Overwhelmed And Confused

I’m having a difficult time planning for all the ‘bags’ that are recommended. I have a duffle bag in each car with blanket, first aid , water, millennium bars and other odds and ends. As far as EDC I carry a concealed carry purse (Sig p365) small first aid kit, multi tool, small flashlight. I’ve filled my BOB with about 3/4 of what to take if I need to leave house (actually I’d rather hunker down and stay home unless an earthquake makes it not possible). Now I hear we should have a Get Home Bag. I’ve wracked my brain with possible scenarios and what would be needed. All this seems like a lot of duplication. Any advice is appreciated

 

Welcome to this forum from the Great State of Alaska.

 

Hi Gypsy and welcome to the threads.

I think part of the issue is that you are hearing from many different people, with many different situations.......and different perspectives on priorities. Most of us here politely agree to disagree even as we learn from each other, fine tuning our own situations. As you said, you plan on just staying home unless absolutely forced to move out, and that's what most of us would do. Most of us also keep emergency bags in the vehicles in case we get stranded or have to try and move back to our main base. And most of us keep an emergency bag ready in case we have to very abruptly leave our main residence and have 2 minutes to grab stuff. For me, the emergency bail out bag is very different from what I keep in my vehicle.

You are trying to understand and apply all these situations to yourself...........don't lol. Look at your own specific situation and start from there. If you work 5 minutes from home......no need for an emergency "get home" bag. If you frequently travel or your job is an hour's drive from home........a get home bag makes sense. If I'm forced from my house but have time to prepare, I will take different stuff than what's in my emergency bail out bag. Some here would move to team up with their group, while others here would fade into the brush.........each situation is different. Start with your specific situation and start on the basics......food and water for 3 days......do you have family......are they old enough to help or need substantial support (aged less than 4). Lots and lots of questions you need to answer first, before you can start working on your plans.

Good luck, and don't be shy about participating in the threads....look at the old ones and find one that's interesting and bring it back to the top again.

 

Welcome to the group. there really is a lot of information here. Knowledge is a resource that you can't lose. The thing is that here you will get information from places all over the world. If you live where winters are bitterly cold a guy here from Sweden might have better advice for you than someone like me in Southeast Texas where it basically never snows and almost never freezes all day.

There are all sorts of bags that you might need. I have a tiny pocket-sized one, a small fanny pack one, a small backpack kit and a BIG pack kit. Your needs for a few days and what you would need to bugout are two different things. In general, if your bag is too big you just aren't going to carry it. If I want to take a nice walk in the woods the fanny pack is no problem. I probably wouldn't want to carry a backpack for a casual walk in the woods.

I use the rule of threes when I put together my bags.

3 seconds under attack when you have no weapons may kill you
3 minutes without air will kill you
3 hours without shelter can kill you if the conditions are harsh
3 days without water will kill you
3 weeks without food will possibly kill you
3 months isolated alone will begin to mess up your mind

Where I live in Southeast Texas it is generally warm and water is everywhere. That allows me to somewhat move the water and shelter a little lower in my needs. My small get me home kits I usually just have a bag for water and some 1-quart water purification pills. A couple of those cheap space blankets and a tube tent will keep me warm and dry here. If you live in Alaska you will need more than that. Were I you I would want as many ways to make fire as possible. I can easily get by with just a ferrocerium rod but then I've never tried to make a fire in the snow with wet wood. You also in cold environments will have a much greater need than me for high-calorie foods. Keeping your body temperature up in the cold is a fuel-intensive thing.

What you need to do is sit down and play the "what if??" game. What if you broke down in a place where people might not find you for a while. What would you need? What other situations might you find yourself in? Make your decisions based on your skill levels, knowledge, physical condition and a good understanding of the environmental conditions where you live.

 

Gypsy: Welcome from Missouri. Good to have you with us.

As Lonewolf mentioned a Get Home Bag is just that. Something to get you home. From what you have stated, you probably have 99% of what you need in your car already. Look at your situation. Most of the time how far are you from home? How long is your commute? If you were stuck how long would it take you to walk home? You could probably put a few things in your purse, and you would be fine.

Do you have comfortable walking shoes or boots and socks in your car? Do you keep a coat or something to protect you from weather? What is the climate like in your area.? As previously mentioned all of these bags are very personal, and depend on YOUR situation.

One thing I would recommend is keeping some cash in small bills. If the power was down you may not be able to use an ATM or a credit card.

Try not to feel overwhelmed. Read the old posts. There are great people here, and a wealth of information. There are no hard and fast rules. Everything should be tailored to your needs. Again, good to have you with us.

 

I am a minimalist o carry a lot of knowledge that I practice that way I don't have to carry heavy packs check out my YouTube channel

Joseph Bishop bbs

 

How much "stuff" that you will need is as much a function of what you KNOW and where you live as it is about the things that are available in your bag. Where I live the weather is usually warm. There are rivers, creeks, lakes, and ponds everywhere. The woods are full of critters so my needs to just survive would be a knife and a ferrocerium rod. Everything else is mostly about comfort for me. As you learn your "needs" will shrink while your "wants" will maybe grow.

 

Settle down. Not to worry so much! First just put together a basic bag for you and yours.

Water purification items are your top priorities. I am a Katadyn fan -- expensive, true. Not as expensive as a new handgun, however. Have ceramic filter, hiking micro-stove for boiling, and carbon filters for getting bad tastes out of the water. Dysentery is a killer.

Next up are MREs. Me, I like kippered herring. Cans of pork'n'beans will keep you alive and are a treat. Sealed containers of rice with oxygen absorbers keep forever and with purified water, readily turn into food. Add bullion cubes for sodium and flavor. Kool-Aid packs keep the kids happy with the water.

Sturdy clothes, rain parka, ankle-supporting broken-in boots, wide brimmed hat (sun protection), and leather gloves -- all these items are to protect your body. Have woolen items for keeping you warm even if you get a bit damp; some man-made fibers make for great outdoors wear. Keep your body covered even if it is hot, especially if the sun is a killer, sunburns can be quite dangerous and debilitating. Outdoors shops provide these products.

Weaponry is another discussion. Whatever it is that you have in the way of firearms, get out to the range and get good with it.

You've mentioned the small first aid kit, multi tool, small flashlight -- all necessary. Have hurricane matches sealed in waterproof containers. Fire accelerants such as magnesium shavings are handy. There are all manner of products to get fires going quickly. Read-up on this. Small set of binoculars or a monocular (to save space) greatly extend your eyes' ability to gather intel at distance.

Simple compass and good maps are necessary if bugging out. Scout all exit routes long before you are forced to leave a place. Know that in even minor emergencies, primary roads get turned into parking lots in a matter of minutes. People panic. They can be stampeded just like cattle. Do not EVEN get in amongst that! Better to sit tight if people are going nuts. Protect your own "castle" with center-fire rifles (lever action 30-30, .357, or .44) and shotguns (slugs, buckshot, 20 ga is fine especially if you are using slugs). Handguns are OK if you need something tiny/portable. Deer rifles and deer hunting shotguns are for real work -- you gotta blow holes through heavy doors and walls to take out the aggressors. You don't gotta have a 30-06.

I've been writing too long. I'm tired.

Listen, don't you be all anxious. That is totally counterproductive. Really is. Sit down, read, and think. You've already put together something useful. Chill.

 

It is often a good idea to tailor your get home bag to the seasons and any particular journey. What conditions you're likely to face will completely dictate what you pack.

Your bug out bag should also be tailored, but with where you plan to bug out to in mind. Plan your destination, aim to bug out to somewhere where you know you will be welcomed and not just another refugee. If you have family that live in a safe place, a cabin or retreat that you can aim to reach then you should pack with those destinations in mind. In that way you can reduce what you need to carry to little more than a get home bag. In addition to travelling neccessities it's a good idea to take copies of all documents and treasured photos burned to a hard disc or DVD.

 

Yet another thing to confuse the issue, you can cashe goods or supplies in addition to a get home bag. Maybe store it at work or hide it somewhere safe where you can pick it up along the way. Cashed goods mean that you have to carry less and don't have to start from ground zero if you have to abandon you BOB
Out in the countryside we have a tradition of "bothies" in the UK. It's similar to a cabin maintained for the welfare of travelers in the highlands and forests. Very basic facilities and a very basic cashe of goods to be used by or added to by people who use the bothy. Traditionally you should leave a fire made up ready to light and a match ready to light it with. In Alaska they use emergency barrels with cashed goods in order to save your life if you're caught out in the open somehow.