Sunday, March 20, 2011

Do you have a "Go Bag" ready?

The disasters in New Zealand, Haiti, and Japan should remind us that disaster specialists recommend every person have a "Go Bag" ready to go at all times. A "Go Bag" is a suitcase packed with the essentials you might need if you had to leave your home suddenly in an emergency, including clothes, emergency supplies, and any information you may need to survive (i.e. contact numbers, photos of loved ones).

If you haven't taken the time. There is no time like the present.

A component of your disaster kit is your Go-bag. Put the following items together in a backpack or another easy to carry container in case you must evacuate quickly. Prepare one Go-bag for each family member and make sure each has an I.D. tag.
  • Flashlight
  • Radio – battery operated
  • Batteries
  • Whistle
  • Dust mask
  • Pocket knife
  • Emergency cash in small denominations and quarters for phone calls
  • Sturdy shoes, a change of clothes, and a warm hat
  • Local map...

5 comments:

shadowmom1 said...

Great idea.

BH said...

I always have a go bag... but it is for a different reason. My opportunities to go hiking are few and far between. If for some reason life throws me a free weekend, I can pick up my pre-packed backback that has most of your mentioned items as well as a stove and cookset, food for two days, and a tent. I guess it is good to know I am ready for the end of the world as well but a weekend hiking is much more likely :-)

BH said...

Hikers and outdoorslovers often ask me what I do for water filtration/purification. My favorite, least expensive, and longest lasting, is polor pure. It is an iodine tincture that doesn't taste that bad (compared to the other iodine pills and products on the market). It kills 99.98% of all bacteria and viruses and has the added benefit of protecting you from low level radiation... a win win. One bottle of this stuff will last forever, it stores easily and is foolproof. The only downside is that the bottle itself must be kept from freezing. You can use it in cold temperatures but the bottle will break if it freezes. Here is a cheap place to get it and one of my favorite online gear stores. (they also have a cool brick and mortar store but it is in a difficult part of NJ to get to)

http://www.campmor.com/outdoor/gear/CAMOmnifindQueryCmd?storeId=226&catalogId=40000000226&langId=-1&searchCategory=&ip_state=&ip_constrain=&ip_navtype=search&pageSize=24&currentPage=&ip_sortBy=&searchKeywords=polor+pure

Nomad said...

Cool. As it happens, that is the brand I ordered for my Go Bag. :-) I know it is probably overkill, but the "water purification plus radiation protection" angle made it a no-brainer for $20.

Mihai Rosu said...

Hi there, i don't really have a go bag, but that is a grate ideea. I think it's very necessary in case of something bad would happen to our houses.But i can't say that bag would help you at "the end of the world" like BH said.