A lighter, route-based packing plan
A get-home bag carries the essentials needed to travel safely from work, school, or another regular destination to home when normal transportation is disrupted. The right bag is compact, comfortable, legal to carry, and built around your actual route—not a generic wilderness-survival list.
Quick answer: Start with water, weather protection, walking shoes and socks, a small first-aid kit, prescription medication, a headlamp, phone power, local maps, cash, identification, a whistle, work gloves, and compact food. Add seasonal or overnight items only when your distance and local hazards justify the extra weight.
A disabled vehicle, earthquake, flood, severe storm, transit shutdown, power failure, or road closure could leave you unable to follow your normal route. A get-home bag—often shortened to GHB—helps bridge that gap. It should not be confused with a household disaster kit or a bug-out bag intended for a longer evacuation.
Gear is only one part of getting home. A realistic plan also includes alternate routes, family communication, a decision about when to remain sheltered, and the physical ability to carry the bag. Use this list as a framework and adapt it to your health, climate, commute, laws, and likely hazards.
Get-Home Bag vs. Bug-Out Bag
One specific trip
Designed to help you travel from a regular destination back home, usually within several hours or a day. Mobility and low weight matter most.
Leaving home
Built for evacuation away from home and may include more shelter, food, documents, clothing, and personal supplies.
Sheltering in place
Stores larger quantities of water, food, sanitation items, lighting, medical supplies, and other household necessities.
The American Red Cross recommends an easy-to-carry emergency kit with water, nonperishable food, lighting, a radio, first aid, medications, a phone charger, cash, documents, sturdy shoes, rain gear, maps, and other needs. A get-home bag uses the most relevant parts of that broader list while staying light enough to carry.
Plan the Trip Before Packing the Bag
Your route determines your gear. Map the trip from work or school to home and consider how it changes if bridges, tunnels, freeways, transit lines, rivers, or low-lying roads are unavailable. Keep at least one printed map because a phone may lose service or power.
| Question | Why it matters | Possible adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| How far is home on foot? | Road mileage may not match a safe walking route. | Map primary and alternate routes; identify rest points. |
| What hazards cross the route? | Flood zones, wildfire areas, industrial sites, damaged structures, and civil restrictions may make travel unsafe. | Mark detours and places where you could shelter. |
| What weather is realistic? | Heat, cold, rain, snow, and poor air quality change water and clothing needs. | Rotate seasonal clothing and protective equipment. |
| Who needs to know your plan? | Family members may otherwise travel toward each other or overload local networks. | Choose meeting points and an out-of-area contact. |
| Can you carry the bag? | A heavy pack can slow travel, worsen fatigue, and contribute to injury. | Conduct a loaded practice walk and remove low-value items. |
Do not assume you should always leave immediately. During a chemical release, radiation emergency, flash flood, active public-safety incident, wildfire, or severe weather event, remaining inside or following an official evacuation route may be safer than walking home. Monitor official alerts and use conditions—not anxiety—as the trigger to move.
Core Get-Home Bag Checklist
These items cover the most common needs without turning the bag into a multi-day expedition pack. Quantities should reflect your route, climate, medical needs, and ability to carry weight.
- Plain, comfortable backpack with a secure closure
- Broken-in walking shoes or boots
- One or two pairs of moisture-managing socks
- Filled water bottle
- Compact, calorie-dense food
- Weather-appropriate layer and rain shell or poncho
- Small first-aid and blister-care kit
- Required medications and a medication list
- Phone cable and charged power bank
- Headlamp or flashlight with spare power
- Printed local map and written contact information
- Small bills and coins appropriate to your area
- Copy of identification and essential information
- Whistle and waterproof notepad with pencil
- Work gloves and a well-fitting mask
- Compact multitool where legal and permitted
- Small hygiene kit and waste bag
- Spare house and vehicle key
Backpack
Choose a low-profile daypack that fits your torso and does not advertise expensive contents. Padded shoulder straps, a sternum strap, water-resistant fabric, and separate pockets are useful. The best size is the smallest one that holds your tested essentials without being overstuffed.
There is no universal ideal weight. Your health, body size, terrain, heat, and distance matter. Load the bag, walk several miles in normal conditions, and adjust. If the pack causes pain, chafing, numbness, poor balance, or rapid exhaustion, it is too heavy or does not fit correctly.
Walking Shoes, Socks, and Foot Care
For many commuters, footwear is more important than specialized survival gear. Store broken-in shoes at work or in your vehicle if you normally wear dress shoes. Add suitable socks and blister supplies such as adhesive bandages or moleskin. Do not rely on brand-new boots that have never been tested.
Water
Carry water rather than assuming you will find a usable source. The quantity depends on heat, exertion, distance, and your health. For longer routes, add a lightweight treatment option and know its limitations.
A portable filter does not automatically remove every germ, virus, chemical, fuel, salt, or radioactive material. The CDC states that portable filters vary by pore size and generally do not remove viruses; water contaminated with fuel or toxic chemicals cannot be made suitable by boiling or disinfection. Follow the device instructions and local public-health guidance. When bottled water is unavailable and the source is appropriate, boiling is the most reliable way to kill germs.
Pack the directions. Keep the manufacturer’s treatment instructions with any filter, tablet, or drops. Improvised dosing from memory is a poor emergency plan.
Food
For a short walk, choose familiar food that tolerates heat and cold, requires no cooking, and can be eaten while moving or resting: energy bars, nut or seed butter, trail mix, crackers, dried fruit, or shelf-stable snacks. Consider allergies, dietary restrictions, and the effect of hot vehicle storage on quality.
For a long commute or possible overnight delay, a complete ready-to-eat meal may be useful. An MRE STAR complete meal with a heater offers more food than a snack kit, but it is also heavier and bulkier. The food is ready to eat; the heater uses a small amount of water for warming. Pack one only when the route justifies the weight. For more detail, see the complete guide to MREs and our emergency food collection.
First Aid and Medication
A small first-aid kit should match your training and likely needs. Useful basics include adhesive bandages, gauze, tape, antiseptic wipes, blister care, nitrile gloves, and personal medication. Carry current emergency contacts, allergy information, and a medication list.
A tourniquet is not a casual add-on. If you carry advanced bleeding-control equipment, obtain hands-on training and inspect it regularly. Likewise, potassium iodide is not a general-purpose disaster pill. The CDC advises taking it only when instructed by public-health or emergency-management officials or a healthcare professional because it helps only in specific radioactive-iodine events and can cause harm when used incorrectly.
Lighting and Communication
A headlamp keeps both hands free and should be your primary light. A compact flashlight can serve as backup. Store batteries so they cannot short-circuit, and test rechargeable devices on a schedule. Browse emergency lights and headlamps if you need to fill this part of the kit.
Carry a charged power bank, compatible cable, written contact information, and a small battery or hand-crank radio when extended outages are plausible. Download offline maps before an emergency, but keep a paper map as backup. During network congestion, a brief text message may work when a voice call does not.
Cash, Identification, and Keys
Carry an amount of cash that fits your likely transportation, food, and temporary-lodging needs. Hundreds of dollars may be unnecessary or create a theft risk; there is no universal requirement to carry $500. Use small denominations and keep the money discreetly divided.
Include copies—not necessarily the originals—of identification, medical information, key phone numbers, and any documents specifically needed to access home or reunite with family. Protect paper in a waterproof pouch. Store spare keys securely.
Clothing and Weather Protection
Pack for your season: a rain shell or poncho, warm layer, hat, gloves, sun protection, or cooling items as appropriate. A bandana has multiple uses, but it is not a substitute for respiratory protection when officials recommend a well-fitting mask. Rotate clothing as conditions change.
Work Gloves, Multitool, Tape, and Cord
Work gloves protect hands from ordinary debris, while a small amount of duct tape and cord can handle basic repairs. A compact multitool may be useful if it is lawful at your workplace, school, transit system, and destination.
Do not build the bag around weapons. Knives, stun devices, pepper spray, and similar items are restricted in some places and may be prohibited by employers, schools, transit systems, or local law. They also require secure storage and training. Route awareness, avoidance, communication, and moving with trusted people are more broadly applicable safety measures.
What to Add for a 12- to 24-Hour Trip
If your tested route could take most of a day or extend overnight, consider these additions:
- Additional water capacity and an appropriate treatment method
- One substantial ready-to-eat meal plus extra snacks
- Emergency blanket or compact sleeping insulation suited to the climate
- Extra socks, underwear, and a warmer layer
- Compact radio and spare batteries
- Toilet paper, hand sanitizer, menstrual supplies, and additional medication
- Small tarp or more substantial rain protection if safe shelter is scarce
- Eye protection and an appropriate mask for local hazards
For Trips Longer Than 24 Hours, Improve the Plan—not Just the Pack
A 25- or 50-mile journey cannot be made safe merely by stuffing more equipment into a backpack. Long distances increase exposure to heat, cold, injury, unsafe roads, closures, and exhaustion. If home is far away, develop alternatives:
- Identify trusted friends, relatives, hotels, public shelters, or workplaces where you could remain temporarily.
- Plan more than one route and note bridges, waterways, steep terrain, industrial areas, and official evacuation zones.
- Keep appropriate supplies in the vehicle without leaving medication, food, batteries, or water exposed to damaging temperatures.
- Consider a maintained bicycle, public-transit alternatives, or a prearranged ride when these options fit local conditions.
- Arrange family meeting points so nobody makes an unnecessary cross-city trip during a dangerous event.
A sleeping bag, larger shelter, trekking poles, additional food, or other overnight equipment may be appropriate for a particular route, but they are not universal requirements. If you regularly need that much equipment, you are moving toward an evacuation or travel kit rather than a compact get-home bag.
Where to Store a Get-Home Bag
The bag should be accessible where you are most likely to need it. That may be your office, a school locker where permitted, or your vehicle. Avoid leaving high-value items visible. A car trunk can be convenient, but temperature extremes can damage water containers, food, medications, batteries, adhesives, and electronics. Follow medication storage instructions and rotate vulnerable supplies more often.
If you use several forms of transportation, a small everyday-carry module plus a larger workplace or vehicle kit may be more practical than carrying everything at all times. Do not store prohibited items at work or school.
Test and Maintain the Bag
- Take a practice walk. Wear the shoes and carry the loaded pack far enough to identify fit, weight, and blister problems.
- Review the route. Walk or drive alternate routes and note barriers, water, rest points, and safe public locations.
- Rotate consumables. Check food, water, medication, sunscreen, insect repellent, batteries, and first-aid supplies.
- Recharge electronics. Test the light, radio, power bank, cables, and any rechargeable batteries.
- Update documents. Confirm contacts, medical details, maps, keys, and meeting locations.
- Change with the season. Swap clothing and hazard-specific supplies before weather changes.
Review the bag at least twice a year and after every use. A checklist taped inside the pack makes maintenance easier. Explore the Preparedness Resource Center for related planning guides.
Frequently Asked Questions
How heavy should a get-home bag be?
There is no safe universal number. Keep it as light as your route permits and verify the load with a practice walk. Fitness, health, weather, terrain, pack fit, and distance all affect what you can carry safely. Remove duplicate or low-value gear before removing water, medication, footwear, lighting, or weather protection.
How much water should I carry?
Carry enough for your expected travel time while accounting for temperature, exertion, and individual medical needs. Water is heavy, so long-route planning may also require known refill points and a suitable treatment method. Do not assume every visible source can be made usable with a pocket filter.
Should I keep an MRE in my get-home bag?
An MRE can make sense for a long commute or possible overnight delay because it provides a substantial, shelf-stable meal. For a short urban route, compact snacks may provide enough energy with less bulk and weight. Check storage conditions and rotate food as needed.
Do I need a tent or sleeping bag?
Usually not for a short get-home trip. Weather protection and an emergency blanket may be enough. A climate-appropriate sleeping bag or shelter becomes more relevant when a route realistically extends overnight and safe indoor shelter is unavailable.
Should I pack self-defense weapons?
They are not universal get-home-bag essentials. Laws and workplace, school, and transit policies vary, and improper storage or use creates additional risk. Check current rules, obtain appropriate training, and emphasize avoidance, communication, situational awareness, and safe routes.
Final Takeaway
The best get-home bag is not the one with the longest equipment list. It is the one you can carry comfortably, access quickly, and use confidently on a route you have already considered. Build the core kit first, test it, then add only what your distance, climate, medical needs, and local hazards require.
Most importantly, stay flexible. Getting home is the goal, but waiting, sheltering, using an alternate destination, or following official evacuation instructions may be the safer way to protect yourself and your family.
