Like many middle-aged moms, I can’t get enough of true crime podcasts. There’s something about the way real-life stories unfold that makes me stop what I’m doing and really listen.

 

That’s exactly what happened to me recently while listening to Dateline True Crime Weekly. At the 23-minute mark, a former CIA agent shared a tip that stopped me in my tracks: “Do you have your digital go bag packed?”

 

I had never heard that phrase before. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how powerful and practical it is — and how much value there is in making sure our families are prepared in this way.

 

What Is a Digital Go Bag?

 

We’ve all heard about emergency kits: flashlights, radios, bottled water, and food. But in today’s world, emergencies don’t just threaten your home — they can take away your access to vital information.

 

A digital go bag is your portable archive of the most important pieces of your life, stored in a way that you can grab and go. If you had to leave your house tonight and couldn’t return for weeks (or ever), would you have what you need?

 

What to Include in Your Digital Go Bag:

 

Here are the essentials I recommend every family gather and store securely:

• Identification documents – Scanned copies of passports, driver’s licenses, birth certificates, marriage certificates, Social Security cards.
• Insurance records – Policies, claim contact numbers, and your advisor’s details.
• Financial information – Account numbers, banking contacts, estate documents (stored securely/encrypted).
• Medical essentials – Prescriptions, allergy information, vaccination records, healthcare providers’ details.
• Household records – Mortgage, utility accounts, and key service providers.
• Photos or video inventory of your home and valuables – Essential for filing insurance claims.
• Emergency contacts – Family, neighbors, out-of-state relatives.
• Memories – Digitize family photos, kids’ artwork, or heirloom letters. Upload them to a secure cloud or external hard drive. Too often, these irreplaceable treasures are the first things people regret losing after a disaster.

Store these in at least two places:

• An encrypted USB drive you can physically take with you.
• A secure cloud storage service you can access from anywhere.

Physical Preparedness Matters Too

 

Your digital go bag works hand-in-hand with your physical emergency kit. Depending on where you live, consider:

• Tornadoes: Helmets for children stored in your safe room, a weather radio, and a designated safe room.
• Flooding: Understand your property’s risk — and double-check whether you have flood insurance, since it’s not part of a standard homeowners policy.
• Wildfires or hurricanes: Extra cash, pet supplies, non-perishable food, and bottled water.
• Second-story home: Do you have a fire ladder you could throw out of a window in the case you need to escape out of your second-story window in the case of a house fire?

Preparedness is about making the unthinkable just a little more manageable.

 

Why It Matters

 

We don’t get to choose when disasters strike — whether it’s a storm, a fire, or a sudden evacuation order. But we do get to choose how prepared we are.

 

Packing your digital go bag may feel like one more thing on a long to-do list, but it’s truly a gift to your future self and your family. It means you’ll have the documents to start an insurance claim, the information to refill a prescription, and the memories that make a house a home.

 

Your Next Step

 

I encourage you to block out one evening this week to start building your digital go bag. You don’t need to finish it all at once — just begin.

 

At BCU Risk Advisors, we help families think beyond policies and premiums. True resilience is about readiness. If you’d like a checklist to help you get started — or want to review your insurance program to be sure it supports your family’s plan — we’re here to guide you.

 

Reach out to us for your copy of our Go Bag Checklist and to make sure your coverage keeps pace with today’s risks