Get Home Bag
The essentials to get you back home safely during a crisis.
Get Home Bag (GHB) Strategy
Most crises happen while we are away from home. This strategy focuses on lightweight equipment that allows you to cross the city or countryside to reach the safety of your home.
Key Principles:
- Know Your Route — Walk your route home before a crisis. Identify choke points bridges and alternatives.
- Stay Low-Profile — Avoid drawing attention. Plain clothes no tactical gear in urban areas.
- Communication — A charged power bank and a pre-agreed family meeting point.
- Comfort & Energy — High-calorie snacks blister plasters and a change of socks.
The GHB is not a Bug Out Bag. It is lighter more discreet and optimised for a single mission: getting home safely.
Get Home Strategy: When the World Stops and You’re Stranded
The most likely emergency scenario isn’t leaving your home—it’s being stuck away from it. I know this because I lived it. During the Iberian Blackout my wife was 35 km away from home when the grid collapsed. What followed was a masterclass in why preparation is non-negotiable.
The Reality of a Total Grid Collapse: My Story
When the power went out across the Iberian peninsula the modern world vanished instantly: cell towers were overwhelmed traffic lights went dark and fuel pumps stopped working. Shops refused digital payments. If you didn’t have physical cash and a full tank you were paralyzed.
My wife took three hours to navigate those 35 km. She was fortunate to start moving at the first signs of disturbance. My plan was to use our robust and powerful e-scooter (Joyor S10sz) to intercept her as it was the only vehicle capable of filtering through the chaos. We remained calm only because we had a plan.
1. The Vehicle as Your Lifeboat
- The Always-Full Tank: We never let our fuel drop below half. In a blackout a fuel pump is useless power.
- Emergency Cash: Small bills hidden in the car for when card readers fail.
- The "Car Kit": A dedicated bag with walking shoes water paper maps and a power bank.
- Analog Information: The car radio was her only link to outside news providing critical recovery estimates.
2. The Interception Plan
- The "Halfway" Strategy: We had pre-defined meeting points and specific routes planned for interception.
- Secondary Logistics: Our plan involved securing our daughter first. Never leave a child in an unsecured home.
Are You Ready for the "Stay at Home" Scenario?
While my wife was fighting the chaos on the road I was activating our protocols at the house. Because we had invested in budget-friendly DIY systems we knew we could maintain safety and comfort. See how we prepared our home fortress on our Stay at Home Page.
Other Story: A Wrong Turn in the Serra
On a freezing winter night in the remote mountains of Portugal a GPS error led my family off the highway onto a narrow dirt track. We were miles from civilization cell service was gone and the fuel light came on. But we had a plan: a bag in the trunk with enough gear to keep us warm if we had to spend the night. Having that bag gave us the calm we needed to solve the situation. The mission dictates the gear but the plan dictates the survival.
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