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The Best Gear for Your Go 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,” 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.

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 assist you in managing whatever emergency you may face.

Continue reading to learn more about packing your go bag, written by Doug Mahoney and Joshua Lyon.

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Staff Writers
Doug Mahoney and Joshua Lyon

Doug Mahoney est rédacteur principal chez Wirecutter, où il s'occupe de l'amélioration de l'habitat. Il a passé dix ans dans le secteur de la construction haut de gamme en tant que charpentier, contremaître et superviseur. Il vit dans une ferme de 250 ans très exigeante et a passé quatre ans à vider et reconstruire sa maison précédente. Il élève également des moutons et possède une vache laitière qu'il trait tous les matins.


Joshua Lyon is a senior staff writer covering home and decor topics at Wirecutter. He has written and edited for numerous outlets, including Interview, Country Living, The New York Times, V and VMAN, Marie Claire, Jane, and Food Network Magazine. He’s also a Lambda Literary Award–nominated author and ghostwriter. Learn more at jklyon.com.

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It all starts with Sawyer Squeeze + Cnoc VectoX 2L, the best and most reliable filter-bladder combo and the core of my backpacking water storage and filtration system.

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Our top water filter for thru hiking, the Sawyer Squeeze, is 15% off.

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