The Get-Home Bag (Not a Bug-Out Bag!)

So you made it to work and then shit went sideways with the world! What to do, what to do. All your survival gear is back at your house! Hopefully you carry some things in your car or on your person. I have always had a bag in my car with some survival gear as a just in case. Your gear is no good if it ain't near you when SHTF! Now does this mean you should pack for a small vacation? No. It means packing some essential things can be the difference between you making it back home or not. Particularly depending on the weather at the time of a disaster. You want to have just the items you need to make it the mileage to your home. So in my case I am about 10 miles from home when at work. So a few hours is all I would envision me needing as far as gear and survival items. But I plan on it taking possibly longer. Never plan for best case scenario!

The first thing to think about is your feet. I wear dress shoes to work. I could walk 10 miles in them and possibly walk a few miles in them each day at work. But a better situation would be having a pair of shoes to switch into that would lend themselves better if I had to walk through wooded area, etc. So what I do is put one of two shoes in my car (as well as a pair of wool hiking socks). I have a pair of Salomon high boots and a pair of Salomon low hiking shoes. Depending on the climate I just leave them in my vehicle. This also leaves you more room in your house! That away if something happens and I have to walk, I have a much greater capability than dress shoes. You could alternatively just put a pair of sneakers in your car if you do not own boots. But I recommend purchasing some boots.

That was easy. Throw some shoes in the car! So now lets get into the actual get-home bag and it's contents. The bag itself should be capable. In today's world there are plenty of places to buy a pack. I do not think you need to buy the absolute best pack for a Get-Home Bag. Go to WalMart and get a JanSport of something like that if you are tight on money. Again, this is like a disposable item. Your going to use it to get home, then either shelter in place and use survival gear you have at home or grab a Bug-Out bag and roll out. I see people talk tons about the bag and in the end it is not important. Does it hold your gear and is it made relatively well. Most bags today are made well enough to hold up for a day or two for god sake. Don't blow your budget load on a bag!

Hopefully you already carry on you a knife and flashlight. In my work bag I have a flashlight, batteries, little medical kit and a USB battery that will charge my phone a two or three times. So I might be ahead of the game a little compared to most. But you want all of that in your Get-Home Bag. So in my case I have a few duplicate items. But who is to say I might not be able to make it to my car? Things happen. I recommend a good knife and flashlight. These can be bought for relatively cheap. A Mora knife costs $12 and a Streamlight flashlight like the PolyTac is around $40. Then get some Energizer lithium batteries. They last forever, are lighter and work in hotter/colder climates than Alkaline batteries.

Now lets hit some essentials. Have a pair of sunglasses and a bandanna or shemagh. Multiple reasons why including debris flying around, particulates in the air and if you get the shemagh wet it can act as an air conditioner! Having a little medical kit is a great idea. Just the essentials. A little ibuprofen, benydryl, butter fly bandages, moleskin, etc. Nothing major though. Optional but throwing some sunscreen and bug spray in there won't hurt at all. Grab a decent poncho if you do not have a rain jacket in your pack. They are cheap and when precipitation hits, you will be thankful you spent the $7 bucks on one. Another essential is water. So having a water filter is key. I recently got a Katadyn BeFree flexible water filter bottle (mouth full!) and have liked it. Is stashes small, is lightweight and perfect for just such a use like in a Get-Home Bag. It filters down to 0.10 micron and removes harmful organisms like bacteria 99.9999% and protozoa like Giardia & Cryptosporidium 99.9%. Having a map of the general area around you is a great thing. If you are on foot it can be helpful if you have to go through areas you are not as familiar with. Throw a multi-tool in the bag as they can be invaluable. Grab some paracord or bank line. A 100 foot hank of cord is a good thing to have and can be used for shelter making and many more things. You might have to use the potty so bring some toilet paper and butt wipes. I like the adventure medical kits bivvy. It is light and minimalist and will keep you warm in place of a sleeping bag. You are getting through a day or two at most, so don't be a whiny bitch. You will get through it without a sleeping bag. When it comes to food, you don't need much. Throw some snacks in there, or some protein bars. I like Stinger waffles too.

The last two items are a gun and firestarting kit. In relation to a gun, there is no reason to have a gun in a Get-Home Bag if you concealed carry. You already have all you need. A gun and a magazine most likely. If not, then maybe you want a pistol in your bag. That is personal preference and driven by your local laws. I do not see it as a negative at all having a gun. In terms of a firestarting kit it is pretty simple. You might have to make a fire or two. So a lighter, matches, ferro rod, tinder and storage case for it all is it. You dont need much. Check out my modern firestarting kit article to get an idea of a good firestarting kit to have in your Get-Home Bag. So in the end, keep it simple and put your emphasis on getting home not making home! Get Home Bag Main Contents: Mora Knife: http://amzn.to/2oRnICQ Cordage: http://amzn.to/2nYSCtF Water Filter Bottle: http://amzn.to/2nYIm4x Purification Tabs: http://amzn.to/2nYL8Ha Shemagh: http://amzn.to/2oIpkwC Compass: http://amzn.to/2oIpe8e Ferro Rod: http://amzn.to/2ojJawR Burner Firestarters: http://amzn.to/2pxjjCR Titan Matches: http://amzn.to/2px7nRD Magpul Daka Pouch: http://amzn.to/2ojDhzU SOL Blanket/Tarp: http://amzn.to/2nYP7n3 Poncho: http://amzn.to/2oIwOja