Your Get-And-Go Bag
What it is, why you need it, and what to put in it.
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You will need to be prepared for emergencies wherever you happen to be. So that you’ll have the basics to get you through nearly any short-term emergency, you should have what’s known as a bugout bag or 72-hour kit. This is a container of some sort that has items you might need if you had ONLY this container with you for 72 hours. This will be your lifeline if you ever have to abandon your home due to flood, fire, earthquake or other disaster. It will keep you safe and alive if you get stranded in your car. It can provide emergency help for others, and it can even be something to fall back on in those real-life, day-to-day little emergencies that happen to us all. You’ll want to supply your basic needs of food, water, shelter, hygiene, communication, and first aid in this handy kit.
You should be able to get everything you need in a medium to large daypack. Daypacks are nice because you can carry them easily on your back for long distances, but you could also use a backpack, a duffel bag, small suitcase, briefcase, or any other easily transportable container. Get something with wheels on it if you have a bad back, or simply don’t want to carry it (my bag, without the clothing, weighs about 13 pounds). The whole idea of a bugout bag is to keep it handy at all times, so you’ll want something portable. Mine generally stays in my car, because I’m nearly always within 200 feet of my vehicle. If I have to go into a shopping mall, large office building, or on some type of outing where my car is not with me, I take my bugout bag with me.
Why should you haul this stuff around with you? What if you’re at home, ready to go out on the town, and discover a button missing from the front of your shirt? Just walk over and retrieve the sewing kit from your bugout bag, without having to dig through the "junk drawer" for needle and thread. When you need a little cash for an emergency, you can tap this survival kit. If you work in an office building and a fire broke out, wouldn’t it be nice to have your flashlight and smoke hood with you? Let’s say you’re in a big shopping mall and a bomb goes off (sad to say, folks, it WILL eventually happen here in the USA). Would you like to have your supplies, especially first aid supplies, right there with you, or would you prefer to make a mad dash for your car (along with everyone else)?
I’ll tell you what is in my personal bugout bag, but remember that everyone’s needs are not the same, so you may have to make modifications. What is needed by a young single person may be vastly different from what’s needed by a family of five, or an elderly couple, so be sure to consider your own circumstances.
I like to pack things into what I call "modules". For example, all of my first-aid stuff is packed into one large zip-lock bag, my survival stuff in another, and so on. The plastic bags can be useful for many different things, so there is no waste.
For shelter, I have a heavy-duty all-weather space blanket and 50 feet of paracord. With these two items I can either fashion a small lean-to or simply wrap up in the blanket. I also have a tube tent for extra protection. The all-weather blanket is good summer and winter... in summer, face the shiny side away from you to reflect the sun’s heat, and in winter place the shiny side towards your body to reflect your body heat back (great for medical emergencies also). I have a complete change of clothes (I keep two pairs each of socks and underwear) in a large, sealed plastic bag. The purpose of the clothing is two-fold... first, I will always have something to put on if what I’m wearing becomes torn, soiled or wet. The other purpose is in case there were a chemical spill or attack. In order to be properly de-contaminated, all clothing you’re wearing must be removed and disposed of. If your change of clothing is in a sealed plastic bag, it won’t be contaminated and you’ll have something to wear besides a government-issued jumpsuit. For clothing choices, plan on dressing in layers. I even have a spare pair of shoes (I’ve found that what are called "boat shoes" are lightweight and don’t take up lots of room, but will do a fair job of protecting your feet).
For food, I have three packages of ramen noodles, three granola bars, three tea bags and three packets of sugar. Remember, this is a pack to get you through three days, not three weeks, and no one has ever starved to death in 3 days. If you’re diabetic or hypoglycemic, you may need different foods. I have an Esbit stove (also called a pocket stove) and Esbit fuel to heat tea, cook the ramen noodles, or even warm my hands. There’s a P-38 can opener in case I run across some canned food. I have a large metal sierra cup for drinking and/or cooking, and a spoon. There’s a one-liter bottle of water, and a SafeWater Anywhere water filter/canteen, so I can safely drink and use water from any puddle, creek, or pond. I’ve got a bottle of iodine tablets, too, just in case I have to use water from a cattle pond or similar germ factory, and a collapsible water bucket.
I have two packages of Lifeboat (wind and water proof) matches, as well as a StrikeForce firestarter and a bag of TinderQuik. The ability to start a fire can be vital, not only for cooking but to stay warm, to dry clothing, for signaling, and simply to buoy your spirits.
For hygiene, I have a large viscose rayon camp towel (I cut this, and use 1/3 for a washcloth and 2/3 for a drying towel), a bottle of NoRinse body wash, a bottle of PreventX hand sanitizer/first aid cream, toothbrush, dental floss, tampons, feminine hygiene pads, a few Q-tips in a baggie, comb, and a compact with camoflage paint (one can use the unbreakable mirror it contains for applying the camo creme, for hygiene, or for signaling). I took a Q-tip and rolled about 1/3 roll of toilet paper onto it, then stuffed it inside the now-empty cardboard tube. My U-Dig-It folding stainless steel trowel can be used for digging a "cat hole" (restroom), to dig a firepit, to clear a sleeping area of rocks and twigs, and even as an emergency tent stake for my all-weather blanket.
In the general purpose bag is about 10 yards of duct tape rolled onto a pencil. There’s also a small sewing kit, repair (large) needles, pair of leather work gloves, my SwissChamp Swiss Army knife, small flashlight and spare batteries for it, a handful of clothes clips (to hang wet clothes or to fasten the all-weather blanket), Fox 40 whistle, poncho, SaberCut saw, a bundle of long electrical ties, large trash bag, Survival Heat giant heat pad, hand warmers, spare pair of eyeglasses, SnowClaw snow shovel, insect repellant, a monocular, compass, and a roll of florescent pink tagging tape. I have good, current maps of my city, county and state (treated with MapSeal) in this bag, as well as a pocket-sized survival guide. I also have a deck of playing cards, but a paperback book or small game of some kind will help keep you and/or the kids occupied.
My first aid module consists of a SAM splint, a baggie full of QwikStrip bandaids, roll of waterproof adhesive tape, wide elastic (ace) bandage with velcro closures, EMT shears, a second small bottle of PreventX, two pairs of latex gloves, tube of lip balm, small dental kit, Zap dental anesthetic (there’s nothing worse than a toothache while you’re trying to stay alive), two combat bandages, ExitAir Bio escape hood, a bottle of potassium iodate (for radiation emergencies), three packets of oral rehydration salts, small bottle of sterile saline solution, a pair of fine-point tweezers, moleskin, and a small bottle of instant potato flakes (to control bleeding). I also have small bottles of Aleve and Pepto-Bismol tablets.
While I’m on first aid, I should tell you something that you need only carry around in your head... the fact that performing the Heimlich Maneuver on drowning victims can save lives! If you’ll perform the Heimlich before using mouth-to-mouth or CPR, you’ll drastically improve the victim’s odds of surviving.
The last module is for communications. I bought a small day planner-type book, and filled it with the names, addresses, and phone numbers of everyone I know, including folks like plumbers, electricians, car repair folks, and so on. I added phone numbers for the utility companies, city hall, poison control, and any other emergency services I could think of. I also wrote down every single credit card I have, along with the account number and the issuing company’s address and telephone number. It contains my bank account numbers, insurance policy numbers, and contact info for these people. This book does NOT contain my name, address, phone number, PIN numbers, or credit card expiration dates. I put in a recent, clear color photo of every member of my family, including the dog (don’t laugh... not only will it make you feel better to look at these photos while you’re under duress, it could be vital to finding a family member if they become lost or separated). It also contains two ink pens, solar-powered calculator, pencil, a small pad of paper, several dollars in quarters (for phone calls), and about $50 in small bills. There are spare keys for my home, vehicles, and business. The only other item in my communications module is a solar-powered AM/FM/shortwave radio. This will allow me to stay informed of current events, especially by shortwave (if local radio stations have been knocked off the air, I can still receive shortwave broadcasts from around the globe).
You may also want to include some kind of personal protection. When disaster strikes, it makes folks act in one of two ways... either they become especially helpful and giving, or they turn into thieves and looters who take advantage of the chaos. In a disaster, animals of all sorts may be frightened and running loose, and are likely to strike out in sheer panic. Whether your preference is for a handgun, stun gun, pepper spray, or maybe just a big stick, do consider having something on hand.
Don’t forget to customize your bag to fit your circumstances. A bag for each of your kids would contain somewhat different items. If you have pets, you’ll need supplies for them (bowl, leash, pet food, etc.). Special medical needs may have to be met (prescription medicines, walking cane, dentures, and so on). Remember, too, to go through this bag about every six months and make sure that everything is there, is intact and not expired, still fits, and is ready to use. And most importantly, make sure you know how to use everything in the bag... it’s no fun waiting until you’re in the middle of a disaster to read the directions!