How To Build a TSA-Approved EDC Kit

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Whether you’re heading off on vacation with the family or attending to business in some other part of the world, traveling by plane presents unique challenges for packing your EDC kit due to the rules set out by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regarding what can and cannot be brought on planes.

What is permitted for checked baggage differs from what is permitted for carry-on and to add to the confusion, regulations are constantly changing. Before packing for your trip, make sure you’re current with what is and isn’t permissible by checking the TSA Prohibited Items list for travelers.

Preparing Your EDC Kit for Traveling

When preparing your EDC kit for travel, evaluate the items you typically carry with you and pare down to only those you will need during your trip. Think about what new threats or challenges you are likely to encounter traveling by plane, in the area you are headed, as well as during activities you plan on engaging in at your destination.

After careful analysis, consider what you already carry that may address those challenges and what additional items need to be brought along. For necessary items that aren’t permitted by the TSA, there are modifications that can be made or alternatives that will ensure your EDC kit is compliant with federal law.

TSA Restriction Highlights

When dealing with TSA restrictions, if you have any doubts, it is best to leave questionable items at home or packed correctly in your checked bags. Carrying any item classified as a ‘weapon’ by the TSA on your person can result in a civil penalty.

The chart below serves as a quick reference guide for what is and is not permitted in carry-on and checked baggage:

Item	Carry-On: Prohibited	Carry-On: Allowed	Checked: Prohibited	Checked: Allowed
Sharp Objects	Box cutters, knives, axes, ice picks, swords, and scissors with blades greater than 4 inches	Scissors with blades less than 4 inches	None	Any of the carry-on prohibited items, but must be safely sheathed or wrapped
Self-Defense/ Protection Items	Billy clubs, black jacks, brass knuckles, kubatons, mace/pepper spray, stun devices, and night sticks	Self-defense spray with less than 2% tear gas	None, except sprays with more than 2% tear gas	One 4 fl. oz. can of mace with safety mechanism to prevent discharge, must be less than 2% tear gas
Tools	Axes, crow bars, hammers, drills and bits, saws, and any tool less than 7 inches in total length	Must be less than 7 inches in total length - wrench, pliers, screwdriver, etc.	None	Any of the carry-on prohibited items, but must be safely wrapped
Firearms - must be unloaded, packed in a hard-sided container, and declared at check-in	All firearms, parts, and accessories	None	Flares, gun lighters, and gunpowder	Ammunition, bb guns, compressed air guns, firearms, flare guns, parts of guns, pellet guns, realistic replicas, and starter pistols
Flammable	Any flammable liquid, torch lighters, and aerosols (except those for personal care)	One book of non-strike anywhere matches, and one lighter	All flammable items/liquids, and lighters	Up to 2 cigarette lighters in TSA-approved cases
Liquids	All flammable liquids	3-1-1: Less than 3.4 oz. 1 gallon bag 1 bag/person	All flammable liquids	Any non-flammable liquids
Sporting Goods	Bats, and hockey/ lacrosse sticks	Ice skates, tennis rackets	None	Any sporting goods

Alternatives and Modifications for Typical EDC Kit Items

Sometimes, there are items you just can’t do without – restrictions or not. In this article, we’ve evaluated alternatives and modifications for twelve of the most common EDC items that may run afoul of TSA regulations.

Wallet

A must-have for carrying ID and currencies, but resist the temptation to conceal credit card sized knifes or utility tools in your wallet as they are likely to be confiscated by the TSA. It is best to leave these types of tools at home, but if it is a necessity for you, pack them into your checked luggage to avoid any needless hassles.

edc kit — A TSA Agent’s view of your bag

Key Ring

Keep your key ring stripped down to items you will need for traveling from your home to the airport, such as your house and car keys. If you have any self-defense tools like kubatons or knives, make sure to remove these as they will not be permitted. If they will serve some utility at your destination, pack them carefully into your checked luggage.

Phone

Phones are allowed as carry-on, as are back-up battery packs. If you have any credit card sized utility tools or knives concealed in your phone case, make sure they are removed.

Watch

A watch is a safe, compact way to carry survival items such as a compass and paracord, as all items are safe for carry-on.

Folding Knife

Folding knives are not permitted in carry-on. To choose a suitable alternative that is TSA-approved, consider the ways in which you typically use your knife and what other items could provide similar utility.

A great, travel-safe alternative is the Wenger 16912 Air Traveler Swiss Army Knife, which doesn’t have a knife but contains several other tools that serve a similar purpose such as 1.8 inch scissors, a nail file with an unsharpened pointed end, tweezers, and a mini screwdriver.

Flashlight

While some flashlights are permitted, remember when choosing your flashlight that it is considered a tool and therefore must be less than 7 inches in length. Also, be sure to avoid any aggressive-looking tactical flashlights to dodge any additional scrutiny. To see our detailed guide for picking the best EDC flashlight, CLICK HERE.

Be sure to remove the batteries to avoid unintentionally draining them and keep them in a Ziploc bag, similar to how you would store your liquids. The TSA agent may want to try out your flashlight to see that it works, so having batteries packed close by is advantageous.

EDC List — Learn how to pick the best EDC flashlight

Tactical Pen

This is a tricky one as it may raise suspicion in the security line and will be up to the discretion of the TSA agent whether it is permitted or not. If a tactical pen is a must-have item for you, pack it in your checked luggage, especially if it has features that could be categorized as weapons. Check out our comprehensive Tactical Pen guide HERE.

Glass Breaker and Pry Tool

These types of tools are not permitted, but you can replace them with similar items that are less than 7 inches in length such as a wrench or screwdriver.

Our personal choice is the Boker Mini Blade, which is 4.5 inch minibar tool made of high tensile resilient steel and has a fine edge perfect for prying into tight spaces.

Paracord

In reasonable quantities, paracord is a generally accepted item to bring on airplanes. There are several wearable options that save space and raise little suspicion such as bracelets, necklaces, belts, and watch wristbands.

A low-profile paracord belt is a great way to carry 70 feet of 550 pound commercial grade paracord, however it will need to be removed and scanned at the TSA checkpoint. If you’re looking for a good option, check out the Bison Designs Double Cobra Paracord Survival Belt.

Multitool

Typically, most multitools contain a blade and are not permitted by the TSA. Similar to a folding knife, determine the features you are most likely to use and find travel-safe alternatives that can accommodate your needs.

For a utilitarian multitool that is also travel-safe, we recommend the Leatherman 831488 Style PS Multitool, which boasts a host of useful tools and is permitted as carry-on.

Firestarting Kit

TSA regulations allow one book of safety matches as well as one TSA-approved cigarette lighter. Additionally, you can carry up to two additional lighters in your checked baggage as long as they are in TSA-approved containers, such as the Colibri Tranzpack TSA and DOT Approved Airline Lighter Case.

Back-up flammable items or fuel are not permitted even in checked baggage so if you are headed to a situation where you’ll need these items, make sure you can pick them up when you land.

Survival Whistle

Whistles are allowed in both carry-on and checked luggage, however check yours first to make sure it doesn’t contain any fire-making items. Strike-anywhere matches are not permitted in any luggage so you will need to ensure these items are left at home.

Checking Your Bug-Out-Bag When Traveling

If you feel that the nature or length of your trip necessitates having your bug-out-bag on hand, you’ll be happy to know that many of the objectionable items for carry-on are perfectly acceptable in checked luggage as long as they are packed properly. For a FREE Bug Out Bag Planning Tool CLICK HERE.

However, while most items can be checked, under no circumstances can you bring any flammable liquids, torches, strike-anywhere matches, flares, gun lighters, or gun powder. If you’ll need any of these items once you reach your destination, such as fuel for camping stoves, make preparations to buy them once you land.

On the plus side, if you intend to bring any tools, blades or firearms, these items are permitted in checked luggage as long as they’re properly packed. For tools and blades, ensure they are sheathed or the sharp edges well-wrapped to avoid any injury to baggage handlers.

For firearms – including ammunition, bb guns, compressed air guns, firearms, flare guns, parts of guns, pellet guns, realistic replicas, and starter pistols – make sure they are unloaded, packed in a hard-sided container, and declared at check-in.

Want Even MORE Info On Building Your EDC Kit?

If you are looking for even more information on how to build your ultimate EDC kit you can check out my book, The Every Day Carry Guide. It is a comprehensive manual that will teach you:

How to be prepared at all times – no matter where you are
How to build your first EDC kit from scratch
How to refine an existing kit to make it more effective
How to pick the best gear to realistically make you more prepared
How to assess threats and risks in your every day life

Conclusion

You don’t need to abandon your EDC kit when traveling by airplane, there easy ways to modify your kit that will retain its usefulness while complying with TSA regulations.

The regulations are not static and frequently change, so make sure you check out the TSA guidelines at least a week prior to any air travel. TSA agents also have the authority to confiscate items at their discretion that raise any alarms.

If you have any doubts, there is a handy Can I Bring… tool and TSA app that can both be found here. If you’re still unsure, your best bet is to leave the item at home. If the item is a must-have for your journey, look for travel-safe alternatives or places you can purchase one once you reach your destination.

Your Thoughts?

Have you ever had an item questioned at security that you thought was safe for carry-on? Share your experience with us in the Comments section below, thanks!

Survival Weapons: How to Make, Purchase, or Scavenge Your Self-Defense When SHTF

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The best self-defense is to avoid encounters however when that’s not possible, you don’t want to be caught without a weapon.

Having the means to defend yourself and your family is essential for survival.

This article covers the various survival weapons you can use for self-defense in a disaster scenario, including those you can:

Survival Weapons You Can Buy
Survival Weapons You Can Make
Survival Weapons You Can Scavenge

Why Should I Think About Survival Weapons?

Sometimes all it takes is showing your opponent you are armed to deter them from attacking, but in case you are forced into combat you’ll want to be armed with a weapon you’re comfortable with and skilled at using.

survival weapons

When considering the options below, choose those that are best suited to your particular situation and that you will have time to practice with to develop your skill level.

Survival Weapons You Can Buy

There are plenty of suitable and highly effective survival weapons that can be purchased. Not only will this save you the hassle of fabricating your own, but also you’ll have the time necessary to practice and become proficient with its use. Our top choices for store-bought survival weapons are slingshots, tomahawks, knives, billy clubs, and firearms.

Knives

Although knives are among the most basic of survival weapons, they require a great deal of skill to wield effectively. Few people have the time to invest in becoming proficient with using a knife, and therefore it serves better as a backup weapon than as a primary. Our fixed blade knife of choice is the Ka-Bar Becker 22.

For a more compact option, opt for a folding knife with that has an open-assist feature, providing quick, one-handed operation and carries a high intimidation factor such as the Kershaw Tanto.

For more info, read our guide guide to choosing the best fixed blade knife.

Slingshots

Slingshots are a great choice for a survival weapon as they are inexpensive and ammo can easily be scavenged. We recommend The Scout Hunting Slingshot as the best all-around slingshot which can also be an effective hunting tool. For more details, read our guide to choosing the best slingshot for survival.

Tomahawks

The benefit of a tomahawk is that it functions as both a tool and a weapon, giving you a two-for-one option that will help keep your packing to a minimum. Besides its obvious use as a bludgeoning weapon, a tomahawk can prove quite useful in scavenging as it can help to open containers and other places where food might be kept. It also functions well as a search and rescue tool. The CRKT Kangee Tomahawk is our tomahawk of choice. Check out our guide to choosing the best tomahawk.

Pepper Sprays and Stun Devices

Pepper spray or a stun device are very effective weapons that can stop an attacker in their tracks. These options are especially useful for those that don’t have the brute force to use other types of weapons effectively since they can used from a distance and don’t require a substantial amount of strength to inflict damage.

Pepper Spray – Compact and easy to carry. Can be used from several feet away.
Bear spray – Similar to pepper spray but designed for long-range (30-foot range) use.
Stun Gun – A handheld device that delivers a powerful electric shock when touching an assailant. A good quality stun gun will drop large attackers without a problem.

Handheld Tactical Weapons

These weapons are very effective in the hands of someone with adequate strength, agility, and skill.

Kubaton – A discreet weapon that stores easily on a keychain, a kubaton adds spikes to your punch and aimed at an attacker’s eyes, can cause serious damage.
Tactical Pen – It’s a dual function pen that is built to also be used as a weapon. Discreet yet effective.

Firearms

Firearms, America’s weapon of choice – and for good reason!

In most states, firearms are relatively easy to purchase legally and are extremely effective at both intimidating and harming would-be attackers.

Firearms are also desirable if you or members of your bug out crew don’t have the strength to wield a brute-force weapon – it is skill, not size, that counts with firearms.

However, just like any other survival weapon, a firearm requires practice to gain accuracy (especially under tense situations when adrenaline is pumping) and ammo must be hoarded or scavenged. Firearms also require periodic maintenance to ensure they stay in working order.

survival weapons

Survival Weapons You Can Make

There are myriad items at your disposal that can instantly become a weapon if need be – most of which are easy to make and relatively inexpensive. Recent civil uprisings in the Ukraine provide a great case study in how deadly homemade weapons can truly be.

To see how sticks, bats and sledgehammers were able to topple a Presidency, take a look through these pictures at Wired.

The three types of DIY weapons we’ll be discussing in this article are:

Bludgeoning weapons
Edged Weapons
Projectile Weapons

Each can be deadly in their own right, so make sure to choose the type of weapon that you feel most comfortable with.

Bludgeoning Survival Weapons

To effectively wield a bludgeoning weapon, you must be in close contact with your attacker and have a significant amount of upper body strength – delivering a disabling blow requires a tremendous amount of force. If this sounds like the type of weapon you’d do well with, we recommend using a club, war hammer, tomahawk, or flail.

Club

While a club is one of the easiest survival weapons to make, it is no less deadly than any other and can inflict serious injury on an attacker. You can create an effective club by modifying a baseball bat, garden tool handle, or any length of wood, metal or piping. You can increase the destructive power of your blows by adding nails or metal scraps to the end of the club or by building a weighted club with a stone embedded in the end. For ideas on how to build an effective club, check out some examples at The JB Bardot Archives.

War Hammer

A war hammer can be easily assembled using inexpensive plumbing materials and works well for breaching doors and cars, as well as for combat. To create a war hammer, use a length of pipe with a t-splitter on the end and fit it with reducer couplings and plugs – no welding required. For a detailed explanation, see this YouTube video on assembling your own war hammer.

Tomahawk

A tomahawk can be used both for chopping and throwing. You can easily make one by splitting a piece of wood and inserting either a rock or piece of metal and tying it together with leather cord or braided plant fibers. You can make your tomahawk even more deadly by sharpening the end of the handle so that it can double as a spear or pry tool. For a more advanced tomahawk, see this YouTube video which explains how to make a tomahawk from lawnmower blades (this requires welding).

Flail

A flail is easily crafted by fastening a chain with a spiked ball to the end of a stick or bar. You can also make a dive flail, which has a spiked ball at both ends.

Edged Survival Weapons

There are a multitude of materials that can be used to craft an effective – and deadly – blade, including bone, stone, glass and scrap metal. Blades are an efficient tool for slicing or puncturing your attacker but are notoriously difficult to master. Before relying on a blade in a life-or-death situation, make sure you try it out and can effectively wield it in the heat of the moment.

The most common type of blade is a fixed-blade knife, which can be made with materials from around your home such as saw blades. M40 has a whole article on fabricating a homemade fixed-blade knife for under $1, which you can read here. If you need to arm yourself on the fly, Hedgehog Leatherworks has a great video on choosing the best stones to craft into tools, or survival weapons as the case may be.

Another viable option is to create a spear or ‘rabbit stick’ by sharpening a shaft that is at least five feet long and attaching a sharp point to the end made from either metal, stone or glass.

Projectile Survival Weapons

With projectiles, you can inflict damage while keeping a distance between you and your attacker, making them the ideal weapon when stealth is your objective. However, to cause serious damage you must be highly accurate, which requires a fair amount of practice. The following are some of our favorite projectile survival weapons:

Crossbow and arrows (learn to make an arrowhead out of a spoon in this video)
Longbow – These can be made from PVC pipe or wood from your local hardware store, as you can see here.
Bamboo sling bow – start with a hollow piece of bamboo or PVC tubing long enough to grip with one hand and add two half-inch eyelet screws to hold several strong rubber bands in place; arrows can be fashioned from sharpened sticks with no feathers necessary
Bola – an easy-to-make weapon, a bola is thrown at your enemy and will immobilize them by wrapping itself around them
Sling – inexpensive and easy to make, you can construct a sling from common household items such as the tongue of an old boot. To build a sling, simply attach a strip of leather to two lengths of string or twine; this will allow you to launch small stones about the size of golf balls and can be mastered rather quickly.
Throwing stars and spikes

Want even more info on projectile survival weapons? CLICK HERE NOW to check out our in depth article!

Click on the image above to learn all about the BEST ranged survival weapons right now!

Survival Weapons You Can Scavenge

If disaster strikes and you don’t have survival weapons with you, there are weapons that can be scavenged after the fact. If you find yourself scavenging in a hostile situation, be sure to thoroughly scout the area beforehand and have a group of people with you that can provide enough hands to carry back what you need.

In an urban survival situation, the following can be useful sources of weapons and ammo:

Automotive repair garages and gas stations
Cars and bicycles
Office buildings, schools, apartment complexes – generally, anywhere with a maintenance department
Abandoned homes
Construction sites

You will typically be scavenging for survival weapons, ammo or both. The following sections discuss what items can be scavenged to serve as survival weapons or ammo.

Survival Weapon Scavenging Tips

When scavenging for survival weapons, try and locate the following:

Anything you can use as a club, e.g. street sign posts, rebar, PVC pipe, log
Tools, e.g. ice picks, sledgehammers, crowbars
Defensive armor, e.g. street signs, car door panels, hubcaps, sports equipment
Lashings, e.g. inner bark of trees braided for strength, sinew, rawhide
Other useful items such as chains, bicycle gears (can be fastened to the end of a stick), and free weights (can be used to construct a flail)

Scavenging Ammo

When scavenging for ammo, try and locate the following:

Bolts or rocks to be used with a slingshot
Arrows for bows/crossbows – glass and scrap metal make excellent arrow points when there is no time to chip stone
Ammo for firearms – use caution with found bullets as they may be loaded with enhanced explosives
Rocks, bricks, and chunks of sidewalks or buildings that can be used for throwing or for a slingshot

Wrapping Up

Investing the time and effort to either buy or make survival weapons that will best serve you is an essential part of the prepping process. Whichever weapon (or weapons) you choose, make sure you can practice with them and they are well-suited to your survival needs.

As an example, a longbow can serve as a great weapon for defending your home perimeter, but probably won’t be useful as part of your get-home-bag. As important as arming yourself is developing the skills to properly wield your weapon in combat, so always take time to practice.

In addition to practicing with your primary survival weapon, make time to develop your abilities in scavenging for ammo and weapons. There may come a time where your primary survival weapon become unavailable and the ability to build weapons from scratch will be a desired one indeed.

It is also worth considering learning and practicing some form of unarmed self-defense.

Your Thoughts?

Do you have a survival weapon that you plan on using? Do you have an idea for one that would be easy to make or scavenge? Let us know in the Comments Section below, thanks!

Prepping For Pennies: Hacks & Tricks For Prepping Without Breaking The Bank

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Prepping For Pennies

One of the first things that hit most preppers starting out is fear. I’m not talking about fear of some disaster, although there are many who start out in prepping just because of such a fear; but rather, fear that they won’t be able to pay for it all. Granted, prepping looks pretty expensive when you first start figuring out what you’re going to need to do, especially if you’ve read some book that starts talking about alternative heat and energy, as well as building a survival retreat, over and above the cost of stockpiling supplies.

Before you get carried away in those plans, stop and think for a minute. Your prepping has to fit into your family’s budget, as well as your lifestyle. Oh sure, pretty much everyone has to make budgetary adjustments to pay for prepping, as well as some lifestyle changes to make themselves more self-sufficient. But that’s not the same as throwing your whole life away to focus purely on prepping.

There are a number of things you can do to save yourself a lot of money. Maybe they won’t be the ideal solution to a particular problem, but they are realistic solutions which will allow you to do your prepping, without breaking the bank. We’re talking survival here, so ideal isn’t really necessary. Nobody is awarding you style points for how your bug out bag looks or whether you have the latest and greatest gear. The only points to be awarded are for how well your family manages to survive a crisis.

With that in mind, start thinking about how to save money, before you start thinking about how to spend it. There are a lot of things you can do, which will ultimately save you a bundle, but still give you what you need, so that your family can survive.

Repurposing

Start out by looking at what you have and how you can repurpose it. Maybe you need a wheelbarrow for your garden, but don’t have the money for it right now. Okay, look around at what you have. What’s that? Is that a kid’s wagon and a pile of paint buckets? Looks to me like it’ll work for a wheelbarrow.

People in third-world and emerging countries have learned to do without a lot of things that you and I consider necessities. Part of this is that they use what they have, even if it’s not the right tool for the job. As I’ve traveled in Mexico and South America, I’ve been amazed by some of the ingenious uses I’ve seen for items. The old saw about “necessity is the mother of invention” is true, whether you believe so or not.

prepping for pennies

Scavenging

Ever hear that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”? Well, if you’re a prepper, start looking for that treasure. We live in a disposable society and people throw good things away all the time. Figure out the trash man’s schedule and drive around the neighborhoods before he can get there. Look to see what people have set out and think about how you can use it.

Scavenging works real well with repurposing. Take an old ice chest for example. Someone might throw it away, simply because the handle is broken. That doesn’t mean that the ice chest isn’t any good. You can fill it with food and bury it in your backyard as a survival stash. For that matter, if it’s big enough, you can use it as a root cellar. Find a door that someone is throwing away from a remodeling project and you can take your root cellar to the next level.

Garage Sales & Flea Markets

Some people are smart enough (or industrious enough) to try and get a few bucks out of their old stuff, instead of just throwing it away. That leads to the great American pastime of the garage sale and it’s big brother, the flea market. You’d be amazed at what you can find at these two events. I’ve found motors for making wind generators, lots and lots of canning jars, candles which I could melt down to turn into survival candles (putting them in the canning jars) and old aluminum windows which I’ve used in making my solar panels.

One of my favorite things to find at garage sales is bug out equipment. Think about it a moment; all you need for most of your bug out equipment is camping equipment. Well, that just happens to be something that makes it into a lot of garage sales. So, keep your eyes open and pick up a tent, some sleeping bags and all the other gear for a pittance, rather than spending a small fortune on it.

Learn to Shop Smart

Most of us don’t really pay attention to how much we spend on our groceries. Oh, we pay lip service to buying cheap, picking a cheaper brand out once in a while; but we don’t really take the effort to make sure we’re getting the best deal possible. But, you know, when you’re trying to buy a year’s worth of food, a few cents on each item can really add up.

There are a lot of things you can do to save money on food, personal hygiene products and other household products. Start clipping coupons, look for sales, buy in bulk; there are many different strategies. The point is to save money, regardless of how you do it.

Build it Yourself

Some things you might need for prepping are just plain expensive, and you can’t find them at garage sales. In all my years of attending garage sales, I have yet to see a solar oven, a solar panel or a wind generator. However, those are all things that you can make for yourself, rather than spending a fortune buying them commercial.

If you look at the cost of solar panels, you can save about half by making them yourself. They’re really not all that hard to do, if you know how to solder and have basic handyman skills. The hardest part is soldering the cells together, so if you know that, the rest is a piece of cake.

Let’s Talk Scavenging Some More

Scavenging is a great way to get things, and it doesn’t have to be limited just to picking through people’s garbage. Many people and businesses have things sitting around which aren’t doing them a bit of good. If you’ve got a sharp eye for these things and are willing to invest a little elbow grease, you can find a lot of useful stuff that is just taking up space.

You want to be careful here, because you don’t want to start stealing things. When some people talk about scavenging, they don’t worry about little details like locks on doors and fences. I’m not advocating that, although in a disaster situation it may be warranted, especially on abandoned properties. No, I’m talking strictly about legitimate scavenging, so that you can get useful survival supplies without having to pay for them.

Mostly, what I’m talking about is trading your labor for something that you can use. If you can save the people who have the item some money, they are likely to let you have it. But you’ll have to show them how you are saving them money, because they may not think of it themselves.

Scavenging Firewood

You really shouldn’t ever have to pay for firewood, if you have a chain saw and a pickup truck (or trailer). There are always people who have trees that they need cut down or trimmed. All you need to do is keep your eyes open for these situations and be ready to go to work.

You might put up a flyer on your grocery store’s bulletin board, offering free tree removal. Specifically, you want to be offering this service for dead trees, but you can do live ones as well. The deal is that you remove their tree, cutting it down and hauling it off, which gives you the free firewood and saves them the cost of having to pay a specialist to do it.

It’s easy to take that idea a step further, by keeping your eyes open for trees with dead limbs. Those dead limbs can be a safety hazard to the family, especially in a storm. Knock on the door and offer to cut down and haul off the dead limbs. Just be sure not to drop it on their house or car.

Scavenging Other Wood

Wood is useful for other things than just making fires. There are 1,000 projects or more on the Internet for making things out of pallet wood. Big companies often have a deal with someone to haul their pallets off, but smaller companies probably don’t. hook up your trailer and go around to a bunch of small warehouse type businesses and see if they have any old pallets that they want hauled off. They’ll be happiest about getting rid of the broken ones, which is fine for your needs.

Keep your eyes open for construction, especially remodeling projects that require a fair amount of demolition. Most contractors don’t want to spend the money to pay one of their workers to pull nails out of boards so that they can reuse them. Offer to haul them off for free. You might even be able to get windows this way, especially if they are replacing the house’s aluminum windows with wood ones.

Some contractors sell those windows, so you may have to offer him something extra to get him to go alone with letting you have them. Just remember, those will save you a lot of money when you make your solar panels, so it’s worth buying him a bottle of whiskey or even slipping him a $20 bill.

Speaking of Contractors

Another useful thing I’ve gotten from construction sites is rebar (reinforcing bar for concrete). When rebar gets bent wrong, they usually toss it aside and start with a new piece. Sometimes those bad pieces get cut up, but most of the time they get tossed out as they are.

Let me tell you a secret about rebar, it doesn’t have to be straight. For that matter, it doesn’t have to be new. As long as it can fit in the mold for pouring your concrete, it will work. For that matter, you can also cut off the ends of rebar from concrete that is being busted up, like when they are replacing a bridge. Those pieces of rebar may only be two to three feet long, but they will still do the job.

Televisions and Antennas

A neighbor a couple of blocks away just put a big screen television on their curb with a “free” sign on it. This was one of the old big screen TVs, that take up the whole corner of the living room. I didn’t want to watch TV on it, but I hauled it off anyway. Behind the screen of those units is a big Fresnel lens, which is great for making a solar cooker.

As I was picking it up, I noticed that they had an old satellite TV antenna in their backyard. You know, one of those big monsters that they used to have before they came out with the new ones. I knocked on his door and asked him if he’d like to get rid of it. He said “Yes, but it was mounted into cement and he didn’t have anything to cut it off with.” So, in addition to the Fresnel lens, I got a parabolic dish, which I can turn into a parabolic solar cooker.

Restaurants

Restaurants and bakeries have one thing in common, they buy their ingredients in bulk. That means that some ingredients, such as vegetable shortening, come in food-grade five gallon buckets. They have to dispose of those buckets, which of course costs money. You can easily talk them out of the buckets, just to save them the hassle. Cleaned up, they work great for your long-term food storage.

Speaking of restaurants, another great thing you can get from them is cooking oil; especially from fast-food restaurants. If you have a diesel car or truck, you can convert that used cooking oil into bio-diesel and save yourself the cost of buying fuel all the time.

More About Oil

I’ve got a buddy that goes to the local auto parts store and talks them out of used motor oil. Most auto parts stores accept oil back for recycling. It’s nothing but a hassle for them, and they don’t make any money off of it. My buddy takes a 55 gallon drum in there and puts it beside their normal collection point. When it’s getting filled, he replaces it.

That oil is what heats his cabin up in the mountains. He has a oil-fired heater that he installed, rather than a wood-burning stove. Since it was built before current EPA regulations, it’s grandfathered in. So, he’s able to heat his cabin and has about 500 gallons stored for an emergency; a great, inexpensive heat source that he’s scavenged.

Conclusion

You know, there are a lot of ways that you can save money by scavenging, shopping smart and repurposing items you already have, amongst other methods. Few people take advantage of these ways of cutting their prepping costs; but that’s because few people know how to do it. When prepping always remember to be resourceful and that improvisation is your best friend. Good luck prepping!

Your Thoughts?

Do you have any tips for saving money while prepping? Share them in the Comments Section below!

How To Effectively Prepare Your Family For Power Grid Failure

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Imagine yourself and your family, forced from your home in the dead of winter, with nothing more than the few supplies you were able to carry amongst yourselves. Then imagine being shuttered into a community center with thousands of other families, displaced from their homes as well, relying on what few supplies the government could provide.

If you live a comfortable middle-class lifestyle in a first world country, this situation sounds preposterous, doesn’t it? It is not. Families, just like yours, faced this exact plight on December 20, 2013, when a massive ice storm hit parts of central Canada and the U.S., crippling many cities and leaving tens of thousands without power for days, sometimes weeks. Those who were prepared for such an event, having items such as blankets and medications to bring with them, fared much better than their ill-prepared counterparts.

In today’s modern society, we’ve come to rely almost implicitly on having a dependable source of power. When power fails, it causes utter and complete chaos for those not fortunate enough to have had the foresight to prepare.

What Is Power Grid Failure and Why Should I Care?

Of all the threats your disaster plan should consider, power grid failure is one of the more realistic and among the most likely to occur. When a power grid fails, a substantial geographic area can be without power for hours, days, or sometimes even weeks.

In addition to the 2013 ice storm that decimated power sources to many areas of central Canada and the U.S., there have been several other power grid failures in the last decade that brought panic and chaos to areas all over the world:

In 2007, Indonesia suffered major grid failure due to a drop in demand that affected nearly 100 million people for over 7 hours
India faces ongoing grid issues due to sporadic increases in demand
In 2003, the Northeast Blackout at Con Edison left 55 million people in Canada and the U.S. without power; in some cases, this lasted for more than 2 days
In 2005, Louisiana and surrounding areas dealt with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that left 2.6 million people without power; some for extended periods of time due to the extensive flooding that structurally damaged buildings and blocked access to power sources

What Causes Power Grid Failure?

The two most common causes of power grid failure are system failure and equipment failure, but other events can also wreak havoc.

System Failure

The power grid system may fail due to a disruption of equilibrium in power supplied and power drawn, triggering the line to trip and cutting off the supply of power. System failure was the culprit in Indonesia’s outage as well as in the frequent outages suffered by India.

A system failure can occur at the supply-end during extreme weather changes, such as a heat wave that causes an increase in the power drawn from the system to power cooling devices, or at the supplier-end if an error occurs in regulating the power input.

Equipment Failure

An equipment failure can occur at the station, transmission line, or transformer level. Any number of factors can be the cause of an equipment failure, such as an error in the digital processing system or physical damage due to an accident, construction, or weather.

Both the 2003 Northeast Blackout and power outages during Hurricane Katrina were caused by equipment failures.

Other Causes

Power grid failure can also be the result of malicious or criminal behavior, such as cyber terrorist or infrastructure attacks against a nation or a nuclear electromagnetic pulse (NEMP) designed to disable electronic equipment. In the wake of 9/11, many feared the Northeast Blackout in 2003 was in fact a terrorist attack.

Power grids can also fail due to large-scale electromagnetic storms, an electromagnetic pulse (EMP), or a reversal in the Earth’s magnetic field – which can cause temporary disruptions or permanent damage to electronic devices. Click HERE Now to see our article on preparing for an EMP.

While events such as these have the potential to completely shut down power systems for an indefinite amount of time, the likelihood of their occurrence – and the extent of ensuing damage – has been hotly debated.

What Can I Expect During a Power Grid Failure?

The immediate aftermath of a power grid failure is the loss of power, which means modern day methods of communications, sanitation, lighting, cooking, refrigeration / preparation, and transportation will all be unavailable.

Within the first few days of a power outage, the disruption in supply of fuel for transportation will lead to shortages in other supplies such as food and medication. Many who wait several days before stockpiling will be greeted with empty and pillaged Supermarket shelves. Don’t rely on any emergency services – medical facilities, emergency responders, and public officials will more than likely be overwhelmed and unavailable.

If the outage continues for a week or more, civil unrest will begin to grow as food and other resources become scarce. People will no longer be able to run generators or vehicles as fuel supplies run out, and many will experience a disruption in their finances or incomes.

In the event a power outage stretches out into the long-term, such as several weeks or perhaps indefinitely, alternate means of power will need to be found along with long-term solutions to meet everyday needs.

What Will I Need to Prepare My Family?

The best thing you can have during a power grid failure is a positive attitude. Make sure to do whatever you can to encourage hopefulness and keep spirits high.

In addition to the right attitude, I recommend doing the following to properly prepare yourself and your family:

Create a storage space that can be easily accessed in the dark
Stockpile at least two-weeks worth of supplies
Design a plan for preparing food, sanitation, living / sleeping quarters, entertainment (especially for children), and rationing for fuel and power sources
Store jugs of water in the fridge now to be used during an outage to keep food from spoiling; however, once the water melts, it should be used for cleaning or flushing, not drinking
Store a flashlight or lantern by every bed

There are ten integral categories that should be part of every well thought out power grid failure disaster plan:

Drinking Water
Food
Lighting
Heating
Communication
Sanitation
First Aid
Protection
Additional Items
Backup Power Systems

The following is a detailed discussion of the key knowledge and items to have as part of your disaster plan to ensure all the above categories are accounted for.

Drinking Water

For drinking water, the general rule is that you should have 1-2 gallons per day available for each member of your household. A two-week supply of water for a family of four would mean having 56-112 gallons on hand. If you have pets, consider their needs as well; a rule of thumb is 1 ounce of water per pound of pet per day, so a 20 lbs dog would need 20 ounces a day.

You can further ensure access to clean drinking water by having a water filtration method available such as the LifeStraw Personal Water Filter or water purification packets. This will allow you to draw on water from unclean sources.

Food

When stockpiling food for your family, you’ll want to plan for three meals per day, plus some snack foods for each member of your household. Don’t forget pets – include a two-week supply of food for them as well.

Choose food items that require little to no heating and that your family is familiar with. Consider that cooking requires substantially more fuel than heating; therefore, canned foods that need only be heated are favorable to dried foods that will require boiling. Oversize cans are great if you feel your family can consume all the contents in one sitting, otherwise the leftovers will spoil in the absence of refrigeration.

A convenient option for long-term food storage is to store some MREs (Meals Ready-to-Eat) which are designed for the military use but are a popular choice for stockpiling.

You can check out our Food Storage Guide here to help you decide what the best way is for YOUR family to keep your food supply.

Other key considerations when planning your food stockpile are as follows:

Gas supply lines may also be affected by an outage so ensure you have an alternative means for cooking and boiling water, e.g. a camp stove, fire pit, or gas or charcoal grill
For any of the above, be sure to have a two-week supply of fuel on hand such as firewood, propane, or charcoal
Be sure to store at least two manual can openers with your food supply

Lighting

In a power outage, electrical lighting sources will be unavailable so be sure to have a stash of lighting sources that can run independently of electricity, e.g. flashlights, candles and headlamps, as well as the means to power or light those items such as batteries, matches and lighters.

We recommend getting a couple of Vizeri LED flashlights and/or GRDE LED Headlamps.

You should also have a lantern that is bright enough to light an entire room. Whether you choose one powered by batteries, propane, or a hand crank depends on your own personal preference.

To conserve as much power as possible, consider storing a solar battery charger set (like this solar charger here) along with multiple batteries of different sizes to accommodate all of your emergency gear. Solar garden lights and glow sticks can also be used to light up hallways and other frequently traveled areas without draining your battery power.

Heating

In the case of a power outage in cold climates, conserving and maintaining heat will be key to survival. Should you find yourself in this situation, gather everyone in your household into one room and lay a towel along the bottom of the door to seal it. Do the same for any windows to limit the possibility of drafts. By lighting several candles and relying on residual and body heat, you can expect to keep the temperature comfortable for at least 48 hours. After that, you will need an alternative source of heat until the power is restored.

A fireplace or wood stove can serve as an excellent alternative source for heating. Should you have access to either, ensure your stockpiles include plenty of fuel to keep your fireplace or stove burning. If this is how you will be warming your family, building an upside-down fire is a good way to have a long burning, self feeding fire. Learn how to make an upside-down fire here.

Another option is a portable propane space heater; however, this carries the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning without proper ventilation. No matter what heating source you choose, ensure you have a fire extinguisher available and ready should you need it.

An option for overnight heating that doesn’t involve the risk of flames or noxious fumes is to heat rocks on a fire then transfer them to a Dutch oven or other heat-safe cookware. The heat emitted from the rocks should be enough to provide heat throughout the night without compromising your safety.

In terms of gear, you will want to have blankets and low-temperature rated sleeping bags stored in an easily accessible location, so as to ensure quick retrieval even in the dark. You will also want to ensure each member of your household has enough clothing to cover them from head to toe, and enough layers so that they can add or remove clothing to regulate their temperature.

Communication

Having a hand crank radio (I recommend the Eton FRX2 Hand Crank Radio – see it here) can be invaluable in a power outage. In addition to providing important communications from the outside world, it can also be used to charge other electronic devices, such as cell phones. Keep in mind that cell phones and landlines cannot be depended on to work during power outages. It is always best to have backup methods of communication ready.

bug in plan — The Eton FRX2 is a great emergency radio that also has a flashlight and USB charging capabilities

Sanitation

Having proper sanitation protocols in place can not only help with hygiene, but also boost morale.

Here are some helpful hints for ensuring you and your family can cope with sanitation issues during a prolonged power outage:

Store plenty of disposable tableware to cut down on washing needs
Stock plenty of antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer, as these can be used without water
Immediately after the power goes out, fill your bathtub and, if you have one, your washing machine with water to use for flushing and washing; if you don’t have a bathtub, fill as many buckets as you can from the shower or sink
Find out ahead of time whether or not your toilet will flush without power – this can prevent sewage backup in your home
If manually flushing your toilet by pouring water into the tank is not an option, make sure to add heavy duty contractor bags and kitty litter to your stockpile – these can be used to craft a toilet by lining a bucket with the contractor bags and adding kitty litter
- You can also purchase a toilet seat to attach to the top of the bucket (like this one here), which can be especially helpful with children who may be apprehensive about using it
- When the bag is full, or before it becomes too heavy to lift, tie it off and store it outside
Keep a supply of baby wipes on hand to use in place of bathing, this will help conserve water
In the case of a long-term outage, you will need a means of doing laundry; consider purchasing a hand-operated mobile washer with two buckets – one for washing and one for rinsing
- Don’t wait until you are down to your last set of clean clothes before doing laundry – remember, there are no dryers and air drying can sometimes take all night

First Aid

In the case of a power outage, you will most likely be bugging-in and therefore have access to your household first aid supplies. However, it is still prudent to have a separate store of essential items such as bandages, antibiotic ointments, tools, any over-the-counter medications your family uses, and antidiarrheal medication to help your family cope with the change in sanitary and dietary conditions.

Check out our guide for building your own First Aid Kit HERE, along with a FREE Checklist!

It is also important to remember that emergencies services will most likely be overloaded and response times could be slow or the services unavailable completely. Include a copy of The American Red Cross First Aid & Safety Handbook to help you independently deal with medical emergencies.

Protection

As a power outage drags on, people will become increasingly desperate and the need to protect yourself and your family from those who aren’t so well prepared may arise. While firearms are always a popular choice, there are other options as well. Consider reinforcing the entranceways to your home and stocking weapons such as pepper spray.

Additional Items

Any additional items you pack need to be based on your family’s particular needs. Every household is unique, so make sure to pack items because they are essential to your family, not because your neighbor is storing them or you read it was a good idea on a blog.

Typical items to include would be:

Prescription medications
Toiletries
Pet care
Diapers
Feminine hygiene products
And anything else you wouldn’t want to be without for two weeks or more.

If you have children, ensuring entertainment options are available is critical. Make sure to have items such as games, books, cards and crafts readily available. Adding some special, non-perishable treats to your food storage can also serve as a morale booster.

Backup Power Systems

Depending on your budget and location, having a backup power system for your home can be an excellent way to prepare for power grid failure.

A generator will keep the lights on until power is restored

The most popular choice as a backup power source for emergencies are gas-powered generators. The DuroMax XP4400E is an excellent choice for a gas-powered generator for your home. If you choose to get a generator, make sure it’s installed correctly and that you test it out to ensure you’re familiar with how it works.

Solar panels are a great option for homes with adequate sun exposure and can be used year-round to save on energy bills; however, they are expensive to purchase and install. Off-grid solar panel systems will continue to produce energy in the event of power grid failure. However, a solar panel system that is connected to the grid will also go down in the event of a blackout, therefore installing a backup battery for your grid-connected solar panels could be an option.

You may also want to consider the following, less expensive alternatives:

A bicycle generator can be used to power small devices and appliances; some kits even include 12V battery charging attachments for creating stored power.
A solar battery charger can provide power indefinitely for cell phones and battery-operated devices.
A portable gas-fueled generator, such as the WEN 56200i, that is less powerful but can still come in handy for charging cell phones or running a small space heater.

Conclusion

As our reliance on electrical devices and appliances grows, the need to have a solid plan prepared in case of power grid failure becomes ever more pressing. As the ice storm of 2013 demonstrated, going without power for even several days can have devastating effects.

While power grid failure may be one of the more likely disaster scenarios, it is by no means any less calamitous than other scenarios. Use the advice and tips provided in this article to ensure you and your family will stand a fighting chance should you be faced with having to survive without power for a prolonged period of time.

Above all else, remember to maintain a positive attitude and that chance favors the well-prepared!

Your Thoughts?

What do you do to prepare your family for a power grid failure? What do you see as the biggest challenge to getting prepared? Let us know in the Comments Section below, thanks!

Get Home Bag List – How To Make The Best Kit For YOUR Needs

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Jackson maneuvered his way swiftly through the crowded sidewalk, running as fast as he could, his briefcase in one hand and his get home bag in the other – the two things he never left home without.

Realizing there was no way he could make his train at this point, he slowed his pace and fell in line with the window shoppers and couples out for a stroll. He was five minutes from the station and the next train wouldn’t be arriving for forty-five minutes, he might as well enjoy the walk.

Suddenly, he realized that the entire street was moving against him, and swiftly. The road looked like a parking lot and people were rapidly abandoning their vehicles to flee on foot. For the first time, he noticed the thick stench of smoke in the air – not from cigarettes, but from something burning.

Instinctively he reached out and grabbed a young man running past him.

“What the hell is going on here?”

“You don’t know?” The young man replied incredulously. “There was an explosion. The whole damn train station is up in smoke!”

The young man wriggled free of Jackson’s grasp and took off running. But Jackson didn’t follow him. He didn’t need to blindly follow the panicked crowd that was descending quickly into pandemonium and chaos. He had been planning for just such an event and he knew exactly how to get home – that’s why he always carried his get home bag.

What Is A Get Home Bag?

Jackson and his wife Rachel are serious survivalists. They have a basement packed with enough food and water to last six months, each has their own bug-out-bag, and even their eleven-year-old son Derek knows what to do in an emergency. However, neither of them had considered packing a get home bag until a random car accident left Rachel and Derek stranded on a deserted road for several hours with no supplies and no way home.

To be fully prepared in any emergency, there are three types of bags you should have ready – an every day carry kit, a get home bag, and a bug-out-bag:

The every day carry kit contains items you would use with relative frequency, sometimes on a daily basis. Your every day carry kit helps solve frequent problems that come up in everyday life, as well as likely emergency situations.
A get home bag has the sole purpose of getting you home as quickly and as safely as possible in the event your normal commute is compromised (this can be due to anything from large scale emergencies such as natural disasters or civil unrest to minor inconveniences such as road closures or a vehicle breakdown). It typically contains specific items needed for 24-48 hours of survival and is compact enough to carry with you at all times.
A bug-out-bag equips you for survival in the event you will need to survive for several days or more. It is compact enough to carry, but not kept on your person at all times. Bug-out-bags are usually stored in an easy to reach yet concealed area of your house.

Building Your Get Home Bag List

The contents of your get home bag will vary greatly depending on where you live and the type of emergencies you need to be prepared for. You’ll also need to thoroughly examine your commute and improvise ways of getting home should your car or other types of transit be unavailable. If possible, use a map to get a bird’s eye view and consider the following when making your plan:

Will you be traveling through wilderness, suburbs, or major cities
Are there any major waterways you will need to cross or devise routes around
How many hours will it take you to walk to your house (on rugged terrain, the average fit adult can walk approximately 10-18 miles per day)

For Jackson, who works at a bank in a major city about 25 miles from his home, comfortable clothes and footwear were a must for his get home bag. He also made sure to pack inhalation and eye protection, as these can help in the event of urban emergencies such as explosions or pandemics.

Organizing Your Get Home Bag Contents

Typically, you’ll want to organize your get home bag essentials into three compartments, or levels. Each level contains the items needed to survive for a certain amount of time, with those needed right away on top on those needed for longer-term survival on the bottom. Generally, a get home bag is organized as follows:

Level 1 Items (up to 3 hours from home by foot)

Your first and most accessible level should include items such as:

Item Type	Why You Need It
Folding knife	A folding knife is one of the most basic and versatile tools you can have. The CRKT M16 is lightweight, reliable and its 3" blade is legal to carry in most jurisdictions.
Bandana and / or dust mask	N95 dust mask stays in place while protecting from inhalation of harmful vapors and particles.
Boots	Boots should be waterproof, lightweight, durable, and suited for long treks over variable terrain. The Salomon Men's Quest 4D GTX Backpacking Boot also features a locking lace system for a precise fit that holds even if the laces come untied.
Map & Compass	Built to U.S. military standards, this compass is durable and water proof, with a tritium illuminated display.
Duct tape	Repair clothing or shelter, bandage injuries, prevent blisters. Roll can be flattened to save space.
Emergency signal item (mirror, flare, etc.)	Retro-reflective single-handed aimer for accurate long-distance signaling.
Fire kit / lighter	Always carry more than one means of starting a fire. A durable wind- and waterproof lighter is a compact option.
First aid kit	Basic bandages and medications for minor injuries.
Flashlight or headlamp	A hands-free option. This one features dimmer, strobe signaling, and hinge locks for stand alone use.
Multitool	Cutting wood, slicing rope, building shelter, and self defense, and many other uses.
Paracord	Assists with shelter building, first aid, climbing/descending, securing items to outside of bag, and hanging supplies out of reach of wildlife.
Protein bars	Satisfying and portable. Provides sustained energy and vital nutrients.
Rain poncho	Protection from weather and can be used as shelter.
Safety rated sunglasses	Shatterproof UV protection keeps out sun and debris.
Stainless steel water bottle	Sturdy, can be fastened to belt or bag. Non-insulated stainless bottles can be used to boil water over a fire.
Bug Spray	Biting insects can be detrimental to health and morale. Bug repellant in stick form are portable and easy to apply on the move.
Tactical pen	Integrated survival whistle, glass breaker, and magnesium fire starter.
Waterproof Notepad	Useful for jotting down coordinates, mapping landmarks, or leaving a note on the windshield of an abandonned vehicle.
Work gloves	Provides essential protection. Should be adjusted seasonally in cold climates.
Sunblock	Prolonged exposure to sun can cause many problems. Protect yourself with some sunscreen, this ine is in stick form for easy carry and application.
Self Defense Item	Carry something you are comfortable with. Pepper spray is a good option for people who do not want to carry a firearm and/or have a smaller frame.
Hat	Keep the sun out of your eyes and off your head to reduce fatigue.
Cash	I suggest carrying $500 cash in small denominations as emergency money. You never know when you may need to pay your way around an obstacle.
Change of clothes	These should be rotated seasonally. Dry clothes will keep you warm and enable you to travel further in an unfavorable climate.

Level 2 Items (up to 12 hours from home on foot)

The middle level of your pack should include items you’ll need if you’re more than a few hours from home, such as:

Item Type	Why You Need It
Emergency radio	National weather and alerts to stay informed and aid in strategic planning. Also provides emergency power for handheld devices.
Hygiene kit	Beneficial to morale and personal comfort, as well as overall health.
Water filter / purification tablets	Eliminate risk of contracting parasites or viruses when accessing local water supplies.
Extra socks	Prevent blisters/sores and keep feet dry and comfortable with a fresh change of socks. If you expect to have to walk for long distances it is worth investing in a pair or 2 of hiking socks.
Spare Batteries	These are good for barter, in addition to keeping your gadgets powered.
Extra Layer Of Clothes to Keep warm and/or dry	Layering is an essential skill for maintaining an optimal core temperature when hiking in any climate.

Level 3 Items (up to 48 hours from home on foot)

The third level should contain items needed for being on foot for more than a day, including:

Item Type	Why You Need It
Fixed blade knife	Heavy duty for handling hard use, full tang with glass breaker in pommel, flat ground drop point edge for easy maintenance.
Emergency blanket / sleeping bag or Bivvy Sack	Overnight protection from cold temperatures, ultralight yet durable material, reflects 90% of body heat.
Advanced first aid kit	Wide assortment of gauze and bandages as well as a trauma pad, moleskin, cold pack, and basic instruments to handle any personal injury.
Collapsible Walking sticks (to help ease strain from knees)	Ease strain on knees for extended travel on foot. Folds to 12" and adjusts from 48" to 53" for comfort.
Additional protein / energy bars	Maintain energy with a variety of nutrition-rich bars.
Glowsticks (this will help avoid using up flashlight batteries while making camp)	Provides 12 hours of light without draining flashlight batteries, can be fastened to shelter or used to mark trail to avoid walking in circles.

What Type of Bag is Best for a Get Home Bag?

There are several types of packs you can use for your get home bag, each with their own benefits and drawbacks. Ultimately, the bag you select should be best suited for you and your particular situation.

The following are different bags that can be used as well as their advantages and drawbacks:

Backpack: A backpack is great for hands-free carrying and making space for additional items, it also makes running and climbing fairly easy. However, it is not particularly easy to access contents when on the move and is not as discreet as other options. For more info on picking a backpack, check out our guide here.
Messenger Bag: A messenger bag is a great choice for easy access while on the move, has many pockets, and doesn’t look like a survival kit (discreet). However, it is harder to run with and becomes uncomfortable over long distances, as weight isn’t distributed evenly. It is also difficult to attach outside items (such as extra clothing).
Hydration Pack: A small, minimalist backpack, a hydration pack holds water and is excellent for walking long distances, as the shoulder and waist straps provide an even weight distribution. However, there is limited storage space.
Lumbar Pack: A lumbar pack is compact and easily accessible with external straps for carrying extra clothing. However, all the weight is on your hips and there is no extra room for additional items you may have with you.

If you’re looking for a reliable bag, the following are the ones we suggest looking at:

Bag	Bag Type	Cost	Features
5.11 Rush 24 Back Pack	Backpack	$$$$	Extremely high quality construction and well thought out pocket design make this a flexible and practical bag for real-world use. Molle integration along with hydration bladder compatibility mean easy customization to suit your exact needs.
Maxpedition Falcon II	Backpack	$$$	Tough ballistic nylon construction protects gear and stands up to any conditions. Compact size keeps shape even when full making it easy to stash at work. Removable waist and chest straps distribute weight evenly.
Explorer Tactical Assault Pack	Backpack	$	Sturdy option at an economical price. Plenty of MOLLE attachment points and straps to carry extra gear. Multiple compartments ideal for easily accessing Level 1 items. Padded straps provide comfort for prolonged wear.
ALPS OutdoorZ Little Bear Hunting Lumbar Pack	Lumbar Pack	$	Compact with mulitple compartments. Removable straps offer improved weight distribution.
Mountainsmith Lumbar Backpack	Lumbar Pack	$$	Reinforced with high tenacity nylon wide. 14L capacity and extra mesh pockets on the waistband provide sufficient storage space for its compact profile. Shoulder strap pad for messenger carry or separately purchase Mountainsmith Strapettes for additional carrying options.
High Sierra Diplomat Lumbar Pack	Lumbar Pack	$	HEX_VENT mesh padded back panel wicks moisture. Multiple compartments and 2 external water bottle holders (BPA-free bottles included). Webbing and tuck-away mesh pouch for loading additional gear.
Rapid Dominance Classic Military Messenger Bag	Messenger Bag	$	Cotton canvas with polyester lining. Large 16L capacity and 2 inch wide comfort strap to handle larger loads. Subtle appearance conceals its purpose.
UTG Urban Messenger Bag	Messenger Bag	$	No top flap enables all compartments to be readily accessible while on the move. Specialized slots for holding tools. Detachable pistol holster with belt loop. Discreet for daily carry.
Maxpedition Last Resort Tactical Attache	Messenger Bag	$$$	Heavy duty water resistant nylon exterior. Removable divider lends to customizing main compartment. Multiple hook and loop pockets for smaller gear.
Camelbak HAWG 100 oz Hydration Pack	Hydration Pack	$$$	Sufficient gear storage capacity plus 3L hydration bladder. High density nylon harness with EVA foam shoulder padding. MOLLE attachments on front panel for additional gear.
CamelBak M.U.L.E. 100 oz Hydration Pack	Hydration Pack	$$$	Separated compartments for Level organization. Compact size easy to manuever thrrough crowds. Multiple hydration tubing exit points. fleece-lined pouch ideal for safely storing eyewear.
Osprey Men's Manta 36 Hydration Pack	Hydration Pack	$$$	Weather protected with integrated raincover. Over 30L capacity rivals a backpack and hipbelt provides support for heavier loads. Airspeed suspension and BioStretch harness team up for a comfortable and ventilated fit.

Storing Your Get Home Bag

The essence of a get home bag is to get you home when disaster strikes, which is why it’s imperative to keep your bag with you as much as possible. Jackson carried his get home bag to and from work with him and kept it in his office. When an unexpected explosion suddenly left him without a way home, he was ready.

Leaving your bag in the car while you are at work is unwise, especially if you park in a parking garage. In a disaster scenario, you cannot be guaranteed access to your vehicle and you need your survival supplies on hand. If you can’t keep your get home bag with you while you’re working, consider using a gym locker, P.O. box, or public locker to store it. Just ensure that wherever you pick is a location you can reach immediately should disaster strike.

But….

The exception here is if you happen to have a job where you are driving around the majority of the time to see clients for example or visit job sites. In this case, you car is obviously a smart place to keep your get home bag essentials as you will be more likely to be near it than your office when an emergency occurs.

get home bag essentials — Make sure you get your GHB right. Don’t rely on cheap, premade junk kits.

Avoiding Common Mistakes For Get Home Bag Contents

Size: Always remember – a get home bag is not the same as a bug-out-bag; they do not serve the same purpose. If the size of your get home bag rivals your bug-out-bag, you’ve over-packed. Only include those items absolutely necessary to get you home quickly. To save space and better organize your bag, you can group like items in Ziploc bags and vacuum seal clothing. By packing your bag using the three-level method described in this article, you can ensure the items you’ll need right away are easily accessible. If you’re going to include a pair of boots, these can be carried alongside your get home bag rather than inside to save space.

Supplies: Similar to your bug out bag, perform seasonal reviews on your get home bag contents to ensure you have essential items and are not carrying around extra weight. For instance, don’t get caught without sunscreen in the summer or warm layers in the winter.

Location: Make sure you store your get home bag where it can be accessed quickly, keeping it near your person when at all possible.

Anticipating Threats / Scenarios: It is crucial that you plan ahead and know your surroundings and what type of terrain conditions you will be facing. An urban get home bag for example will have different essential contents that a rural one. No matter how far the distance is you need to travel, never assume you can make it before nightfall and pack accordingly.

Conclusion

As you well know, disaster can strike at any place, any time. Amid the chaos of an unexpected event, preppers like Jackson can remain calm and use their carefully packed get home bags to ensure they reach their families as quickly and safely as possible. No matter how fool-proof your bug out plan is, you can’t execute if you can’t get home – that’s why having a get home bag accessible at all times is essential.

Your Thoughts?

Do you have an item that you think it ESSENTIAL for any get home bag? Do you keep your get home kit in a bag or backpack that you want to recommend? Let us know in the Comments Section below, thanks!

Preparing Your EDC Kit for Traveling

TSA Restriction Highlights

Alternatives and Modifications for Typical EDC Kit Items

Wallet

Key Ring

Phone

Watch

Folding Knife

Flashlight

Tactical Pen

Glass Breaker and Pry Tool

Paracord

Multitool

Firestarting Kit

Survival Whistle

Checking Your Bug-Out-Bag When Traveling

Want Even MORE Info On Building Your EDC Kit?

Conclusion

Your Thoughts?

Why Should I Think About Survival Weapons?

Survival Weapons You Can Buy

Knives

Slingshots

Tomahawks

Pepper Sprays and Stun Devices

Handheld Tactical Weapons

Firearms

Survival Weapons You Can Make

Bludgeoning Survival Weapons

Club

War Hammer

Tomahawk

Flail

Edged Survival Weapons

Projectile Survival Weapons

Survival Weapons You Can Scavenge

Survival Weapon Scavenging Tips

Scavenging Ammo

Wrapping Up

Your Thoughts?

Prepping For Pennies

Repurposing

Scavenging

Garage Sales & Flea Markets

Learn to Shop Smart

Build it Yourself

Let’s Talk Scavenging Some More

Scavenging Firewood

Scavenging Other Wood

Speaking of Contractors

Televisions and Antennas

Restaurants

More About Oil

Conclusion

Your Thoughts?

What Is Power Grid Failure and Why Should I Care?

What Causes Power Grid Failure?

System Failure

Equipment Failure

Other Causes

What Can I Expect During a Power Grid Failure?

What Will I Need to Prepare My Family?

Drinking Water

Food

Lighting

Heating

Communication

Sanitation

First Aid

Protection

Additional Items

Backup Power Systems

Conclusion

Further Reading

Your Thoughts?

What Is A Get Home Bag?

Building Your Get Home Bag List

Organizing Your Get Home Bag Contents

Level 1 Items (up to 3 hours from home by foot)

Level 2 Items (up to 12 hours from home on foot)