Emergency "GO-Bag" Contents, Your Input Please!!

[Daless2]

Hi Folks,

With your help, ideas, suggestions I would like to completly re-do my ?Emergency G0-Bag".

Here?s the deal.

I have no idea what emergencies I might have to deal with so I think I need to put some general ?requirements? around what I am looking for.

GO-Bag contents should fit in One Back Pack and contain items needed to support and sustain life for two adults for two days in both extreme emergency and/or temporary evacuation.

The major categories I think I would like to cover are as follows, but if you think others should be added please do.

Safety

Shelter

Food

Tools

Money

Communications

Transportation/Navigation (i.e. maps, ect.)

Quality of Life



Would you give this some thought and make your recommendations?

Please let us know what category (Major and Minor) you would like each item put in and WHY you think a particular item would be of ?High Value? to include in the limited real estate of a ?Backpack Go-Bag?.

Based on your responses I will compile a list and get it up on this post so that folks can make their own decisions as to what they want to include based on your input and their perceived future needs.

If nothing else, perhaps this exercise will motivate each of us to rethink something we may need in the future but haven?t spent a great deal of time revisiting recently. (As I haven?t.)


Thanks in advance for your help.

Frank

[Daless2]

I?ll go first



Item: Mylar Space Blankets ? Two (2)

Primary Category: SHELTER

Sub Categories: Safety, Quality of Life, and Communications



Space Blankets are available in Wal-Mart and just about any outdoor type store for under $2.00 each. They are extremely light in weight and take up incredibly small amounts of space. About the size of a cigarette pack for two of these combined.

Space blankets can supply shelter in the form of a blanket to reflect and retain body heat when needed.

They can also be used as a sunlight / heat reflector and as a ?Signal Reflector? for rescue.


Your turn!

Frank

[mrblaine]

Cell phone, car charger, batteries.

[mnjeeper]

Safety
Handgun and ammo. Multi purpose knife (not safety...but useful)

Shelter
Hard to put in a go bag...maybe have a tent ready?

Food
MREs, powerbars, small fishing kit (not rod and reel), water purifier.

Money
Cash, say $300...I don't know. Cash is always going to be good to have around.

Communications
extra charger for cell phone

Quality of Life
trial size toiletries, clothes (one outfit min.), rain gear.

It doesn't all have to reside in one bag all the time, but if you're really talking a "go bag" style, you should be able to get it all from one spot within a few minutes.

Edit-it's also a good idea to share with someone trusted a likely location you would end up.

[TObject]

When I read the headline, I thought you were talking about a bag with some wag-bags, Imodium-AD, and paper towels.

That was my latest addition to the jeep gear.

[Daless2]

Thanks folks, lets keep this going.


Item: ?GO PLAN?

Primary Category: Communications

Sub Categories: Safety, Shelter, Navigation, and Quality of Life


Having a ?GO Plan" and communicating it to at least one other person not at your location would be a good thing.

WHERE?
Where is it you are going to ?GO? too?

Might not be able to get there given the emergency, but I think it would be wise to have a Primary and Secondary location predefined ahead of time and communicated to someone else so they know.

Have the physical name and address of where you are headed; phone #, maps to help you find your way when interstate is blocked up.

(I have a cousin who lives on the Alabama coast. His Go Plan has him driving to my home in the event of a hurricane.)


COMMUNICATION Sub-Plan

Part of the GO Plan should include ?How? and on what 'schedule? you will be communicating with others; Cell Phone, Land Line, Amateur Radio, smoke signals, ECT.

What about SCHEDULE?

At the start of your trip if possible, but certainly at some ?predefined schedule?.

Perhaps on the quarters, 00:00 hrs, 03:00, 06:00, 09:00, 12:00 hrs. ect.

If communication times are predefined there is a good chance someone will be waiting to take your call and provide help if needed.

WHO are you going to be calling?

Phone Numbers should be written down and in GO Bag. Don?t rely only on the cell phone working.


GO PLAN should be in writing (hard copy paper form) and in the GO Bag (stuffed in a Ziploc baggie to keep it from getting wet.

It should also be given to someone else, preferably the folks you will want to be communication with on your adventure.

Anyone in your home who may have to use the Go Bag/Plan should be familiar with what is in it and where to go.



If you have a shelter that might be used, such as a Tornado Shelter make sure someone outside the area knows you might be in it and where it is located.

Also most counties now let you register the location of a tornado shelter at the courthouse so they can find you when your house falls down on top of you.


Frank

[BlueJeeper]

Frank,

Contact your local American Red Cross disaster preparedness rep if you haven't already. We had ours come talk to our neighborhood watch group and it was awesome. They can tell you exactly what you need to know for your particular area, and it is different everywhere.

For mandatory evacuation the two things that they told us, which stuck out in my mind, were any prescription medication and a leash for your pet if you have one.

[Daless2]

Great Idea Rick, Thanks!!

Frank

[TObject]

Communications

We are accustomed to getting our news from TV and Internet. But TV and Internet may not be available in case of emergency. Radios can be used to monitor the situation, particularly shortwave radios when the local stations are down. I recommend an old-style battery powered transistor radio; as far as battery life, these are much better than the new fancy digital radios.

Documents

Make copies of important identification documents: passport main page, driver license. Also make a list of your bank and credit account numbers with phone numbers of the corresponding institutions.

Safety

It would be a good idea to have a medical kit with some band-aids and stuff.

Tools

My vote is for a small sharp hatchet. Other tools in the order of importance (from high to low):
All-in-one foldable, like Leatherman, with a good knife and other tools
A screwdriver, one that has removable rod: flat on one side and Phillips on the other
A set of locksmith picks (may be illegal to carry in some localities)
Cutters
Saw (may be a wire saw)

Supplies

Duct tape, rope, superglue, two or more sealed half-litter bottles of water, and two sets of good socks?you may need to walk for long time, it is essential to keep the feet dry.

[speaceman]

Originally posted by TObject
Communications
Radios can be used to monitor the situation, particularly shortwave radios when the local stations are down. I recommend an old-style battery powered transistor radio; as far as battery life, these are much better than the new fancy digital radios.

Grundig has a great SW/WB/AM FM crank powered emergency radio for sale for $50.

It has a built in LED flashlight, signal light and it also comes with attachments for emergency recharging of cell phones, if you don't mind turning the crank a lot.

I tested it out on my samsung phone and it did indeed charge the battery.

The only downsize to the radio is it is a bit on the big size, for "emergency portable" but it is very light weight.

It gets very good reception and the speaker on it is pretty decent.

90 seconds of cranking gives you about 15-20 minutes of radio at a normal volume. It also runs on regular batteries and AC if you want.

[TObject]

Is this the one?

[Jerry Bransford]

Is more water than you think you could possibly need too obvious for this list? You can survive a long time without anything if you have enough water.

[Daless2]

Great ideas folks.

Sergey, thanks for covering the socks. I almost forgot my piggies and they MUST be taken care of. Wet feet equal?s tired feet at best, and rotten painful feet at worse.


Item: FOOD and WATER

Primary Category: Food

Sub Categories: Safety and Quality of Life

Given the GO Bag needs to address needs for two (2) adults for two (2) days food may be needed, but certainly isn?t an absolute requirement like water.


FOOD:
For a two day period, in my eyes food is needed to stay off hunger which can cause discomfort but isn?t likely to be life threatening in a 48 hours time period. Hunger does however affect the thought process. Keep hunger away, keep sharp, or in my case keep me from getting duller.

For food I am thinking four (4) Power Bars, two (2) cans of Mixed Nuts, six (6) Granola type bars, and maybe two (2) cans of canned peaches, which would be nourishment and fluids at the same time.


WATER:
For water I will pack four (4) 32-ounce bottles. Perhaps I will substitute Gaiter Aid / Sports drink for two of these bottles.

[Daless2]

To the list of Tools I think I would add the following:


FLASHLIGHT / LIGHT
Two (2) small LED Flashlights and two sets of extra batteries. The current draw of LED?s is significantly less then an incandescent flashlight. Some of these one to 3 LED flashlights will run for up to 50 hours on just two AA batteries. This makes for a very small but functional package.

In addition I would carry two to four candles designed for long burning. I have seen these pre-packaged in tin cans, designed to have a 24 to 48 hour burn time.



SUPPLIES:

I would add 25 feet of parachute cord. The green or blue stuff about 1/8-inch in diameter, made of nylon type stuff and very strong.

I would also add 25-feet or bailing wire. I would probably carry this around for 14 years but as soon as I took it out of the GO Bag I would need it.


FIRE Lighting

Either waterproof matches, or two (2) mini Bic Lighters. (In baggy to keep dry.


HEAT

Chemical Heaters can be found in most outdoor type stores in individually packed packages. These things fit in your hand or pockets and once opened and exposed to the air they heat up for a few hours. In most cases they advertise 12 hours but in my experience they last about 4 to 6 hours. They will keep your hands warm. Cost is about $2 each. Each is about the size of a folded handkerchief.

I will be adding 4 to 8 of these for the GO Bag for winter use.

Candles will also provide some heat if used in an enclosed, but ventilated space such as a car or truck or Jeep.

[Daless2]

RADIOS

On the radio I like the idea of a crank to recharge it.

Some of these radio?s also double as flashlights. I wasn?t aware of the cell phone-charging feature that is very interesting and could be very functional.

I do worry about size on the Grundig unit. I need to investigate this more.

I am also thinking of a portable battery operated Weather / All Alert radio. One that would cover the AM/FM bands AND the National Weather Service Alerts.

The new radios that have what is called S.A.M.E. technology also provide other then weather alerts such as Terrorism Attacks, Chemical Spills, Accidents, AMBER alerts, ect.

There are also those tiny tiny radios about 1-inch in size with an earpiece. These things seem to run for 100?s of hours without needing a battery change. I have seen them in discount stores for around $2 each. Might pick up two.

[Daless2]

Boy I just love it when I feel like I have a lot of energy like today!

Thanks for humoring me folks, this is fun and functional too. I really do need to re-do this Go bag of mine.

Here are some more small thoughts.


TOILETY Bag

This being tooth brush, tooth paste, Flauss stuff, maybe a razor.

Naa, strike the razor. I hate to shave these days and I would expect anyone to be able to live with me for 48 hours not shaved! LOL!

Liquid disinfecting soap for personal hygiene and a small box of baby wipes to freashen up with.


BASIC First Aid Supplies

A handful of band-aides, a 2? x 25? roll of surgical gauze, maybe four 4-inch surgical bandages, a tube of Neosporin, and one bottle that contains a mixture of some Aspirins, Tylenol, Advil, ect.

I think I would put a pre-threaded needle and thread in here too. Never know when I might need to patch myself up. Yuck!


Frank

[Dan-H]

sub category WATER

:water purifier.

I've considered getting this one just to have in my jeep at all times:

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...uctId=37101013

It seems reasonable for the go-bag.

[Daless2]

MONEY

My old bag had $200 in small bills in it, half singles, the rest 5?s and 10?s.

I think I will up this and add a Credit Card and ATM card, just in case I get separated from my wallet.

I also kept a roll of quarters in the bag. I think I will keep that too as most vending machines and pay phone (when you can find one) take quarters.


MEDICATION

As Rick pointed out, if you have any special medications it might be wise to keep some in the GO Bag so when it is time to GO you don?t have to add them.

Be aware that most medications have expiration dates on them. This means there is some maintenance that you need to perform periodically to rotate them out prior to expiration so you can still use them and replace what is in the GO Bag with fresh units.

I am also going to add some over the country Tummy stuff like Pepsid, Rolaids, and Alkaselsor ect. Figuring I won?t be eating normally I might want to have something to settle me down. Just a few tablets of each, again to get through two days for two adults.


Pad and Pencil

Almost forgot these. Two small pads and two mechanical pencils. Maybe a Sharpie too.



Frank

[Daless2]

Originally posted by Dan-H
sub category WATER

:water purifier.

I've considered getting this one just to have in my jeep at all times:

http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/st...uctId=37101013

It seems reasonable for the go-bag.

Hi Dan,

I like that! I have to investigate this one more.

Thanks,

Frank

[speaceman]

Originally posted by TObject
Is this the one?

Yes. Overall, I recommend it if you want to have a radio that you know is always ready to be used in an emergency without having to worry about batteries.

I bought it to sit next to my earthquake supplies, but I've actually be using it here and there when I'm out and about.

I used it to jukebox my iPod with an fm modulator. That was kind of fun the last time I went the beach for the day.

[NAILER341]

water filtration is always a good idea. have a look at this one
http://www.lifestraw.com/

[captdoogie]

ARE YOU GUYS NUTS!!!!!
I got tired of reading about the knives, guns, etc. that were suggested.
How about an EPIRB?? For those of you that don't know it's an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. Sends out a signal and yells for help! Monitored by the Coast Guard but is satellite based so operable anywhere. If you think you're going somewhere that remote you should get one.

It ain't that hard. Tell somebody where you intend to go and then have the ability to call for help when it gets really bad.
WOW! Rocket science isn't it?

[mnjeeper]

Originally posted by captdoogie
ARE YOU GUYS NUTS!!!!!
I got tired of reading about the knives, guns, etc. that were suggested.
How about an EPIRB?? For those of you that don't know it's an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon. Sends out a signal and yells for help! Monitored by the Coast Guard but is satellite based so operable anywhere. If you think you're going somewhere that remote you should get one.

It ain't that hard. Tell somebody where you intend to go and then have the ability to call for help when it gets really bad.
WOW! Rocket science isn't it?

You're sort of missing the point. What if something happens where you don't WANT to be found?

What if there is a natural disaster that will keep the coast guard/national guard, etc looking for unprepared people. Being self sufficient for a few days or more can save others lives.

What if there is a nuke near you. Getting away can save your life, a radio beacon will help your body be found.

I could go on and on about reasons to be prepared, but you either get it, or you don't.

[TObject]

An emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) is a good idea for personal emergencies, especially when on a journey in remote areas, but it is not very useful for the kind of emergences you have to evacuate your house for.

Rocket science or not, it is better to be prepared. Are you?

[speaceman]

A emergency radio beacon isn't going to do you much good if you are stuck in the middle of a big natural disaster.

Or even if you get stuck in the middle of a blizzard driving cross country.

Plenty of people have uncomfortable nights stuck at the side of a road when they get snowed in.

A bag with some essentials can certainly help you pass the time and be self reliant.

YOu certainly want all the stuff people are talking about in this thread even while you'd be waiting for someone to come and help you out.

As we've all learned recently, depending on the government or even local emergency services doesn't necessarily mean you will get found or that help will come as fast as you need it to.

Better to be personally prepared.

[Tim]

frank,
instead of a flashlight, how about a head-light to keep your hands free while wrenching, walking........... whizzing... etc.

probably more compact.

also get a reflective space blanket that is not silver, if there is an air search and you use it for signaling you want a reflection not found in nature, gold comes to mind.

[Daless2]

In doing a little Internet research this afternoon I saw a neat idea someone else had. I might augment my Go-Bag with a fisherman?s Vest. You know the kind with 37 and ? pockets on them?

I figure I could have a lot of small stuff on my body instead of in the bag. I.e. cell phone, cigarettes, and flashlight, that kind of thing.

Looks like there is a trip to the fisherman?s store in my near future.


Hey Erik, that lifestraw looks neat and functional Any idea what it would cost? I couldn't find a price on the web site.

Frank

[Daless2]

I also did a little research on All Condition Portable Radios. Seems like Oregon Scientific makes a small portable unit about the size of a cigarette pack that would fit my needs nicely for around $79.00

Here is the detail from their web site.



Oregon Scientific WR108 Portable Public Alert Weather Radios keep you informed and prepared for approaching severe weather conditions and civil emergencies in your local area!

This stylish silver and black portable weather radio provides warnings about approaching weather conditions such as tornadoes, hurricanes, and floods,

The public alert radio also provides you with information about civil problems such as Amber alerts, nuclear accidents and even terrorist attacks.

This compact portable public alert weather radio includes a self-setting clock that automatically synchronizes with NOAA time broadcasts. The public alert radio also features SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) technology that enables you to program the radio to monitor only local alerts and filter out distant, unwanted broadcasts.

The public alert weather radio includes a rechargeable Ni-MH battery, handy belt clip, wrist strap and charging dock.
Benefits:

? Monitors civil emergencies and weather warnings 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

? Compact public alert weather radio is easily transportable.

? Stylish black and silver weather radio is perfect for use in the home, office or when traveling.

? Instruction manual included.


Features:
? Includes rechargeable Ni-MH battery and docking charger.
? Compact public alert weather radio features SAME technology to filter out distant warnings and instead monitor up to six local counties.

? Self-setting clock with alarm.
? Signal strength with signal loss reminder.
? Manual and automatic channel select.
? Three levels of warnings (statement, watch, and warning) available in English, French or Spanish.
? Includes belt clip and wrist strap.

[Tumbleweed]

Frank, replace your candles with a candle lantern available from any outdoor store. This is a small metal sleeve with lexan that the candle slips inside. They use a candle about the size of a tea candle but around 3-4" long. Provides wind proof light/ minor heat and you can use the candle seperately if needed. Burn time is quite long. The slip over reflector can be used to diffuse/direct light in a single direction if needed.
Under $10 most places.

[Paradiddle]

Commonly called BOB on the gun forums (Bug Out Bag).

Mine will include all the guns I own, thousands of rounds of ammo, 2 tubes of chapstick, and one bottle of water.

I will then take whatever I need from people who don't have guns.