Thread by @HankVenture5

Get Home Bag MK3 Mega Thread.

I've just finished building the 3rd iteration of my get home bag and this will serve as a fairly long thread around bag philosophy, contents, etc.

First off, what is a Get Home Bag and why would you need one?

We are all familiar with the idea of a Bug Out Bag, but not everyone is familiar with the idea of a Get Home Bag.

The idea of a Get Home Bag is having essential life preserving emergency gear with you if you are faced with an unusual situation in which it becomes a priority to get home and, in some instances, have to separate from your primary transportation.

What commonly comes up in these threads is "what is the scenario you think is going to happen where you need this stuff"?

Real scenarios happen every year in this country or others where you might want to have a full life preserving kit available if you need to make your way home to loved ones, or meet up with them at a pre-designated location.

Here's a few:

1. You are in an urban area and there is a terrorist attack or natural disaster which incapacitates local infrastructure, leaves roads blocked and you have to make the decision between following the orders of local authorities to "stay put" or choose to make your way home, potentially without a vehicle.

2. You are caught up in a mass civil unrest situation in which you might be robbed or killed if you aren't able to adequately protect yourself.

3. Breakdown of law and order.

These scenarios and others can happen suddenly and you might choose to have equipment to protect yourself and others as you make your way back to your home or a pre-designated meeting place that is part of your natural disaster plan.

What's the most important component in a bag?

Physical fitness is.

Gear doesn't do you any good if you can't carry it.

This bag, loaded, weighs 32 lbs.

Secondly, your bag should be SEGMENTED... as in, you should have different cubes/sections that you can discard as needed depending on the situation.

Many people build their bags in the following roles:

1. The stay put bag. You are staying with your vehicle but need weapons/equipment, weight of bag is not critical since you won't be immediately carrying it.

2. The on-foot bag. You need to separate from your vehicle and will take the equipment you can reasonably carry depending on the situation you are dealing with.

3. The long-haul bag. You have to move an unexpectedly long distance and will be taking the essentials.

A 32 lb ruck that has everything in it can be converted to a 15 lb backpack with some essentials if you must go on foot but the situation is not dangerous, you don't expect you will have to sleep outdoors, or move at night. Obviously unexpected things happen though and you have to take this into account.

A bag should be NONDESCRIPT.

This is a real pet peeve of mine. If you are open carrying a long gun you are drawing unwanted attention to yourself and can become the target of someone who spots you from a distance.

Similarly if you are carrying a military looking bag with molle attachments, PALS gear and webbing then it also might get people to ask you what is in your bag.

If at all possible the bag should be non descript and the minimum size possible to carry what you're needing.

You might even have the ability to transition some gear from a larger bag to a smaller "last resort" bag that keeps some things with you but looks like you couldn't possibly be a threat.

So, the bag itself is a VERTX bag. They are a domestic producer of "tacticool" gear that builds their stuff in Chicom but some of their stuff is pretty good. Their bags are pretty well built but are fairly non descript.

Here's what's in the bag:

1. Phone battery charger and cables.
2. Radio. Pre-programmed with local channel map as well as my "internal" comms plan, there are other people/family in the area with radios that have my channel plan.
3. IFAK... gauze, chest seals, TQ, bandages, thermal wrap, NPA.
4. 300BLK Carbine with a sling, a weapon light, a good optic, and a lightweight secondary aiming device as well as a suppressor.
5. QTY 2 shorty magazines (one supersonic one subsonic). Shorty magazines are much easier to use in a vehicle if you have to use one in that situation.
6. QTY 1 30 round magazine. It's a nice thought to carry more ammo but ammo is extremely heavy and I have a hard time believing I would need more than a couple of magazines of ammo in any situation in which I am likely to survive.
7. PVS-14 with Crye Nightcap and Wilcox mount. If I have to navigate at night I am going to want to have NVG, because it is an absolutely massive advantage. If I don't think I'm going to need it I will leave it because it is heavy.
8. Water. I always carry a liter of water in a nondescript bottle. I also carry a very light weight water filtration I can use for extra water in an emergency.
9. Bag with analgesics, bug spray, sunscreen, thermal emergency sleeping bag, lighter, fire starting cubes, matches.
10. Cat's paw and entry tool.
11. Hard case with safety rated sunglasses and earpro.
12. Tarp and shock cord.
13. Extra clothes. Spare socks, underwear, shmog, gloves.
14. Duct tape.
16. Multitool.
17. Signal flares.
18. Compass.
19. Lightweight headlamp.
20. Flashlight.

Food? I carry a few protein bars. I can handle being hungry for a couple of days as long as I have some small source of calories to get me by.

Separate from this bag I have some auxiliary gear I can use depending on the situation;

1. Real sleeping bag.
2. Slickster plate carrier with III+ plates front and rear.
3. Boots (Really handy to always have a pair of old serviceable boots in case SHTF when you're out wearing sandals or dress shoes).
4. Jacket, that can be worn over other gear.
5. Belt with holster in case things are extra spicy.

I also keep a couple of MREs in my car in case I'm stuck with my car for a while and need the calories.

I also have a three liter water bladder I wouldn't normally take with me but is in the vehicle for emergency water use.

I'm blown away by how many people don't have water in their car at all times. Crazy.

So, if you're still with me, here's a few closing thoughts....

I see people who eschew carrying expensive weapons/gear in these bags and prefer to carry disposable items and throwaways.

I want the best stuff I own with me because in the one situation in which I might REALLY need it the last thing I'm worried about is losing a few thousand dollars worth of spendy gear. Consider it an insurance policy I hope I never have to cash out on.

Do you need a bag like this? What are your thoughts on the utility/futility of putting these setups together?

Would be good to hear from others who have put more thought into this than I have.