Go Bag - contents and rationale

[Todjaeger]

How many AH of batteries do you have for it?

The ham emcomm group I belong to advises members to pack go-bags with enough of everything to operate completely independently for at least three days.

For major incidents I have an FT857D HF/VHF/UHF rig with a 26AH SLA (which I'm looking to supplement with a solar panel in the 15-20W range)

For shorter/smaller deployments I'm looking into getting a dual-band HT (and for APRS and PSK using my Samsung Galaxy 3 phone as the "computer". (There are very good Android apps available for a variety of digital modes.) I use a netbook in situations where there isn't a shortage of electricity.

Right now just two, a 1,000 mAh battery (~5hrs) and a 1,800 mAh (~8hrs). Unfortunately the place where I get radio kit has not been getting more batteries in. I also have a 12VDC power brick which I can use during deployments, but that is heavy so I do not carry that in the bags.

-Cheers

 

[Todjaeger]

My intention is not to offend or piss-off anyone here but just expressing my thoughts and opinions, i.e., this "Go Bag" is more or less an "Survivalist" list of items that are desired or needed in case of a disaster that may last for a long period of time. The number of items listed are not just limited to food, clothing, blankets and water, but other electrical, electronic materials and equipment, etc.

City dwellers like me for example, will not have a place to go except to stay put or go to a shelter of some kind within the vicinity. We don't have a mountain somewhere to go and erect tents, generators, electrical and/or electronic equipment, etc. In addition, even if my family is able to go somewhere or someplace, my neighbors, other people will probably have the same idea, therefore, the highways and freeways will be packed with cars for days...the disaster will hit the area before we could possibly get out?

Again, in my opinion, the best thing is to be prepared in place, inside your home.

A few key points and an explanation for my bag(s) in particular.

My bag has more kit in it than a regular Go Bag likely would have, in part because of what I do. Depending on what is going on, I might be called up to head into/towards a disaster area, so I have my own comms amongst other things. I also might be called upon for SAR, which is why I have a smoke signal. The arrangement itself in backpack form allows me to hike with the Go Bag, so if I can no longer drive into/out of an area then I can get out on foot. Given how quickly roads can become impassable due to trees/lines down, snow, flooding, or even just traffic, I felt it important to be able to carry my kit.

Now for the whole Shelter in Place/Evacuate question... The really depends on what the situation is and what local gov't recommends.

Take the recent situation in Boston. In this case, it was felt safer for the public to remain in their homes instead of temporarily relocating to a safer location.

However, for places prone to things like flooding or wildfires, then a person's home can be threatened and the people should evacate, even if they live in an urban area. Sandy is a good example of that, since people in Zone A in NYC were advised to evacuate due to the flood risk. There also times when people will be advised to evacuate due to a health, safety or security risk. At these times, people will again need to quickly and likely unexpectedly leave their homes. Something like an apartment fire in a tower block can quickly displace hundreds of people.

That is really what a Go Bag is for, an arrangement of kit that one just needs to grab if one has to leave in a hurry. I just happen to have more stuff I want to grab...

Some things I have learned is that in addition some of the basic emergency kit recommendations, there are a few extra items which can make life easier and/or more comfortable.

1. Glowsticks - provide dim light for long periods of time, and chemically non-reactive. These are great if some light is needed but a spark cannot be risked (like a possible gas leak). They can be tossed into a basement/cellar to check if flooded and power is out. They can also be taped to a wall or ceiling if some lighting is needed and power is out, very helpful in a place like an emergency shelter where there has been a generator failure and interior rooms/corridors are dark...

2. Multi-purpose liquid soap - Camping or backpacking soap like Dr. Bronner's Soap can be used to keep oneself clean, and then also be used to wash ones dishes and utensils, and clothes. If one has to have an extended stay at an emergency shelter or otherwise away from home, being able to clean what you eat with and wear is important for both health and comfort reasons.

3. Emergency NOAA/Weather radio - mentioned in the basic kit, but wanted to emphasize the worth of something like this. When one is away from home, particularly if forced to seek emergency shelter, the one does not have the normal access to channels of information like TV, internet news, etc. Even with smartphones and cellular data networks, those can go down during bad or widespread events. Having a mini radio which can be used to monitor for new bulletins can let people know what areas are safe, if further evacuation is needed, and importantly when it is safe to go back to their homes.

-Cheers

 

[db2646]

A few key points and an explanation for my bag(s) in particular.

My bag has more kit in it than a regular Go Bag likely would have, in part because of what I do. Depending on what is going on, I might be called up to head into/towards a disaster area, so I have my own comms amongst other things. I also might be called upon for SAR, which is why I have a smoke signal. The arrangement itself in backpack form allows me to hike with the Go Bag, so if I can no longer drive into/out of an area then I can get out on foot. Given how quickly roads can become impassable due to trees/lines down, snow, flooding, or even just traffic, I felt it important to be able to carry my kit.

Now for the whole Shelter in Place/Evacuate question... The really depends on what the situation is and what local gov't recommends.

Take the recent situation in Boston. In this case, it was felt safer for the public to remain in their homes instead of temporarily relocating to a safer location.

However, for places prone to things like flooding or wildfires, then a person's home can be threatened and the people should evacate, even if they live in an urban area. Sandy is a good example of that, since people in Zone A in NYC were advised to evacuate due to the flood risk. There also times when people will be advised to evacuate due to a health, safety or security risk. At these times, people will again need to quickly and likely unexpectedly leave their homes. Something like an apartment fire in a tower block can quickly displace hundreds of people.

That is really what a Go Bag is for, an arrangement of kit that one just needs to grab if one has to leave in a hurry. I just happen to have more stuff I want to grab...

Some things I have learned is that in addition some of the basic emergency kit recommendations, there are a few extra items which can make life easier and/or more comfortable.

1. Glowsticks - provide dim light for long periods of time, and chemically non-reactive. These are great if some light is needed but a spark cannot be risked (like a possible gas leak). They can be tossed into a basement/cellar to check if flooded and power is out. They can also be taped to a wall or ceiling if some lighting is needed and power is out, very helpful in a place like an emergency shelter where there has been a generator failure and interior rooms/corridors are dark...

2. Multi-purpose liquid soap - Camping or backpacking soap like Dr. Bronner's Soap can be used to keep oneself clean, and then also be used to wash ones dishes and utensils, and clothes. If one has to have an extended stay at an emergency shelter or otherwise away from home, being able to clean what you eat with and wear is important for both health and comfort reasons.

3. Emergency NOAA/Weather radio - mentioned in the basic kit, but wanted to emphasize the worth of something like this. When one is away from home, particularly if forced to seek emergency shelter, the one does not have the normal access to channels of information like TV, internet news, etc. Even with smartphones and cellular data networks, those can go down during bad or widespread events. Having a mini radio which can be used to monitor for new bulletins can let people know what areas are safe, if further evacuation is needed, and importantly when it is safe to go back to their homes.

-Cheers

Believe me, I totally understand your point of view and your "Go Bag" required by your profession. I live in the midwest and there are places that are likely to experience flash flooding and tornadoes. With the recent heavy rains some areas were told to evacuate their homes and go somewhere. Somewhere could be hotels, motels, friend's or relative's homes. I would think that flash flooding or flooding in general could last for couple days or even weeks depending on the severity.

No pun intended, but I suggested in my first response to your thread is for someone to just go to a hotel or motel, and wait for the duration of the event. If somebody doesn't have any relatives closeby and doesn't want to impose on friends, the only alternative is to go to a hotel or motel. Through experience of our own, as recently as 3 years ago, we lost power for a week during winter. It was ok for 2 days staying in the house using the fireplace for heat. It became unbearable after that, therefore we went to a hotel for at least 4 days since we still have to go to work.

After our experience of 3 years ago, we had an emergency generator installed in our house that runs on natural gas that automatically starts in case we lose power again. Aside from having food in our extra stand-alone freezer and another refrigerator in our basement stocked with food, 7 5-gallon bottled water, canned and dry goods, that will last us at least a week or so, we really don't have a go bag. Oh by the way, we also have a camping stove that runs on propane, that we used to use when we go camping but haven't used it for a while.

 

[Bonza]

My intention is not to offend or piss-off anyone here but just expressing my thoughts and opinions, i.e., this "Go Bag" is more or less an "Survivalist" list of items that are desired or needed in case of a disaster that may last for a long period of time. The number of items listed are not just limited to food, clothing, blankets and water, but other electrical, electronic materials and equipment, etc.

City dwellers like me for example, will not have a place to go except to stay put or go to a shelter of some kind within the vicinity. We don't have a mountain somewhere to go and erect tents, generators, electrical and/or electronic equipment, etc. In addition, even if my family is able to go somewhere or someplace, my neighbors, other people will probably have the same idea, therefore, the highways and freeways will be packed with cars for days...the disaster will hit the area before we could possibly get out?

Again, in my opinion, the best thing is to be prepared in place, inside your home.

If you don't have a go bag, don't see the need for one, and indeed may not ever require one, might I suggest not posting in the thread marked "Go bag - contents and rationale", so that those who wish to discuss the issue can do so, instead of the discussion being railroaded into a debate as to whether such things are necessary or not?

People have given perfectly understandable reasons (and real life examples) of why a go bag or something similar is appropriate for certain scenarios. They shouldn't have to justify their reasoning any more than they already have. I understand you're not trying to offend anyone, but can you see how repeating your position on the topic (and thus essentially asking others to repeat their own if they wish to respond) isn't really helping the discussion?

 

[Todjaeger]

No pun intended, but I suggested in my first response to your thread is for someone to just go to a hotel or motel, and wait for the duration of the event. If somebody doesn't have any relatives closeby and doesn't want to impose on friends, the only alternative is to go to a hotel or motel. Through experience of our own, as recently as 3 years ago, we lost power for a week during winter. It was ok for 2 days staying in the house using the fireplace for heat. It became unbearable after that, therefore we went to a hotel for at least 4 days since we still have to go to work.

The reality is that in an emergency, sheltering at a hotel/motel is not a viable option if an evacuation is ordered. Keep in mind, going and staying at a hotel for a few days because it is difficult or uncomfortable at home due to a loss of power is not the same situation as an evacuation.

Again using Sandy as an example, a mandatory evacuation of Zone A in New York was ordered before Sandy hit. There are ~375,000 people who live in that area in New York, and only ~90,000 hotel or motel rooms in New York, which means not enough beds for people, if the could even afford to stay in the hotel.

The cost to stay in a hotel or motel for the duration of an evacuation order can be significant, particularly if there is a high demand for rooms, the area is a high price area, the evacuation order is of extended duration, or any combination of the three.

Looking at events like Katrina or Sandy, it can be months before people can return to their homes to live. People I interact with in CT, NY and NJ who were particularly badly effected by Sandy are only just now in the past six weeks or so finally able to resume occupying their homes or businesses. Even for the roughly one week period where emergency shelters were operated during/after Sandy, it would be problematic for many New Yorkers to drop US$1,300+ for a place to stay.

There are also other issues with planning on riding an evacuation order out in a hotel or motel. Apart from the question of whether there would be sufficient beds (covered above), the place or places might also be covered in the evacuation order. The next question is what sort of impact will a loss of infrastructure support have? If the place loses power, what happens to the lighting, door locks, elevators if any, heating, water/sewage, etc. There is also the staff to consider, since they naturally will be concerned about their homes, friends and families. The staff might not remain on site at the hotel or motel during or after an event, which means maintenance and hotel services (cleaning, laundry services, etc) might cease.

After an event has passed and things move into the recovery phase, then staying at a hotel or motel might be an option, but it is not something which one can plan on since there are too many potential variables which interfere.

Also, even when staying at a motel or hotel, people should still bring a Go Bag with them with a change of clothes, toiletries, medication, money and ID/insurance paperwork, food, etc.

-Cheers

 

[Volkodav]

Considering my new home is in a cyclone zone it is a matter of some priority to assemble a go bag for when we decide to leave and prep a cyclone kit in the house if we decide to stay. This discussion is quite valuable in terms of helping me decide what we need.

Thanks guys, keep up the informative discussion.

 

[gf0012-aust]

Considering my new home is in a cyclone zone it is a matter of some priority to assemble a go bag for when we decide to leave and prep a cyclone kit in the house if we decide to stay. This discussion is quite valuable in terms of helping me decide what we need.

Thanks guys, keep up the informative discussion.

when I lived in darwin all the guvvie buildings had cyclone cages full of emergency gear (including spare fuel which was rotated every 6 months)

after cyclone tracey everyone I know setup go packs - and as nearly everyone had a BJ45 cruiser ute or traytop, then they were all well kitted out

we even had stuff cached in the backyard - basically we setup storm pipes with padlocked lids that were up ended in the ground, they had steel cage cylinders with handles inserted. Go home, unlock and pull out emergency custom stillson and bobs your uncle.

especially after the first round of looters came through, we stayed home and sat on the roof with shotguns visible. spare canned or dehydrated food, extra provs etc... came in handy as no need to leave to get provisions

if you're running a 4wd, this is also when dual batteries, and a small inverter come in handy. we also had spare truck batteries constantly on trickle feed - grab and go.

 

[old faithful]

I live in an area that is pretty safe in a cyclone, single story brick. I drive a hilux 4x and have duel batteries in it and in my boat. I have a 60lt car fridge.
In my shed, I have 40lt of diesal, which I use and refil from time to time.
Also have 40 LT of drinking water, and 4 tins of 24 hr ration packs.
Apart from that, camping gear is in the shed ( I call it the dangerous room) because its packed like a sardine can. The shed is cyclone coded, that dosnt mean it is indestructable, but I'm happy knowing that its safe in cat 3 storms. A useful gadget to have is a portable DVD/TV combo, I got one for under 100 bucks from dick smiths, nice to watch the cricket during a blackout, news also, can be rechaged via car. Boat has flares, first aid kit, and epirb on it as well duel'batteries.

I have a seperate grab bag that I take on the boat, but it lives in my bedroom, in a day pack, could be use full in a cyclone Tracy scenareo as well. Most use full item, I would vote, is a good quality head toarch, mine is a led lenser,

 

[StingrayOZ]

Realistically if you are given notice your most likely going to be with the car so the bag is only part of the equation. You can get those foldable solar panels which would come in handy if camping or flat battery situation. 80 or 120w should be enough to run a 12 volt fridge during the day. I have a large 120L evacool fridge which we lived out of for nearly 18 months.

Do like torches, with LED ones so cheap and good, I had gone off head torches. If im looking for something in a bag, fixing the car, or going for a quick walk at night I tend to take the hand torch. But fishing, camping, hiking etc head torches are much better.

Biggest problem with my bag is I keep raiding all the stuff out of it for other purposes.

 

[aussienscale]

Side step

So as a side step to the Go Bag, I would also be interested in, without giving locations, rationale on where people would go ? obviously situations like flood or tsunami higher ground etc

But what about more catastrophic conditions and situations ? what are your family plans ? contact and plans when family is separated and a situation eventuates ? Do you have a family plan ? Does the Mrs and kids know what is in the Go Bag and where it is located ?

Cheers

 

[gf0012-aust]

So as a side step to the Go Bag, I would also be interested in, without giving locations, rationale on where people would go ? obviously situations like flood or tsunami higher ground etc

But what about more catastrophic conditions and situations ? what are your family plans ? contact and plans when family is separated and a situation eventuates ? Do you have a family plan ? Does the Mrs and kids know what is in the Go Bag and where it is located ?

Cheers

In a bushfire I'm heading for the largest open space - and that could be a football oval, most likely to be a sportsground in country towns as they will also have other facilities

In floods its higher ground and invariably the crest of a sealed road. visibility either side and you can see the idiots who are panicking coming from a long way off.

my ex used to think it was daft until I sat down and discussed the rationale - prev she would have been of the view that it was an over reaction, or that "she'll be right"

took a while to explain that what I was preparing for was a tad different from having a 20m shipping container buried just below ground level and waiting for the zombies to come

 

[Todjaeger]

So as a side step to the Go Bag, I would also be interested in, without giving locations, rationale on where people would go ? obviously situations like flood or tsunami higher ground etc

But what about more catastrophic conditions and situations ? what are your family plans ? contact and plans when family is separated and a situation eventuates ? Do you have a family plan ? Does the Mrs and kids know what is in the Go Bag and where it is located ?

Cheers

It really depends on what the situation is. In the case of floodwaters lapping at my front door, I would stick my head between my legs and give myself a smooch good-bye. Then again, I live on the crest of a hill some 230 feet above sea level, so if the coastal flooding had gotten that bad...

Seriously though my emergency plan has several different rendezvous points depending on time and circumstances.

The first is in a storefront parking long within sight of my front door. In the event of a fire or other similar circumstances which make staying in the home unsafe, we meet up far enough away to be safe and not interfere with any emergency response, but close enough to quickly know if everyone is safe.

In the event that circumstances make that meeting area unsafe (dangerously high winds, down trees, poles and wires, or HazMat incident) the next rendezvous point is in a particular parking lot of one of the local schools. This particular school is also the primary location for the town emergency shelter.

Now in the event that we do not meet up there, the next alternate location is at a specific relative's house in a nearby town.

In the US, the recommendations for family emergency plans is to have several specific meeting locations, starting out first with one within walking distance of one's home and then gradually moving further and further away. The idea being that depending on the location and scope of an incident, one of the meeting locations should be outside the area impacted.

One of the other recommendations is to have several common people to contact to advise of one's location and condition. In the US the recommendations are again to have some contacts be local, others be elsewhere in the state, and then others in another state. That way if people get separated, everyone can check in and find out where the other is, assuming direct communications is a problem.

As for specific threats to my home, the potential for a structure fire, high winds/down poles or trees, or some sort of HazMat/chemical spill are the primary concerns. The trees and groundcover where I am are too spread out to realistically allow a wildfire or bushfire, and I live atop a hill on one of the highpoints within town so flooding is not a concern. Basically much of what can threaten me is man-made in one form or another.

-Cheers

 

[sgtgunn]

I don't normally keep a go bag in the house, since the area I live in is generally free from natural disasters, barring the occasional blizzard in which case I'm not "going" anywhere.

I do pack a "go bag" of sorts when ever I go on a long road trip, particularly in the winter. First aid kit, led head lamp, water, a couple of poncho liners, bungee cords, extra cold weather clothes (in the winter), a small tool kit, batteries, snacks, a few chemlights, an e-tool, some trashbags and zip lock bags (good for a million things), a roll of 100mph tape, etc.

When I was overseas we all carried "bail out" bags in or vehicle, which tended to be mostly ammo. My bag was a camelback assault pack with 25 thirty round magazines, 6 frags, 2 HC smoke, 1 red smoke, a first aid kit (CLS bag), weapon cleaning kit, water, an MRE, poncho, VS-17 panel, some bungee cords, 550 cord, a small roll of 100mph tape, a strobe, led headlamp, and extra batteries (and some other misc crap I'm sure).

 

[Todjaeger]

In the process of switching out my Esbit folding stove and 2-person cookset for a much more compact Esbit stove/cookset combo the CS585HA.

Especially now that things are starting to warm up, if I need to have a fire, it most likely would just be for boiling water.

That and I just got an extra 14 MRE's...

-Cheers

 

[PCShogun]

Some good advice for those who do choose to have a go-bag. I was a bit surprised at some of the hostility though. Just reading, I did not find their comments to be antagonistic, simply a different point of view, sheltering in a hotel further inland is an obvious option, assuming you can get there, but whatever, I don't want to beat the dead horse with this.

The 'Life straw' sounds like a great idea. I'm am going to see if a squeeze bottle is available that allows water to be drawn into the bottle through the straw, and then drunk by those without the straw. I always assumed these were single use drinking filters but am amazed at how much water they say they can treat. I did see some complaints about the cost though. I have not yet found them for sale myself. My go bag only holds a few quarts of water, so having a way to treat say, ground water, would be a good way to extend it.

"LifeStraw includes LifeStraw and LifeStraw Family, which are complementary point-of-use water filters designed by the Swiss-based Vestergaard Frandsen for people living in developing nations and for distribution in humanitarian crisis. LifeStraw Family filters a maximum of 18,000 liters of water, providing safe drinking water for a family of five for up to three years."

My go-bag is so we can get to help, or survive for a few days while waiting for help to reach us, not to survive a disaster. I have a much larger water proof container now for bug-out incidents where the house is no longer liveable and we have to get out of town. Wish I had it during Hugo.

During Hurricane Hugo, we tried to evacuate and after 14 hours in traffic and only getting 12 miles, we gave up and went back to shelter in place. Had no power for 10 days afterward and canned corn for a week gets boring. People were begging for food, or milk for their babies, because emergency services were set up in the city center, not the outskirts where we were. Trees blocked all roads for over a week so we could not get out. Ice was being sold for $10 a 5 pond bag at the nearby store, when they could get a delivery. When civil service, utilities, and police are gone for that long things get violent.

I saw a knife fight break out between two men, over a case of cola that was supposed to come to me as a "thank you" for volunteer work clearing debris. I pulled a gun on a butcher knife armed stranger looking through the windows of my sister in laws home next door. He dropped the knife and ran when ordered to do so. An attempted arson against a families home in response to a perceived robbery the night before. All this happened just a few days after the storm passed through, and all within the block where I lived.

The go-bag is the result of being stranded along an highway, between exits, with no phone. It now goes with me on every long trip as I learned that few people will stop to help someone in obvious distress, especially at 2:00am

 

[Bonza]

Wow, that sounds like a very intense situation PCShogun. Thanks for sharing. Hard to think of something like that happening from an Australian perspective, so it's very interesting to get some local insight into such a disaster.

 

[koxinga]

I read this thread with much interest (along with programmes like Doomsday preppers) because where I live and the threats we faced are dramatically different and I wonder what sort of Go-bag would be possible.

I live in a country island with a population density of 7++k per square kilometre (no prize for guessing which one). There is no hinterland, no outback, no forest for us to run to (yes, there are some jungles, but let's be honest, it's not going to cut it for 5 million plus people).

On the plus side, we do not have any natural disasters to contend with. Not within the direct path of a typhoon/hurricane, nor any earthquakes/tsunami (although we have the occasional tremors from the Indonesia).

Any threats which affect the wider population would like be man-made, falling into two categories, intentional events (e.g terrorism), or accidental (e.g major chem spill, bio-hazard events)

Other things:
- Guns are not generally available to citizens, although the majority of the male population has gone through conscription and can handle a firearm.
- Not everyone has a car due to extreme high cost of acquisition (a Toyota family sedan cost upwards of 100K USD). This is both a plus and a minus. In a major disaster, I would expect a major gridlock in the major two bridges out of the country and a car might not be useful. But once in our neighbouring country (Malaysia) a set of wheels might be useful.

In highly urbanised countries such as Singapore, or Hong Kong for the matter with limited hinterland, would a Go-Bag in the traditional sense make sense? My concept of a Go-Bag is just basic medication, my essential documents and money with the main purpose of getting myself out of the country via one of the two land links, or sea links or air to another country...

 

[Todjaeger]

I read this thread with much interest (along with programmes like Doomsday preppers) because where I live and the threats we faced are dramatically different and I wonder what sort of Go-bag would be possible.

I live in a country island with a population density of 7++k per square kilometre (no prize for guessing which one). There is no hinterland, no outback, no forest for us to run to (yes, there are some jungles, but let's be honest, it's not going to cut it for 5 million plus people).

On the plus side, we do not have any natural disasters to contend with. Not within the direct path of a typhoon/hurricane, nor any earthquakes/tsunami (although we have the occasional tremors from the Indonesia).

Any threats which affect the wider population would like be man-made, falling into two categories, intentional events (e.g terrorism), or accidental (e.g major chem spill, bio-hazard events)

Other things:
- Guns are not generally available to citizens, although the majority of the male population has gone through conscription and can handle a firearm.
- Not everyone has a car due to extreme high cost of acquisition (a Toyota family sedan cost upwards of 100K USD). This is both a plus and a minus. In a major disaster, I would expect a major gridlock in the major two bridges out of the country and a car might not be useful. But once in our neighbouring country (Malaysia) a set of wheels might be useful.

In highly urbanised countries such as Singapore, or Hong Kong for the matter with limited hinterland, would a Go-Bag in the traditional sense make sense? My concept of a Go-Bag is just basic medication, my essential documents and money with the main purpose of getting myself out of the country via one of the two land links, or sea links or air to another country...

Gee, I cannot really tell which country you are talking about...

At the most basic level a Go Bag should contain things one would want/need if they could not go back or stay in their home for a few days. In many respects, packing a Go Bag starts out the same way one would start packing for a short business trip or if going on holiday.

I would therefore suggest a change of clothes, a toiletries kit or travel set (soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc), a water bottle, and some sort of food like snack bars. This is in addition to what you already have.

-Cheers

 

[King Wally]

Your meds / money and documents are indeed 3 big things to prepare in your go-bag. totally correct.

Also if you know your most likely going to travel by foot I would avoid a overly heavy go-bag and keep it on the lighter side. Best to conserve your energy and pack light so your mobile. Water filtration would be a big one (life straw or water purification tablets etc), spare clothes / water proof jacket, toiletries. A knife and/or multitool as a utility and self defence. A hat and spare socks, bandaids for blisters after long distance walking. Also cant go wrong with a roll of duct tape the universal fix all!

 

[old faithful]

There are numerous handy products to have around the house, that could be useful in go bags.

Insect repellant, including coils. These could be very important in tropical area,s after a tropical storm.

There is another product that lives under my kitchen sink, as well as in my boat grab bag. Its called kneed it. Its two part stick of a hard plasticene/playdoe type product that can be needed into just about any shape. It sets hard, and is waterproof. I have had to use it once so far, during a cyclone 2 years ago, it was an insignificat storm as far as wind goes, but it formed over land, and dumped a couple of hundred mm of rain on us in 2 days, from the same direction. I had water coming into the house from cracks in the motar near the roof, this stuff sealed it, was going to be temporary, but dosnt need fixing yet! Good stuff.

Cable ties are also very use full, have countless aplications.