Types of Emergency Bags
Understanding Types of Bags and Their Purpose
When some people think of a bug out bag they are actually picturing a different type of bag that is designed for a different purpose. Here we will discuss the four main types of bags and the specific purpose of each one. This does not mean you have to have four different bags. Depending on a number of factors you may only need one or two of them to have all the areas covered. For example if you have a hour drive to work that is 60 or so miles from your home then your get home bag and bug out bag might be the same bag. The bag size and contents may vary depending on your job, daily routine, and skill set. Someone with an office job will not have the same everyday carry bag as someone that works in a construction trade most likely. Like most of our articles the examples we give are more aimed at people who live in more heavily populated areas and daily life and emergency scenarios would take place in suburbs and urban areas. You must take into consideration what each bag is designed for and how that applies to you so you can pick the right size bag and carry the right supplies and equipment. The bags we will discuss are every day carry (EDC), get home (GHB), bug out (BOB), and I’m never coming home (INCH).
Every Day Carry (EDC) Bag
Put as plainly as possible an EDC bag is a bag that contains items you either use or could reasonably need on a normal daily basis. That being said it would be pretty hard to make a list of items to put in an EDC bag without knowing what your daily routine involves. Some of the items in my EDC are a knife, multitool, small flashlight, notepad with pen, lighter, small snack, and first-aid items for small injuries. I think those are all items that the majority of people may need on a daily basis but your needs may differ. Currently I use the sling pack we have in our gear store. After testing it I felt it could fit all the necessary items I carry daily and it leaves some extra space for items I may need to add on a particular day. The picture to the right shows the contents of my EDC bag. There is nothing too special in there, just items that are routinely used and don’t fit in my pockets. There’s no need to over think this bag. All the items are stored inside the bag with the exception of the flashlight, who wants to dig around in a bag in the dark?
Get Home Bag (GHB)
A GHB should be designed to help you get home in the event of an emergency. You will need to stock it with equipment and supplies to assist you in doing this. What specifically goes in your GHB depends on you and where you normally go on a daily basis. A good way to determine what should go in is to think about where the most frequent places you go are, the most common is probably to work. How far is your work from home? 20 miles, 40 miles, more? This is a major factor in determining what needs to go in this bag. If you work 5 miles from your house you may not need a GHB, your EDC bag might fill this need also. To show an example I will use my GHB. My work is about 25 miles from my home. It’s state highway for the most part and takes about 20-25 minutes driving. If I had to walk the entire way it would take between 8-9 hours given that the average person walks at 3MPH. That’s walking with no breaks. So it is a possibility, depending on the time of day and season of the year, that I may be traveling overnight. Whether or not I want to stop and try to get some sleep depends on the scenario, but I do have a camping tarp, among other items, to help make a quick shelter. Some additional items in my GHB that are not in my EDC bag are: water filter, poncho, trauma first-aid kit, fire kit, 32oz water bottle, compass, headlamp, glow sticks, full tang knife, bandanas, work gloves, and 1,000 calories of food. There is more but that gives you an idea. My EDC bag is 9L in size and my GHB is 30L in size.
Bug Out Bag (BOB)
A BOB is designed to aid you in getting from point A to point B in the event of an emergency. Point A is most likely your home and point B would be one of your predetermined locations. You should have multiple bug out locations because you have no way of knowing what kind of emergency may happen and from what direction it could be coming from. A bug out location can be a family member or friends house, a hotel, or property you own somewhere else. It doesn’t need to be too far from your home incase you have to walk part or all the way there. I would recommend having at least one location less than 60 miles from your home. If you take into account that once you travel 30-40 miles from a natural disaster you are normally in the clear, you will see that most of the time the best locations are friends or family. Once you know what your possible bug out locations are you can pick what goes in your BOB based on the routes planned to get there. Some items in my BOB that are not in my GHB include: folding saw or hatchet, additional stainless steel water bottle, a kuksa (wooden cup), 3,000 calories of food, thin wool blanket, 2 skivvy rolls, paper and digital copies of important documents, and 200ft of paracord. Your BOB should be able to support you for 3-5 days generally, mine is setup for 3 days. My current bag is 75L in size.
I’m Never Coming Home (INCH) Bag
You may have noticed I have not mentioned any cookware such as skillets, pots, or grills yet. That’s because I don’t keep those in my BOB, a lot of people do. My view is a BOB is there to help you get from A to B as safely and quickly as possible. That means being mobile for the majority of time. Cookware adds weight and slows you down and exerts more energy. The food I pack in my BOB doesn’t require any heating or cooking, so no need for the cookware. An INCH bag is a bag designed for the long haul. You don’t know how long you will be gone or where you may ultimately end up. There is no way I know of to carry that much food so you will have to get some along the way by scavenging, hunting, trapping, fishing, etc. To do this you can pack additional equipment such as premade snares, collapsible fishing pole, or whatever other equipment fits your skillset that will aid you in getting food. You will need a durable cooking skillet or pan, make sure it’s light enough not to be a burden like cast iron. Cast iron is great and can last longer than you, but it’s heavy. An INCH bag is not really for beginners. The items in it are more for making all the items you may need in the long term like shelter, hunting equipment and clothing. As you build your skill level you’ll get a better idea of what you personally would need in your INCH bag.
Final Thoughts
We have discussed four types of bags, each with their own purpose. Do you need one of each? Maybe, maybe not. It all depends on your unique set of skills, daily life, and plan incase of emergency. It can be expensive to have one of each. One way to cut this cost is to have a modular pack with a MOLLE system such as the GHB pictured in the top center of this article. This would allow you to have a smaller more lightweight bag that you put or store in your car. You could use the MOLLE system to add additional pouches that would store items needed in your BOB but not your GHB such as extra food, skivvy rolls, and blanket. Having a modular system also eliminates the need for redundant equipment such as ponchos, knives, fire kits in each bag. Another way to save some money is to consider the bag itself when buying one. How expensive and well built does it need to be? Your EDC bag will be used everyday and if ever needed so would your INCH bag. You want a bag that can take some abuse there. Your BOB, if you need to use it, will be used for a handful of days until you reach your new safe location. I’m not saying buy a cheap bag that will fall apart after a week of use but it doesn’t have to be of the quality that you could go hike the Appalachian Trail. Hopefully this article helped clarify the types of bags and which works best for your needs. Now go get started with your EDC bag.
