Assembling A Quick Reaction Emergency Preparedness Go-Bag Home Edition

This is one of the three bags I use for emergency preparedness and is called the “Bedside” or “Nightstand “bag. The reason is the locatiopn should be near where you sleep so in the event you evacuate your house you can grab the bag and go. In other videos I will discuss both the “Car Bag” and “Large disaster bag”

Have money in both coin and bills.

Car keys! Imagine you just successfully extricated yourself from a burning house or dodged a pack of zombies and got outside. I know in the movies a car can be started with a paper clip and cupcake but wouldn’t it be easier to use the key? Have spare keys in this bag, you might want to unlock the front door!

There is a key fob in the picture but that is not what goes in my bag, those things are too expensive. My car is new and I will go to the dealer and have them make a chip key which will then go in the bag. That key is around $80 dollars but not all manufacturers offer that type.

On a side note a spare set of all keys should also be inside your fireproof lock box. I saw it regularly where during a house fire a perfectly good car was useless because the keys were inside the house under debris or destroyed by heat.

Nothing fancy here just a good folder knife, trauma shears, lighter and multitool.

This bit is certainly optional as firearms aren’t for everyone. I keep a small pistol and extra magazines in the compartment designed for just that.

If I feel the need to flee my house then something has gone clearly sideways and I may need to go on the offensive right there or simply be armed after the evacuation.

This compartment contains a waterproof writing writing pad, pencil, and sharpie. Also a mylar emergency blanket, compass and cell phone.

The phone is a big deal because most of us no longer memorize phone numbers and if we have to leave the house in a hurry our normal phone may not make it with us. To that end everyone should have an emergency phone list in both the Go Bag and their wallets.

The phone I recommend is a pay as you go model available in any big box store and requires purchasing a card with various denominations or minutes. I learned the initial set up required a call to customer service so of course that would be difficult during an emergency.

I admit I may have done something wrong but my advice is to buy two cards and activate the phone using the cheapest one you can buy. The minutes expire after a certain time period but the phone is already operational and topping off with the other card should be a smooth process. Also program important numbers into the phone beforehand so time isn’t wasted during an emergency.

Having a light is essential but the the light itself is not; a penlight, headlamp or something else. I would suggest if possible revercing the batteries when possible as that prevents the light from being turned on inadvertently.

In the large compartment I keep a small trauma kit and a spare pair of glasses. My vision is not terribly bad but life is much better when I have them. This item is vital if you have poor vision because you may not be able to grab your regular glasses and dang sure not have time time to put in contacts.

One item I don’t have in my bag is because I don’t take prescription medication but if you do then a small quantity should be in this bag.

In closing just know that this is one person’s idea and though I have a great deal of experience I don’t know everything nor do I know your personal needs. I’m happy to answer questions and discuss anything that comes up.

Be safe out there and remain prepared and vigilant.

David