Toddlers

A whole host of specialized items will go into an infant or toddler’s bug-out bag, which might include diapers, baby wipes, pacifiers, infant formula (and a thermos to keep it warm or cool), disposable nursing pads, and resealable bags for storing soiled diapers and clothes.

Older Kids

Older children can not only carry more weight in their bug-out bags, they can  also potentially carry more complex survival essentials, such as fire-starting materials, a survival knife, and a water filter/purifier.

How to Put Together a Bug-Out Bag for Kids

Putting a kid’s bug-out bag together doesn’t have to be a chore. Involving your children in the process provides an opportunity to talk about emergency preparedness and rehearse your household emergency plan. You can make building that on-the-go emergency kit its own fun game: Turn it into a treasure hunt, using a checklist and discussing what items could fulfill different categories of survival and comfort needs.

The game of assembling a bug-out bag for kids can also be a puzzle: having children figure out what can most efficiently fit in the bag and talking about why you might choose a small, light toy or game over a bigger, heavier alternative.

Having your kids actively participate in putting their own bug-out bag together has so many advantages, not least making them more invested in maintaining their emergency kit.

It also helps your household get everyone on the same page when it comes to emergency preparedness and makes a legitimately scary prospect—a hurricane, a flood, a wildfire—seem like something you can all face and deal with together.

Practice & Maintenance

Practice drills and scenarios help your household lock down its emergency plan and show children how they might actually use some of the items in their bug-out bags.

Any emergency kit or go bag should be inventoried at least once or twice a year, but a kid’s version often needs checking and restocking more frequently, given how quickly children outgrow clothes, personal items, and interests.

Don’t Forget Mountain House in Your Bug-Out Bag

Don’t wait to prepare and customize go bags and emergency kits for everybody in your household. Storms, floods, power outages, and other contingencies are unpredictable, and the worst time to put together a disaster kit is after disaster strikes!

Freeze-dried Mountain House meals—including no shortage of crowd-pleasing comfort foods—are ideal for bug-out bags. Explore our collection of emergency and survival food kits.