go bag: FAIL
 

Nothing in the forecast for last night. Nothing all week, in fact. At 0400 the wind came up, freight train noises, continuous lightning, rain. Had a whole string of tornados cruising by. Then the electricity went off.

We got out of bed and put our clothes on. I went to the shelf where we keep the emergency gear. Bag with clothing and toiletries, check. Spare CPAP machine in its fitted bag, check. Motorcycle tailbag (contains maps, some medical supplies, maps, etc.) - check. Equipment bag... full of programming manuals.

The bag's original use was to carry reference material between work and home; it's the perfect shape to hold large-format books. I'd needed to shuttle some material back and forth between home and a programming gig, and I'd dumped the equipment out and used it to carry books. Of course, the stuff has wandered off on its own, as such stuff inevitably does, so I spent a while with the flashlight hunting down the invertor, the spare cellphone charger, and other odds and ends that normally go in the bag, like spare credit cards, cash, and the .45.

Lesson learned: the bag does you no good if it doesn't have the proper stuff in it.

I'll buy another bag to use as an equipment bag, and return this one to its former use as a book bag.

I'd also bought some canned food and bottled water. That stuff was still in the spare bedroom, where I'd failed to even get it in a bag, much less in the bag's proper place. FAIL.


Well, it was a learning experience, and at least I had *some* of the stuff I needed ready to go. It's only been six months or so since I decided it would be a good idea to be prepared, and already I was ready to toss everything in the car, which beats the hell out of the original plan, which was "hide out in the hall closet until it blows over."

- Dave "suddenly found a secret cache of round tuits" W.

BTDT Brother. This is how we learn. If this has taught you to never get caught like that again, then it was not necessarily a fail.

Better to find this out now than when you really need it. I also like to keep empty totes handy so I can throw the stuff from the cabinets into them if I need i tquick

I'm in a more rural area and there are a couple other things I need including a Solio solar charger for phone and GPS for example to strap onto the bag. However, I made up a Get Home Bag (GHB) and a Bug Out Bag (BOB). In my truck I have two or three handguns (Glock 26 in a Kingston, Hi-Point C9 in a Seat Buddy and CZ-82 in the console) and a carbine (995 Hi-Point under the back seat).

That said, while on the road or in the field one should keep a "Get Home Bag" (GHB) in the vehicle or close nearby with the necessary supplies to make it back home to relative safety. The GHB is different from the "Bug Out Bag" (BOB) in that the BOB has more gear for travel from home to a designated "Bug Out Location" (BOL) where it is possible to sit out most any major event (be it natural or man made disaster). In my truck I keep several items such as the usual items such as a couple days of water, food, a change of clothes, gloves, rope, coat, boots, glow sticks, flashlight, a couple handguns, a carbine and some ammo.

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I can't count on being in or near the vehicle all the time so I carry a Polish P-64 in a Nemesis pocket holster in my left front pocket and a Glock 19 in a MTAC holster with two extra magazines in an ankle holster.

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Front view

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Back View

The GHB is a Maxpedition Jumbo Versamax (right handed) that is slung across the shoulders resting on the right hip.

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The GHB inventory from top to bottom and right to left:

1. Water bottle with filter
2. Cell phone
3. Multi-tool
4. Garmin GPS
5. Battery packs (AA and AAA)
6. Large ammo box (100 rounds 7.62x25mm)
7. Small ammo box (50 rounds 9x19mm Luger)
8. Small ammo box (50 rounds 9x18mm Makarov)
9. Brunton compass
10. Digital camera
11. SAS survival guide
12. Passports
13. Energy bars
14. Tokarev TT-33 (Romanian)
15. Lighter and UBS flash drive (scanned documents)
16. Uncle Mike's holster
17. Tokarev magazines (5)
18. Surefire Defender flashlight
19. Nikon Binoculars (10x42mm)

Upon reaching my destination I have to assess any damage and my situation to determine whether my position is defensible under the circumstances. If I have to abandon my homestead then I will set out carrying my both my "Get Home Bag" GHB and take some additional gear set aside in my "Bug Out Bag" (BOB).

- Black Blade

Should be need arrive that I have to evacuate my home then I will have to grab my "go to" rifle and "Bug Out Bag" (BOB) and hit the road to my "Bug Out Location" (BOL). I have an Alice Pack with enough gear for hopefully a minimum of three days.

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My "go to" rifle in this case is a Saiga AK-47 type with two attached 30-round magazines and a vinyl magazine pouch with five 30-round magazines. The AK has attached a uni-green lasermax laser and AimSHOT holographic sight. This is a fairly decent short to intermediate range rifle imo.


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Mounted to the pack and frame is a PSL-54C rifle (7.62x54R). A plastic canteen is clipped onto the pack and a U.S. military mummy bag rests on the top of and straps to the pack and frame.

Bug Out Bag Contents

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The Bug Out Bag contents inventory top to bottom and left to right (Lower Photo):

1. First Aid Kit (includes Celox blood clotting agent and magnesium fire starter)
2. Collapsible fishing pole and fishing kit (8 lb line and box of lures, flies, sinkers, etc.)
3. Wyoming Saw (in black folding case)
4. Mountain House freeze-dried packs
5. Coleman propane canister and burner
6. Katadyn water filter
7. Clothes
8. Mess Kit and flask of "medicinal" brandy
9. Leatherman multi-tool
10.Pocket Knife
11. Water filter bag and kit
12. Quick oats and energy bars
13. Reading Glasses and Glass Case
14. Solar and Crank Radio (charging attachments for cell phone)
15. Package of Kleenex
16. Gloves
17. PSL-54C pouch with four 10-round magazines and cleaning kit.
18. Glow Sticks
19. 2 vinyl ponchos (rain protection and shelter)
20. Boonie hat with full head mosquito netting
21. Paracord (various lengths)
22. Package of handwarmers (10 packs) and extra loose packs
23. Folding Shovel
24. Folding reading Glasses
25. Sewing Kit
26. Package of black ties
27. US Army mummy bag
28. Package of plastic ties
29. PSL-54C rifle (7.62x54R)
30. CZ-82 auto handgun (9x18mm) with extra magazine in camo holster

The point of having the BOB as well as the companion Get Home Bag (GHB) is to be able to get to the Bug Out Location (BOL) where I am well stocked and can replenish supplies. Failing that, the BOB will help me get from cache to cache until I reach my final BOL destination where I can settle in to ride out the disaster.

- Black Blade