The world is a topsy-turvy place right now. Ever since the “pandemic,” it seems like just about anything can happen. People are becoming more aware of the threats that are just around the corner. Not to mention how fragile our infrastructure and supply chain dynamic currently are in this modern world. More and more people are taking steps to be prepared for what may come and are looking for information to help them be ready for the next big crisis. So, this is the perfect time to discuss the difference between bug-out bags and get-home bags.

Bug-Out Bags or Get-Home Bags? What’s the Difference?

There are multiple levels of readiness that the average person can implement. Everything from stocking up survival supplies at home to having an emergency kit in the car. Even installing an in-ground bunker near the home.

Some even have get-away homes or cabins in remote locations they can go to in the event of an emergency. Attaining a satisfactory level of preparedness at all levels takes time, commitment, and money. And like every journey, it begins with the first step.

Despite the ever-present animus of mankind and the horrific events that one person can inflict on others, the average person more commonly faces adverse events that are not intentionally set in motion by a human being.

Natural disasters are a more common threat and include floods, landslides, hurricanes, and, as we’ve seen quite recently in Nebraska and Oklahoma, tornadoes. Other events, such as train derailments carrying hazardous materials, chemical leaks, or fires at plants, also pose a real danger. And yes, there are times when man-made events like terrorist attacks will require us to take action and move.

When we have to get up and go, having a pack or bag ready to go with us at a moment’s notice can make a real difference in our ability to cope with an emergency situation. However, it is crucial to take a step back and think about what type of events you’re planning for. Consider where you might be at the time and what critical items you’ll need to take in a hurry.

BOB vs. GHB

The term Bug-Out Bag is a commonly used name for such a pack or bag. However, it’s somewhat of an umbrella term, like ordering a Coke with dinner when you mean Pepsi.

There are actually two main types of escape packs/bags when considering getting away from ground zero of an emergency. There’s the Bug-Out Bag, which is generally what you’ll have to egress from your primary place of residence—most of the time. Sure, you could also have a Bug-Out Bag at work if you want to make a run for the hills. But you get the idea.

The other main type of kit is what’s called a Get-Home Bag. As its name implies, this bag is intended to carry specific items to help you get back to your fortress.

While they’re two different animals, many people use the term “Bug-Out Bag” when they’re actually talking about a Get-Home Bag. But they are not the same thing.

What is a Get-Home Bag?

The Get-Home bag is designed to be lighter and faster and will potentially have different items than a Bug-Out Bag. Its purpose is to assist you in a fast-moving, rapidly evolving situation. Often, such a bag will be kept in a vehicle or at the place of employment. So, a smaller, low-profile pack or bag could be required.

Most people don’t stray more than an hour’s drive from their homes as they go about their typical day. So, even if they had to get home on foot during an emergency, we’re looking at 24 to 48 hours for the excursion.

Of course, there are exceptions since some people are, at times, farther away from home than that. So, common sense applies when packing a GHB.

Because we’re looking at a pack or bag intended to help you get home as quickly as possible, there isn’t a focus on long-term survival gear. Food and convenience items are also not high priorities on the list. This keeps the kit compact and light and makes room for more critical items to get you back home quickly.

What is a Bug-Out Bag?

On the other hand, the concept of a BOB is a little more complicated. There are a couple of sub-types in the mainstream thinking of the prepper community.

First, there’s the 72-Hour BOB that will be what most people use in a get-up-and-go situation at a moment’s notice. This type of bag is what my family used when we evacuated from our condo to a local school during Hurricane Bob back in 1985.

A 72-hour BOB has more ready-made supplies like spare clothes, soap, water, snacks, games, batteries, toiletries, medicines, and so forth. Since a BOB is most often stored at home, there’s plenty of room available (away from prying eyes) to prep a quite large pack or bag. You could even pack several of them if there are multiple family members.

The other sub-type of BOB is the long-term survival pack that I read about and studied in my younger days. This sort of pack has specific types of gear that will let you live for weeks or months on the road or in the wilderness if called for. The gear in this type of pack can sustain someone long-term rather than for only 72 hours.

For example, rather than carry a limited supply of food, that space can be used for a fishing kit, trapping and snaring materials, and even a compact .22 firearm with ammunition. Instead of a box of matches, a substantial ferro rod is good for hundreds or thousands of strikes.

Generally speaking, more tools will be carried in the long-term bag for foraging, cutting, chopping, crafting, building, and harvesting game.

The Reality of “Bugging Out”

Make no mistake, though, the long-term BOB is nothing more than fantasy for 99.5 percent of people. It requires extensive knowledge and a vast array of skills to survive in that fashion for any significant duration.

To have any real chance of making it in those conditions requires years of experience and an intimate knowledge of the outdoors. What tree provides the best fire-making resin and glue? What plants, berries, and mushrooms are safe to eat? How do you make flour from acorns? How do you preserve meat from game? What’s the best location/terrain to build a shelter?

In the middle of an emergency is not the time to start your outdoors education.

Content Matters

The GHB and the BOB have different missions and are deployed at different locations. So, we thought we’d offer up some suggestions as to what could be kept in each to complete those missions.

For the BOB, we’ll focus on the 72-hour bag intended for the average person to evacuate from one location to another. Spend a little time finding a quality bag or pack for your needs. Do your research, read the reviews, and make sure it’s a quality product that will hold up to being carried, dragged, knocked around, and won’t blow out at the seams.

A lot of the same gear will be carried in both the GHB and the BOB. However, a BOB will probably have more space available since it’s stored at home. The GHB will be leaner and meaner and may have more gear to sustain you on the run. It will help you scavenge and deal with adverse environmental conditions, whether it’s dealing with a power outage, hazardous conditions, or just sleeping outdoors.

As always, the suggestions for each type of bag are just that—suggestions. The following isn’t chiseled in stone and can be modified to adapt to your particular situation. It’s just food for thought to help you take the first step in preparing to deal with the unexpected.

Get-Home Bag

Wearables (In or kept with the GHB)

• Comfortable and sturdy footwear
• Season-appropriate clothing (update throughout the year)
• Rain gear
• Hats/head coverings
• Sunglasses
• Gloves
• Extra socks

Shelter/Warmth

• Ultralight/compact tarp or bivy-style tent
• Quality Mylar survival blanket (no cheap 99 cent specials)
• Fire Kit including at least a couple of ways to start a fire (lighter, matches, ferro rod, etc.)
• Adequate supply of quality tinder.

Hydration/Food

• Minimum of 1-2 liters of water (in reusable bottle or container)
• Small pot or stainless-steel bottle for boiling
• Purification tablets or a compact water purifier such as a Sawyer Mini Filter.
• Energy bars, emergency rations like Datrex bars, candy bars, and trail mix, (more for morale and abating hunger pangs)
• Tea, instant coffee packets, bouillon cubes, or cocoa
• Energy gel packets or peanut butter (calorie-dense) for on-the-go movement with little food.
• Electrolyte packets to facilitate proper hydration

First Aid/Hygiene

• Quality compact trauma kit/IFAK
• Lip Balm or Chapstick
• Moleskin/duct tape for blisters
• Toilet paper and/or wet wipes (can also be used for freshening up)
• Band-Aids, Ibuprofen or aspirin

***Since the GHB is designed for 24-48 hours, items like deodorant, toothpaste, razors, and so forth are not absolute necessities. But feel free to pack what you like as weight and space allow.

Vital Personal Needs

• Medications
• Spare glasses or contact lenses and solution
• Epi-Pens
• Glucose tablets
• Anything you require to function on a daily basis

Tools/Miscellaneous

• Quality fixed blade knife
• Quality folding saw like a Silky Saw or Laplander folding saw
• Quality multi-tool
• Hatchet
• Small bolt cutters for fencing
• Quality LED flashlight/headlamp
• Paracord
• 4-Way Silcock key
• Glass breaker
• Seat belt cutter
• Duct tape
• NP95/P100 mask
• Work gloves
• Pry tool
• Pocket knife/backup knife
• Couple of large bandanas
• Rope/cordage

Navigation/Signaling

• Compass/GPS (for navigation and charting alternate routes)
• Local area maps
• Notepad and pen/pencil
• Signal mirror
• Survival whistle
• Sharpie marker
• Chalk for marking routes/communicating

Communications

• Spare cell phone
• Portable ham radio
• Portable emergency AM/FM/SW radio
• Portable scanner

Logistical/Support Items

• Solar charger
• Battery bank w/appropriate cables
• Emergency cash (include $1 bills for vending machines)
• Rolls of quarters for vending machines
• Prepaid credit card
• Spare batteries for gear

Self-Defense

• Pistol/Revolver (if allowed)
• Pepper spray
• Spare ammunition and magazines/speed loaders
• Sturdy and comfortable belt/holster/magazine carrier

Bug-Out Bag (72-Hour Version)

A Bug-Out Bag (72-hour Version) may contain similar items to those in a Get-Home Bag. But it will contain more ready-made supplies to sustain you for a longer period of time. Since it is generally stored at home, it can be larger. However, it still needs to be light enough to be comfortably carried.

If there are multiple family members, the burden can be shared. With proper planning, larger and more substantial items can be packed. For instance, one family member could carry a backpacking tent instead of just a tarp, and another could carry a stove and cook set. Yet another could carry the needed supplies for a pet, such as food, a foldable bowl, and any medications.

Since this pack is more for evacuating and scavenging along the way—rather than getting home—some of the tools listed for the GHB are left out of the BOB. This makes room for more clothing, hygiene products, leisure items for kids, and extra food and water.

Feel free to make those tools part of your BOB as well but keep weight in mind. In fact, since the BOB includes more items to sustain you longer, think like an ultra-light backpacker.

Try to shave weight by using gear or tools that can do multiple things instead of just one. Look for items that are smaller and lighter, like travel-sized toiletries, rather than the full-sized variety. This way you can carry more of the critical stuff.

Wearables

Aside from just getting dirty and smelly during an adverse event, clothing can become torn or even contaminated.

When you head out the door, make sure your BOB includes:

• Comfortable and sturdy footwear
• An extra change of season-appropriate and durable/water-resistant clothing
• Rain gear
• Hat/head covering
• Sunglasses
• Gloves
• A couple of pairs of extra socks

Shelter/Warmth

During an evacuation, you may not make it to adequate shelter.

At a minimum, make sure to have:

• Ultralight/compact tarp or bivy-style tent
• Quality mylar survival blanket or SOL Heatsheet
• Fire kit including at least a couple of ways to start a fire (lighter, matches, ferro rod, etc.)
• Adequate supply of tinder

First Aid/Hygiene

Disasters often result in injury or the inability to maintain hygiene.

With that in mind, store:

• Quality compact trauma kit
• Compact general first-aid kit
• Moleskin or duct tape for blisters
• Toilet paper
• Wet wipes
• Hand sanitizer
• Soap
• Deodorant
• Toothbrush and toothpaste
• Mini bottle of shampoo (optional)

Vital Personal Needs

Many people have vital needs just to survive.

Make sure to pack:

• Medications
• Spare glasses or contact lenses
• Contact solution
• Epi-Pens
• Glucose tablets
• Medical equipment such as glucose monitors
• Anything else required to function on a daily basis

Tools/Miscellaneous

Despite evacuating from home rather than working from a remote location where more scavenging might be required, it’s important to have a few tools on hand just in case.

Make sure to pack:

• A fixed blade knife
• Pocketknife
• Multi-tool
• LED flashlight/headlamp

Don’t skimp in this area. Buy quality tools and skip the bargain basement junk.

Also have:

• Emergency candles
• Paracord
• Duct tape
• P-38 can opener
• NP95/P100 mask
• A couple of large bandanas.

Navigation/Signaling

Hopefully, your evacuation will be a short move to a local site, but you never know what could happen. Navigating your area competently, selecting alternate routes, and signaling for help may maximize your ability to survive a disaster.

For your BOB, squirrel away:

• Compass and/or GPS
• Local area maps
• Notepad and pen/pencil
• Signal mirror
• Survival whistle.

Communications

Staying informed and in touch keeps you up to date with critical intel and allows you to reach out to your social support system.

Make sure to include:

• Spare cell phone or satellite phone
• Portable ham radio or an emergency AM/FM, SW radio
• Portable scanner

A PLB (Personal Locator Beacon) is a great tool for remote areas where one might be stranded in an evacuation situation. It can be used via satellite to alert rescue teams and provide one’s location.

Logistical/Support Items

Some items are needed to complement the rest of your gear or to facilitate your transition.

These can include:

• Solar charger and/or battery bank with appropriate cables for your devices
• Emergency cash, including $1 bills and rolls of quarters for vending machines
• Backup prepaid credit card
• Spare batteries for gear like flashlights and radios

Where possible, consolidate spares by using as many electronic items as possible that use the same type of batteries.

Documents/Records

In the event of your home being destroyed, having vital documents on hand will be critical to getting your family on the road to rebuilding your life.

Keep copies of:

• Your driver’s license
• Passport
• Copies of insurance cards, deeds, wills, and important medical records
• Try to have a spare certified birth certificate tucked away to help you obtain new credentials.

Have a list of all of your financial accounts with contact numbers and account numbers for credit cards and banks. Likewise, have a list of names and phone numbers of friends and family, schools, insurance companies, and creditors like the mortgage holder.

Also, a list of prescriptions, including dosages, could get you back on track fast with any health problems.

Self-Defense

Emergency events bring out the best and the worst in people. Being properly prepared requires having a way to defend yourself at all times.

If possible, have a pistol or revolver if it is allowed in your area or in an emergency shelter. Supplement that with pepper spray, spare ammunition, magazines/speed loaders, and a sturdy, comfortable belt/holster combo with a magazine/speed loader carrier.

Leisure/Entertainment

Evacuation to another location could have you sitting around for days on end in a shelter or someone else’s home. To occupy children during idle hours, have things on hand to occupy them such as crayons, coloring books, games, a deck of cards, and small toys.

Mobile electronic games or phones provide entertainment for hours on end. However, they require recharging to continue operating. Plan accordingly and make sure to bring along the requisite charging cables.

Hydration/Food (More substantial for BOB)

More emphasis will be placed on the hydration and food portion of the 72-Hour BOB. You’ll want to have more water, say a minimum of 3 to 4 liters per person. You’ll still want to have a small pot or stainless-steel bottle for boiling water, just in case. But since the pack is larger, you may also opt to have a compact backpacking stove with appropriate fuel.

In case water isn’t handed out during the crisis, you’ll want to have a couple of purification methods on hand. This can include tablets and a water filter such as the Sawyer Mini Filter.

There are different kinds of food to pack in your BOB to last you for three to seven days. Try to include some calorie-dense foods to keep the energy up. Throw in a supply of ready-to-eat food like jerky, energy/protein bars, dehydrated fruits, nuts, trail mix, tins of sardines, and emergency rations like Datrex bars.

MREs are self-contained and require no additional water but are more expensive. However, easy-to-prepare, long-shelf-life foods like soups, pastas, oatmeal, rice, or dehydrated backpacking meals are relatively inexpensive. They take a little extra time and water to prepare. However, they go a long way in providing the comforting feeling of a hot meal.

If you do have a way to heat water, then tea, coffee, cocoa, or bouillon cubes are also relaxing and fill the soul. If not, you could pack some flavored drink-mix powder packets to add to your water for a little variety.

And don’t forget to include stuff for your family pet, such as food, treats, and a foldable food/water bowl.

Supplemental Gear

If you’re interested in more long-term solutions for food procurement and think there’s a chance you’ll be in the wild rather than in a shelter, you could opt for some other items.

Such items could include:

• Decent fishing kit
• Pre-made snares or materials for making snares
• Slingshot or even a .22 pistol for small game
• Pruning shears
• Lightweight, foldable possibles bag for foraging plants, mushrooms, nuts, and berries

If hitting the trail might be a possibility, you could always pack these items in a supplemental kit to throw into your BOB at a moment’s notice if necessary. At least that gives you options if and when the moment arrives that you need to get up and move.

Since the BOB will be used to evacuate from home, you will likely use your vehicle to travel. The vehicle can also be stocked with even more critical supplies to supplement what’s in the BOB. This will help maximize the user’s chances of safely riding out the emergency.

Final Thoughts

The contents of the GHB and BOB are very similar and overlap quite a bit in some areas. In fact, depending on your situation, some of the gear in one bag may work in the other bag.

For example, the scavenging and escape tools in the GHB might serve you well in the BOB. Likewise, you might want extra food or a complete packet of your personal documents and records in your GHB.

It’s up to you to analyze the possibilities of the situations you could potentially be in. Then you need to prioritize the gear according to your particular situation. While there are plenty of suggestions above, it’s up to you to tailor the BOB or GHB to your skillset and your family’s needs.

With a little research and proper planning, you’ll be well on your way to being able to face adverse events with both efficiency and speed.