Get-Home Bag

A Get-Home Bag can be an essential item for people who are at work when an emergency situation occurs.  I always hear people discussing Bug Out Bags.  However, they are normally kept at your home and you need to be there to get them.  Also, you must keep in mind that you may not necessarily be bugging out.  You may be heading home to bug-in.  Don’t always assume that you need to get home to leave, you may just need to get away from the present problem and get to the safety of your home.  Your car or truck may have broken down and you just need to walk.

I consider the “Get Home Kit”, an essential part of your Everyday Carry.  Although you probably won’t carry it on your person, it must be with you every day in the event of an emergency situation.  A Get Home Bag, kit, or Pack, has all the essential items that will help you get home in an emergency.

I recall 9-11 in New York City very well.  I recall seeing people stumbling down the streets covered in white powder.  They had to walk out of the city, some to New Jersey.  I saw fancy dress shows, high heels, etc.  People without water or anything to cover their face.  They were not prepared to get home in an emergency.

I recall on several occasions arriving at our local airport after returning from a consulting assignment and finding my truck plowed in with snow.  Like others from the plane, I was in a suit and tie, dress shoes and an overcoat.  But as soon as I got to my truck, I grabbed my winter boots, a winter parka coat , and a pair of insulated snow trousers to pull over my dress pants.  They are just part of the winter gear I keep in my truck.  I used the snow shovel that also lives in the truck, and in a short time I was on my way home.

Carrying You “Get-Home” Bag

I have a proclivity to military style packs and equipment.  The following chapters will show that most of my survival kits are built for the “Wilderness” environment, so I don’t mind using military style  packs and bags.

However, when it comes to a “Get Home Kit” I highly recommend that you keep your “Carrier” civilian in appearance.  You don’t want to look military or, worse, like a possible terrorist.  You want to look like a plain “Joe” just trying to get home from work.  This is especially true if there is any possibility that you might have to walk.

There are various types of side carry bags made for carrying laptop computers.  I don’t personally like side carry bags because they pull on one side.  I personally prefer a small day pack as it leaves both of my hands free for other purposes.

I have my “Get Home Kit” in an old day pack made by The North Face” called the “Yavapai.”  I like the fact that it is old and just looks like a regular pack that any civilian might carry.  It has holders for two 32 oz. Nalgene bottles on the outside of the back which provides me with plenty of water.  You can see in the opening photo that it doesn’t stand out, look military, or raise any eyebrows.  Just what I want when I’m trying to get home.  You will also note that I don’t hang stuff like knives, hawks, or machetes on the outside.  I don’t want it to look survival, but just a pack!

Depending on where you work, a Get Home Kit can be kept in a desk drawer in your office.  If like me, you live in a more rural area, you can keep your kit in your vehicle.

So what do you need in your Get Home Kit?  Many of the basics remain the same as with all your kits.  Let’s break it down into categories to make it easier.

Hydration & Energy

Water is essential in order to stay hydrated.  Have a bottle or two of water in the kit.  I also recommend some energy food.  Some comfort food is important, as well as some power bars or a few Snickers® for that added energy if needed.

As part of the kit a small stove and pot could come in handy.  A pot can be used to boil water as well as for cooking food.  Some water purification tablets or a water purifier is handy as well.  I also carry a titanium spoon.  It is a comfort item, but for the weight, in my opinion it is worth it.

Shelter & Protection

Shelter and warmth in this situation is more about having the proper clothing to walk home if need be.  In the summer, you need a hat, sunglasses, rain jacket or poncho, and a wind breaker if possible. If you bag is large enough, carry a few contractor garbage bags, as you’ve seen, they are handy for many things.  A small emergency bivy and emergency blanket can assist with shelter and warmth.  In the winter, clothes warm enough to allow you to deal with the cold.

A real important consideration is footwear  that can get you home.  I see many women today in the city that actually wear sneakers to work and then change into their fancy shoes at work.  If you don’t wear walking shoes at work (many have to wear dress shoes), then I recommend having sneakers, or even better a pair of light hikers, in your Get Home Bag.

Have something to cover your mouth and nose.  A couple of bandanas can be used to cover your mouth and nose as well as other things we discussed earlier in the book.  I carry two N95 Particulate Respirators, for this purpose.

You can carry safety glasses to protect your eyes, but I carry a small pair of swimming goggles (I prefer tinted glasses).  Swimming goggles are better at sealing your eyes from dirt and debris.  If you saw some of the people after 9-11, their faces were covered with white/gray powder.  You obviously wouldn’t want that stuff in your eyes.  Even a dust storm could be a problem.

I also carry IOSAT™ Potassium Iodide which  is used to protect your thyroid gland against radioactive iodine released during a nuclear emergency.  If you work in a high rise building you might also consider a smoke hood to help you get out of a building that is full of smoke.

A couple of pairs of Nitrile gloves and a pair of work gloves are handy to have.  I also feel that a pair of ear plugs are important.  Depending on the situation, you want to be able to protect your ears from loud noise.

Of course, if you wear prescription glasses, have an extra pair. I also carry a mini pair of prescription glasses that fit in a tube, that I had special made.

Depending on the season I carry sunblock, chap stick, and bug repellent.  Wet Wipes are handy to quickly clean any dirt off you.  Toilet paper can come in handy and I also carry a couple of those Pee Bags.  You go in the bag and it gels so you can just throw it in the garbage.  In the country it is not necessary, but the city, especially a high rise building where the water isn’t working, they could be handy.

Medical Consideration

A first aid kit is essential! Whether you get a scratch or a serious wound, be able to handle it.  It doesn’t have to be a full blown kit, but be able to stop the bleeding and handle minor problems.  If you need prescription medicine have some in your kit.

Knives & Tools

If you don’t carry a knife as an EDC item (which is hard to believe), you definitely need one in your kit.  A small folding saw wouldn’t hurt.

In regard to tools, I happen to like tools so I probably carry more than most.  But if you don’t EDC a multi-tool it would be a good item to have in your kit.  I also like a pry bar.  There are a lot of the mini ones available, and they aren’t a bad item to have.  But, I like a large one.  I want to be able to pry open a door or window and with ease.  The one I carry works as a pry bar on one side and as a small claw hammer on the other.  It is heavier that the mini but gives me a lot more versatility.  I have made a Kydex sheath for the pry bar end so it doesn’t punch a hole in my pack or bag.

Of course a larger tool kit can be carried with more options for repairs, etc.  I like a kit as small as I can get it, but yet having a variety of tools that give me more diversity than just a multi tool.  For my Get Home Bag I have a good assortment of tools in a Maxpedition Micro Pocket Organizer that measures only 3-1/2″ x 5-1/2″ x 1″ deep .  It provides with more than a multi-tool.  Of course, as many of know, I’ve been building and modifying things my whole life, so I personally desire the additional options.  If you’re not handy, just carry a multi-tool.

Miscellaneous Items

A flashlight (I prefer a headlamp as it leaves my hands free) as well as a couple of Lightsticks can provide that needed light to find you way home.  Streets can be pretty dark when the lights are out.  Have at least one extra set of extra batteries for each flashlight or headlamp.  I, of course carry a couple of extra sets.

A small repair kit is handy and it should at least have some duct tape, cable ties and wire.  These things can help you repair about anything.  I carry snare wire as it is easy to work with, but I also carry a piece of coat hanger as it is stiffer for certain repairs.  I place small rubber caps on the ends so they do not poke through the bag.

Cordage is always important and I always recommend some parachute cord because of its versatility.

Just in case, I personally also like 50 to 100 feet of 4mm high strength static line (1,034 lb. minimum breaking strength) in my bag.  I also carry a Locking “D’ ring carabiner, and a Mini Figure 8, called the Escape 8 (By SMC – Seattle Manufacturing Corp.).  Originally designed as a personal escape device to be used by firefighters in bailout situations, this ultra-light and compact descender is now the personal choice of countless members of SAR and Ski Patrol teams, law enforcement and military. I also carry a nylon loop by J.E. Weinel, Inc. which makes a quick “Swiss Seat”.   Now, I don’t recommend this, and  I’m sure I’ll get some flak from some, but at 160 lbs., I don’t have a problem using this gear for a slow repel in an emergency (of course you don’t descend in leaps and bounds).  This doesn’t mean you will be rappelling down the side of a building.  But you may have to descend down a steep bank, or other terrain.  The use of good judgement is the key to this type of activity, and train before you act.  Of course, having a GOOD pair of rappelling gloves are essential!  In my truck I also carry 100 feet of 8mm static line.

Another thing I carry is a small door wedge.  There are occasions when you might want to hold a door open and yet keep your hands free.  They are light and take up little room so you might want to throw one in your kit.

Of course something to write with, and on, is a given.  I prefer the Rite In The Rain® waterproof pads.  I carry the smaller 3″ x 5″ and a couple of pens and a Solid Graphite Pencil.

A whistle, if not carried as part of your EDC, should be included and attached to the outside of your pack.  Although usually thought of a just a signaling device, it can be used to draw attention to yourself in other situations.  An example might be in a parking lot.  I have seen domestic disputes with yelling and people just walk by.  But if a person starts blowing a whistle, people tend to listen and assume something is wrong.

A small fire starting kit is essential as you never know when you might need to start a fire for cooking, warmth, or purifying water, not to mention possible signaling.  Do carry adequate tinder.

A compass and a map of the area you will have to travel is important.  A USGS contour map is great if you’re going off road, but if not have a good road map.  You may have to take detours and you can better find another route using a road map.  A GPS is another consideration, but I wouldn’t leave the map or compass behind.

Although not essential, I like to have a small pair of binoculars.  Although I prefer small binoculars to a monocular, as they are easier to steady, either will allow you to look further than your eyes allow.   It is nice to be able to view a possible problem area before you get to it.

Communications

Last, but not least, is communications.  I would assume you will have a cell phone, but don’t rely on it.  On 9-11 in NY City, the cell service went down in about 30 minutes.  I had to use various land lines to contact my wife up north and tell her I was heading her way.  A simple AM/FM radio can keep you informed as well a weather Band radio.  Of course if you have an Amateur Radio license, carry a small one.  Amateur radios are a great communication ability with others with a license.

I also have a small electronics bag that holds various items such as a mini multimeter, some thin rosin core solder with a mini Bic lighter (You can solder with a lighter by wrapping the solder around bare wires and melting with the lighter).  A cigarette lighter adapter with small alligator clips allows you to attach the adapter  to a battery (such as in a vehicle).  I have a mini cigarette lighter plug with 2 USB outputs, and a couple of small cables which allow me to use the 12 volt battery to charge a cell phone or IPod.  There are a couple of wire leads with alligator clips on both ends and some red and black electrical tape.  Although not a lot of stuff, in conjunction with my mini tool kit, I can fix or modify various thing in an emergency.

MONEY

I know it is hard for some people to put some cash away and not touch it, but make it a habit.  A couple of hundred dollars in 20 dollar bills can come in handy to help you get home!

Well, this of course is not complete, and I’m sure there are some items that you might consider.  But, it provides you with some ideas in regard to a “Get Home Kit.”  If you work away from home, you might consider this type of kit.

John McCann is the author of Build the Perfect Survival Kit and Stay Alive! Survival Skills You Need.  He can be contacted at…  survivalresources.com