Bug OutLeave fast, leave ready
Bug out: how to leave home fast and well prepared
A flood, a wildfire, a gas leak or an order to evacuate can give you minutes, not hours. A packed bag, copies of your documents and a plan everyone knows turn panic into a routine.
Guides
- Emergencies Bug in or bug out? How to decide between staying home (bugging in) and evacuating (bugging out): the advantages of each, 10 clear signs that you need to leave, and why leaving early matters.
- Emergency kit Checklist The 72-hour emergency kit What goes in a 72-hour go bag as recommended by FEMA and the European Commission, how heavy it should be and where to keep it. A tickable checklist, explained item by item.
- Emergencies Checklist Evacuating in 15 minutes What to do when authorities order an evacuation: what to grab in 5, 15 and 30 minutes, how to secure your home before leaving, where to go and what to do if you evacuate by car or on foot.
- Emergency kit Family emergency plan Meeting points, an out-of-town contact, who picks up the kids, what happens to pets. A simple one-page plan any family can make in an evening.
- Emergency kit Equipment Choosing a go-bag backpack Which backpack is worth it for a 72-hour emergency kit: volume, hip belt, materials, color and weight. We compare hiking daypacks, tactical packs, trekking packs and children's packs.
- Emergency kit Checklist Everyday carry (EDC) kit A small kit, the size of a pencil case or waist bag, that is always with you: what goes in it, how to adapt it for the city, winter or children, and why it helps you get home after an earthquake, a blackout or a transport strike.
- Energy Communicating in a disaster What to do when the network is down or jammed: text messages, an out-of-town contact, a radio for news, licence-free walkie-talkies (FRS, PMR446) and CB for family and neighbours, ham radio, satellite messengers and notes left at the meeting point.
- Money Important documents Which documents to have at hand in an emergency (ID, property, insurance, medical, financial), how to make digital and paper copies, and where to keep them so they survive a fire, flood or evacuation.
- Money Cash in an emergency In a power cut, cards and cash machines stop working. Why European authorities now advise keeping some cash at home, how much is reasonable and how to keep it safe.
- Emergency kit Checklist Car emergency kit Beyond what the law requires in your country, what to keep in your car so you're not stranded for hours in cold, heat or on a closed road.
- Emergency kit Checklist Office emergency kit What to keep at work for an earthquake, power cut or a day when public transport stops: walking shoes, water, snacks, flashlight, power bank, medicine. Plus a plan for getting home on foot.
- Emergency kit Children in emergencies How to talk to children about earthquakes, power cuts or alerts without frightening them, what to put in their own emergency bag, what they should know by heart, how to practice together and how to help them afterwards.
- Emergency kit Checklist Baby emergency kit What to pack in a baby's emergency kit: formula, bottles, diapers, clothes, medicine and documents. How to feed an infant without running water or power, and what to know if you're breastfeeding.
- Emergency kit Older adults and disabilities How older adults and people with disabilities can prepare for earthquakes, power cuts, heatwaves or evacuations: the support network, medication and powered equipment, an adapted kit, and how you can help older parents and neighbors.
- Emergency kit Pets in emergencies How to prepare your dog, cat or other pet for an emergency: the pet kit, records and microchip, where to go if you have to evacuate, how to keep them calm during an earthquake or alert, and what to do if they go missing.
- Emergencies Wildfire preparedness How to prepare your home and yard for wildfires: defensible space zones, roof and gutters, what to do about smoke, when to leave and what to do if fire catches you on the road.
- Emergencies What to do in a flood Flood warnings, what to do if your home is in a flood zone, how to evacuate and what to check when you return. Advice for your home and for the road.