"Get Home Bag" Setups

One thing I do is wrap my lighter (usually a mini BIC) with duct tape. It knocks 2 birds with one stone. Reduces weight by not having a whole roll with the cardboard. Small things like that will make your back thank you later.

 

oh. i like that little velcro tab for writing down the time. did your TQ come with that?

 

I need to do this....

 

There are a lot of good suggestions in here. My commute is 50 miles one way. If things are bad enough that I’m going home on foot, things are pretty bad. My GHB is on the heavy side, not like Morgan from the “Going Home” series but includes useful tools, including a PVS14 and crye nightcap as I plan on moving at night as much as possible.

As mentioned earlier rucking with your bag is important. Your feet will likely be the first limiting factor or how much/how far you’re capable you’ve got to take care of them. I keep moleskin and k tape in my bag. When I ruck( little over 6 miles last weekend with 55lb pack and 1000ft elev gain) first thing I do tape my feet to prevent blisters with the k tape and depending may even add moleskin under the k tape on the balls of my feet if I’m going to be on asphalt or concrete for the duration

$12 SB SOX Original Cotton Kinesiology Tape Roll – Best Latex Free Athletic Tape for Muscles/Joints – Waterproof, Stretchy, and Gentle on Skin (16ft) (Black)

https://www.amazon.com/SB-SOX-Kines...ogy+tape&qid=1612396914&sprefix=kntape&sr=8-4

keep the great info coming

 

Couple pics of baby yoda and his toy waiting for more goodies to be delivered.





Plan to swap the 30 round mag out for a 20 to make it easier to grab in/out of bag and just keep a couple extra 30’s attached to the bag

 

What sling will you be using with that?

 

Awesome. This combines my love of backpacking with my affection for post-apocalyptic dystopian fiction in a practical way.

Lots of great suggestions here. I have enjoyed packing lighter for my trips these days. So, here are some of my recent purchases which are relevant to a GHB:

• The

Nitecore NU25 360 Lumen Triple Output - White, Red, High CRI - 0.99 Ounce Lightweight USB Rechargeable Headlamp with LumenTac Adapter

Nitecore NU25, a favorite headlamp among backpackers, has a few great features including a red LED (using it keeps your night vision intact) and weighs less than 1oz.

• I just got a new stove, the

SOTO WindMaster w/Micro Regulator and 4Flex - Large Pot Supported, Windy Weather Efficient, Shock Resistant, and Ultra Lightweight Camping Stove

Soto Windmaster. It boils water faster than my Jetboil MiniMo. And it only weighs 2.24oz.

• Black Beard firestarter. This and some stormproof matches make up my lightweight fire kit.

• You should really have a rain fly for this bag. REI has an assortment of Duck Back pack flys sized by pack capacity.

• I carry an Adventure Medical Kit when backpacking with the family. Did you know they made

$62 Adventure Medical Kits Me & My Dog One Size

kits for you and your dog? He wants to get home too you know!

• Not lightweight by any means, but if you need to go through instead of around,

$60 KNIPEX - 7112200 Tools 71 12 200, Comfort Grip High Leverage Cobolt Cutters with Opening Lock and Spring

these might come in handy.

 

I’m thinking this config is short enough to single point so I’m considering the magpul ms4, although I do love my vickers221 that I use on my AR

 

If you’re single, pack some condoms because you never know

 

Gotta be ready at a moment's notice...

 

Nah man, your area was just hit with a natural disaster/attack/riot/govt collapse. I promise she’s not into you; she’s just trying to distract you so her boyfriend can steal your awesome bag.

That brings up another point—the more tacticool your bag looks, the bigger the target you just painted on your back.

 

So a 90's fanny pack or better yet a diaper bag would be more inconspicuous.
It still looks funny but there really are CCW fanny packs on the market, if I was in a walk home situation I wouldn't care one bit how uncool I looked.

 

Oh man, a hello kitty diaper bag would be perfect!

Seriously though, I was thinking of an old Jansport. Anything that’s not sand or OD green with molle patches all over it would probably be fine. In a dire situation, everyone’s gonna want what you’re advertising.

 

I CCW in a fanny pack when I CC in gym shorts or sweat pants. I also carry a full IFAK inside of it as well. When I first started doing it, I was concerned that I would get weird looks but no one cares or even notices it. It's a great way to be discrete if you dont wanna wear proper shorts or pants.

 

Love this. That's the actual SBR right? I have the pistol version. Keep an eye on your firing pin. I just had to ship my gun back to Sig after the tip of the firing pin completely sheered off after around 1,500 rounds. When I googled this I found a lot of other people saying the same thing happened.

 

This one is the “MPX-K”, not considered an SBR yet until I swap the brace for a stock. I have a tail hook mod1c on order to replace the annoying spinning brace so I may just keep it in “pistol” config if I like that setup and not deal with the NFA headache. That sucks about the firing pin, hopefully they get you taken of pretty quick. I’ve heard their CS is good.

 

Fanny packs are great for concealed carry if you live where its 90 degrees and 75% humidity for more than half the year.

 

My bag:

Part of it's contents:

*just noticed the single backwards mag was showing a friend M855A1 vs M855, and just shoved it back. doh!

Not pictured are the rest of the contents, including MREs, water purification, fire starters, batteries, flashlight, compass,
paracord, gloves, electrical tape, low carb bars, extra socks, moleskin, 8x monocular, notepad, and sharpie.

 

I decided to cut down on a lot of content in the bag itself and instead keep a bin in my underseat storage container dedicated to get home bag gear so I can have everything in one spot and just take whatever the situation might call for. The toolbox also comes in handy for a bunch of “just in case” type gear. This will make my bag more EDC friendly and still give me plenty of options since I’ll have anything I could possibly need in my truck.

 

Sort of funny, I didn’t read through all off this thread but the gist I get from it is, most of us like to be prepared. Aka, reliable gear. That’s why we drive Toyota’s. The preferred vehicle of choice for every agency you can think of around the world. Just look at the news. You never see a machine gun mounted in a chevy, and God no in a Ford or Dodge. Occasionally in a Nissan. Ironically, I’ve never been able to get back home in anything other than a Toyota. Drove through fires in Ramona, CA through backroads in a 94 P/U to get home. Other than an EMP I have no fear of my toy getting me somewhere safe.

 

Agreed @Bprose

Speaking of EMP.....
https://www.empshield.com/product/vehicle/

 

You might consider adding a pair of boots/shoes (with socks) to your truck. Sure would suck to have to make a multi mile walk if all you had were the flip flops you wore to the lake that day.

Someone mentioned walking at night, Cheap clear safety glasses will help keep the branches out of your eyes if you're in a wooded environment. I use them in hunting situations regularly.

 

Not sure if anyone has posted this, but I keep a pair of lightweight pants/shirt, all in OD/black/grey colors so as not to stand out, and some sneakers/hiking shoes. I work in an office, about 38 miles from home. The idea of walking that far in dress shoes and slacks just sucks.

Also, not sure where everyone is at fitness-wise, but if you're not hiking on the regular with a pack, then all this go-bag stuff is useless. You'll be ready to pass out after 5 miles, with 20+ lbs. I know we all think we're tougher than we likely are, but training with weight is probably more important than most of the gear. If you can't go the distance, it really doesn't matter what you carry. I take 5+ mile hikes with 30 lbs (sand bags) as part of my work out routine, more because I bowhunt and I'm old, and because....I work 38 damn miles from home!!! ha ha

 

Make sure you have a sling, or cord to make a sling for your armament.

Likewise, if you are going to be using a holster, make sure you have a belt as well. Some of these pieces are heavy and if all you have on are gym shorts…

 

Don't forget the 350ml bottle of Hennessy VS Thats a must.

 

Not to get too philosophical, but I define the needs of a bug-out bag different than a get-home bag. IMO, there's some mixing here. But, the key thing to do is define the most likely scenarios, what your goals are for them and then load-out accordingly.

For me, I keep a bag at work and in the truck. During an average week (pre-Covid), I spent most of my time in the truck commuting or at work. The bags have overlap where having multiples of one item is good but otherwise they compliment each other. At a minimum, every bag I have includes a poncho, space blanket, matches, glow stick (or 2-3), flashlight, batteries and a knife. The key scenario for me is how do I walk home 16-18 miles if the truck isn't available.

My work bag has water and a 32oz plastic bottle, a bunch of bars (protein and candy) and beef jerky. It also has deodorant, tooth brush and tooth paste, a fairly complete med kit, and a spare set of underclothes. Probably a few things I'm forgetting as well. Basically something to get me thru ~24-36hrs of having to shelter in place. It's all old/used stuff so if the janitor decides he wants it I don't get too pissed.

Truck is where I keep the truck bag, including a full set of clothes and comfortable walking shoes (assumes I'm wearing a suit and horrible shoes). I actually retired a good set of "broken in but not worn out" shoes just so I know they're GTG. It has a hat, bandana, old set of prescription glasses (including sunglasses), sunscreen and anything else I need to not stress myself out in the elements. Another plastic bottle, some water plus a water filter, more bars, a compass and map of the area. Mole skin and blister bandaids. Think I have some mace in there as well since 2A gear is not permitted at work, even in the vehicles.

The truck's load-out is even more extensive. The plan is to get to the truck and drive as long as possible. Then grab what gear I need, build the "perfect" bag and start walking.