Putting the GO in go-bag
Every ARES® member should have a go-bag ready for an emergency.
You can't carry everything and everyone has a different opinion about
what is important. Unfortunately, you have to guess what kind of
emergency you'll be dealing with and which tools will be most helpful.
"It is better to have the bare essentials always handy than to leave a
bulky pack someplace where you can't get to it."
— C. Edward Harris (KE4SKY)
I ain't takin' nothin' that'll slow down my travelin'...
— Johnny Cash
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My Go Bag
Here is what I have in my go bag, which is very much a work in
progress. In fact, I find that it is currently both too heavy and is
missing too much. I'm attempting to keep the total weight low, so I
know I need to sacrifice many useful items others include in their
kits. By keeping it light, I'm aiming at a solution that can be
carried some distance. This is an ARES® go bag, so the primary focus
is to provide communications.
Flexibility
Ideally, the contents will be adjusted for the season: bug repellent
isn't really needed in the winter, for example. Clothing needs are
also season dependent. If I'm going on a camping trip, I'd be sure to
carry more items on my person. If I'm going on a airplane trip, the
pocket knife stays home.
Every Day Carry
Minimal equipment always carried. I find my pockets too full as
it is, but I'd like to squeeze in some more items.
- Wallet with ARES® ID, FCC ID
- Small flashlight on keyring (Photon from Gateway Electronics or
http://www.photonlight.com)
- Pocket knife
- Watch
- Cell phone
- Palm PDA (Lots of good reference information)
- Common sense & good attitude (let me know if you find a good
supplier for these)
I tried spliting things between a "Basic Deployment Kit" in a lumbar
bag and an "Extended Deployment Kit" (or 72 hour kit) in a day pack,
but the lumbar bag ended up being too heavy. Currently I have
something that is a "Basic Deployment Kit Plus" in a day pack, and
a lumbar bag with the radio gear.
Radio Gear
- 2-Meter HT
- "Tiger tail" counterpoise and antenna, SMA adapter
- Extra radio battery pack
- Repeater directory
- 2 FRS radios (one to use, one to loan)
- Soldering torch, fuel (small can) and solder
- Anderson connectors
- Extra AA batteries (for 2-meter) and extra AAA batteries (for FRS)
- VOM multimeter
- Some basic tools (screwdrivers, needlenose pliers)
- Pen, paper
Day Pack Kit
- Compass
- Map
- Matches AND lighter
- Hand sanitizer (can double as a fire starter)
- First aid kit
- Whistle
- Water purification tablets and 1 qt container
- Clipboard
- Sunscreen, sunglasses, hat
- Leatherman multitool
- Emergency poncho (doesn't take much space, but flimsy)
- Emergency "space" blanket (ditto)
- Chapstick
- Snacks and water
- Pen, pencil, sharpie
- Change for phone
- Snacks, 1 MRE
- Throat lozenges
- Metal cup
- Drinking water germicidal tablets
- Prescriptions
- LED flashlight
- LED headlamp (Very handy to be able to use both hands. Be sure to
get a headlamp that has both white and red LEDs -- the red light
attracts fewer bugs.)
- Alarm clock
- Backpack
- 550 parachute cord (the good stuff is apparently the 7 strand
MIL-C-5040H Type III)
- Earplugs
I'd also like to add in, among other things:
- Appropriate clothing, depending on season
- Extra AA and AAA Batteries (standardizing on one would be better)
- Safety goggles, dust mask & work gloves
- Paper and various message forms
- Toilet kit
- Binoculars
- Bandana
- Local map
- Microphones
- Power supplies, chargers
- Antennas with mounts
- SWR bridge (VHF and HF)
- Portable stove, mess kit with cleaning kit
- Headphones
- RF Connectors
- Patch Cords
- Candles
- Electrical and duct tape
- Shelter (tent and sleeping bag)
- Foul weather gear
- 3 day change of clothes
- 3 day supply of food
- 3 day supply of water -- 3 gallons of water, which is about 25 pounds!
- Paperweights, to keep all the forms and other papers from blowing around.
I think I'm going to be forced to a bigger, heavier bag and a faithful
Sherpa Guide to carry it.
Car Kit
There is no doubt that having a car opens up a lot of possibilities.
Keep in mind that what you put in your car will have to handle baking
in the summer sun and freezing in the winter.
- Mobile radio and mag mount antenna
- Temporary antenna anchor
- Painter's pole
- J-Pole
- First aid kit, tools, food, water, etc.
- And at least half a tank of gas in the car
Community Emergency Response Team Kit
I keep my CERT supplies in the car.
- 5 Gallon plastic bucket (the local team opted for buckets instead
of backpacks)
- Duct tape
- 10" wrench for shutting off gas
- Utility knife
- Flashlight with batteries
- Colored clothspins for triage
- Green hard hat and vest
- Safety goggles
- 2 pairs of work gloves
- 5 pairs of latex gloves
- 5 dust masks
- Lumber crayon
- 2 quart baggies (one for the the masks and latex gloves, the other to
hold the lumber crayon)
Whatever else you might have in your kit, add one more thing: an
inventory of the kit. It reduces searching and makes it easy to
restock. You can also record when supplies (food, for example) should
be replaced. If nothing else, the back side makes good scratch paper,
and it can be used as a firestarter.
Your Go Bag
So you have a go-bag right? If so, great! If not, check out the
resources below for some ideas for putting together your go-bag,
go-kit, jump-bag, bug-out-bag, emergency kit, call-out gear, emergency
activation gear, ready kit, warbox, crash kit, grab-n-go bag:
Homeland Security
FEMA
Red Cross
Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services
RACES
ARRL
CERT - Community Emergency Response Team
Charlie Gallo, EC for Queens County ARES®, New York
Steve (KB1DIG) and Kim (KB1GTR) Go Kit
Central United States Earthquake Consortium
Greene County Ohio ARES®
Virgina RACES
C. Edward Harris (KE4SKY), VA ARES®
Backpacker's 10 Essentials (but every list is a little different!)
The Big List
Equipped to Survive
Vito Labella
Silverado Amateur Radio Society (W6CO)
MO-1 Disaster Medical Assistance Team
Association of Volunteer Emergency Response Teams
Toledo Area
Amateur Radio Emergency Service - Official Emergency Stations (AE3C)
Central Arkansas Radio Emergency Net
Licking County Ohio ARES® Page
Ed Ricco N5LI - Albuquerque Amateur Radio Club
Lewis-Clark Amateur Radio Club Ham Happenings
KI4BUM Emergency Response Kit
Gwinnett County Georgia ARES®
Glen Sage (W4GHS) Emergency Coordinator, Carroll County Virginia
Pat Lambert (W0IPL) Emergency Communication Basics
Kenneth McCoy (KF4BQF) Emergency Operation and Preparedness
QRZ.com
eHam.net
Trinity County Amateur Radio Club
St. Charles County Division of Emergency Management
Junior Doughty Fire Starting Kit
Huntington Beach CERT
Tulsa Repeater Organization
This document
Suppliers (mostly in the St. Louis area)
Your local grocery store, pharmacy, hardware and discount stores,
basement and attic can be useful sources for your go bag supplies.
The Sports Authority
- http://www.thesportsauthority.com/home/index.jsp
- 11982 St. Charles Rock Road, Bridgeton, MO 63044
- 1205 S. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, MO 63122
- 13961 Manchester Road, Manchester, MO 63011
- 8340 Eager Road, St. Louis, MO 63144
- 4445 LeMay Ferry Road, St. Louis, MO 63129
- 4025 Veteran's Memorial Parkway, St. Peters, MO 63376
The Alpine Shop - camping, sporting goods
Bass Pro Shop - camping, sporting goods
REI - camping, sporting goods
Gateway Electronics - electronic goodies, including Photon light
Skywavz Electronics - radios and antennas
Uncle Sam's - Army Navy Surplus
- This is the only place I found in St. Louis that stocks
strike-anywhere kitchen matches
- 8380 Watson Road, Saint Louis, MO 63119
- (314)843-2424
- 4110 N Service Rd, Saint Peters, MO 63376
- (636) 939-0001
Moosejaw Mountaineering
Major Surplus & Survival
Eddie Bauer
Walmart - camping, sporting goods
- http://www.walmart.com
- Ferguson, MO 63135
- Saint Ann, MO 63074
- Saint Charles, MO 63303
- Kirkwood, MO 63122
- Town And Country, MO 63011
- Saint Peters, MO 63304
ARES is a registered trademark of the ARRL.
Copyright © 2004 Robert Ernst. All Rights Reserved.
Last modified: Wed Aug 18 00:30:50 Central Daylight Time 2004