Get Home Bag!
Okay, we learned about bug out or go bags but what the heck is a get home bag and why would we need it?
Have you ever seen those fire alarms where it says, “In case of emergency, break glass?” That is kind of like a get home bag. In case of emergency, you will have the means to get home safely.
So, here we go. Simply put, a get home bag is a backpack or some other bag that you can easily carry with you if you are walking. It would normally be stored in your vehicle at all times or you would take it with you on every trip… grocery store, hair cut, or even a trip to Aunt Mabel’s. I don’t have an Aunt Mabel, but you get my drift.
Should anything happen along the way, you will have enough supplies to get you home or at least survive until you are rescued. No matter if you have an accident and have to leave your vehicle or stay in it overnight, or there’s riots in the street that you need to get around, you will be okay. You can use your imagination and think of all kinds of scenarios. Even if you have to go through the woods and over a mountain, you will be prepared.
So what would you include in a get home bag. Food and water, of course. Enough for at least a couple of days (you never know how far you will be from home. The food might be freeze dried or some light packages of food (Ramen or things like that). You might want a water purifier in case you run out of your bottled water and to have enough to rehydrate your food. Also a metal pot of some sort to cook in and utensils to eat with.
You will want to include a couple of space blankets to help keep you warm and to use as a shelter. They are also good to use as a signal for help. You will also want some para-cord that you can use to help build that shelter (and for other uses). Even if you are stuck in your vehicle, these space blankets will help keep you warm.
If you’re going to cook and stay warm, you may need a fire. Therefore, a fire kit is important. Make sure it includes a couple of lighters, some starter material like dryer lint or cotton balls soaked in Vaseline, and maybe a fire starter rod.
As for clothes… not so much. I would recommend a change of shoes and sox. There’s nothing worse than walking in wet shoes and sox. Just a side note: wool sox are better than cotton sox. They dry faster and wick moisture away from your feet. You must protect your feet as this will stop you faster than just about anything else.
A heavy duty knife and possibly a hatchet are good to have along. Possibly a fold up shovel which can also be used to get your vehicle unstuck if that is what stopped you from getting home.
You can also include a small fishing kit – string, hooks, some bait. It is light and allows you that option for food.
Finally, a small first aide kit. You may need a band aide, some triple antibiotic, or be able to bandage a wound.
This whole thing is almost like a miniature bug out bag! Picture it taking a couple of days to walk home and pack accordingly. Occasionally, rotate your food out so it stays fresh (every two or three months or so).
This may all sound paranoid but hey, what’s the worst that happens, you don’t use it. That’s good. When you move into an assisted living home you can give it to your kids as a present. In fact, you can make a kit for them and give that as a gift!
The bottom line is simple: be prepared. The Bible tells us many of the things that are to come before we are taken out of here to be with Him. He also says to be prepared. I don’t like what’s coming, but I sure do want to do what Jesus tells me to do. He knows a heck of a lot more than I do (that’s an understatement). So pack your bag and have fun doing it. Maybe pack a bag for each member of your family so you are ready to go. And don’t forget to practice!
Be Blessed
