What is the difference between a get home bag, go bag, a bug out bag, and a bug in bag? They all have its purposes, and simply put are the definitions below:
- Get Home Bag – This is usually on you or in your car for “I can’t use my car to get home, so grab my bag to make it home or designated location on foot”
- Go Bag – Similar to the Get Home Bag, this is your “I have to bail, and it needs to be light but have sufficient items to get me to shelter”
- Bug Out Bag – This is your “I need to bail, and it has much of what I need to survive for days, weeks, months”
- Bug In Bag – This is your “We have no power, water, or any other public resources but I have all I need to survive and it’s safer to stay in than go out”
Most survivalists have all 4. I have used a Get Home Bag to travel as short as 14 miles on foot after an earthquake, and as much as 200+ miles on foot and nice people driving me to their next stop closer to my final destination. Sometimes the Bug In Bag is more a Bug In Footlocker. In the end, the more prepared you are, the higher the probability of survival. This site has a plethora of information of what is great to have in your various bags, but make sure that it doesn’t weigh over 70 lbs. You won’t survive with 70 lbs on your back. I will review many items, provide lists of what I have in the bag (with updates annually if a better tool comes along), and tie the skills necessary to use these tools.