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Get Home Bag Plan and Checklist


This Checklist and planning document is designed to help anyone to put together a solid GHB. Remember you can apply this document towards an End of Society scenario, a Lost in the Wilderness scenario, or a Tactical Convoy scenario. If you were planning for an End of Society or Tactical scenario, you would not want bright colored items openly displayed that can give away your position. If you are planning for your Adventure, like hiking the Continental Divide Trail, then a bright orange ruck cover will be handy if you need rescue.

Get Home Bag (GHB)

The type of bag you should use; military looking versus civilian looking is only pertinent to the type of environment you are located or find yourself.

Permissive (no or low threats, low crime) area then the style bag will not bring added attention to you. In this day and age, there are a lot of people who regularly carry military looking bags to go to college, travel on airlines etc. You need to do some research and analysis into your AO to determine what the majority of people carry (51% rule). It may be out of the norm to see one or several people walking through a neighborhood or city with 5:11 style backpacks where people would normally been seen carry book bags, computer bags etc. Prepare and plan accordingly.

Semi-Permissive (moderate threats, moderate crime) area a military looking bag may attract the attention of law enforcement, concerned citizens, and even the criminal that thinks you have items that he could use to further commit crimes (guns, knives, other “prepper” items). It would be good to use a non-descript type of civilian bag.

Non-Permissive (high threats, high crime) area then it really does not matter what kind of bag you have because if the threat is high enough to make it a non permissive area, you should be moving in the periods of darkness and staying low and out of sight. You would use good covered and concealed routes through rural areas or side or back roads/routes through urban areas. You will have your chest rig, extra ammo, long gun and pistol. Hopefully, you will be moving with several members of your team.

Conclusion: So as you plan and go through your scenarios also consider your actual location or operational environment. If you live and work in a very rural area then the type of bag may not be an issue for you to worry about. If you live in a rural area and work in an urban area, then you may want to consider a bag that may blend into the urban landscape if you have to walk out of the city. If you can make it out with your vehicle then you it may not matter. Always look at the “risk vs. reward” when planning. Remember it is your plan and it should be tailored to you.


 

KIT LEVELS:

Level 1- Every Day Carry Kit (EDC) which should be on your person. Items in this kit would be a good knife (folder / fixed), Flashlight, Watch, Wrist compass (watch band), lighter, TQ / small IFAK and conceal carry firearm. Some other items you can have, are a multitool, 550 cord bracelet, lock pick kit, etc.

Level 2 – Vehicle Emergency Kit (VEK) which includes your Get Home Bag (GHB) with a possible augmentation of a chest rig with weapon if in a rural non-permissive AO. It should be in durable containers with extra supplies in your vehicle to augment your EDC and GHB in an emergency and enable you to move further and longer if you must walk home or enable you to hunker down and stay with your vehicle. Some things are tools, water, food, fuel, first aid, recovery gear, etc. The GHB will always be your go to bail out bag while driving your vehicle. On this level you will have items that will augment your level 1 kit (EDC). Enable you to carry more ammunition for your rifle and/or pistol so it will be readily available. You will have your Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) attached. You can also add more items for redundancy (2 is 1 and 1 is none). This kit will be kept in your vehicle so you can take it with you to work, or short road trips, etc.

Level 3 – Bug Out Bag kit (BOB) normally stored in your house and your bug out location but not in your vehicle unless you are bugging out. Your BOB Is used for an immediate egress from your Bug In / Bug Out location where you don’t have time to load up your larger Level 4 Kit (HEK). This kit should be a sturdy backpack of some type either internal framed or external framed. It needs to be able to hold about 50-80 lbs. of gear. You will use it as your bug out bag if you must depart one of your homes to your bug out or an alternate location. Some examples are, the Large Alice Ruck, Osprey, Kelty, REI, etc. This kit level will have added supplies to aid you in shelter, fire, medical, defense, food and water for when you have no choice (last resort) and bug out on foot over long distances.

Level 4 - House Emergency Kit (HEK). Durable containers containing additional supplies mainly used for long term survival, bugging in/out, and replenishing your other levels. They should not be too large to prevent from moving them by yourself. This will also cover your additional resources and supplies, like fuel, water, food, medical, ammunition, power, etc. This level should contain items that will aid you in moving longer distances to get to your destination and located at your house to aid you if you need to bug out and move to your alternate location. Ideally, you are able to bug in and these supplies will enable you to live and sustain without assistance.

Using this system of kit levels, you would normally have your Level 1 and Level 2 loaded up in your vehicle on your daily activities. If you find yourself in an emergency where your vehicle has broken down in a very rural area without cell reception, you then can stay put for several days or decide to execute your Get Home Plan. If you are bugging out of your home then you will add your Level 3 Bug Out Bag, and your Level 4 Home Emergency kit to your vehicles, trailers and execute your Bug Out Plan to your Primary location.

 

Packing and Wearing – When you begin to pack your GHB, remember to pack things according to their use or how often you will need to get to the item. The items you don’t need often have those items toward the bottom of the bag. One thing to keep in mind is keep the weight high and against your back as much as possible. Think about how weather will affect your GHB and its contents. Use Ziplock bags to waterproof your contents like socks, mid layer clothing or fire-starting material. I would get some dry bags of different sizes and a decent waterproof rucksack cover. Depending on your scenario, you may want that waterproof cover to be of bright colored material to assist you in being discovered. Using a waist belt does help take the weight off your shoulders and onto your hips. This makes it is easier to manage over a long distance with heavier weights. If it is a tactical situation, I do not use the waist belt. It enables me to ditch the ruck if I find myself in a gunfight and have to maneuver quickly to engage the threat. Once the threat is eliminated, then I can retrieve my ruck. If you are in a group, then you can consolidate rucks and effectively deal with the threat or situation. This is all personal preference and based off your SOPs for your group.

Basic contents: Basic categories you will need in your GHB should be the following:

Shelter – Items to build a shelter or augment an improvised shelter. Does not need to be a tent, but some form of tarp or waterproof material to keep you dry and/or out of the direct sun. Don’t forget the extra items to assist you in construction of the shelter.

Fire Starting – 1 -2 ways to start and maintain a fire.

Water Procurement – a container to carry your water, 1-2 ways to filter and purify the water.

Food Procurement – 1-2 ways to procure food. Fishing gear, trapping or hunting.

Navigation – 1-2 ways to navigate your way home. Always have 1-2 compasses, especially if you use a GPS or any other electronic device. Paper maps of your Operational Area.

Signaling – 1-2 ways to signal a rescue party both for day and night.

Light – Have 1-2 ways to provide light during the night.

Communications – 1-2 ways to communicate with your family and/or rescuers.

Cooking – Have means to cook the food you procure or brought with you.

Tools – Have several items that will assist you with fixing something or cutting something.

Cordage – One of the most versatile items in your kit. 550 cord and bank line are great multiuse items.

Medical – First aid items for everyday issues, trauma items for critical issues and required medications.


 

Logistics: Logistics will play a major part in your planning a successful Get Home Plan. Think of the weight, contingencies and options. Pre-positioned ammo, gear, water and food can aid you if you have a catastrophic failure in your plan or equipment. Caches provide preplanned resupply points along your routes. Link up locations with friendly associates that aid you in traveling through a contested area and/or for resupply. Taking it one step further, you may have a Non-conventional Assisted Recovery (NAR) mechanism in place. I will cover these kinds of mechanisms in another planning checklist for Escape and Evade TTPs. Which line up directly with a Get Home or Bug Out plan. For some items you should have 2 ways to conduct a skill. Think of the acronym P.A.C.E., which stands for Primary, Alternate, Contingency and Emergency. You should always have a primary and alternate means in almost every skill set. In some cases, you may want to also have a contingency and emergency means. The scenarios for a GHB would be for your driving commute to and from work or your daily driving activities around your Area of Operations (AO). Normally you will be in a vehicle, the first thing you need to do when a crisis event happens is use your vehicle until it cannot make it anymore before you travel on foot. Plan on using your vehicle temporarily as a shelter while you await rescue or prepare to walk home, if your operational environment allows. If you follow the levels of kit technique, then you should always have extra items in your Level 2 vehicle emergency kit (VEK). Use these items first before using the ones in your GHB. This way when you do have to go on foot, you will have everything in it still. Also, if possible, plan a way to augment your GHB with extra or additional items from the vehicle emergency kit (VEK).

Let’s get started discussing the sections and items that you will need in your Get Home Bag (GHB). I will tell you what I would use based on my experience and give you the pros and cons. At the end there will be a Checklist format that can be printed off to use as a checklist when putting your GHB together.

The Bag – Depending on your situational environment, you will need a bag that will suit your specific situation. But in general, it should carry 20-50 lbs of gear, comfortable to wear while walking over rough terrain for moderate distances. It needs to be of quality construction also. 5:11 makes quality bags both in a tactical look and non-tactical look. Kelty makes excellent bags that are very well suited for this task, I use a 50-liter Kelty for overnight hikes, Elk and Deer hunting, etc. Very comfortable and carries the weight well. I also have used a 5:11 Rush72 bag overseas doing my job in Afghanistan, and it has held up for over 7 years now. Some people say get a bag and fit your gear to the bag, I disagree generally with this concept. I would find the gear that fits your situational/operational environment, your skill sets and your need; then select the bag to place your gear in it. Once you have your gear laid out, do some research on what size bag you will need. Look at the total weight (including water and food) and if possible figure out the cubic inches of gear. Break it down to the point to what you will have in the main compartment, outside pockets, top compartment, etc. You do not want to cut yourself short on space by selecting a bag too small trying keep it very light, where you find yourself strapping things to the outside. You do want to go a little bigger though, to allow some room to add extra gear from your Level 2 VEK or items you acquire along your route (Cache, NAR).

Now that we have discussed the actual bag that you will need, lets go over the contents broken down into the key areas of survival. Mindset is the constant throughout survival and preparedness. Maintain a proper mindset and situational awareness of your operational environment.

Shelter – This item should be a crucial piece for your bag; exposure to the elements with out proper protection has been one of the main killers to people lost in the wilderness. Most casualties in a lost in a wilderness event were never prepared; only going out for a few hours, did not check the weather, did not plan on getting injured etc. Something to consider is the location you erect your shelter. It should not be in a low ground that is actually an intermittent streambed or arroyo. Intermittent stream/creek beds become a rushing overflowing creek during or immediately after a torrential rainstorm. In the Southwest, it does not have to rain right on your location but uphill of you and as the arroyos fill, they become impassable in your location. Another thing is how will you insulate against the rain, cold etc. Having items to help insulate you from the wind or cold air is very important. Learn skill sets to improvise how to create and maintain your body heat with insulation. A shelter protects you from the rain and wind. You will need something light weight but durable to use as a shelter. Tarps are durable but some are bulky and heavy. On the other side of the spectrum, some of the emergency lightweight shelters are not very durable for use more than a couple of times. You need to look in between the emergency type and the cheaper bulkier type of shelters. You should consider the weight and size along with the durability of the shelter. One shelter I use is the Rolling Fox Tarp. It comes with tie downs and stakes for a price about $30. Another option is the Open World Outfitters Ultalight Tarp. It is about half the weight of the Rolling Fox Tarp. With these shelters you can tie them to trees or use a set of hiking poles to support them. They work well with hammocks also. Another great option that I have used for decades is the standard military poncho. Use 550 cord to tie off to trees using the ridge line technique, sticks or hiking poles to prop the corners.

If you decide to not add a shelter to your GHB you must use layering of clothing with the outermost layer a waterproof jacket and pants. Keep in mind that it will not be as effective alone as it would be if you also string up a shelter. Lastly, if you have the skill set, location and time to erect an improvised survival shelter then that is always another choice. I personally would always have the shelter as a back up if the situational environment changes and you do not have the time or you are in an area that prohibits the construction of one. It can also be used to augment an improvised shelter. I mentioned emergency lightweight shelters earlier. These normally come as space blankets, a thin material that has great heat reflection characteristics. They normally come in a bright orange side and a shiny silver side. They are very light and pack up small. I would add one of these to augment any shelter you have. It can be used to signal or reflect heat from a fire etc.

Fire Starting – I want to talk about fire starting now since it is part of your shelter plan. Fire does multiple things for an individual who is in a survival situation. First it provides the person with warmth, enables him to dry out clothing, boil water to drink, cook food, provide protection and provides a great psychological uplift. I would normally have a couple of Bic lighters in my kit, since they are cheap and easy to use. Keep them in a waterproof container like a ziplock bag or small case, because they will get messed up if the flint gets soaked or the wheel mechanism breaks. So that is why you should have at least two. The butane, lighter fluid is still flammable in the one that is broken, and you can use it to soak some tinder to ignite a fire. The second item you should have is a way to create a spark and material that will start a flame and keep it long enough to help start your tinder. One key thing to remember is to get your tinder (small, dry and combustible), kindling (medium and dry) and fuel (large, dry, ideally dense wood) all set up prior to igniting your sparking material. I carry a good ferrocerium rod to create good sparks. For my sparking material, I carry homemade items. One item I have is the never fail cotton balls and petroleum jelly stored in a small airtight container. Another one I have are makeup rounds that have been soaked in a mixture of petroleum jelly and candle wax. I let them dry and pack several in a zip lock bag or small airtight container. Chapstick can be used by slicing off a piece to use. I only use these sparking materials if I can’t or don’t have good dry tinder to spark or ignite. Keep in mind that there are a ton of different types of sparking material on the market. Use what works for you and your operational environment.

Ensure your fire has adequate air and ventilation to assist in creating and maintaining the heat. If you have a lean to style shelter, you can build a heat reflector or wind deflector to maximize your fire and warmth. If you were looking to keep your fire somewhat clandestine, then I would construct a Dakota Fire Hole. Dig a hole about 8-10 inches in diameter about 8-10 inches deep. Dig an airshaft about 8-10 inches from the hole in an angle that enters the main hole at the base. Ideally, this airshaft should point toward the incoming wind. This will help drive more air to the base of the fire. This kind of fire is not meant to keep you warm but more for cooking. The fire should not protrude above the ground level. By doing this it will also minimize the light signature to the naked eye. And if you are in a dense wooded area, place it under a tree with some low hanging leafy branches to break up the smoke signature.

Water – Locating, purifying, carrying water is the next important item for your GHB. Plan on having 5-8 liters/quarts on hand for your scenario. One item I make sure I carry is a water bottle of some type. The Nalgene bottles are very durable but you can’t use the plastic kind for boiling. Kleen water bottles (stainless steel) are great also, just make sure if you want to use it for boiling, that you get the single wall kind, not the double wall insulated kind. LifeStraw makes a plastic water bottle that has its filter internal. So now you can fill up the bottle and drink as it purifies the water. I have a couple of these and they are great. Collapsible water bottles are awesome to reduce weight and space after they are empty. I use these in conjunction with a sawyer mini water filter. I have one marked for dirty unfiltered water and I have several marked for filtered water. This way I can use the dirty one to collect the water, then attach the filter and squeeze the water into the others for use as I travel to get home. You can have a separate filtration pump that you can use to pump the water from any source into your bottles. The choice is yours, there are plenty of devices for water purification. Water bladders or reservoirs that slip into a pocket of your GHB are great. They enable you to drink on the fly but can be punctured or the tubing can be ripped from the bladder. Last, you can go with an old mainstay of adventurers, the purification tablets, like iodine, chlorine or chlorine dioxide tabs. These will work for the majority of your situations. But they can go bad over time, so replace them if hey are not the same color as when you bought them. Most should be a grayish brown color. You normally have to wait 30 minutes, but may have to wait longer to be more effective. Always read the directions for the specific tablet you are using. Pay attention if you are allergic to iodine or have thyroid issues.

Food Procurement – This section will have limited items depending on your skill set and operational environment. When planning your GHB, plan to add good quality high protein food items. Protein bars are great for eating on the go and providing you the crucial calories and protein to keep you going. I would add a couple of main meal items from a MRE or if you have plenty of water, some mountain house style dehydrated meals. Look at the distance you may have to travel and calculate the approximate time to travel. Plan for at a minimum one large filling meal per day and several eat on the go snacks/meals per day. Keep in mind the weight, size, benefit, preparing time and if you like them. The last part should be a no brainer, but I always try different meals before I buy in bulk. For all your meals, you want to make sure you can eat them cold and hot. This means prepared but not heated up. For dehydrated meals I would not recommend eating them dry but rehydrate them and eat cold if you do not have ways or time to heat up water for a hot meal. Operating in cold environments in the past, I have rehydrated a meal then closed the bag and kept it under my jacket as I slept or moved warming it a little. If you can’t make a fire due to operational environment or enemy situation, it should not prevent you from keeping you fueled for the movement ahead. If you have the skill sets and your AO has plenty of food sources, you may want to add snares, traps or a fishing kit.

Navigation – This section is near and dear to my heart. Throughout my military career, it has always been emphasized that if you cant get to where you need to go, then that alone will cause you failure in your mission. Most of this has to do with your planning and your ability to know where you are at all times and how to get to the location you need to go. Keep in mind that the terrain, the enemy situation, time, weather and the overall operational environment can play against you also. But if you cant read a map, read a compass, understand terrain association, or fail to plan alternate routes; then you will be lost in the woods. Not having the ability to navigate confidently leads to you running out of food; unable to resupply water from a creek because you did not plan your route near one; walk into dangerous terrain with little to no options; compromise your remain over night (RON) position because you are close by a natural line of drift (road/highway/trail) or increasing your travel time by going in the wrong direction. I always carry a military lensatic compass, since I have used one for decades and love them. I have a Silva Compass as a back up, carry a topographic map of my AO, carry pace count beads and a good waterproof notebook with pencil to sketch areas of interest or take notes about my route and AO for future reference. You should always note corrections to the map you are using. Along with a map, you need a protractor for plotting and measuring distances on the map. In my vehicle, I have more topographic maps covering a larger geographical area. I love the Delorme map books for the states I live and work. Current road maps are great to keep updated since new roads are always being built. Plus they list railroads, power lines, bridges and built up areas. If you find yourself without a compass, you can still find your general direction of travel with simple terrain association using the map you have and determining which way is North. A simple method you can use is the shadow tip method to determine which way is north and then head off in the general direction you need to get home.

GPS - Technology has come a long way. People who lack navigation skills tend to rely on a GPS. This tendency has led people in the wrong direction for miles even traveling on urban roads. I love technology and how it complements our daily lives. But I always have a compass and a map when I travel. When using a GPS while traveling on foot, you should use it for confirming your location and not using it to actually navigate through the woods, unless that is the only navigational tool you have. You should be using your map, compass, pace count and terrain association. During a lot of my adventures like Elk Hunting and Hiking long distances or just traveling, I use the Garmin InReach connected to my cell phone via bluetooth. I use their app and several other mapping apps. The InReach enables me to send out a message to my contact list telling them my location and beginning my hike or hunt. They then can open up the link that was sent and see my location on Google maps and follow my track. It also has the international SOS capability to alert Search and Rescue if I am unable to self-rescue and feel that my life is threatened due to injury, etc. I am then able to have a two-way communication via texts with the rescue service. If I feel that I can self rescue but need some assistance, then I use the messaging capability to ask my contacts for assistance. It uses satellite technology to communicate, so no cell service is required. With its built in GPS I can pull up an app on my phone and see my location on imagery and topographic maps to confirm my location. Then use my paper maps to navigate and track my location. Apple recently has put out that the new iPhone will have some limited satellite capability for the back country. The Apple Watch Ultra has a feature for the compass to track your route so you can use it to return to your starting location. T-Mobile and Starlink have put out that they are collaborating on satellite service in the back country also. These both new technologies and the results still need to be seen. One thing to keep in mind is to have something with you to enable you to determine your location via a grid coordinate in Lat / Lon or MGRS/USNG so you can tell any rescue element your location.

Signaling – Having a solid signal plan is very important. Utilize PACE when establishing your signal plan. You should break it down in a far recognition and near recognition signals. Your far recognition signal can be your cell phone if it is still working and has power. I carry a GMRS hand held radio in my GHB. I also have another at my house for my group to communicate with me. We use a primary and alternate freq/channel for this plan. For a communication window/time frame, I set up a top of the hour communication window for 15 minutes of transmitting and listening. I transmit in the blind (understanding that no one may be on the other end) and then listen for any response. I repeat this for the entire 15 Minutes. This is conducted twice daily, normally in the morning and evening/night. I set up a specific time for the commo window in the plan. This enables my group to monitor and try to reach me once they know I have executed my Get Home Plan. Keep in mind the range capabilities of your radio. With this TTP I can keep my radio transmissions down to a minimum and conserve battery life. Another form of far recognition signal is a visual signal. Daytime you can have a VS17 panel or orange panel to show from a distance that it is you. This is also good for a ground to air signal for aircraft as well. Night time you can use a flashlight, preferably a red lens type. A certain number of flashes given and a certain number received are used to confirm initial identity. You can also use a chemlight tied to a 3-foot piece of 550 cord and spun in a circle to your front, called a buzz saw. You would do this over your head for aircraft. Conducting a far recognition signal visually along with direct communications via the radio is the best TTP. Having some form of audible signal will add another dimension to your signal plan for rescue. A good storm whistle will provide a noticeable sound if you are dealing with a lost in the wilderness scenario.

Your near recognition signals can be multiple things. For a known person, like of the same group or family, it will be you recognizing the individual. For two unknown groups, you will need to establish signals as in color of hat or shirt or have verbal bona fides to confirm they are on your side. Always have security during an unknown meet or link up. Some other forms of bona fides are challenge and password, which is normally used in permissive areas. Another one is a number combination. You would use an odd number like 13. You give him 7 and he should reply 6 to achieve the total of the planned number combo. It should be used in semi-permissive areas that are not under duress. You also have a running password that you set up to use in a non-permissive area that is under duress. Like if someone is running toward your lines or guard post and needs to let you know he is friendly, he can yell the running password, normally a single word like “Budweiser”. This will let you know he is friendly. One thing to consider with any signals, you must keep them safeguarded from falling into enemy hands. Change them on a regular basis, like every 24 hours.

Light – Light can benefit you or hinder you while you are executing your Get Home Plan. You should have a flashlight and a headlamp at a minimum. I carry a small Streamlight micro stream AAA flashlight as part of my EDC, but I have a more robust flashlight that has a strobe feature in my GHB. They are both white lens flashlights. I do have a slip on filter for my GHB flashlight to enable me to use at night. My headlamp also has a red lens filter. You can use your red filter flashlight to signal your group to enact a link up according to your signal plan. Your headlamp will enable you to have your hands free when conducting tasks that you may have to accomplish at night. Chemlights are also good to have for another back up source of light for signaling or marking a location.

Communications – Radios are great to communicate over varying distances, when cell towers are failing. When planning your communication plan use the PACE plan process. If you want to use your cell voice and messaging capability to talk to your group or family to let them know you are executing your Get Home Plan, that is fine for your Primary means, but also plan your alternate, contingency and emergency means of communications. Just remember as the crisis happens and develops or increases, those cell towers will get overloaded and the lines will become unusable. So have an alternate plan in place that will lead to success. You may want to do the initial contact via cell to inform them and then switch to your alternate plan during the execution. I carry a GMRS radio in my GHB; my group has one at the homestead. We have a plan to communicate (see signaling section) and maintain communication through out the event. GMRS radios work in the UHF freq range and actually require a license. Even though the FRS (no license) is normally bundled with them. But in a crisis, I would not worry about a license. Another good option is MURS radios (no license), which work on the VHF freq range. In my vehicle I use both a CB radio and a GMRS mobile radio. This gives me options and the ability to monitor several channels for situational awareness. They have more power and more range than my hand held.

Try and replicate a base station set up at your homestead to enable long-range communications. One good TTP is to have a way to extend your antenna higher to achieve better line of sight. You can do this by having insulated wire, like speaker wire attached to your antenna base and hoisting it up in a tree if you are mobile. For your base station you can use a flagpole or tree and construct a more permanent antenna. Keep in mind that this broadcast will be omni-directional, so individuals that you do not want to listen could hear the transmission. Keep transmissions short and if possible, use code words, brevity codes and/or encrypt the message. You can also use terrain masking to help hide your transmission. During your planning you can set up check points or phase lines to let the main group know how far you have traveled. High Frequency (HF) or HAM radios are great to communicate over long distances. Baofeng is an economical handheld radio that operates in the different bands (UHF/VHF/FM) including some HAM bands. There are several reasonably priced mobile HAM radios for vehicles that will add a great capability to a vehicle movement. Understanding antenna theory and frequency propagation will enhance your knowledge on establishing a great communication plan.

Cooking – Having the ability to heat up your food is a psychologically motivating factor. You may not have the chance to break out a stove or build a fire to cook your food due to your situation. In my Level 2 VEK I have a jet boil, it is lightweight and heats up water quickly. In my GHB I have a small burner made by MSR called the Pocket Rocket that uses the same fuel as the jet boil. I also have the Emberlit foldable stove. It uses natural fuel and is light and compact also. I had this in my GHB when I was on the east coast and wood was in abundance. Since moving to the Southwest region, I had to change a few items in my kit now keep it in my Level 2 VEK as a backup. If you are using MRE’s for your food source then an MRE heater will heat them up nicely. Another great option is the Dakota fire hole (see fire starting), it provides you a great way to heat up water or cook food and also cut down the light signature. I recommend you prepare fire materials first, begin your fire in a tinder bundle and then place it in the bottom of the hole. Again, this fire technique is made for cooking and not to warm you, though you will get a little bit of that attribute.

Tools – Having the right tools that can help you are invaluable. The first tool you should put in your GHB is a fixed bladed knife that can provide you protection and can be used as a survival tool. I have the TOPS Field craft Brothers of Bush craft (BOB) knife. It is a solid knife that has a few features built in that can assist you in fire starting, which is really nice. Another great brand of knife is ESEE Knives. Also a K-Bar Marine Corp fighting knife is a solid knife that does a great job. I carried one for years while I was in the military. A Multitool is one of the most versatile tools that you can add to your GHB. I have owned the Leatherman, SOG and Gerber brands and they all do a great job. So it depends on your needs and preferences on which one you choose. They give you the ability to accomplish many tasks. Having a metal file, wood saw, screwdrivers, pliers, wire cutters and many more, again it brings an invaluable asset to your bag. So, if you only have these two items, then you are doing great. Some other tools you can add is a hatchet/tomahawk, which can help you in a defense situation and also help you create a nice shelter. Add a decent folding saw will be another shelter making tool. One tool I like in my level 2 VEK is the Stanley Fatmax Fubar utility tool, it gives you the ability to break through dry wall efficiently, remove 2x4 studs and fence boards or pry open doors. I own the 15-inch model, but they do make longer ones. I chose the shorter model to put it in my GHB if needed. A good solid crowbar will work great also. Having a pair of decent bolt cutters in your Level 2 VEK will help you get past locked gates, chained up fencing or cables that block drivable routes.

Cordage – This item in your GHB will have a million uses. I normally have about 100 feet of 550 cord in my GHB and Level 2 VEK. You can use the 550 cord to erect poncho shelters, use as shoelaces, repair rucksack straps or make prusik handcuffs. I also have a sling rope, which is 15 feet of 11 mm non-static rappel rope in my Level 2 VEK. I use it for making an improvised swiss seat, create a safety line to tie myself off near a drop off. I have at least 2 carabiners with it. You may also want to have 120 feet of non-static climbing rope and extra carabiners also if your operational environment is in a mountainous location where there may be terrain that requires you to rappel. Dental floss is another excellent item for your GHB. You can use it to sew and repair clothing or your equipment. Also use it to tie items together or use as a fishing line. If you have a fishing kit in your GHB, fishing line has other uses besides fishing. You can use it for snares or early warning trip wires. There are products out there like fly-fishing line that is basically Kevlar thread. Bank line is great for multiple uses also. Items similar to cordage that you should have are zip ties and actual safety wire or trip wire spools.

Medical – You need to have a good Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) in your GHB. At the minimum it needs to have the proper trauma items packed in it. You don’t need to go out and buy one of the name brand IFAKs that are packed with all the items and then some. When I select an IFAK I look at the size of the pouch and how it organizes the contents for ease of access and use. I normally have 1 tourniquet inside the kit, 1 tourniquet on the outside for easy and quick access. Some items you want for your IFAK are: 1 CAT tourniquet, 2 curlex (rolled gauze), 2 ace wraps, 1 combat gauze or some kind of hemostatic agent like Quick Clot / Combat Gauze, or Celox gauze. At least 1 pressure bandage like the Israeli dressing, 2 Hyfin chest seals, 1 Nasopharyngeal Airway w/ Lube, 2 Pair Nitrile Gloves, 1 roll medical tape, 1 trauma shears, 5 alcohol prep wipes, 5 iodine wipes. If you have the proper training then you can also put in a 14-ga 3.25 inch chest decompression needle/catheter. This is list not all-inclusive; you need to look at your needs, operational environment and your level of training. With a get home scenario, you will more than likely find yourself in your vehicle, so you should have a larger medical kit in your Level 2 VEK. This Medical kit should be more robust and contain more items that you can use and augment your GHB IFAK. You can have SAM splints ranging in size from finger size to 36 inches, cold packs, neck braces, a rescue litter or a poleless litter and a boo-boo kit that has those items like band aids, cough drops, extra Tylenol or Motrin, etc.

Survival Kit – A lot of items listed in this planning guide can be stored and organized inside a compact survival kit with in your GHB. One technique I like to do is use a wide mouth Nalgene bottle then fill it with survival items, then put it inside of a max expedition bottle carrier. These normally have a small external pocket you can add additional items. Then once you are preparing to walk home because your vehicle is non-operational, all you need to do is pull out the Nalgene bottle and empty the survival contents into your GHB and the bottle carrier and use the Nalgene bottle for water. The bottle carrier will have additional space for other items if needed. You can store your fire-starting items in an altoids style tin that can also be used to make some char cloth. Include a small pelican case style waterproof container in your GHB to keep all your smaller items, like a sewing kit, fishing kit, batteries, or prescription medications.



 

Get home bag (GHB) Checklist


Operational Environment

Permissive

Semi-Permissive

Non-Permissive

The Bag

Shelter

Fire Starting

Water

Food

GPS

Navigation

Signaling

Light

Communications

Cooking

Tools

Cordage

Medical (IFAK)



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