Just Get Home
You’re at work late in your office in downtown Dallas. That’s the curse of overtime but the boss will have your hide if you don’t finish this project. You turn on Fox News just to have some noise in the background. They cut to a special report. There’s a commotion starting only a block away from your building. The streets are filling up with angry people. The police are blocking off the area to keep those outside the blockade safe. But for you, that means that you’re trapped in the middle of the growing chaos. As with our other articles in this series (preparation, water storage, water from above), we hope this will get you thinking. After all, only you know your unique situation. Maybe riots aren’t a concern in your small mountain but wildfire is. Maybe you’re like me and live in a small city known for flooding. Maybe you just work in a neighboring city or drive truck. Whatever your case is will determine what you need if there is an emergency and you can’t get home. Let’s define what we’re talking about. A “Get Home Bag”, or G.H.B., is something you keep with you at work or in your car. It’s survival step. Your Bug Out Bag is covered at home. Your food and water storage is covered at home. But what if you cannot get home. What if a natural or man-made disaster keeps you from returning home immediately? You will need something to keep you dry, fed, and somewhat comfortable until you can get home. The size of the bag depends on how far away from home you work and your geographical area needs. Texas will never have to worry about having cold weather gear for being stranded in the winter. Hot weather gear for the summer will be a concern in the south that Alaska will never have to worry about. So, if this is going to be an all year bag that you can throw in your trunk and forget about until needed, climate-relevant gear is a big consideration. Another thing to think about is if you will be able to store this at work or not. For most of us this will be stored in a vehicle but for those that have access to a locker or private office something small enough to store at work is a viable option. For those, you may want to think about having a more compact G.H.B so it’s not obvious that you’re using that locker or desk drawer to hide valuable objects. This isn’t a concern for vehicle storage. Contents In this bag, we aren’t concerned with long term survival. We’re looking at 24-48 hour only. We’re looking at having one or two MRE or other food sources at the ready to keep us going until we can get home. We’re talking about having a couple bottles of water so we aren’t worried about dehydration. A change of clothes or at least socks in case we have to walk home. If you have to wear dress shoes at work, having a pair of walking shoes is a good idea. Here are some items to consider in your G.H.B.
Clothes
Shoes
A good knife
Food (MRE, granola bar, protein bar, etc)
Water (bottled and even a LifeStraw if desired)
Emergency blanket
Multi-tool
Hat
Sunglasses
Jacket
Collapsible Asp (where legal)
Firearm
Again we aren’t trying to go for long term survival here. We simply need to get by long enough to get us home when is a local emergency. So, if you have to move out you’ll want to do so light and fast so keep your contents down to the minimum. Bag Type This is another aspect that will completely depend on how much you have to carry. Whether backpack or small messenger bag all that matters is that you are able to comfortably utilize it. One thing I suggest for your bag...where possible, don’t use a “tactical” bag. Especially if this is something you are going to have at work where others can see it. Make this bag something that no one will question the contents of. It’s simply your everyday go to work backpack. Nothing special. Nothing to see there. Where appropriate a sling bag or messenger type bag is entirely appropriate. They carry less so be sure that you don’t need large amounts of gear. In the south where we do not need cold weather gear in the winter, we can get away with carrying less. Firearms To get you thinking I wanted to go over a couple of options. There is the workplace that allows concealed carry and those that don’t. More than likely you’re in the latter. The one that is easy to quietly carry something either in a holster or in a bag...and those that we will have to have something left in the car. For starters let’s cover the workplace that doesn’t allow concealed carry. Yeah, I know a lot of us that will....discretely carry anyway since the MHI lead character Owen Zastava Pitt happens to be a personal hero...but let’s say you follow the rules just this once.
So, if you aren’t carrying in your workplace then we have to keep something at the ready in your G.H.B. Some keep a pistol and extra mags. Some keep a carbine and extra mags. The main thing to keep in mind is that this is a weapon that won’t hurt too much if your car is broken into and it is lost. An inexpensive but reliable gun that is designated for one purpose. As for how it’s carried, I suggest it still fit into your bag this way you can literally grab it and walk away if need be. Find a more secure spot to remove it from the bag and continue on your way home. If you choose a pistol for this application just remember that you will need an extra holster, and mag carrier (belt too if you don’t usually wear one at work). You will need to be completely ready to “move out” once you have your kit. If you use a carbine for it, you will still need mag carriers and sling. Make sure you are physically prepared so you’re free to become mentally prepared to do whatever it takes to go home. I won’t get into tactics. That’s another article. One that Paul, being a highly trained veteran, is much more qualified to write. That is an article I have suggested to him so watch for it. Look, I’ve gone on for long enough. What I hope from this article is that it gets you thinking about what you personally need to suit you in an emergency. Don’t wait. If you don’t have something already here is your chance. I am openly inviting you to do so. The world is becoming increasingly dangerous. Stay safe out there.
