What's in your Go Bag?

[Cali]

I've actually done the evac thing twice here in SoCal, both times for my parents. They were evacuating to my house so they basically packed for a long weekend and grabbed things like a beloved portrait of my grandma and what little they have in valuables in the house. We're not very materialistic.

I'm a former EMT and use my car a lot so I tend to packed for emergencies by default. I have a big EMS jump kit in my car and have since high school. I can't even tell you how many times the thing has come in handy for me, my family, friends and total strangers. It includes everything from mylar to star wars bandaids.

I have a more portable, but still awesome, first aid kit in a go-bag. I'm also a runner so I usually have 2 full size rolls of TP in my car (post-race porta potties and public park bathrooms NEVER have it when you're desperate). I have a couple changes of clothes, running shoes, flip flops, toiletries, you name it. I tend to use Reed's shelter items on a regular basis for concerts and things (not the paracord but I still have some) My trunk tends to explode into a giant gym bag during the week. Another perk of being a runner? Mylar and safety pins. SOOO much mylar, sooo many safety pins. 

Other favorite things include:
A military poncho liner I perma-borrowed from an ex
A travel towel-I bought a couple for $3 each at Ikea a couple years ago, I don't know if they still carry them but I use mine a lot, they're handy.

The one thing I just realized is I don't have food, must have eaten it and haven't replaced yet. Oops. I almost always have a case of Clif bars and hydroflasks with water. Need to restock.

@Boganvillia I do not have coffee and for this I am now ashamed.

Necessary docs and ID are either in my wallet or in a travel doc holder in my home safe that I can grab at a moment's notice. I have digital copies if needed.

Despite how much stuff I have on a daily basis, if I need be I can get all this stuff into a backpack in less than 10 minutes, be fully prepped and out the door with less than 15 pounds of gear.

If you live anywhere where disruption is a possibility, consider a couple hundred bucks in small bills (1s and 5s). I have friends who have lived through Florida hurricanes who were grateful to have cash to buy small things from local shops needed before the whole credit card system/electrical grid came back online.

[EricL]

For toilet paper: https://www.amazon.com/Wysi-Wipe-Hypoallergenic-Reusable-Cleansing/dp/B001NWVBPC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543017733&sr=8-1&keywords=wsyi+wipes

[Boganvillia]

@Cali, I will barter with you if need be :P

[Caroline PF]

Several people have mentioned that they aren't at risk for disasters that would force them to flee their house. I am in the same situation. Where I live, the most likely disasters would be a house fire or a tornado. And both are pretty unlikely.

In other words, a sudden disaster in which you have minutes to get to safety, but once it's over, you have an intact community to come to your aid.

I still have a go bag that sits right next to my bed.

Contents:

• Important documents: birth certificates, work licenses, medical records, passports
• portable hard drive with important documents and photos loaded on it. Duplicated in the cloud, and updated every 3 months or so
• one change of clothing for every family member, including sandals
• Money: checkbook, credit cards, cash
• Ibuprofen, chocolate bars
• pen, paper, trashbags, paracord

And because you don't think well in emergencies, attached to the front is a dummy-proof checklist to follow. For giggles, this is what mine says: (my bag, phone and purse are all at bedside)
"FIRE!
1. grab bag
2. grab phone
3. grab purse
4. get children (and the water bottles they sleep with)
5. get out!"
And then on the back, it says:
"Escape through front door - take shoes and coats
Escape through window - throw blankets out first
Meet at mailbox
After family is safe, open the front and back doors if safe to let cats out"

I seriously don't expect to think straight in the event of an emergency.


One other disaster that could occur in my area would be a winter storm that knocked out power for several days. I've lived through one of those before, and they're not too bad. You just shelter in place for a couple of days. We have plenty of canned food to eat for weeks. Flashlights and batteries.  I would fill up the bathtub right away for clean water, and I have a small water filter in case that's not enough. Power losses tend to be patchy, so it's likely one of my family or friends would have power, and we could just stay with them for a couple of days. And pray the plumbing doesn't freeze/burst.

One thing I should probably put together is the car bag - I.e. stranded in the car during a winter storm and need to stay warm and alive for up to 24 hrs until we are found.

[Dicey]

This thread has inspired me to stop being such a lazy-ass. I routinely let my gas tank run very close to empty. I think it's time to adopt a never-less-than-half-a-tank policy. I am sure responders are going to find incinerated vehicles with bodies inside that simply ran out of gas whilst trying to escape the Camp Fire.*

*That's such an awkward name, especially if you live far away. I am referring to the fire that obliterated the town of Paradise, CA, as mentioned by SAR upthread.

[dougules]

This thread has inspired me to stop being such a lazy-ass. I routinely let my gas tank run very close to empty. I think it's time to adopt a never-less-than-half-a-tank policy. I am sure responders are going to find incinerated vehicles with bodies inside that simply ran out of gas whilst trying to escape the Camp Fire.*

*That's such an awkward name, especially if you live far away. I am referring to the fire that obliterated the town of Paradise, CA, as mentioned by SAR upthread.

Yes, it's definetely a good policy to keep your car above half a tank and keep extra gas on hand.  We had major tornadoes in 2011 that severed all of the major power lines.  Gas stations had gas but no electricity to pump it.  The people that were close to empty were stuck.  Fortunately it wasn't a situation where people really had to go anywhere if they didn't get any damage, but it was still a headache for them as well as some food for thought. 

[diapasoun]

Thanks for posting this thread, Sam. This finally got me off my ass to our local Goodwill to actually buy some backpacks to use as go bags.

We're currently low on supplies for them, since they're new as of Sunday, but they've now got clothes and N95 masks, and will be kept alongside my 2-person tent near our door. We have a first-aid kit in my car, and I'm using this thread as a great way to get started on what we should keep in the sacks.

In our case, we have fire, earthquake, and tsunami risk. If there's a disaster, it's the kind of disaster where you GO.

[Bracken_Joy]

I used a sale that popped up to get 3 waterproof USB sticks. I'm going to put our documents on them and keep 1 in the fire safe, 1 in our truck's go kit, and one in our packs.

One of the more "prepper" items I opted for was potassium iodide, in the case of nuclear exposure. . As for food, we have some water, iodine tablets, MREs, and tuna pouches. Pocket knives in both packs.

Potassium iodide and iodine tablets in case of strontium 90?   Or as a disinfectant?  Seriously, my sister was pregnant when Chernobyl had its meltdown, and we were paying very careful attention to fallout patterns, she and her doctor had iodine supplements ready just in case.  Hmm, Chalk River is upstream/upwind for me, I guess if I have to evacuate from it the first thing I grab is my iodine drops.

This is what we got: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00006NT3A/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Blocks thyroid activity in the presence of radiation.

[Boganvillia]

I have two go bags.

The first (in the shed) has a Swiss army knife, pair of practical pants, pair of tracksuit pants, 4 x merino shirts, 2 pairs underpants, spare spectacles, sunglasses, deodorant, bar soap, baby wipes, contact lenses, tweezers, pads, toothbrush and toothpaste, shaver, pens, notepad.

The second has (in my bedroom): Passports for me and the kids, certificates, small album of photos, USB drive with photos.

Rest of the stuff is in the household emergency kit in the shed. I have 2 large tubs. One of these has lots of canned food. The other has: several small torches, AAA and AA batteries, glow sticks, matches, large strong rubbish bin liners, toilet paper, duct tape, stanley knife, plastic sheeting, transistor radio, mylar blankets, mylar sleeping sacks, bar soap, hand sanitizer, tea lights, candles, cutlery, disposable plastic bowls, camp cups, dishwashing detergent, dishbrush, steel wool, gloves, condoms, ear plugs, basic face masks, spare toothbrushes, dental floss sticks, playing cards, whistles, cigarette lighters, first aid kit, several packets of paracetomol, a sarong. Piled up beside these 2 rubbermaids is our camping gear: tent; 2 cookers; butane gas; water; camping saucepans, tarpaulin, occy straps, portable washing up basin - yes, the kitchen sink! - and our sleeping bags.

I could really use: shoes; socks; cash. Better quality plastic sheeting than I've got. Hard copy list of phone numbers. Phone cards for public phones? Spare keys. Some snacks and water in the go bag that has the clothes and toiletries.

[former player]

I'm safely in a civilised part of rural England (not that there are many uncivilised parts).  My biggest risk is something going wrong while driving, so my "go bag" is my very reliable car, with first aid kit, warning triangle, fleece blankets, water bottles, dog requisites (lead, poo bags, tinned food, food/water bowl), small amount of emergency cash (not visible), breakdown cover card and never less than 30% fuel.  Add in my wallet and mobile phone and I'm good for anything but the most unlikely events.

Second biggest risk is probably an accident, to me or someone else, while out walking, for which the preparations are sensible clothing and footwear, a little money and a mobile phone.

Third biggest risk is probably a house fire or burglary.  I have wired-in smoke alarms and escape ideas for each room with door keys in different places.  Valuables including documents are in a safe, although I need to update the online finance info.  I should also take updated photos of the interiors and email them to myself for insurance claims.  OK, that was a useful exercise, thanks Sam.

[Imma]

In my country, most fuel is transported over the rivers. Because we're having an extremely dry year, the water level is a lot lower which means boats can't carry as heavy a load (because the'd be deeper in the water and get stuck). After months of drought, it's getting harder and harder to deliver enough fuel to gas stations. The supply is a little bit lower than normal, we're certainly not at emergency levels, but it has been going on for a while. I don't have a car, but if I did I would try to keep a full tank of gas.

 The draught has also caused crops to fail and we need a rainy year to catch up. In my country we've always been so busy fighting water that draught is not really on our radar. In the future this type of weather could become a more regular occurence.

[dougules]

I was actually kind of asking a question with my first post.  What kind of things would a go-bag be good for if your house isn't prone to floods or large scale fires?

[diapasoun]

I was actually kind of asking a question with my first post.  What kind of things would a go-bag be good for if your house isn't prone to floods or large scale fires?

What comes to mind for me: Earthquake. House fire. Tsunami. Storms (blizzards, hurricanes) that you may have plenty of foreknowledge for but hey, it's a lot easier when a bunch of your most important stuff is already packed.

[Boganvillia]

Volcanoes and earthquake in my region. In any region: invasion, civil unrest, pandemic.

Disruptions to essential services from any cause.

Emergency services take some time to mobilise and when they do they will be focussing on the most vulnerable. By making ourselves self-sufficient, we are not only aiming to be more safe and secure (and comfortable - important for keeping a clear head), we are one less problem for the community and can even be of service.

[dcheesi]

All in the back of my SUV (from memory):

Bag with one full change of clothes (socks, undies,jeans,t-shirt,collared shirt,hat)
Boots
Blankets, towels
Rain hat
umbrellas
Faux-sherpa lined hoodie¹
Small shovel (that doubles as a makeshift hatchet, or ninja throwing-shovel ;)
Old, probably worthless bug spray and sunscreen
Backpack containing:
  compass
  wind-up radio
  LED lights
  paracord
  steel cable
  fishing line & hooks
  first aid kit
  storm matches, magnesium fire starter
  folding wood-saw
  folding multitool (Victorinox Trekker)
  water purification tablets
  rain poncho

etc.

(¹No actual Sherpas were harmed in the manufacture of this product)

How do you disguise this gear in your SUV? Even in my relatively low-crime area, a full backpack would be an obvious  temptation.

Nice try, Mr. Go-bag thief! ;) 

Actually, my SUV has a storage area underneath the main cargo floor (where the spare tire might go if it wasn't hanging from the rear door); the go-bag and tools reside there.

But then I also drive around with the main cargo area chock-full of random crap, including backpacks at times, and no one has ever messed with it. I don't even use the cargo cover that came with the vehicle. The rear windows are factory-tinted, but you can still see back there if you care to look closely.

[dougules]

I was actually kind of asking a question with my first post.  What kind of things would a go-bag be good for if your house isn't prone to floods or large scale fires?

What comes to mind for me: Earthquake. House fire. Tsunami. Storms (blizzards, hurricanes) that you may have plenty of foreknowledge for but hey, it's a lot easier when a bunch of your most important stuff is already packed.

I guess even a house fire for specifically your own house could be applicable, but only if it were in the part of the house you're most likely to escape from, like under the bed.  Would you even have a chance to grab it in a just-your-house fire?

I forgot hurricanes and tsunamis, but I'm quite a ways from a coast. 

Would a go bag do any good in an earthquake?  I wouldn't think you'd have time to grab it unless you live in a place with one of those advanced earthquake warning systems like in Mexico.  We don't have that here, though. 

I'd like to think my house isn't really prone to civil unrest or invasion, but here lately I wonder if I shouldn't be prepared for anything on that front. 

[Bracken_Joy]

Would a go bag do any good in an earthquake?  I wouldn't think you'd have time to grab it unless you live in a place with one of those advanced earthquake warning systems like in Mexico.  We don't have that here, though. 

You ride out the first shock in a doorway or under a sturdy table away from windows, then you get out to an open area before aftershocks. So yes, go bag would be grabbed in the interim until you see how much structural damage you're dealing with.

Earthquake is a very likely scenario here.

[diapasoun]

Would a go bag do any good in an earthquake?  I wouldn't think you'd have time to grab it unless you live in a place with one of those advanced earthquake warning systems like in Mexico.  We don't have that here, though. 

You ride out the first shock in a doorway or under a sturdy table away from windows, then you get out to an open area before aftershocks. So yes, go bag would be grabbed in the interim until you see how much structural damage you're dealing with.

Earthquake is a very likely scenario here.

Seconding the above for earthquake survival methods. ;)

Where you keep your go-bag would depend on your likely paths of egress. In my home, that's not likely to be from my (second story, 20+ foot jump) bedroom window, though I'd do it if I had to. Our likely paths of egress are one of three main floor doors, which is why I'm keeping mine near the door closest to the stairs. ;)

[Bracken_Joy]

Would a go bag do any good in an earthquake?  I wouldn't think you'd have time to grab it unless you live in a place with one of those advanced earthquake warning systems like in Mexico.  We don't have that here, though. 

You ride out the first shock in a doorway or under a sturdy table away from windows, then you get out to an open area before aftershocks. So yes, go bag would be grabbed in the interim until you see how much structural damage you're dealing with.

Earthquake is a very likely scenario here.

Seconding the above for earthquake survival methods. ;)

Where you keep your go-bag would depend on your likely paths of egress. In my home, that's not likely to be from my (second story, 20+ foot jump) bedroom window, though I'd do it if I had to. Our likely paths of egress are one of three main floor doors, which is why I'm keeping mine near the door closest to the stairs. ;)

Oh man, that's a point. I really should move our go bags to the hall closet. Husband will be so thrilled, we JUST rearranged as we're settling in, hahaha.

[dougules]

Would a go bag do any good in an earthquake?  I wouldn't think you'd have time to grab it unless you live in a place with one of those advanced earthquake warning systems like in Mexico.  We don't have that here, though. 

You ride out the first shock in a doorway or under a sturdy table away from windows, then you get out to an open area before aftershocks. So yes, go bag would be grabbed in the interim until you see how much structural damage you're dealing with.

Earthquake is a very likely scenario here.

Seconding the above for earthquake survival methods. ;)

Where you keep your go-bag would depend on your likely paths of egress. In my home, that's not likely to be from my (second story, 20+ foot jump) bedroom window, though I'd do it if I had to. Our likely paths of egress are one of three main floor doors, which is why I'm keeping mine near the door closest to the stairs. ;)

This is kind of like a house fire.  It depends on where you are and how you go to get out.  It's not something where you can go to the living room to get your stuff if you're in the bedroom.  If we're talking about a go-bag for an earthquake, it would be good to keep it just inside the shed door.  I could reach in there with no real danger if everything were half crumbling. 

The middle of the country is actually somewhat prone to earthquakes.  They're not common here, but the New Madrid fault produces 8.0 earthquakes every few centuries.  If it happens any time soon it will obliterate Memphis and St. Louis, and it will probably be pretty bad here too.  Also, since the land isn't broken up like it is out west, the waves will travel long distances unobstructed.  More than likely it won't happen in my lifetime, but if it does it will be very serious.

[TexasRunner]

* Credit card holder thingy on a lanyard for our toddler. I used MSPaint to splice together pictures of relatives most likely to retrieve him if he were to get separated from us and included their phone numbers, printed it, and folded it up into the holder thingy. If shit goes sideways I will also be sharpie-ing our phone numbers on him. He has a speech delay so a stranger wouldn't even fully understand him if he said his first name and he has no clue about surname, parents' names, birthday, address, etc.

This right here is why I clicked on this thread.  Very prudent and realistic things that you just don't think about.

I need to do this for my younger two kiddos.  Had not even thought about the fact that separations can happen and considering one of mine has a speech issue and the other is too young to talk, long-term or permanent separation is totally a (very small) possibility with a very negative downside.  Basically free to proactively prevent.

Thanks for sharing that!