Imagine that you are sitting at home and you get a call of a loved one in the hospital, or a catastrophe happens at work. In either situation, or a million in between, are you going to take the time (or have the time) to pack things for a few days? Maybe, maybe not. The things you have on your person and with you may very well be what you have until you can get back home.
Anyone that has Googled "prepping" once, thought about preparedness and probably a lot of that haven't, have heard of a "Go-Bag" or "Get Home Bag". There are many variations and lists of bags you should have and the contents within. For the purposes of this blog (and I'll explain why) the Go-Bag/Get Home Bag and 72-hour bag are the same thing. This is the most common, likely bag that most of you will ever need. In some aspect, the majority of you probably carry this "bag" in some form or fashion on a daily basis already.
Again, one of the most popular bags when you begin to research prepping is the Go-Bag. Through all of the research I have done sifting through packing lists, forums and my own history and knowledge, this the bag you have with you and should have the contents to aid in survival for 72-hours. The entire goal of this bag should simply be to get you home. After you get home, you have your INCH Bag (discussed in a later post) and best of all, your Home Emergency Kit (also discussed in a later post).
Adding to my nerdiness, I have developed lists for two different types of Go-Bags. A wilderness bag and a urban bag. The wilderness bag will be discussed in a later post as well.
Typically, when thinking of prepping for survival we think about being out in the wilderness. While we should definitely prepare for this, for a lot of us, it is very unlikely we would be stranded in the wilderness for 3-days. A much more likely scenario is one of the above. You are in an urban setting and have to leave your place of work quickly or for whatever reason getting home is delayed. What supplies would you want with you?
I have a Vertex Gamut 2.0 that I have had for almost a year and absolutely love for this purpose. Here are the contents I carry in my Urban Get Home/Go-Bag:
Hand sanitizer
CPR face shield
USB drive
USB C Adapter
Paypal card payment adapter
Vehicle phone charger
Fenix PD Tac 35 flashlight
Extra battery
Surefire Sidekick flashlight
(2) pens
Sharpie
Highlighter
(2) energy drink packets
Fingernail clippers
Quick dry towel
Headphones - corded
Lotion
Deoderant
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Immodium
Ibprofuen
Combe
Trauma kit
Rain jacket
Battery pack
Multi-tool
Radiation pills
EMP electronic shield bag
tourniquet
Spare magazine
(2) Altoid Can Kits (Crazy what you can fit in them)
Fire Can
(4) candles
Bic lighter
(5) waterproof matches
(1) tinder ball
Lint
Index
Survival Can
Match strike paper
(4) water purification tablets
Compass
(4) paper clips
(4) safety pins
(2) rubber bands
Razor blade
Superglue
Zip tie
Knife/survival tool
Whistle
(1) waterproof bandaid
(1) alcohol prep pad
(1) sting relief patch
(1) Bacitracin ointment packet
Duct Tape
(2) fishing hooks w/line
Extra fishing line
(2) sinkers
(2) jigs
Bobber
Mini flashlight
5 feet 18 gauge wire
This is my kit that I have developed over years of doing this. It might not be the same as your kit. That's okay! In addition to this, I always have a bottle of water and things on my person. Your bag can also change. My bag wasn't packed with same contents last year. Evolve with the times, your location(s) and the environment as a whole.
Get to prepping!
Braxton