A Get Home Bag (GHB) is one of the most practical emergency loadouts you can have. Its purpose is simple: give you the supplies needed to travel from an undesirable or dangerous location back home, to a secure rally point, or to another location where better supplies are available.
Bottom Line Up Front: A Bug Out Bag gets you from home to a rally point, but a Get Home Bag gets you home.
Your home is typically where your larger emergency supplies, Bug Out Bag, food, water, tools, and other resources are located. If you can get home, you can reassess the situation and plan from there.
What Is a Get Home Bag?
A GHB is a compact emergency pack intended to support approximately 24–48 hours of travel. It bridges the gap between your Everyday Carry (EDC) and a larger Bug Out Bag (BOB).
Unlike a full BOB, a Get Home Bag should remain lightweight, subdued, easy to carry, and readily accessible. Ideally, it should be carried with you or stored somewhere you can retrieve it in under five minutes.
A GHB may also be called a 24-Hour Kit, Go Bag, or Day Pack.
For a more detailed checklist and packing guide, see the Superesse Get Home Bag Emergency Loadout Guide.
Where a GHB Fits Into Your Emergency Loadouts
Your emergency gear works best as a layered system rather than as one massive bag.
- EDC: Everyday tools and supplies carried on your person or kept within arm's reach.
- PSK: A Personal Survival Kit small enough to be incorporated into your EDC.
- VEK: A Vehicle Emergency Kit containing tools and equipment for roadside emergencies and unexpected delays.
- GHB: A lightweight loadout intended to help you travel home or reach another secure location.
- BOB: A larger Bug Out Bag designed for roughly 72 hours of emergency travel.
- INCH: An I'm Never Coming Home loadout intended for situations where returning home may not be possible.
Your GHB supplements your EDC and PSK. It does not necessarily need to duplicate every item you already carry. Compact systems such as EDC Pocket Tins can help organize small fire, first-aid, repair, water, navigation, and other supplies without taking up much space.
Choosing a Get Home Bag
A GHB should be small enough that you will actually keep it nearby. Think of it as a kit that can be carried without becoming cumbersome or being left behind because of its size.
A useful guideline is to keep the bag between approximately 10 and 27 liters. Depending on your circumstances, it might be a small backpack, shoulder satchel, sling bag, athletic drawstring bag, large toiletry-style bag, or another compact pack that can be carried hands-free.
Consider these basic guidelines:
- Use a bag with at least two compartments or an exterior pocket.
- Keep frequently used or emergency items quickly accessible.
- Avoid unnecessarily bright colors or overt military camouflage.
- Choose something that blends naturally into your normal environment.
- Keep the total weight manageable for extended walking.
- Use compact versions of equipment whenever practical.
A simple test is the shoebox rule: if your basic GHB supplies will not fit inside roughly the space of a shoebox, reassess the loadout, choose smaller equipment, and eliminate unnecessary bulk.
Smaller Superesse Carryalls, pouches, and storage implements can also be used to organize a GHB or create a compact standalone emergency kit.
Where Should You Keep a Get Home Bag?
Your GHB should be with you whenever practical. When that is not possible, stage it somewhere secure that allows rapid retrieval.
Possible locations include:
- Your vehicle
- Your workplace or office
- A school locker
- A backpack or briefcase
- A nearby secure cache
- A hotel room or secured luggage area while traveling
The goal is simple: your emergency equipment does little good if it is somewhere you cannot reach when the emergency occurs.
Get Home Bag Checklist
Every GHB should be customized around your environment, expected travel distance, weather, physical ability, and the equipment already contained in your EDC and vehicle kit. The following provides a solid starting point.
Water
- 20 oz. or larger water bottle
- Water purification tablets
- Compact water filtration option when appropriate
Water-treatment supplies can also be compartmentalized inside an EDC Pocket Tin alongside other small survival modules.
Food
- At least two compact, ready-to-eat energy foods
- Examples include beef jerky, granola bars, energy bars, or nuts
Shelter and Weather Protection
- Mylar emergency blanket
- Emergency poncho
- Seasonal clothing appropriate for your area
- Extra socks
- Gloves
Fire
- Fire-starting tinder
- Two disposable lighters
Fire-starting equipment is especially well suited for compact modular storage. A dedicated fire or tinder kit inside an EDC Pocket Tin keeps small components together and easy to transfer between loadouts.
Hygiene
- Tissue or handkerchief
- Hand sanitizer
- Eyewear or contact supplies if needed
- Personal hygiene products appropriate to the individual
A multipurpose EDC Hank can serve as a handkerchief while also providing additional storage space for small supplies.
Tools
- Durable folding or fixed-blade utility knife where lawful
- Multi-tool
- Duct tape — approximately 10 feet wrapped around another item
- 100 feet of 550 paracord
- Contractor-grade garbage bag
Small backup tools can be incorporated without adding much bulk. For example, the Saw Shim Tool combines a compact cutting edge with a flexible shim format.
Lighting
- LED headlamp
- Compact waterproof flashlight
- Backup batteries or another power source
Navigation and Communications
- Local maps
- Compass
- Smartphone with offline maps
- Downloaded emergency or survival references
- NOAA/AM/FM emergency radio when practical
- Small notebook
- Pencil, pen, and permanent marker
- Whistle
First Aid
- Basic bandages
- Trauma dressing
- Tourniquet and appropriate training
- Personal medications and medical supplies
Small backup medical, repair, fire, and survival supplies can also be carried in compact formats such as an Shim Card, which takes up very little space in a wallet, pouch, vehicle, or GHB.
Airborne Dust and Debris
- Particulate-filtering mask appropriate for expected hazards
- Shemagh or similar multipurpose cloth as an additional utility item
Money / Barter
- Emergency cash in small denominations
Items of Immediate Necessity
Some equipment should never be buried at the bottom of your bag. We refer to these as Items of Immediate Necessity (IINs).
These are items that may require quick accessibility during a medical emergency, rapidly changing situation, navigation problem, or because they are simply used more frequently.
Examples may include your flashlight, water, maps, communication equipment, first-aid supplies, and other emergency equipment specific to your needs.
One approach is to separate these items into an exterior pouch or small organizer such as a Scout Pouch so frequently needed gear can be accessed without unpacking the entire GHB.
Build the Bag Around Your Actual Route
A GHB should not be built from a generic checklist alone. Consider where you normally travel and what could realistically stand between you and home.
- Distance from home
- Urban versus rural travel
- Seasonal temperatures
- Water availability
- Major rivers, bridges, highways, and chokepoints
- Alternate walking routes
- Medical requirements
- Expected travel time
- Equipment already available in your vehicle or EDC
If your expected location during a potential Life Altering Event (LAE) is more than 50 miles from home, supplement the standard checklist with additional supplies appropriate for the increased distance.
Don't Overpack Your GHB
One of the easiest mistakes is turning a Get Home Bag into another Bug Out Bag.
The purpose of the GHB is mobility. Every additional item increases weight and bulk. Carry enough equipment to address realistic problems without loading the bag with supplies better suited for your home, vehicle, or BOB.
Compact and modular gear can help reduce unnecessary bulk. Instead of carrying several full-size kits, use small organizers, EDC Pocket Tins, pouches, or other equipment that fills specific gaps in your loadout.
If your Bug Out Bag is readily accessible, evaluate whether the situation warrants using it. A BOB generally provides greater capability, but the smaller GHB may allow faster and less conspicuous movement during a short-duration egress.
Prepare the Person, Not Just the Bag
Equipment alone does not create preparedness. Know your route home, identify alternate routes, maintain your physical ability to walk the required distance, keep important maps available offline, and periodically inspect the equipment in your bag.
Replace expired food, medications, water-treatment products, damaged batteries, and seasonal clothing as necessary.
Most importantly, know how to use every piece of equipment you carry.
Build Your Emergency Loadout
Superesse Straps has developed additional resources and compact equipment for building a layered emergency preparedness system.
Our Emergency Loadout Guides cover multiple loadout types so your EDC, PSK, VEK, GHB, BOB, and other equipment can work together rather than simply duplicating gear.
View Superesse Emergency Loadout Guides and Preparedness Resources
If you're outfitting the physical loadout, browse our Carryalls, EDC Pocket Tins, and other compact EDC and survival gear designed to organize supplies without unnecessarily increasing the size of your kit.
You can also use the ICERS — In-Case-of-Emergency Response System to establish emergency procedures, communications, rally points, and other information for your household or support group.
View the ICERS Emergency Response Plan
The Bottom Line
A Get Home Bag does not need to contain everything. It needs to contain the right equipment to help you move safely and efficiently from where you are to where your better resources are located.
Keep it nearby. Keep it lightweight. Build it around your actual environment. Know how to use it.
A BOB gets you from home to a Rally Point, but a GHB gets you home.