How to Make a Get Home Bag

In the survival and disaster preparedness community there is a lot of talk of the Bug Out Bag. Having your Bug Out Bag is important should you need to evacuate an area with your family members.

Equally important is the Get Home Bag. The purpose of a Get Home Bag is to ensure you have the resources necessary to get home in the case of a natural or man-made disaster.

For example, an earthquake damaging the roads making you unable to drive home from work. That is when you will want your Get Home Bag in a moment’s notice.

Lets dig in and talk about what you should have in your Get Home Bag.

Get Home Bags vs Bug Out Bags

The similarities between a Get Home Bag and Bug Out Bag are many. The biggest difference is a Get Home Bag is meant to help you survive long enough to get home. Ideally you should not need to survive out of your Get Home Bag for more than 24 hours.

A Bug Out Bag is meant to help you evacuate and survive for at least 72 hours. The bug out bag is going to be a larger bag and heavier.

The Get Home Bag should be made using a typical backpack or shoulder bag. You don’t want to be conspicuous with a huge suspension pack. A light weight pack will also be less fatiguing to carry and won’t slow you down.

When Could you Need a Get Home Bag?

To understand what to keep in a Get Home Bag we need to talk about the types of events where you may need it.

Everyone’s lifestyle and geography are different. This will impact what items are necessary and appropriate for your individual needs. The primary goal of your Get Home Bag will be to help you get home safely.

Natural Disasters

Depending on where you live, natural disasters may be the more likely issue you may face. I live in an area with many active volcanoes and earthquake risk so these are a major factor for me.

Many natural disasters will make driving difficult or impossible if roads are damaged or traffic is obstructing roads. You may need to walk home so consider what this would look like for you. Make sure you have shoes appropriate for the task. If you wear dress shoes make sure you include sturdy shoes so you can walk long distances comfortably.

Man-made Disasters

This are going to be disasters caused by humans. The recent chemical spill in Ohio is a good example of this. If you live near nuclear power plants you must consider the possibility of a reactor malfunction or melt down.

Assess your area for other potential threats. Are there large chemical plants in your area? What would an EMP or large scale power grid outage look like?

Terrorist Attacks

Terrorist attacks are a real possibility in some parts of the world. City dwellers need to be more concerned about this than people living in rural areas. In the event of a terrorist attack transportation like subways or roads may be shut down or destroyed.

Have several routes planned to get home should your primary route be compromised.

Get Home Bag Essentials

1. Water and Water purification tablets: Water is going to be critical in any disaster scenario. Particularly if you have to walk miles home. Water purification tablets will let you purify any water you find.

2. Water Filter: Small filters like the Sawyer Mini are versatile and light weight. Filters like the Sawyer do not filter viruses. Know when to use a filter versus water purification tablets.

3. Stainless steel water bottle: Useful to carry water. The benefit of a stainless steel water bottle is you can also boil water with it. Make sure you get an uninsulated bottle.

4. Hiking Boots: Having sturdy and comfortable shoes will making walking through debris or over long distances much easier. You do not want to be walking for miles in dress shoes.

5. Respirator Mask: Many disasters can involve toxic debris or chemicals in the air. N95 very small and cheap while being very effective at filtering out harmful particulates. Go with an N100 if you want even better filtration.

6. Fire making implements: Pack at least two means to make fire. Ferro rods are an excellent choice and last a long time. A Bic lighter or waterproof matches are also good options.

7. Work Gloves: Heavy duty gloves will be useful if you need to climb through debris, over fences, or walls.

8. First Aid Supplies: A first aid kit is critical for any emergency situation. Include things like a tourniquet and QuikClot gauze. Most importantly, get trained in first aid!

9. Multi-tool: Small, light, and incredibly useful in many situations. There are many great ones. Swiss Army Knives and Leatherman are my favorites depending on what features I need.

10. Knife: Many multi tools include a knife blade but I like having a dedicated knife. Not only because they are usually bigger and more versatile but a good knife can also be used in self defense should you need it. I prefer a fixed blade knife when legal.

11. Flashlight/Headlamp: I recommend having at least two light sources. Headlamps are convenient and lets you keep your hands free. A handheld light as a secondary is a good idea. Include spare batteries and be sure to rotate them so they work when you need them most.

12. Poncho: Staying warm and dry will make a huge difference. Plastic ponchos are light and easy to carry. They can also be used to make a temporary shelter if you need it.

13. Emergency Blanket/Sleeping Bag: They can keep you warm in the worst conditions. Emergency blankets work by reflecting body heat and can also be used for improvised shelter.

14. Wool Socks: They keep your feet warm even when wet. Wool socks help prevent blisters on your feet much better than cotton socks. They can be used as mittens if needed. I keep two pair in my Get Home Bag.

15. Emergency Whistle: Helpful to signal for help if you’re trapped or injured. Very small and light too.

16. Food: High calorie and high protein bars will help keep you going. Dehydrated food or MREs are good options. Make sure to rotate your supply so they are good to eat if you need them.

17. Money: Having some cash on hand could be very helpful should you need to hire a taxi or pay for anything else.

18. Emergency Radio: In many disasters cell phone service is heavily degraded and unusable. An emergency radio will help you stay informed during a disaster.

19. Self Defense: Pepper spray can be an effective self defense tool. A firearm is also a great option for personal protection if you have the skill to use it.

20. Wet Wipes: Useful for general hygiene and as a replacement for toilet paper. You may not be able to wash your hands or other body parts for a while. They also pack very light and small.

21. Duct Tape/gorilla tape: We’re prioritizing many supplies that can fulfill multiple roles. Duct tape is one of those things. It can be useful for numerous things. From splinting an injured limb to shelter building duct tape can get the job done.

The Best bags for a Get Home Bag

There are many good options when it comes to choosing a pack or bag for your Get Home Bag. These are the main things I prioritize:

• Can it hold everything you need?

• Is the pack robust and have a strong shoulder strap?

• It is comfortable to wear/carry for a long time?

• Waterproof or water resistant

• Does it look “normal”? I generally try to blend in and avoid bags that look like “tactical backpacks”.

I generally avoid things like a gym bag or messenger bags because they can be very uncomfortable in a relatively short time. They also don’t spread the load evenly while being worn. Your milage may vary.

Adjust Your Survival Kit Appropriately

The gear list in this article is mainly a list of essentials. Everyone has different needs based on their climate and geography when it comes to their Get Home Bag.

For example, I live in a cold, wet climate so my kit has a lot more warm and water resistant clothes. If you’re in a hot and dry climate make sure you have more water with you. If you live in a big city your personal needs will be different than someone who is in a rural area.

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