What To Pack In A Go-Bag: A Quick Guide To Being Prepared


During my time in the Armed Forces, I have had many occasions where I had to be ready to move at a moments notice for both domestic operations or abroad. I am by no means an expert, but I just have some knowledge that may help you if you’re looking to put a Go-Bag together so that you can always be prepared.

Having a Go-Bag ready at all times is important for two reasons; First, it dramatically decreases the amount of time it takes you to move in an emergency situation. Second, all your supplies is packed in advance, so you know exactly what is inside and you don’t have to worry about having something missing as you’re not packing stuff in a rush. For these reasons, it is always a good idea to have a Go-Bag ready.

Survival Bag

There are many bags out there that are great for using as a Go-Bag! Keep in mind that if you’re on the go for whatever reason, you may be out for an extended period of time, so having a bag that has a large capacity and is comfortable is imperative. Having a large bag is great, but if it’s uncomfortable or doesn’t sit right, then you are going to have a miserable time.

Osprey Backpacks

The Stratos 50 (or any large Osprey bag) is an ideal backpack to use as a Go-Bag or extended travelling. This bag packs a lot but it sits high and close to the back which prevents any weight from pulling you backwards, keeping you balanced. The harness is a mesh material and also has a space between it and the bag itself allowing for a substantial amount of airflow!

Inside there’s room for a hydration bladder up to 3L in volume, which if drank sparingly could last you for a while. This is sold separately from the bag though which I’ll link here.

The Osprey Stratos 50 has a rain cover so that in those wet and rainy environments your gear will be kept dry. Nothing worse than having everything soaked and having to stop on a sunny day for your stuff to dry. In the military I would just pack all by stuff in a garbage back then stuff it in my backpack or rucksack!

Child Carrier Backpack

A lot of people out there have children which may be a concern if you’re preparing to always be ready to move. Carrying a child that isn’t able to walk yet, or can’t walk for extended periods of time can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are carriers made specifically for travelling.

Compass

When travelling on foot, especially in the wilderness with no point of reference, it’s easy to end up walking in the wrong direction. People who have been lost in the desert would end up walking in circles without realizing it! That’s because one foot would step slightly further than the other. Having a compass will allow you to stay steady in the direction you need to go.

Signaling Mirror

This piece of kit may be something that you wouldn’t necessarily think to bring, but it can be the difference between being rescued and not. A signalling mirror has it’s pros and cons of course. Pros are that it quickly gets the attention of rescue personnel of your locations, and also you can use it non-stop! While other forms of signaling, such as pistol flares, have a limited quantity. Cons are that there has to be daylight in order to use it effectively, which depending on the time of year and location could mean you have a very short window to use it. Also, you have to have a general idea about angles and how to aim it towards the rescue crew trying to find you. Still, I highly recommend having one of these in your kit!

Knife

A knife is crucial to have if you want to survive while on the run or in the wilderness, and serves many purposes. You can use it to shave wood for a fire, sharpen sticks for building a shelter or cooking meat, hunting animals or cutting out the stuff you don’t want to eat, or used to protect yourself and others.

The Gerber Gear Ultimate Knife (which I own) is the best bang for your buck in terms of a survival knife. It comes with a durable sheath with an integrated sharpener, whistle, fire starter, and pocket guide.

Flashlight

Having a flashlight in low light conditions is very important for situational awareness and safety. Visibility depends on how much moon light there is, if there’s overcast, or if you’re in the open or not. These factors and more will affect how much you can see at night. A flashlight is very good to have so you can keep trekking at night, or so you can see around your camp area when you decide to stop.

The Nitecore P30i is an all around great flashlight to have. It has 5 different lighting outputs depending on the intensity of light you need, and the reach you need it at. If you’re just using it to walk around camp or find something in your bag then the lowest output is fine. But if you need to get the attention of someone or just need to see something at up to a kilometer away (yes, 1000 meters) then the highest output will do that for out. Another neat feature with the P30i is that it has an SOS function, and a Strobe Light function. So you can use it to request help, or have a disco dance.

Another great compact Nitecore flashlight is the MH12S. Compact with good enough reach at over 300 yards, and a battery life of 1500 hours on ultra-low! *grabs a calculator* That’s 62.5 days, or 2 months! Insane.

Any basic flashlight will work fine, but Nitecore is known for making some tough, durable, and strong flashlights.

Water Purification

Having access to drinkable water may very well be the difference between life and death! Regardless of your current surroundings, you never know when you’ll have access to this resource. Whether you live in an urban environment or wooded terrain, water resources can always be tampered with, so having the ability to purify water is important.

You have a lot of options when it comes to being able to purify drinking water, but I’ll share a couple that I think are great.

First are water purification tablets. These are easy to use and take up nearly zero room in your kit. Definitely worth having on you. Second is a water purifying bottle. Seems like science fiction, but it’s legit.

Check out this video for a review done on the LARQ Water Bottle by Well Rigged!

Water pouches

Having drinkable water as soon as you’re on the move is important because you don’t know when you’ll first have access to drinkable water. You could be going for days at a time, so having some of these Emergency Drinking Water pouches on hand is great! You can purchase these in many different quantities on Amazon.

Fire starter

Once you stop for rest or the night, the first thing you’re going to want to do is get a fire going. This will keep you warm, increase morale, and allow you to cook something soon. If it’s raining out then of course set up a shelter, then once you do you can begin to make a small fire nearby. Keep the covering relatively high above the fire if possible. Also, make a wall around the fire where the wind is coming from to prevent it from blowing out.

I have a couple fire starters that will definitely work for you. One in particular, the bayite, has over 8300 reviews on Amazon with a rating of 4.7 out of 5.

Paracord

This is something that could easily get overlooked but is always good to have on you. Paracord can be used for many different reasons. Anything you need to tie down, this will do the trick. 550 Paracord is extremely durable and strong, so if you have your tarp or even some branches tied down, it’ll stand up to high winds.

Shovel

Unless you were using it as a walking stick, carrying a 6’ shovel with you is a bit much. Spare yourself and get a foldable spade! A lot of them nowadays are light and very durable. These small shovels pack easily, or can even be attached externally to your backpack. Having a shovel is great for when you’re about to stop and set up camp for the night. If you need to dig for a fire pit, or if it’s in the fall or winter and you need to make a wall to block the wind, a shovel will be necessary!

Tarp

Having a tarp with you will keep you dry when it decides to downpour! This isn’t absolutely necessary to have, and it can take up some space, but if you can have one on you, it could be the difference between a good time and a bad time.

Hammock

This is another item that isn’t 100% necessary, but if you can bring one, do it. Hammocks aren’t only great for just hanging out and enjoying the nice breeze between the trees, but getting off the ground will help a lot with back discomfort. Hammocks now come in these tiny compact bags that can easily fit inside your backpack, or you could attach it on the outside of a pack.

Sleeping bag

The type of sleeping bag to get will depend on the climate you’re living in, but you shouldn’t need to have a large bag that takes up too much room. I really emphasize the amount of space something takes up, as there’s a lot of stuff and it all adds up! The biggest priority when it comes to a sleeping bag is that it’ll keep you out of the elements. Especially if there’s the slightest breeze, a sleeping bag will prevent loss of body heat. Nothing worse than waking up because you’re shivering in the middle of night, in the middle of nowhere, and now you can’t get back to sleep. I highly recommend investing in a quality sleeping bag that takes up minimal space.

Food

In order to make the most out of space you have to carry supplies, it’s best to bring small food items that pack a lot of calories for energy. In the military we would be given recce packs of food, which was really a bag of junk food and high protein snacks like beef jerky.

You can purchase these high calorie food products that are sealed air tight in order to pack as much as possible. You can also use a resealable plastic bag and just put in some high calorie food that wont spoil quickly. If you do this, be sure to put in oxygen absorbers!

Firearms

If you own a firearm, I don’t think I need to tell you on here to bring it, but having a firearm is important for three reasons that I’ll call the “3D’s” which I just came up with 10 seconds ago. They are Defend, Deter, and lastly Dinner!

Defend yourself against possible attacks from either animals or people. Deter against anyone who may try and harm you and those around you. And dinner, because with a firearm you can hunt and kill an animal to keep you fed!

Conclusion

Again, I am by no means an expert, but I have a little bit of experience when it comes to being ready to move and having gear packed and ready for those “what-if” scenarios. I hope this list of what to pack in a Go-Bag has been helpful to you! There may be some things that aren’t completely necessary, and other items I may have missed that could have been added. But the most important thing is to have it started and at least have something. Something is better than nothing!

Be sure to check out my other articles on tactical gear, some of which might be useful to have not only in emergency situations but at all times, like my post on essential tactical gear items!

Cheers!

TheTacticalGearGuy

I'm the Tactical Gear Guy. I have served in the military for over a decade and have experience with weapons handling, explosives, survival training, and more. I've had to trust the gear I've used over the years and I know the importance of having gear that works.

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