Essential Gear for an Emergency Kit—for Cars or Go-Bags
You never know when you're going to have to bug out on short notice. The politics of the moment are less than predictable. Wildfire season
You never know when you're going to have to bug out on short notice. The politics of the moment are less than predictable. Wildfire season is off to a rollicking start in 2026, as fires dot the Western US and smoke blows from Canada across the Midwest and Northeast. Disasters never strike on schedule, and few stores stay open for a wildfire or an insurrection. That’s why it’s important to make plans well in advance and put together gear for an emergency kit, say experts on disaster preparedness—and to stock up on the essentials that can keep your family healthy and safe in the event of wildfire, hurricane, flood, earthquake, blizzard, or all-too-human failures. In the case of wildfire, it's not just the fire you need to worry about. It's the smoke. But not every disaster is the same. There are two main scenarios you should keep your family prepared for, says Jonathan Sury, a senior staff associate at Columbia University’s Center for Disaster Preparedness.
In some cases, you may have to jump into a car with a go bag, or a bug-out bag, outfitted with the barest essentials, such as a three-day supply of water, purification tablets or water filters, a good flashlight, and batteries. A fast-approaching wildfire might be a good example of this scenario. In others, like a severe snowstorm or earthquake, you may be left sheltering in place, possibly without tap water or access to the power grid—and in serious need of a good power bank or two. Regional wildfires may also require long-term emergency prep, when taking into account smoke inhalation and potential public safety power shutoffs. “You have to think in that mindset of, ‘We could have power out,’” said Weather Service preparedness lead Charlie Woodrum. “‘We could lose it for a couple days, or up to even a week, and we also could lose water.’ You have to plan for both power outages and for loss of water.” Here’s how to prepare for a shorter-term emergency—and what to stock up on in advance.
This isn’t a survival guide to civil war or the apocalypse, of course. But the advice and gear here should help you and your family safely weather a natural disaster such as a storm, a flood, an earthquake, or a wildfire–not to mention a systemic failure in your water system or power grid. And remember you're probably not alone. The best form of emergency prep often involves getting to know your neighbors. See also WIRED’s Guide to Surviving Extreme Weather and WIRED's guide to finding reliable emergency information amid much-diminished federal resources. More worried about losing your job? Check out WIRED’s guide to a digital go bag for when you’re forced to bug out from work. Update July 2026: I added additional context on wildfire preparedness, including a McLeod for creating defensible space and context from University of Oregon wildfire experts Heidi Huber-Stearns and Amanda Stasiewicz. I added air quality monitors from GoveeLife and AirIQ, as well as the AirNow air quality service, and swapped out our flash drive and MERV 13 filter recommendations based on availability.
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