In the comments to this post, GWB mentions his get-home bag. He was kind enough to e-mail me with more info, and I want to share what he sent:
“Container is a small bag I got with an Ammunition Depot order. I ordered another one, later, when I put together the second bag.
It has a shoulder strap you can disconnect on one end and stow in the open pocket on the back of the bag. It also has a velcro belt loop on the back, and a handle on the top. The main compartment is about 5x6x9. It has a zippered pouch on the front about 3x5x6. On the front of that is a zippered slit pouch. There are molle straps across the front and on the sides and a small bungee cord setup above that smaller pouch.
Outside is where I keep my flashlight (on/in a molle strap) (and which I need to replace).
On the other side, threaded through the molle straps is 100′ of parachute cord, held together at the bottom by a couple of small carabiners (not climbing rated).
Inside that zippered slit pouch are 2 emergency ponchos. Yes, the cheap kind. Useful for all sorts of things.
Inside the small zippered pouch are:
An all-weather 3×5 notebook
A pack of Grime Boss wipes
A Leatherman
A cyalume light stick
A little marker (fine point, bought at Home Depot)
There should also be a lighter/torch in there, but I can’t carry it onboard an airplane in my luggage… so looking for a better solution*
Inside the main compartment is:
A Trauma Pak from Adventure Medical Kits, containing Quik Clot, trauma pad, nitrile gloves, duct tape, triangular bandage, some gauze dressings, a “conforming gauze” bandage, antiseptic wipes, and the resealable bag can be used for sucking chest wounds
3 emergency water supply pouches (the ones for keeping on boats)**
An orange tourniquet (with the write-on label, hence the marker)
A baggie with some larger band-aid type bandages
3 Millennium energy bars (400 kcal each)
A paper bit on “Tips for Survival” by Marvin B Lark (that I can use to start a fire)
2 Burn-Fix 4×4 burn dressings
An un-sharpened carpenter’s pencil (red)
An emergency blanket
A roll-up splint
A large red or orange bandana
A pair of nomex gloves
* I do carry a book of paper matches when I fly, since that seems to be the only thing TSA will allow. Any other suggestions for a non-primitive method of fire-starting I could carry/pack on aircraft are welcome. (Somewhere I have one of those fire-starters that uses air compression to produce heat.)
** The water pouches serve two purposes: drinking and irrigation of wounds. If you cut a small enough corner off the pouch, you can get a decent stream of water when you squeeze it. Not for antiseptic purposes, but get dirt away from the wound and clear off some of the blood.
When I had a car, I had in it what I called a Bailout Bag, as it was intended to get me home or to safety in the event of an emergency. What GWB has put together here puts my old bag to shame, and is an excellent guide for those just thinking about such things.
It has some trauma gear; it has some boo-boo gear; multiple sources of light; the ability to make fire at need; food; and, water. All in a small, easy to store and carry package. There are any number of things that can happen that result in your having to leave your vehicle behind, and having something like this helps ensure you can get home or to safety at need.
All the gear in the world does you no good if it is not with you when you need it. Having smaller kits like this ensures you do have it/have access to it when needed.
Also, note that he has burn supplies in his bag. That’s something I need to add to my pouch and gear. When I did my embeds, the largest burn threat came from EFPs and all the burn cream in the world won’t do much for those. Need to get that back into the system as life today has many other sources where burn bandages and such would be very useful.
In addition to the bailout bag, my car also had a full-sized first aid kit skewed towards use in traffic accidents. Having both gave me flexibility and options, including the ability to pull from the large kit into the small if I did have to bail out.
So, it’s not just one kit. It’s having different kits of different sizes to cover different needs. It’s making sure you have access to at least some first aid gear at all times.
One final thought for your bailout/get-home bag. Consider having some air-activated hand and toe warmers in it. If you have to leave the car behind in winter, such will help protect your hands and feet. If you have to stay in the car without heat, they will help you there too. Just a thought.
My thanks to GWB for sharing this. May it help you in your preparedness.
As always, be prepared. Keep your family and friends close, and your things where you can find them in the dark.
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