Bug out bag list (UK): the 72-hour essentials, and the food to carry

Written by James Frost, founder of Flaming Phoenix and the maker of Phoenix Bars. Updated 28 October 2026 and checked against the government's Be Ready advice and UK knife law.

A bug out bag is a rucksack packed so you could leave home on foot and look after yourself for 72 hours without help. A good UK bug out bag holds 2 to 3 litres of water and a way to make more safe to drink, at least 7,500 calories of food that needs no cooking, shelter and warm layers for a night outdoors, a head torch, a first aid kit and your own medication, a power bank and a wind-up radio, cash and copies of your documents, a paper map and compass, and a small knife that is legal to carry. Packed sensibly, it weighs about 11 to 13kg.

The government's Be Ready campaign, launched on 22 October 2026, asks households to keep 3 days of supplies at home and a few essentials in a bag in case you have to leave. For most people that means a light emergency grab bag plus a home emergency kit. A bug out bag is the step beyond: a bag you could walk a long way with, sleep out with and live from for three days.

Why I wrote this guide. Phoenix Bars began as my university project to design a better emergency ration. Since then, customers have carried them on a 42-mile fast pack across the Brecon Beacons, a long crossing of the Lofoten Islands inside the Arctic Circle and a South Pole expedition. A bug out bag is the same problem as a multi-day route with no resupply: every gram has to earn its place, and the food has to be something you will still eat when you are cold, tired and stressed.

What is a bug out bag?

A bug out bag, often shortened to BOB, is a prepping term for a ready-packed rucksack that lets you leave quickly and look after yourself for about 72 hours. The idea is that three days is long enough to get clear of a local emergency, reach family or friends, or wait for help to arrive, without relying on shops, cash machines or a phone signal.

In the UK, the realistic reasons to leave home are a flood, a fire or chemical incident nearby, a gas leak, or a long power and water outage. Most of them mean a few hours or a night away rather than days outdoors, which is why a lighter grab bag suits most households. A bug out bag earns its weight if you live somewhere remote, if your nearest safe place is a long walk away, or if you want the confidence of being able to look after yourself outdoors for three days.

Bug out bag vs grab bag, get home bag and INCH bag

• Grab bag or go bag: the Be Ready bag. Light, about 5 to 7kg, covering roughly the first day away from home. See our grab bag list.
• Bug out bag: a 72-hour bag, about 11 to 13kg, with shelter, more food and a way to treat water, built to be walked out with.
• Get home bag: a small bag kept in the car or at work with walking shoes, a waterproof, water, snacks, a torch and a power bank, for getting home if transport stops. Our winter car kit checklist covers the car version.
• INCH bag: short for I'm never coming home. A much heavier long-term survival pack, popular in American prepping and rarely sensible in the UK.

Bug out bag list UK: the essentials

This list is built for one adult for 72 hours in British weather, which means planning for wet and cold rather than heat. Pack each group in its own dry bag so you can find things quickly.

Water

• 2 to 3 litres in bottles or a hydration bladder.
• A squeeze-type water filter, plus purification tablets.
• An empty collapsible bottle for refills.

Food

• At least 7,500 calories of food that needs no cooking, about 2,500 a day. Dense food keeps this to around 1.5kg (see the food plan below).
• A spork, and a small stove, gas and pot if you want hot drinks and meals.

Shelter and sleep

• A tarp or lightweight tent, or a breathable bivvy bag.
• A sleeping bag rated for the season, or a lighter bag plus warm layers in summer.
• A foam or inflatable sleeping mat, because the ground draws heat out of you faster than the air does.
• A foil emergency blanket or survival bag.

Clothing and warmth

• A waterproof jacket and trousers.
• An insulated jacket or fleece, a warm hat and gloves.
• Two pairs of walking socks and a base layer, kept dry.
• Sturdy shoes or boots you have already walked in.

Light and fire

• A head torch with spare batteries.
• A lighter and windproof matches in a waterproof container.

First aid, medication and hygiene

• Your own medication for at least 3 days, and copies of prescriptions.
• A first aid kit with blister plasters, dressings, a bandage, tape, gloves and antiseptic wipes.
• Hand sanitiser, wet wipes, toilet paper, a small trowel, a toothbrush and period products.
• Sun cream and insect repellent in summer.

Navigation, communication and power

• A paper Ordnance Survey map of your area and your routes out, and a compass you know how to use.
• A charged power bank and cable for your phone.
• A small wind-up or battery FM radio for local news.
• A whistle, and a written list of phone numbers and meeting points.

Tools

• A small folding knife with a non-locking blade of 3 inches or less (see UK rules below).
• A few metres of cord, some duct tape and a few cable ties.
• A multi-tool, if its blade meets the same rule.

Documents, money and personal items

• Copies of ID, insurance details and your household plan in a waterproof bag.
• Cash in notes and coins, and a bank card.
• Spare house and car keys, spare glasses and anything you cannot easily replace.

Bug out bag food: 72 hours in about 1.5kg

Food is where most bug out bags go wrong. Tins are heavy and need an opener, ready meals and ration pack main meals are mostly water, and freeze-dried meals need hot water you may not have. The answer is calorie-dense food you can eat on the move, above 4 calories per gram, which keeps 3 days of food to around 1.5kg.

One way to build it for one adult:

• Six high calorie bars, 720g: up to 3,342 calories. Phoenix Bars can be eaten as they are, broken into pieces through the day, or mixed with water into a porridge.
• Salted peanuts, 300g: about 1,800 calories.
• Milk chocolate, 200g: about 1,040 calories.
• Peanut butter, 130g in squeezy sachets or a small tub: about 780 calories.
• Oatcakes, 150g: about 675 calories.

That comes to about 7,600 calories in 1.5kg, a little over 5 calories per gram. If you will be walking with the bag all day you may need more, and our guide to the lightest high-calorie food for backpacking covers how to push the numbers further. Customers who have carried Phoenix Bars on long routes back this up: Adam E., bikepacking across Vancouver Island, said they did not break up in his bag, and Marc R. used them on a 42-mile fast pack across the Brecon Beacons.

Two backups are worth considering. A 500g lifeboat-style ration holds around 2,300 to 2,500 calories and keeps for 5 to 20 years, so it can live in the bag untouched; our guide to emergency rations compares them. And if you carry a stove, one freeze-dried meal a night turns a light pouch into a hot dinner.

Calories per gram is also why British Army ration packs suit vehicles better than backs: a ready-to-eat main meal weighs about 860g per 1,000 calories, as we worked out in our guide to army ration packs.

How much water should be in a bug out bag?

Carry 2 to 3 litres, which weighs 2 to 3kg, and a way to make more water safe. Be Ready's 3 litres per person per day is a drinking guide for your home supply; over 72 hours on foot you cannot carry all of it, so plan where you will refill. Finding water is rarely the problem in the UK, but streams near farmland, roads and towns can carry viruses and chemicals. A filter removes bacteria and parasites, tablets or boiling deal with viruses, and nothing in a rucksack removes chemical pollution, so collect water away from fields, roads and buildings. Our guide to emergency water storage covers the home side.

How heavy should a bug out bag be?

As light as you can make it while still covering 72 hours. A common walking rule of thumb is no more than about a fifth of your body weight. A one-person bag built from this list typically weighs:

• The rucksack: about 1.5kg.
• Water, 2 to 3 litres: 2 to 3kg.
• Food for 72 hours: about 1.5kg.
• Shelter, sleeping bag and mat: about 2 to 2.5kg.
• Waterproofs and warm layers: about 1.5kg.
• Light, fire and a small stove: about 0.5kg.
• First aid, medication and hygiene: about 0.6kg.
• Map, compass, power bank and radio: about 0.7kg.
• Knife, cord and repair kit: about 0.4kg.
• Documents, cash and extras: about 0.3kg.

That comes to roughly 11 to 12.5kg before personal extras. Pack it, then walk 5 miles with it before you trust it. If it is too heavy, cut extras and duplicate kit first, then water, and never medication.

What bag to use for a bug out bag

• A 35 to 50 litre rucksack with a padded hip belt, so the weight sits on your hips rather than your shoulders.
• A waterproof liner or dry bags inside, because rain covers leak and British weather finds a way in.
• Plain, dark colours rather than military camouflage, so the bag does not draw attention in a town.
• Your name and a contact number inside the lid.

UK rules to know before you pack

• Knives: it is illegal to carry a knife in public without good reason unless it is a folding pocket knife with a cutting edge of 3 inches (7.62cm) or less, and locking blades are treated like fixed blades. The maximum penalty for an adult is 4 years in prison and an unlimited fine, so a small non-locking folding knife is the safe choice. See GOV.UK's guidance on carrying knives.
• Sleeping out: wild camping is allowed under the Scottish Outdoor Access Code and on parts of Dartmoor, but in most of England and Wales you need the landowner's permission. Our guide to where wild camping is legal in the UK explains the rules.
• Fires: in most places you need the landowner's permission to light a fire, and it is dangerous in dry spells. Use a stove.
• Getting help: call 999 or 112. If you cannot speak on the phone, register in advance to contact 999 by text through the emergencySMS service.

Should you buy a pre-made bug out bag?

Ready-made 72-hour kits are a quick start. In Google Shopping listings in October 2026, UK prices ran from about £165 for a one-person kit to over £300 for a two-person kit. Before you rely on one, check:

• The food: divide the calories by 3 days. Some kits are sized at survival level, around 2,500 calories for the whole 72 hours, which is less than one normal day.
• The water: small pouches often add up to less than a litre.
• The knife: make sure any blade in the kit meets UK carry rules.
• What is missing: no kit includes your medication, documents, glasses, keys or cash, or shoes you have broken in.

The best value is usually a good rucksack, shelter and sleeping kit bought once, with the rest built from what you already own and food you would actually eat.

Bug out bags for families, children and pets

Each adult should carry their own bag, so no one is overloaded and nothing is lost if you get separated. Older children can carry a small bag with water, snacks, a warm layer, a torch and a comfort item, while adults carry the food and sleeping kit. For babies, pack ready-to-feed formula, nappies and wipes. For pets, add food, water, a lead and any medication. If you look after an older relative, our grab bag guide covers what to pack for someone who needs extra support.

Where to keep it and how often to check it

Keep the bag by the door you would leave through, with your boots beside it, and make sure everyone in the house knows where it is. Every six months, as Be Ready suggests, check the dates on food, water and medication, charge the power bank, test the torch and radio, and swap warm and summer layers. Eat food that is close to its date on a walk and replace it. Phoenix Bars keep for up to two years (12 months for Cherry Bakewell), and our guide to long shelf life food covers what else lasts.

Common questions about bug out bags

What should be in a bug out bag in the UK?

Water and a filter, about 7,500 calories of no-cook food, shelter and warm layers for a night outdoors, a head torch, first aid and your medication, a power bank, a radio, cash, copies of documents, a map and compass, and a non-locking folding knife with a blade of 3 inches or less.

Is it legal to have a bug out bag in the UK?

Yes. The common legal issues are knives, where the 3-inch non-locking folding rule applies in public, and sleeping out, which needs the landowner's permission in most of England and Wales.

How much food do you need for a 72-hour bug out bag?

At least 7,500 calories for an adult, about 2,500 a day, and more if you will be walking all day. With dense food such as high calorie bars, nuts, chocolate and peanut butter, that fits into about 1.5kg.

What is the best food for a bug out bag?

Food that is calorie-dense, needs no cooking or water, will not crush, freeze or melt, keeps for months or years, and is something you would happily eat. Dense bars, nuts, nut butter, chocolate and lifeboat-style rations all work; tins and ready meals are too heavy for their calories.

What is the difference between a go bag and a bug out bag?

A go bag, or grab bag, is light and covers roughly the first day away from home. A bug out bag is heavier and built to keep you self-sufficient, including shelter and sleep, for 72 hours.

How heavy should a bug out bag be?

About 11 to 13kg for one adult, and ideally no more than about a fifth of your body weight. Walk with it before you rely on it.

Sources: GOV.UK Be Ready, be ready for emergencies; GOV.UK, selling, buying and carrying knives and weapons; CoFID 2021; Phoenix Bars nutrition labels; UK kit prices from Google Shopping listings, checked October 2026; customer reviews on flaming-phoenix.co.uk.