Make a GOOD Bag!

One thing the military taught me is preparedness. I guess you could find the same imperative being taught in the Boy or Girl Scouts, but you don't get to shoot 50 cal machine guns in the scouts.

That being said, I'd like to share with you an item of preparedness that I incorporate into my daily life called a get out of dodge, or GOOD, bag. It is, essentially, a bag filled with necessary survival items that you can pick up on the fly and get the hell out of dodge, if need be. I keep multiple bags: one right near the door that I can pick-up and leave town with; one in my car, so that if I need to leave directly from work or other location in event of disaster I can do just that; I would recommend keeping one in your spouses' or parents' car so that they are prepared, as well. Keep one anywhere you may need to leave in a hurry.

Make sure each bag is the same! I can't tell you how many times I've watched soldiers in my unit search for items they had believed were in one place, but were moved at the last minute. Homogeneity is the key to making sure you know where to find an item you've placed in the bag, when needed in a pinch. Additionally, label bags and items within the bags so that, in event of your absence, someone who is within your coterie may be able to use your bag as well.

What you place in your bag is entirely up to you. I keep:

-warm, light clothing (items that can be layered for warmth and stripped for cool in the event of any weather)
-an additional pair of shoes, preferably boots
-two pairs of socks
-a hat
-water proof jacket and pants
-a sleeping pad and mummy sack
-basic medical kit
-road flares
-knife/multi-tool
-canteen cup
-hygiene supplies (sometimes it doubles as an overnight bag!)
-space blanket
-water purification tablets
-compass and protractor (protractor used for map reading)
-flashlight
-various batteries
-small radio

I would like to use this forum to create the perfect GOOD bag! Please feel free to add suggestions for whatever you may feel is necessary to survive for a short period! Keep in mind, this bag is not sufficient for sustained survival in the field. Its intent is to allow you to get to your safehouse in the most expeditious manner possible, without having to backtrack for supplies or necessities.

perfect post for this forum--

i probably wont have more than one bag..but keeping it my car might be a good idea--- i remember when the earthquake hit in DC i would have had to go home before i could head out to the rendevous--- no good----

thanks for posting

Admin wrote:

thanks for posting

I saw this forum topic and jumped all over it! I don't mind sharing what little I may know about emergency preparedness at all - every little bit helps.

add the full MetallicA catalogue and you should be set

Great post-- Thanks for the tip, Matt!

-water purification tablets--where do you find those?