20 Essential Items for your Bug out Bag in 2025: Full Guide

1. Your bug out bag

Top option from Amazon:

• Budget – Mardingtop 28L Tactical Molle Backpack
• Premium – First Tactical Specialist 1-Day 36L Backpack
  

2. Water Purification Tablets and Personal Water Filter

Top option from Amazon:

• Potable Aqua Purification Tablets
• 12 Pack P&G Water Purification Sachets

Top options for filters:

• LifeStraw
• Sawyer Mini
  

3. Stainless Steel Water Bottles to store hot drinks

Top option from Amazon:

• 12 oz Wide Mouth Hydro Flask with Flex Sip Lid
• 12oz Stainless Steel BJPKPK Insulated Water Bottle
• Stanley AeroLight 16 oz Stainless Steel Bottle
  

4. High-Calorie Energy Bars / Freeze-Dried Foods for sustenance

Top option from Amazon:

• Millenium Foods 36 Pack Energy Bars
• 2400 Calories Emergency Food Ration Bar
  
  

5. Lightweight Camping Stove & Fuel for cooking

Top option from Amazon:

• Fire-Maple Portable Pot/Jet Burner Set
• Ultralight MSR PocketRocket 2

Top options for fuel:

• GasOne Isobutane Fuel Canister 100g (4 Pack)

6. Collapsible Cups / Bowls / Mess Kits

Top option from Amazon:

• MalloMe Mess Kit
• STANLEY Two Cup Cookset

7. Heavy duty power bank as backup for electronics

Top option from Amazon:

• Anker 737 24,000 MaH power bank
• Anker 20,000 MaH power bank
• Anker Zolo 10,000mAh Magnetic Power Bank
• INIU 20,000mAh Portable Charger

8. Tarp, Bivy, or Emergency Tent for emergency

Top option from Amazon:

• Go Time 2 Person Mylar Emergency Tent

Top option for bivvys:

• S.O.L. Lightweight Emergency Bivvy

9. Emergency Mylar Blanket / Sleeping Bag

Top option from Amazon:

• PREPARED4X Emergency Poncho and Mylar Blanket Liner
• Frelaxy Extra-Thick Extra-Large Emergency Blanket

Top option for sleeping bags:

• Lightweight Xtra-Small Emergency Sleeping Bag with Hood

10. Fire starting tools

Top option from Amazon:

• Bayite 4 Inch Survival Ferrocerium Drilled Flint Fire Starter
• Prepared4X Survival Torch

11. Headlamp with Extra Batteries

Top option from Amazon:

• DanForce 1080 Lumen Headlamp
• PETZL E+LITE 50 Lumen Ultra-Compact Emergency Headlamp
• Energizer Pro360, Rugged IPX4 LED Headlamp
• PETZL Bindi Ultra-Compact Rechargeable Headlamp

12. Small LED Flashlight

Top option from Amazon:

• OLIGHT Arkfeld1400 Lumens EDC Flat Flashlight
• GearLight S2000 Lumens LED Flashlight
• OLIGHT IMINI 2 50 Lumens EDC Rechargeable Keychain Flashlight

13. Comprehensive First Aid Kit

Top option from Amazon:

• MyFAK PRO Ifak 140 Pcs Trauma and Medical First Aid Kit
• 299 Piece All-Purpose Emergency First Aid Kit
• Be Smart 110 pc First Aid Kit
  
  

14. Bug Sprays

Top option from Amazon:

• Coleman Insect Repellent Spray

15. Multitools

Top option from Amazon:

• 15-in-1 Gerber Gear Suspension-NXT EDC
• 18-in-1 Leatherman Multi-tool

16. Whistle

Top option from Amazon:

• Emergency Whistles with Lanyard
• HyperWhistle – Worlds Loudest Whistle
• Loudest Brass Whistle

17. Navigation (Compass, Map, GPS)

Top option from Amazon:

• Garmin inReach Mini 2 ($299.99)
• Garmin eTrex 22x ($170.00)
• SUUNTO A-10 Compass
• Rand McNally Road Atlas Large Scale 2025

18. Comms

Top option from Amazon:

• Lightweight Emergency Radio with NOAA 
• 38-Mile Two-Way Radio Set (2-Pack) Cobra RX680 Waterproof Walkie Talkies

19. Readymade kits

Top option from Amazon:

• 3 Day Emergency kit for Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Wildfires, Floods + Other disasters
• 1-Person, 3-Day 72 Hour Emergency Backpack Kit
• All-in-One 4 Person, 72 Hour Emergency Survival Kit
  

20. Miscellaneous

• Cash
• Self-defense equipment
• Medications
• Prescription glasses (spares)
• Clothing for 1-2 days
• Running/hiking shoes/boots
• Sunglasses
• Identification Documents (Driver’s license, passport etc) in a ziplock baggie