Most new and experienced preppers have all heard of the bug out bag and understand that its an important part of every preppers check list. But most preppers today find themselves traveling to and from work on a daily basis and are in a vehicle for an extended part of the day. This is also an important area to prep for and adding a “Get Home Bag” to your prepper list is a must. As we all know there is no way to determine when you will be put into a disaster or doomsday scenario and it could easily happen while your out traveling. In this type of scenario your vehicle may become useless to you because of traffic jams or destruction of infrastructure leaving you having to travel on foot. Having a get home bag could stored in your vehicle will be essential to your survival and ability to get back to your home or other bug in location. Also known to preppers as a “GHB” the get home bag is an often overlooked item.
Just like your bug out bag there is no one way to put together your get home bag and each of ours will differ. But there are some basics we think that every get home bag should contain to assure that it performs accordingly. Depending on how far your travel from home to work will determine the size and amounts of certain contents of your get home bag. Also remember that you will have to travel on foot with your get home bag so you want something your comfortable carrying and weight has to be considered. Here is a get home bag prepper check list of items we think will be of use to you.
- Food – Remember you will likely be on foot when your get home bag comes into use so keep lighter longer lasting foods such as energy bars , MRE’s , peanuts , and crackers. Only 1-2 days worth of food is recommended since your travel shouldn’t be that extensive.
- Water – Remember weight is an issue so you wont be able to pack much bottled or packaged water. So plan on being able to filter and purify water from outside sources by adding a water purification kit or portable light weight filtering component.
- First Aid – Be sure to add a small first aid kit to your bag along with small amounts of personal medication you need to take daily and meds like Tylenol for problems which may develop from foot travel or dehydration.
- Fire Starter – Depending on length of travel among other unforeseen factors you may be caught out over night so include matches , lighters , or flints to start a fire.
- Added Clothing – Depending on weather conditions on your location this can be adjusted. But spare walking shoes can be a great add since your likely to be in your work attire when traveling and footwear may not be suitable for extended amounts of walking. Also adding rain gear like a small poncho is a great idea along with a billed cap for protection from sun. Remember weight is always a concern.
- Personal Protection – This will vary for each of us depending on training and other issues. For some a small fire arm is acceptable but for others maybe items such as pepper spray or a tazer would be much better options.
- GPS/Maps – Since your normal route may be compromised you may have to adjust to alternate ways of return. Depending on how familiar you are with your certain location and area this may be a important add.
- Miscellaneous Items – You may also want to include items such as a flashlight , multi tool or Swiss army knife , extra batteries , toilet paper , miniature radio for possible new updates.
Once your get home bag is packed and complete be sure to try it out and make sure its comfortable and a weight your sure you can handle during extended travel. If needed and you have to make any weight adjustments be sure to concentrate on your key prepper essentials and adjust from there. We hope these prepper tips will be of use to you and will help you put together a proper get home bag. Your get home bag may vary some and contain various other items which is fine there is no one correct way to be a prepper and prepping to fit your own personal needs is important.
