The Ultimate “Go Bag”: What to Pack, Why It Matters, and How to Be Ready
Every day, every hour even, our phones buzz and beep with the latest outrageous and shocking news. As queer folks and queer families in the U.S., we’re riding a roller coaster of emotions that circle around the same set of questions: Am I safe? Are my kids safe? Is my partner or loved one safe? While I can’t answer these questions for you, I can share some practical tips for how to best prepare yourself and your family when the answer becomes, “no, we are not safe, and it’s time to go.”
Packing a “go bag” isn’t about paranoia or overreacting. It’s about leverage. It buys you time, dignity, and options when the world shifts under your feet—whether you’re leaving on a planned relocation, racing against a hostile policy change, or just trying to keep your family fed and calm in a chaotic airport.
For queer expats and our families, our need is sharper. Governments wobble, rights erode, and systems aren’t always on our side - especially now. That’s why people in our communities are quietly comparing notes on go bags, just in case we need to leave in a hurry, and quite possibly, never come back.
What documents should we already have, what other things should we pack, in order to get out and at least spend a few months abroad. Here are some tips on what to include in a go bag to flee and the documents you should always have within arm’s reach.
Documents: The Core of Everything
The most expensive thing to lose isn’t your laptop or even your cash stash—it’s your paperwork. Without it, borders close and services disappear. With this in mind, be sure you have these vital documents scanned, packed—and you know which pocket they’re in.
Passports: current, valid, with at least six months before expiry - though nine months to a year is recommended. Carry the originals on you, keep color photocopies in your bag, and store encrypted digital copies offline.
Visas and residence permits: these live in your passports, so print color copies of all these pages, plus any associated paperwork printed and scanned digitally.
Birth certificates: get several certified copies from the state you were born in. You’ll need these for a few different immigration processes, so it’s good to have a spare… of yours, your spouse’s, and children’s. Save digital copies as well. You might want to get these notarized, if you know that once you use a go bag you’re moving to a new country and the date of notary isn’t more than six months before you apply for a visa elsewhere.
If you or your kids have done a name change on some documents but not others, have the name change paperwork from the court, several copies.Marriage certificates: same as the above paperwork. Get a couple of certified copies from the state where you were married.
Second-parent adoption paperwork: for queer parents, custody documents and adoption decrees can be incredibly important while traveling within the United States. If both parents are on the birth certificate, this can be less important once you are abroad.
Divorce decrees: just as you have to “prove” you're married with your documents, you’ll need to “prove” you’re divorced. Pack the paperwork.
Adoption paperwork: If both you and your spouse adopted your children (i.e., neither of you is a biological parent), bring hard copies, as well as electronic copies, of your adoption paperwork.
Wills: it may sound macabre, but bring a hard copy of your will. Consider having a notary add a self-proving affidavit to your will to mitigate any challenges and streamline the probate process for your U.S.-based assets and property. Moreover, consult with an estate planning attorney familiar with international law; you will need to create an international will or different wills for each foreign country you’re going to.
Medical records: vaccination proof, prescriptions, and records of gender-affirming care. Keep this paperwork current. Many countries require originals for school enrollment and healthcare access.
Insurance: health, travel, renter’s, and even pet coverage. Print the policy cards and numbers.
Financial proof: three months of most recent bank statements you can print, tax filings, proof of income and assets. This is something you can probably hold off on until you know for sure you are immigrating elsewhere.
Emergency contacts: written on paper, laminated if possible. Phones die; paper lasts. Include lawyers, doctors, embassy contacts, and trusted friends abroad, plus your family back home.
Bank accounts: written on paper, laminated if possible. This might seem crazy, but if the grid did go down, or for whatever reason banks weren’t accessible online, would you have any idea of your account numbers, routing numbers, etc? You’d have to really protect this info, but having it could save you a lot of headache.
Passport photos: small stack for visa renewals, ID cards, or bureaucrats with obscure demands. Have at least 4-6 for each person in your family. Yes, this can be very costly, but it’s important to be prepared.
College diplomas: Whether it was just yesterday or several years ago, there are some visas in various countries that want to see an actual copy of your diploma (usually not transcripts) and they want it straight from the university and then either apostilled or notarized. It’s good to have it, not every country wants it and not every visa requires it. Usually, visas where you have to show you can work self-sufficiently for yourself require extra documentation.
Apostilled documents: only have these if your dates line up, because these expire. An apostille is a certification that proves a document is authentic for legal use between the country where it was issued and one specific foreign country, and it can’t be reused for a different country’s application. They expire within three to six months. You’ll often need apostilles for marriage licenses, birth certificates, or diplomas.
Technology and Staying Connected
If information is power, dead batteries are disempowering. Don’t get caught disconnected. Prepare and pack these essential pieces of technology:
Unlocked smartphone: don’t rely on an international phone plan from home, this can cost you hundreds of dollars. Unlocking your phone enables you to avoid roaming fees. An “unlocked” phone isn’t tied to any network or carrier. The process can be a bit technical and sometimes take a few days. You can do it yourself or pay to have an independent phone store or online services unlock your phone.
eSIMs and SIM cards: When your phone is unlocked, you can physically put a local SIM card in and pay far far less for local data, calls and texts. An eSIM bypasses the physical SIM, but it does actually download onto your phone, and it allows you to toggle back and forth between your home number and your one from abroad. Airalo is one brand of eSIM that many folks trust.
Dummy phone: an old spare to hand over if robbed or harassed, or for passing through U.S. Customs nowadays on a return trip in. Turn your other phone off and put it into a Faraday bag for safekeeping.
Power banks: one large-capacity brick and one smaller pocket version so that you can charge even if you’re on a long travel day or don’t have electricity for whatever reason.
Cables and adapters: have at least 2 universal plug adapters.
Solar charger or crank charger: niche but lifesaving in outages.
Laptop or tablet: with important files encrypted and also saved up into the cloud.
USB stick or encrypted drive: backups of documents and family photos, and save as much as you can to a safe cloud option as well just in case you lose the stick.
Offline maps: download these before you travel, even print the most critical ones. These can be maps of your home country if you are driving out, or maps local to your destination country.
VPN subscription: pre-installed and tested. In some countries, this is survival-level tech - not only to watch Netflix from back home, but for many more reasons to protect yourself.
Sketchers shoes for kids: Sketchers now makes kids shoes with hidden spots for locator tags. Not a bad idea to tag them just in case you’re GTFO-ing very quickly and/or you anticipate busy, crowded airports.
Money and Financial Prep
Governments freeze, ATMs glitch, but cash keeps moving. So, make sure you have some cold, hard cash in your bag along with these other methods of payment:
Local starter stash: enough to cover taxis, meals, and several nights of hotel. Depending on how many folks are traveling with you, this could easily go up into the $1000s. Have this in your local currency, USD, and then Canadian CAD, Euros EUR, and possibly Mexican pesos MXN. Small bills only.
Credit and debit cards: carry at least one of each with you, tucked into separate parts of your bag.
Prepaid travel card: this acts as cash, so keep this as a backup in the (hopefully unlikely) event of bank freezes or issues with your bank once abroad.
Hidden emergency stash: sew this secret stash into your bag lining or hide in a money belt.
Clothing and Comfort
This isn’t a fashion go bag; it’s a functional one. Be sure to have these practical clothing items in your bag (NOTE: Lesbians may have an unfair advantage when it comes to durable shoes.)
Two sets of neutral, comfortable clothing: layers work best.
Comfort clothes: hoodie, sweatpants, warm socks.
Durable shoes: walkable for miles.
Compact rain jacket: this can come in handy in chilly weather as well as rain.
Underwear and socks: three to four days’ worth. Bonus if they are quick-drying and can be washed out in a sink.
Scarf or shawl: versatile, can be used for a bit of warmth, a blanket, in religious situations, as a mask, and more.
Quick-dry towel: whatever the reason, a compact, quick-drying towel will come in handy.
Food and Water
Hungry people don’t make rational visa decisions. Bolster your travel-weary decision-making skills with a mix of protein, fluids, and good ol’ sugar. Keep a variety of these snacks in an easy-to-find compartment of your bag:
Protein bars, nuts, dried fruit: calorie-dense, shelf-stable.
Kid snacks: small, familiar comfort foods—pretzels, goldfish, trail mix. These are lifesavers for meltdowns.
Lollipops: honestly, what’s not to love about colorful, hard sugar on a stick? Great for distracting kids (and, honestly, adults).
Reusable bottle with filter: clean water is not guaranteed everywhere.
Electrolyte packets: these can help counter illness, dehydration, or just brutal travel days.
Literal Survival Gear
In times of political uncertainty and upheaval, it can feel like relocation and emergency evacuation might overlap. In these moments, it doesn’t matter how you pronounce “acetaminophen,” just make sure you pack some. Here are some other first aid items (ease of pronunciation may vary):
First-aid kit: bandages, antiseptic, fever reducers, allergy meds.
Prescription meds: at least a month’s supply, labeled. You may need to show your prescription when crossing borders.
Multitool: scissors, knife, pliers—check airline rules first before trying to bring this on board.
Flashlight or headlamp: with extra batteries or rechargeable batteries (remember the charger!).
Emergency blanket: those shiny silver ones that astronauts and marathon runners use pack small and save heat.
Poncho: compact, foldable for those weather surprises.
Masks and sanitizer: for pandemics, pollution, or bad air.
Whistle: for signaling.
Kids’ Essentials
Sometimes the smallest humans can equal the largest complications. Ensure you have the following documentation packed as well as a variety of toys, books, etc:
Passports, custody docs, vaccination records: non-negotiable.
Comfort toy or blanket: make sure to swap this out in a timely fashion so you’re not stuck with a toy from a few years ago in there.
Tablet or books: offline content is sanity for long waits.
Headphones: over-the-ear, beats-style that plugs into the tablet. Make sure you have any converters for this.
Wet wipes: for every meltdown scenario.
Medications: fever reducers, allergy drops, prescriptions.
Car seat or booster: depending on travel mode.
Compact stroller: carry-on size, if possible.
Distractions: coloring books, unopened toys, or pens and paper.
Pets’ Essentials
Your dog or cat isn’t exempt from border bureaucracy, no matter how cute they are. Your color-blind cat may not be able to see all that red tape, but you can see it and anticipate it by being puurrrrfectly prepared:
Pet passport or veterinary health certificate: this may require a trip to a specialized vet.
Vaccination and microchip records: your regular vet will be able to provide this.
Collar with updated tag: think of it as a luggage tag…for your pet.
Portable carrier: check airline regulations to ensure you’re using an airline-approved carrier. The dog crate in your living room won’t cut it.
Food and collapsible bowls: several days’ worth of food and maybe even a few treats for someone if he’s being a VERY GOOD BOY in a long immigration line.
Favorite toy or blanket: Familiarity lowers stress, so bring that stinky toy that has all the stuffing ripped out.
Waste bags or liners: pack more than you think you need. Airports don’t appreciate surprises.
The Bag Itself
It’s the container that decides if you feel organized or chaotic. Don’t overlook this essential step. Here are some things to consider in selecting the bag for your “go bag”:
Durable backpack or duffel: water-resistant, lockable zippers.
Packing cubes: keep categories separate, and you can easily get to what you need quickly, whether it’s lollipops to distract kids, passports or that swiss army knife you suddenly need.
Rain cover: for the bag itself because it will rain. Oh, yes, it will.
Carabiners: great for clipping extra gear on the outside. Fellas, if you don’t have one of these (or don’t know what they are), consult your nearest lesbian. They have extras. Trust me.
Faraday Bag: this a signal-blocking pouch prevents electronic devices inside it from sending or receiving wireless communication - just in case you really want to stay off-grid.
Prepping Beyond the Bag
In addition to packing your “go bag,” it’s important to get some of your other ducks in a row. Yes, that means going to the dentist. A GTFO moment can happen quickly; take time in advance to be as prepared as possible when the moment comes. Pack your bags and check these things other things off your list:
Health first: Get dental and medical checkups before leaving, since emergency care abroad can be expensive or complicated.
Exit routes: know at least two ways out—by car, by plane, by foot. Imagine your plan if you had 24 hours. Now imagine if you only had one.
Financial planning: relocation isn’t just a plane ticket—it’s about whether your retirement funds, Social Security, or assets can follow you abroad. Work with a financial advisor early.
Residency and visas: Short-term stays (90-day tourist visas) exist everywhere, but they’re not permanent solutions. Identify long-term visa pathways now so you (and your school-aged kids) are not stuck border-hopping every few months.
Why It All Matters
A “go bag” isn’t only for worst-case scenarios. It’s a safety net, a relocation starter kit, and a physical reminder that you’re not powerless. It holds everything you need to move—documents, dignity, snacks, and all.
As a community, we’ve always thrived on foresight and mutual care. In the name of foresight, break the relocation process into chunks: documents, passports, visas, jobs, then move. Rehearse the “what if we had one week / one day / one hour” scenario before you need it. And as we’ve learned from history, don’t wait for governments to declare your life unlivable before you prepare to live it elsewhere.
Your “go bag” is the bridge between panic and possibility. Pack it once, keep it updated, and you’ll know you’re ready—whether for a school registration appointment in Amsterdam, a sudden border crossing in Central America, or just an endless day at an airport where the Wi-Fi died, but your snacks and power bank didn’t.
Consider joining Quinn - our Queer International Network
If you had to leave tomorrow, where would you turn for real information and support—not noise, not algorithms, not ads? That’s why we built Quinn, a private online community for queer people living internationally and those preparing to.
Created by relocation strategists who center the queer experience, Quinn gives you access to up-to-date guidance, expert advice, and genuine connection in one safe space off of social media platforms. No data mining, no influencers—just a trusted network built to help you make informed choices and find belonging anywhere in the world.
Join Quinn, the Queer International Network, and build the online safety net to go with your go bag.
