Go-Bag - our "what if....?" take-along

As is good to do anywhere, we have been working on our go-bag.  We could have a major earthquake here, or a volcanic eruption, or civil unrest.  The roads may be unusable, so we could be on foot in an emergency. How can we maximize our chances of handling an emergency successfully? A "go-bag"!

Of course, the first thing is to trust that Jehovah and our brothers will support us, but we also need to make practical preparation... and hope we never have to use it!

The list below is a work-in-progress, gathering ideas from various sources. There are some things we will try to grab on our way out the door, if possible (the GRAB) list. We actually have three bags, kind of triaged so that, depending on how much we can take, we are sure to have the most urgent things. There are some gaps, things we need to get.

So, here is what we have... at the moment.  How's your go-bag coming along?

GRAB list Passports computers, ipads, chargers Water and hand sanitizer toothbrush, toothpaste bleach sunglasses GPS Map of Guate tools? Sterno

BAG #1 - green backpack

What	Comments
Water	Bottle of water; water disinfectant kit, Biocide, water purification tablets Should have 1 gal per person per day for 3d.  (2q to drink, 2q to prep food).  Or clean water by: straining large particles thru clean cloth, then either boil 3-5m or add 8-16 drops bleach per gallon then shake & let stand 30m.
Clothes	Light change of clothes, hats, undergarments and socks that dry easily
	Blanket(s) or silver thermal blankets
Food – some	Energy bars, pouch of refried black beans, peanut butter, cans of chicken (pop-top)
Documents (in sealed bag)	Will, legal docs, insurance policies, passports, social sec cards, bank account #s, credit card & #s, birth certif, marriage certif. Photos of family members (in case we get separated).  Copy of IDs.
Communicating	List of important phone#s, contact info
	Phone, and extra phone cards for minutes
Getting around	Map, GPS, compass
Money	Cash – coins, bills in small denominations
Electronics	Manual hand-crank charger for electronic devices (phones etc)
Medical	Prescription meds, basic first aid kit
Spiritual needs	Bible, literature
Tools etc	Radio (with hand- crank)
	Flashlight and/or glow sticks, candles with a lighter. Hand-crank flashlight.
	Camping knife (swiss army type) and fixed-blade knife
	work gloves
	Whistle on bright lanyard (need)

Bag #2 – blue backpack

What	Comments
Clothes/linens	(?change of clothes?) including shoes, sunglasses, hooded poncho. Towel.
Food for 3 days	Dried/canned meat, fruit, veg (ready to eat).  Nido (milk). Can opener
	Energy bars, cookies, crackers, comfort food (chocolate, instant coffee)
Provisions, tools	Tape, adhesive, and/or duct tape
	Mosquito repellant
Lighting	Various extra batteries for flashlight, candles

Bag #3 – Roller bag

What	Comments
Linens	bed-sacks (sheets made like a sleeping bag)
	Extra towel
Provisions, tools	Disposable plates, cups, and storage containers and/or ziplock bags
	Pliers, rope, tools
	Aluminum foil
	Paper, pen, permanent marker
	dish soap, bleach
	Plastic bags (for trash, dispose of waste, or wet or dirty clothes)
	plastic tarp, bungee cords or paracord
Medical	More extensive first aid items
Relaxing	song book, playing cards, books

In addition, there is a question of what should really be in a first-aid kit!  I've seen lists with the basics (band-aids, peroxide etc) all the way to a super-complete list in case of, for instance, a "sucking chest wound".  While I hope we have what we need, there is a question of how much I'm willing to shlep on my back if we're walking through the mountains of Guatemala. 

That said, here is the list that I compiled from various sources. We don't have all this by any means, but it's a nice goal: 

Medicine/hygiene	Vitamins, prescription meds
	Analgesic (aspirin, etc), codeine
	Anti-diarrheal (Loperamide), laxative
	Antacid
	Sanitizer liquid/gel
	Toilet paper, moist wipes, plastic bucket
	Deodorant
	Chapstick
	Oral rehydration salts
	Antihistamine such as diphenhydramine
	Antiseptic ointment with bacitracin
	Aloe vera gel, burn gel (cooling, with lidocaine)
	Anti-itch ointment – hydrocortisone, calamine
	Anti-fungal cream
	Face mask, N-95 quality
First aid	Sterile tape of various size
	sterile gauze, big, small
	Petrolatum gauze pads, occlusive, for sucking chest wounds
	Sterile eye pads
	Band-Aids, various size; butterfly closure strips
	scissors, tweezers, needle, pins, safety pins
	Antiseptic cream, antiseptic alcohol wipes
	activated charcoal
	Thermometer
	Vaseline
	saline
	Moist towelettes and soap or cleaning agent (gel)
	Latex gloves, face mask
	Moleskin (for blisters)
	Blood pressure cuff
	Gauze roller bandages (breathable, often elastic)
	Triangular bandages – as slings, tourniquets
	Adhesive elastic rolled bandage (‘veterinarian wrap’) as pressure bandage, waterproof
	anti-bleeding strips
	ice bag and/or cold packs (instant chemical cold)
	Irrigation syringe
	Goggles
	Tweezers
	Alcohol
	Cotton swabs, balls

Here are a few of many many websites with great ideas for go-bags. (Other sources could be FEMA and Red Cross). 

http://72hours.org/build_kit.html

http://learni.st/users/dulcie.wilcox/boards/37844-emergency-prep-food-to-have-on-hand

http://ilynca.blogspot.com/2014/02/missionary-on-go.html