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Go Bag Essentials by a Nurse Mom
25
items As a nurse and a mom of two, I know that emergencies don't give warnings. This go bag list is built for families with young kids — practical, affordable, and put together with a nurse mom's eye for what you actually need when disaster strikes.
Sections
11
The Bag Itself
Documents & ID Protection
Nurse Mom's Medical Kit
Water & Hydration
Food & Nutrition
Light, Power & Navigation
The Bag Itself
Start here. Your go bag is only as good as the bag you put everything in. Choose something durable, water-resistant, and comfortable enough to carry while also managing kids
Your go bag starts with the right bag. Choose something water-resistant, comfortable to carry, and big enough for the whole family's essentials. One bag per adult in the household
Waterproof Go Bag Emergency Backpack
Documents & ID Protection
The most overlooked part of any go bag. Without your IDs and documents, accessing aid, medical care, and government assistance at evacuation centers becomes much harder.
Keep your family's IDs, birth certificates,,Health card, and insurance documents dry and together. In an emergency, these documents can save you a lot of trouble at evacuation centers.
Waterproof Document Pouch
Write down key phone numbers, your children's names and ages, blood types, allergies, and a meeting point in case you get separated. Laminate it so it survives water damage.
Emergency Contact Card
Nurse Mom's Medical Kit
This is where my nursing background comes in. These are the items I personally pack knowing what medical emergencies look like in disaster situations — especially with young kids involved.
A pre-packed kit saves time. Make sure it includes bandages, antiseptic wipes, gauze, medical tape, and scissors. As a nurse, I always check the contents and add extras.
First Aid Kit
Fever is one of the first signs of illness in evacuation centers. A reliable digital thermometer helps you monitor your kids quickly without guessing.
Digital Thermometer
Fever, pain, and headaches are common during stressful evacuations. Pack both adult tablets and children's syrup or chewable tablets. Label clearly with dosing instructions.
Paracetamol Tablets
Flooding and new environments trigger allergies and skin reactions in kids. A simple antihistamine covers itching, rashes, and mild allergic responses.
Major Allergy Loratadine 10 mg Tablets
These are the nurse-specific items most people forget. They close deeper cuts without stitches — buys you time before you can get proper medical care at a clinic.
Butterfly Closure Strips
The most trusted wound antiseptic. A small 60ml bottle is enough to clean multiple wounds. Never leave home without this in your medical kit.
Betadine Antiseptic First Aid Solution 10%
If anyone in your family takes daily medication — for hypertension, asthma, or diabetes — keep a 7-day emergency supply in your go bag and rotate it regularly so it doesn't expire.
Prescription Medications
Water & Hydration
Clean water is your number one priority in any emergency. Dehydration sets in fast — especially in children. This section covers storage, purification, and rehydration from every angle.
Diarrhea and dehydration are common in disaster situations, especially for kids. ORS packets are cheap, lightweight, and can be life-saving. Pack at least 10 sachets.
Oral Rehydration Salts
When clean water isn't available, these tablets make unsafe water drinkable. Lightweight and cheap — one of the most underrated items in any go bag.
Water Purification Tablets
Clean water storage is critical in the first 72 hours of any disaster. A collapsible jug takes up almost no space when empty but holds up to 10 liters when you need it most.
Collapsible Water Jug
A step up from purification tablets — this lets you drink directly from rivers or flood water in a true emergency. Worth every peso for a family with young kids.
Portable Water Filter
Food & Nutrition
You won't always have access to hot meals during evacuation. Pack lightweight, calorie-dense food your kids will actually eat — and rotate your stock every 6 months so nothing expires.
Choose non-perishable food your kids will actually eat. Energy bars, crackers, and dried fruit are compact and calorie-dense. Rotate stock every 6 months.
Emergency Food Ration Bars 2025, 20 Pack
Light, Power & Navigation
Emergencies don't wait for daylight. Reliable lighting, a charged power bank, and basic navigation tools keep your family safe and connected when infrastructure goes down.
Keeps your phone alive for emergency calls, maps, and updates. Get a high-capacity one — charging access is often limited in evacuation areas.
Solar Power Bank 20000mah
Hands-free lighting is a must when you're carrying kids or doing first aid in the dark. Choose one with long battery life or a rechargeable option.
Waterproof Headlamp
Flood water, smoke, and dust are serious respiratory hazards. Pack both adult and child sizes — we learned this lesson well from the pandemic.
Face Masks
If you get separated or trapped, a whistle carries farther than your voice. A basic compass helps when phones have no signal. Both are inexpensive and small.
Emergency Whistle With Compass
Health & Safety Gear
Flood environments expose your family to smoke, bacteria, and extreme temperatures. These items create a physical barrier between your kids and the hazards around them.
Lightweight, compact, and reflects body heat — keeps your family warm during cold nights in evacuation centers. Pack one per family member
Mylar Blanket
Hygiene & Sanitation
Poor hygiene in evacuation centers spreads disease fast — I've seen this as a nurse. Simple sanitation items protect your whole family from secondary infections after the initial disaster.
When there's no running water, wet wipes become your family's best friend. Use for cleaning hands, wiping kids down, or sanitizing surfaces. Pack at least 2 packs.
Unscented Baby Wipes
Hygiene in evacuation centers prevents disease spread — something I've seen firsthand as a nurse. Compact travel-sized toiletries take up minimal space but matter enormously.
5 Sets Personal Hygiene Basic Toiletry Kits
Clothing & Comfort
Wet clothes lead to hypothermia and skin infections, especially in kids. Vacuum-sealed bags keep everything compact and dry so your family has a clean change ready when needed.
Pack one full change of clothes per family member in vacuum-sealed bags to save space and keep everything dry. Prioritize kids' clothing since they go through outfits faster.
Vacuum Seal Bags For Clothing
For the Kids
Disasters are traumatic for children. Keeping them calm, occupied, and emotionally grounded during evacuation is just as important as their physical safety — don't skip this section.
Often overlooked but so important. Keeping young kids calm and occupied during stressful evacuations protects their mental health — and yours. A small coloring book weighs almost nothing.
Crayon And Coloring Book Set
Multipurpose Extras
Small items that do the work of ten. These are the things experienced emergency responders and nurses always have on hand — cheap, lightweight, and endlessly useful.
The most underrated item in any go bag. Use them to waterproof documents, store snacks, organize medicines, or keep wet clothes separate. Pack at least 10 mixed sizes.
Ziploc Bags Variety Pack