What's in your get home bag?

So what's in your get home bag? How far away from your fortress do you travel in a day? I would think as the second increases, so does the first.

-Jason

 

I bought a nice ll bean back pack from goodwill and proceeded to fill it with necessities. The bag is blue and very inconspicuous. In the bottom I have a surplus wool blanket with an extra mag and spare rounds for the lc9. The front small pockets have 2 MRE entrees and the other has a first aid kit that I made. The front main pocket has my fire starting pouch which includes matches and a spark blaster thingy, a German cook stove with extra fuel tabs, a leather man wave, a maglight aa flashlight, extra batteries, a Kershaw skyline fixed blade knife, nylon utensils, whistle and water purification tabs. In the main pocket I have extra socks and long johns and toilet paper all individually vacuum sealed, canteen, cook set and water storage bag. I am probably forgetting some stuff but that should cover it. I dont have a weight on it but it is very manageable, not over burdened at all.

I travel for work 100 miles from home so a capable get home bag is a must. Any thing I should add or take away? I should probably have a bigger knife also.

-Jason

 

I def need more food. I also have a poncho. I think I have a space blanket also. I technically have 2 ways to purify water including boiling. What else would you suggest?

-Jason

 

May sound stupid, but a folding bicycle, would cut those miles down a lot faster. They fit in the trunk, and some of them even have motors.

 

Folds up small, can stash in a locker or under a desk or store in a car trunk. Increase travel speed significantly. Fairly cheap and can be found at yard sales cheap.
Razor A Kick Scooter:Amazon:Sports & Outdoors

A good bit better would a bike. Store a yard sale special at work. Even one of these stored in your work truck:
fBIKE Direct 6 Speed Folding Bike, Graphite:Amazon:Sports & Outdoors


Just thinkin...
AT

 

Contortionist: cleverly designed full-size folding bike

SPACE folding bike unfolds with a touch

Volkswagen shows production-ready folding two wheel EV Bik.e electric, and can charge from a car

Folding electric assist bike begins final push for production

Evolve recumbent trike folds up in seconds, fits in trunk of smart car my favorite, i think, i would add a hub motor though.

 

In my case there is my Work Bag which is a Maxpedition Falcon II as well as a slightly bigger bag that stays IN my Truck. My workbag has all the things I needs at work as well as a variety of thingas I might need at any time during a day away from home. A Co-worker has referred to my workbag more than once as a "Pharmacy" due to the variety of headache, sinus, stomach, & other kinds of pills I carry in it. My truck bag I tend to call my E&E bag. Cuz if I need it then my truck is out of commission & I'll obviously need to Escape & Evade to make my way home. Lemmie see if I can remember what all is in it. Cuz I've been in the hawt & humid world all day so I ain't going to go git it out & look.

First I should mention that the contents of my E&E Bag has to withstand a variety of extreme temps of summer & winter. Sum things don't do well when inside of vehicle is 125 degrees or its 10 degrees outside! An while I've vacuum sealed most things in the bag, it is by no means full an can easily hold everything even if not vacuum sealed. Items are vacuumsealed for convenience.

Contents *according to fuzzy memory at moment aided with alcoholic mental enhancement*
3 pairs socks, vacuum sealed
2 pairs underwear, vacuumsealed
1 spare shirt, vacuum sealed
strike anywhere matches sealed in packs of three
Vaseline, prescription med bottle to seal best
Ka-bar knife w/ sheath & small sharpening stone
20' coil thin wire
1 firestarter
4 25' hanks 550 Para-cord, 3 different colors
2 Mylar Space Blankets
1 Heritage Roughrider Singleaction Revolver .22lr, vacuum sealed
1 50rd box CCI Quiet .22lr, vacuum sealed with desiccant pack
1 50rd box CCI Mini-mag .22lr vacuum sealed with desiccant pack
1 quart metal canteen w/ metal cup
25 variety flavor broth packs
4 Ramen Noodles
1 8'x10' grey tarp
1 4'x6' grey tarp
3 Contractor Grade trashbags
umm... theres more but my bed is calling my name.......

 

Mylar blanket, rain poncho, socks, matches & lighter, small first aid kit, flash light, mace, compass, magnifying glass, whistle, a multipurpose silver tool thing. I have a few more things. I always make sure I leave work with water and some small food. I don't leave these things in the car because I fear they will be damaged. I am 20 miles from home. No real bad sections on the way, it would just be panicked unprepared everyday workers. Though there is a low security correctional facility near the highway, plus a jail 5 miles off highway- if they broke out of there this could cause issues.

 

I like small, lightweight food items that are high in protein and other good stuff. Beef jerky and mixed nuts are great sources of protein, are relatively lightweight and compact, and keep well - so not a lot of rotating. Might want to think about vitamins too, such as Emergen-C vitamin C supplements. They come in powder form, in small individual packets - mix with water and keep your immune system strong!

Aside from boiling, if I may ask, what's your 2nd way to purify water?

 

I forgot....I do have 100' of paracord and Gatorade powder mix. I was to lazy to go out to the car to get my bag so I am going from memory.

I have water purification tabs.

What would a third way to purify water?

-Jason

 

A 3rd way would be a portable filter such as a Katydyn - which could serve as a primary method, as it's faster than either boiling or waiting for tablets to work - but the general consensus seems to be that they're not to be heavily relied on, as they can be damaged. Also, they take up more space, and can get pricey.

Alternatively, posts 7 and 8 from the following thread are both great ideas for purifying water:

K.I.S.S.

 

My get home bag is my fanny pack. As I work at home I rarely leave town. I do put my BOB in the trunk when I travel. One item I didn’t notice mentioned is cash. I have some cash I my BOB, and usually keep some on me at all times. You would be surprised what you can still buy from idiots when the SHTF.

As for a get home strategy for someone who works far from home. A cheap second hand Dirt Bike 250cc has great range and can operate on difficult terrain. You could store it without gas, and have a gas can, and siphon handy. If your worried about EMP remove the ignition coil, and store it in a metal box, well grounded. Plug it in and fill the tank with gas from your stalled vehicle.
Just a thought, CTHorner

 

Life straw or other portable filtering system.

 

Yeah I'm an idiot. I was waiting for an old Indian trick to purify water.

-Jason

 

And, in answer to the OP...

This is relatively recently put together and is still a work in progress. It is contained in a 511 12 hr. pack with a couple of external pouches. Most of the time I am within about 15 miles from home (and generally within 2 miles at most of my river), though will occasionally roam with this 40 miles from home and about 10 from my river.

2 ltr water
Life Straw
2 cup aluminum pan
4 MH meals
1lb of my own blend trail mix
1lb my jerky
2 cans tuna
small bottle tabasco
Ruger semi-auto pistol
100rds HP .22lr
83rds HP 9mm (33 in a Glock mag for EDC gun)*
3 pr socks
1pr underwear
2 dark green t-shirts
200’ 550 cord
small roll of duct tape
roll of “booby trap wire”
mesh hammock
Leatherman Wave
Night Monkey machete
nylon rainfly
E. German survival stove with fuel
wire saw
small first aid kit...mostly trauma
“Possibles” kit (small pouch with an assortment of weird crap...needle, fishing line, silver coins, pen, small notebook, some pull ties [flexi-cuff size] etc)

*over 90% of the time that I am away from home I am close to my vehicle, in which resides a laptop case with a Glock compatible 9mm Kel-Tec Sub2000 carbine with a cleaning kit, 3 loaded 33rd mags and 2 15 rounders (as I have mentioned, running is not an option for me). The car also has a few other goodies like an old web belt with 2 canteens and a holster for my EDC, a small inflatable canoe, a tarp, 100ft of 3/8 nylon rope and an extra 800-1000 ft of 550.