I'm putting together a new "go bag" in event of a crisis situation such as tornado, terrorist attack, financial meltdown, etc. Do you keep one? If so, what are the essential contents of your go bag?

Good Info for those that have toddlers...


Toddler 72 hr. Kit

As a general rule it's all you need to survive for 72 hours.
Clothes,weapon,food and water.
Need one for each one in the family.

Two books: Deer Management 101 and Adult Maturity.

First one is for fire-starter. Haven't grasped the second one yet.


I talked with a guy about this a couple of weeks ago. Vacuum-sealing bags to reduce size in the pack was one of his tips. He also had a smaller, specific bag for fire-starting materials that could be taken separately.

Good tip about using the Foodsaver to seal and compress items.

Here is a good starting point

I'm going to visit with my friend again in a few weeks and ask him more about his pack.

He had it packed for three days but is skilled enough to live with a single match and a knife, IMO. Extremely organized.

I know he had an ACP and a couple of boxes of ammo along with spare magazines. I believe he had some .223 also, or maybe .22, which leads me to believe he had a takedown rifle in the pack although I never saw one.

One of his knives was the USMC-style Ka-Bar. He had others, along with several flashlights. The lights were to be used sparingly, however, to save batteries, not give away his position and reduce weight of extra batteries.

Clem -

Make a list and put it on here.

I will when I get back from talking with him.

I remember firearm/ammo, knives, lights, separate smaller pack for firestarter, a separate first aid kit, parachute cord, carabiners on the outside molle straps, clothing (especially socks), MREs, collapsible body bag (like a space blanket, and he maybe had 2-3 of them b/c they're compact), I think a lightweight tarp to create a shelter or windbreak w/ the para cord, other stuff.

He didn't seem to have anything that isn't in most bags but is extremely organized and didn't have anything unnecessary.

IMO, socks and foot care items - or at least good toenail clips, gauze, blister goo, etc. - would be important. If you're immobile or hobbled by blisters and wet/cold socks, you could be in trouble.

Pretty much screwed

Wouldn't this be more appropiate in the survival forum? Not that i really care that it is here. But thats what it for right?

Duck Tape and a Lighter. end of story.

Are we trying to survive after a hurricane, or the zombie apocalypse?

Cause you gotta pack different types of bags...

One thing that people often forget is bug repellant.

I was helping a friend pack for a deployment and remembered why i don't do this so much.

When you start vacuum packing things just remember that the moment you open that bag the seal is gone and you lose that space saving. It's all well and dandy til you wind up having 5 pounds of schitt in a 2 pound bag.

Instead of using vacuum-seal bags, look into the "Space Saver Bags" or similar brand. They have some that, instead of using a vacuum to remove the air from the bag, you seal it and roll it up, squeezing the air out of a 1-way valve. They can be opened and resealed unlimited times without the use of a vacuum.

Space Bags

Good point. Also why and when to "run." Some folks who live in rural areas or areas that can easily be "defended" would only run in the case of an environmental calamity(that is toxic breathing air).
Well maybe one would want to run in the case of a Zombie apocalypse, if just in a circle.

After Apr 27, 2011, I keep a generator, 10 gallons of gas, and some cash. Pumps for miles and miles were down because of no power. And ATMs were screwed too. And a battery powered radio helps hear whats going on.

I'd have a hard time "bugging out" anywhere.
Idk what circumstances I'd need to?