Go Bags

[thinckley]

I recently saw (on another forum) a 3-year-old thread that was resurrected by the OP speaking about "go bags" and emergency preparedness. It was resurrected because 3 years later his "go-bag" was still evolving and not complete yet. That got me thinking about my own state of affairs and I realized, I have different "go-bags" based on the scenario at hand. To clarify, this is IMHO based on my locale (Utah or Montana) and my particular situation. But basically I got to thinking that I might be overthinking (no, the irony is not lost). For reference, I have a wife and one child (16/M) living at home, another who lives close by and can get here in a hurry.

Besides the basic necessities

• Food (personally, a case of MRE's)
• Water (purification tablets + 2 5 gallon jugs)
• First Aid
• Emergency Shelter (mylar blankets and a 10x10 trap)
• Ropes/550 cord
• emergency light
• emergency radio

I have 2 different SHTF scenarios:

1. Civil breakdown in society (rioting, zombie apocalypse), personal protection is key
   1. Ruger LC Carbine in .45 ACP
   2. Glock 41 in .45 ACP
      1. (26 and 13 round mags for both 1 & 2)
   3. AR-556
   4. various handguns in 9MM as time allows
   5. Hundreds (if not thousands) of rounds for all of the above
2. Semi-sudden widespread and complete breakdown (natural disaster, alien invasion, nuclear attack) long term survival is key
   1. 10/22 Backpacker
   2. Mk IV Target
   3. various rifles in 30-06 for protection and putting meat on the table
   4. Hundreds (if not thousands) of rounds for all of the above

There may be one more, but my rum-addled brain is struggling to remember all of the scenarios I have played out. Both of these are predicated on limited notice/prep time, just what I have readily accessible, throw in the car, or fight my way out, scenarios.

With either, I can be in a supremely defensible box canyon within the hour, assuming all goes well. My son is as avid a shooter as I am. My wife can hold her own with a pistol, the daughter... well she never took a shine to it.

So, the question is, do you have different plans for different scenarios? How readily accessible is it (i.e. everything is in the same place, or it is literally in a backpack by the front door). Or besides the necessities, is it more "play it by ear and grab what I need"?

 

[Ride1949]

Add to that a compound or crossbow with a minimum of two dozen arrows/bolts for silent game harvesting/defense and extra broadheads, fletching and jig. My truck is permanently set up like this. Along with a fully stocked six drawer tool box for mechanical repairs and extra fluids and a five gallon jerry cans for extra gas. Emergency air compressor, tire patch/plug kit, Highlift jack, 1-1/2 ton comealong, snatch strap, tarp & tiedowns. Built in bed with food/storage underneath. (Those drawers are 36"deep and there's a 4x1 ft covered compartment in front of them for jack and accessories storage.) Almost forgot the Coleman two burner stove and a case of 1lb. propane bottles.

Before I loaded up the tool box and coolers. Some things have been shuffled around a little since this pic was taken. I'll try to get a better one of how it looks now.

 

[gunzo]

Ride hit on just what I was leaning toward. A go vehicle. Or, a go trailer. But living in a semi secure area in the first place is a big step. Thinking most of Utah or Montana might be it, just not across an alley from the bad part of a big city.
Otherwise, a decent get home bag is the best thing I can think of, maybe even an electric bike stowed in back. Get locked up in traffic & the situation is bleak, strap on the pack, hang an AR across your chest, jump on the bike & head for the house. The main goal,,,,, get home. Because that's where all the good stuff is.

 

[Bullthrower338]

I’ve changed my bag a lot since leaving Houston and moving back home.
I keep 61 gallons of diesel in an aux fuel box and maintain a full tank unless I’m traveling.
Always have 10 days worth of freeze dried meals, case of water, backpacking stove, extra stove fuel, mess kit, wet weather gear, change of cloths appropriate for the weather.
Plenty of ammo, guns, first aid supplies and NVG. Main goal if in my vehicle is getting home.
I’m a lot less concerned in MT than Houston thank god!

 

[nekvermont]

Everything I need is right here at home, I'm not going anywhere. I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be in a SHTF emergency. There's no place like home.

 

[Mobuck]

I thought the OP was about a 'GO BAG' vs a 90 day supply sort of thing.
GO BAG is something one can grab and run. Mine is actually a backpack along with other items in a semi-sealed tote that is man portable, discreet, and will allow survival for 3-5 days in most weather conditions. I'm not opposed to the full on 'prepper' set ups but IMHO, those are different.
My situation is likely different than many since I'm already 'gone' in a place where most intend/expect/hope to 'go to',

 

[Goldstar225]

In my environment the only thing that is likely to cause me to relocate is a tornado that hits my house to the point it's uninhabitable. In that case we'll come out of our saferoom and seek temporary lodging until we can rent a place while we rebuild. Fire and flooding is not an issue for us and roving bands of bandits are highly unlikely. Aside from that a power outage from storms or ice is handled by my generator and a stockpile of gas. A large military base is only a few miles away and a nuke strike will probably envelop us. We do have an adequate supply of guns/ammo for both recreational and defensive needs but I'm not getting into the mad max scenarios.

 

[Jeepnik]

Reality for me two scenarios.

Natural disaster. Load needfuls into Jeep and drive out. Usually if you go a relatively few miles you are out of the "disaster area".

Civil unrest. Usually isn't a long term event. Fort up and wait it out. It's doubtful my area would be directly impacted. Rioters are looking to loot sneaker stores not private homes. In addition, history has proven that rioters tend to turn tail and run, often trampling other rioters, at the first gunshots. A loud and boomer like a 45-70 fired into a crowd, especially if some folks go down breaks a mobs feeling of invincibility right quick.

You recall the fellow in China that faced off against the tank. It gave the protestors and their world wide supporters confidence. Had the tank commander driven over him the story would have ended with the protesters running away.

 

[Ride1949]

I spend more time camped out in the desert and mountains than anywhere else. The truck is set up like it is because, at any given time, it is home. Thousands of acres of desert, forest, and mountains surround me here and I enjoy being out in them, fishing, hunting, hiking (although some recent knee and back problems have slowed me down some there) and camping, away from so-called civilzation as much as I can. Nothing of strategic interest close by and fairly low population make it about as safe as anywhere else I can think of. The whole truck is my "go bag." Ironicly, I have Mobo's definition of a "GO BAG" stashed behind the seat in case a situation arises where I have to abandon the truck.

 

[Johnnu2]

I carry Cheetos (they are the lightest weight snacks); Ensure, and Depends... The heaviest is the Ensure...the Depends can double as a battle dressing if needed. I have a standing contract with the local taxi guy (Angel) if I need to get out in a hurry.

J.

 

[thinckley]

I thought the OP was about a 'GO BAG' vs a 90 day supply sort of thing.

Initially, yes. But seeing and hearing about some of the other setups is not a bad thing in this case.

The main goal,,,,, get home. Because that's where all the good stuff is.

That is the 3rd scenario I couldn't remember last night. Do you keep a "get home" bag with you at all times in case you are not home to get to the "go bag"? That might be more mad-max scenario as I don't want to have to worry about keeping a long gun secure in a vehicle.

 

[Hertervillian]

Get home bag for me. Fire, water, a few energy bars, clothes appropriate to the season, and a pistol w/extra mags.

 

[Ride1949]

No need for a get home bag. Wherever I am is home.

 

[edm1]

I have a get home bag that I carry when I travel. And I travel every week. My airplane bag, is an adaptation of it with certain changes, like the fact that I can’t carry a gun on a plane. I have water tablets, titanium cup, lighter, 5 meals( broken down MRE). Rain gear, radio, meds, toothbrush, dental floss, sewing kit, tea/coffee, radio, chargers and cables, extra glasses, compass, pens and notebooks, protein bars, hard candy and first aid kit. I have other stuff and I also have what I carry on me, like a GPS watch, P38 on key ring etc.

 

[Jeepnik]

Prior to retirement I would drive up to Sacramento and Oakland/San Francisco a few times a month. In event of a major problem I carried enough stuff to make life quite comfortable for a while. But that stuff lived in my truck along with a very complete med kit (benefits of knowledge gained as a GI) and of course one long gun and a handgun.
There are four major north south routes covering the length of the state. The odds of all four being impacted at the same time are pretty slim. Although I would likely have used secondary roads to avoid congestion.

 

[weaselmeatgravy]

 

[kmoore]

My Go Bag is a backpack. I also have a Sling bag. Between those I have what I need to get somewhere to get more stuff.

 

[Ride1949]

I carry Cheetos (they are the lightest weight snacks); Ensure, and Depends... The heaviest is the Ensure...the Depends can double as a battle dressing if needed. I have a standing contract with the local taxi guy (Angel) if I need to get out in a hurry.

J.

Tampax are great for sucking chest wounds. However, single guys draw strange looks when others see their field med kits.

 

[Jeepnik]

Many years ago I was teaching a Red Cross Advanced First Aid course. The students were all women who were Girl Scout Leaders.

I had made the mistake of letting the base Red Cross officer know I was a certified instructor for all of their programs. This was at an airbase in Spain and instructors were in short supply.

At any rate while discussing first aid kits that the students could build with their troop bandages naturally came up. Both tampons and sanitary napkins were in the list of items.

One of the ladies, a rather senior officer's wife, took exception stating that none of the girls were old enough to use them.

When I explained that they were for use as bandaging not menstruation she calmed down.

As it turned out the kids didn't really get to assemble the kits. The base hospital donated some very complete kids based on my list. And yes, they included tampons and sanitary napkins.

Later I taught the same class for some Boy Scout leaders. At the mention of tampons and napkins a silence fell over the room. They ended up getting the same kits as the Girl Scouts.

Poke around in my kit and you'll still find tampons and sanitary napkins. A sanitary napkin and an ace bandage makes a darn fast pressure bandage when time is of the essence.

 

[gunzo]

A kotex, bandana & duct tape can fix major leakage from a wound, and keeps it that way until better procedures are available.

Otherwise, temperate zones, demographics, & ones regular travels etc. might/should decide what's in a get home bag. Hard core personal protection to just a few comfort items. Me, that's a hicap 9, reading glasses, ibuprofen, antacid , & anti diarrheal pills. Well besides the usuals of gloves, para cord, duct tape, fire starters x3, & a space blanket.

The knives & flashlight are already in my pockets.

 

[Jeepnik]

Always take along anti-diarrheal medication. You may have to drink questionable water. Diarrhea can stop in your tracks faster than anything short of a bullet.

 

[Joe Chartreuse]

I recently saw (on another forum) a 3-year-old thread that was resurrected by the OP speaking about "go bags" and emergency preparedness. It was resurrected because 3 years later his "go-bag" was still evolving and not complete yet. That got me thinking about my own state of affairs and I realized, I have different "go-bags" based on the scenario at hand. To clarify, this is IMHO based on my locale (Utah or Montana) and my particular situation. But basically I got to thinking that I might be overthinking (no, the irony is not lost). For reference, I have a wife and one child (16/M) living at home, another who lives close by and can get here in a hurry.

Besides the basic necessities

• Food (personally, a case of MRE's)
• Water (purification tablets + 2 5 gallon jugs)
• First Aid
• Emergency Shelter (mylar blankets and a 10x10 trap)
• Ropes/550 cord
• emergency light
• emergency radio

I have 2 different SHTF scenarios:

1. Civil breakdown in society (rioting, zombie apocalypse), personal protection is key
   1. Ruger LC Carbine in .45 ACP
   2. Glock 41 in .45 ACP
      1. (26 and 13 round mags for both 1 & 2)
   3. AR-556
   4. various handguns in 9MM as time allows
   5. Hundreds (if not thousands) of rounds for all of the above
2. Semi-sudden widespread and complete breakdown (natural disaster, alien invasion, nuclear attack) long term survival is key
   1. 10/22 Backpacker
   2. Mk IV Target
   3. various rifles in 30-06 for protection and putting meat on the table
   4. Hundreds (if not thousands) of rounds for all of the above

There may be one more, but my rum-addled brain is struggling to remember all of the scenarios I have played out. Both of these are predicated on limited notice/prep time, just what I have readily accessible, throw in the car, or fight my way out, scenarios.

With either, I can be in a supremely defensible box canyon within the hour, assuming all goes well. My son is as avid a shooter as I am. My wife can hold her own with a pistol, the daughter... well she never took a shine to it.

So, the question is, do you have different plans for different scenarios? How readily accessible is it (i.e. everything is in the same place, or it is literally in a backpack by the front door). Or besides the necessities, is it more "play it by ear and grab what I need"?

I have been what I call a "Prepper Lite: for years. I prepfor what I can, not what I can't. Extreme weather, power outages, food shortages, pandamic ( which has already saved my life once), water shortage. food shortage, and so on.
I do NOT try to specifically prep for things like asteroid strikes, Yellowstone erupting, or nuclear war ( if one flies, most will follow. Fuggeddiboutit.). No underground life for me.

All that being said, I make two suggestions.

First, another bag for the car (get home bag). Smaller and lighter. some water, food bars, change of clothes ( I use a one piece mechanic's uniform to save space) small first aid kit, firestarters, multitool , tube tent and emergency blamket- plus all the normal emergency auto tools and flares. Just enough for a day or two to get home.

Second, never EVER list your defenses- even here.