How to Create a Family Bug Out Plan
A family bug out plan is a written, practiced plan for how your household will leave home quickly and safely during an emergency. It covers your risks, where you'll meet if separated, how you'll communicate, which routes you'll take, and what each person will carry, typically a bug out bag packed to sustain your family for at least 72 hours.
Why Every Family Needs a Bug Out Plan
Natural disasters, power outages, and other unforeseen events can disrupt your life with little warning. When that happens, every second counts. A plan you've already thought through, written down, and practiced lets your family act quickly instead of scrambling, keeps panic down because everyone knows their role, and cuts the odds of costly mistakes made under stress.
Step 1: Assess the Risks Specific to Your Area
Start by identifying the emergencies most likely to affect your household, whether that's hurricanes, earthquakes, wildfires, severe winter weather, or man-made disruptions like extended power outages. Your plan should be built around the risks you're actually likely to face, not a generic list.
Step 2: Set Meeting Points and Communication Methods
If your family gets separated during an emergency, everyone needs to know where to regroup and how to reach each other. A solid communication plan includes:
- Designated meeting points: One near home and one outside your immediate neighborhood in case you can't get back.
- Contact methods: Cell phones, and a backup like a designated out-of-area contact everyone can call if local lines are down.
- Regular drills: Practicing the plan so it becomes second nature rather than something you're reading off a page mid-crisis.
Step 3: Pack a 72-Hour Bug Out Bag for Every Family Member
A well-stocked bug out bag is the physical core of your plan. Following FEMA and Ready.gov guidance, aim to have enough on hand to sustain each family member for at least 72 hours without outside help. At minimum, each bag should cover:
- Food and water: Non-perishable food and roughly one gallon of water per person per day, or a reliable way to filter more.
- Medical supplies: A first aid kit, any necessary medications, and basic hygiene items.
- Clothing and shelter: Weather-appropriate clothing, a blanket or sleeping bag, and portable shelter.
- Tools and equipment: A flashlight, extra batteries, and a multi-tool.
If you'd rather start from a bag that already has these categories covered, the Complete 72 Hour Fully Loaded Bug Out Bag is built around this exact standard. For a full item-by-item breakdown, see our 72-hour bug out bag checklist.
Step 4: Map Multiple Evacuation Routes
Roads get blocked, bridges get congested, and your first-choice route isn't always available. Plan at least two ways out of your area, and identify alternative shelter options in advance, whether that's a relative's home, a hotel, or a community shelter, so you're not deciding under pressure.
Step 5: Assign Roles and Involve the Whole Family
A bug out plan only works if everyone in the household understands it. Give each family member a specific task, from grabbing bags to handling pets, and make sure children know what to do if they get separated and how to reach the designated contact. Review and update the plan whenever your family's size, location, or needs change.
Keep Your Plan and Gear Ready
A bug out plan isn't a one-time document, it's something you revisit as your circumstances change. Pair your written plan with gear you've actually checked, not just packed and forgotten. Browse our full bug out gear collection to fill any gaps in your family's kits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a family bug out plan?
A family bug out plan is a written plan for how your household will respond to an emergency that forces you to leave home on short notice. It covers your risk assessment, meeting points, communication methods, evacuation routes, and the bug out bags each family member will grab on the way out.
How much food and water should a bug out bag hold?
Ready.gov and FEMA guidance recommends packing enough supplies to sustain each family member for at least 72 hours without outside help, which generally means non-perishable food and about one gallon of water per person per day.
How often should we practice and update our bug out plan?
Practice your plan with the whole family on a regular basis and update it whenever your household size, location, or medical needs change. Many preppers also check and rotate their bug out bag supplies twice a year to keep food, water, and medications current.
Does every family member need their own bug out bag?
Yes. Each person, including children, should have a bag sized to what they can realistically carry, packed with the essentials for at least 72 hours, so the family is not relying on a single bag or a single adult.