The Under 20 lbs Get Home Bag

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Follow along as I build a long term plan via Prudent Prepping.

I've written this post to answer a specific question and to be an example for a friend who asked questions about a bag after my snow post (Hi Jeannie!), so I'll be using The Purple Pack Lady's bag as the starting point. It is a good size at 28L, not expensive, and if ordered correctly will not appear tactical at all. Please see the linked post for more information, but here are the high points on the Mardingtop 28L Molle daypack. 

 

From the Amazon ad:

• 【Durable Material】This military 28-liter backpack is made of 600D polyester, and the buckles and zippers are made of YKK.The tactical backpack is durable and has many functions. The back area and shoulder straps use breathable and comfortable ventilation pads.

• 

  https://amzn.to/3to9pXC

  
  

  【Hydration Compartment】This military backpack with hydration compartment space and can hold a 2 Liter hydration bladder (hydration bladder is not included), the tube is fed through the top of the bag near grab handle.
• 【Consummate Design】This tactical rucksack has molle system,molle webbing throughout for attaching additional tactical pouches or gear. The molle backpack also has bottom compression straps,it can hang your sleeping bag,tripod or tent.There is also a patch area on the top of the camping backpack, which can be used to paste your favorite badges.
• 【Waist belt Design】The waist belt of this tactical backpack is stitched in, but you can slide them into the middle space behind the back padding support.If you need to use the belt, you can slide it out and use it. It's a pretty snuggle fit and won't slide back out on its own. 

I've written several posts covering the setup of a bag for the Purple Pack Lady, and all of them could be used as an introduction to prepping for someone who never thought about it before, or had to actually start planning due to circumstances like weather or natural disasters in the areas where we live.

Cooking & Fire

https://amzn.to/33qjXui

A Solo Stove is in this bag now in place of an Esbit that I first put in because I had one handy. While I've no problem with Esbit, a Solo doesn't need special fuel. Plus, as mentioned in this post from last year, the Solo is liked by the current owner, and gear that will be used and that is familiar to the user is better than highly rated, unfamiliar and difficult to use items.

https://amzn.to/3FultZS

Also going in the bag is a much smaller pot and cup combo, the MSR Alpine Stowaway Pot. From the Amazon ad:

• Versatile: Great for storing gear or supplies when you're not cooking
• Secure: Hinged, easy-lift handle flips over the fitted lid to lock it in place.
• Weight: 9.5 oz./270 g (475ml); 13 oz./365 g (775ml); 15.5 oz./440 g (1100ml); 19.5 oz./550 g (1600ml)

I bought the 775ml version, since the pot is light enough and also large enough to useful, but not take up very much room.

https://amzn.to/3Ka3VW8

I have other Sea To Summit gear, but their X Cups are a hard to beat addition, since they collapse down to nothing. From the Amazon ad:

• Pocket-sized, super lightweight collapsible cup packs that flat for storage or transport
• Food grade silicone is heat resistant, dishwasher safe and ideal for camping, backpacking, or travel
• Rigid Nylon rim holds its shape and provides a comfortable grip for handling hot liquids
• Calibrated internal ridges serve as a measuring cup
• X-Cup capacity one cup (250ml), weight 1.6oz, diameter 3.75-inches

Since the cup collapses to almost nothing, it fits into the MSR pot very easily and with room to spare. At ~3/8" tall when collapsed, there's room for other things in the pot like matches or even flat packets of  oatmeal of cocoa mix.

Still in the bag is a Sawyer Mini Water filter mentioned going into the Purple Pack here,  but on second thought I think having several smaller items carried in a larger, also useful container makes sense, like what was the challenge given us by our Esteemed Editrix early last year. My response on how to answer the Water Bottle/Bag Challenge was shown in this post, and I'm duplicating it in the Purple Pack. I don't want to repeat everything in that post so a fast recap is what I will do:

• The bag has a shoulder strap that will allow separate carry.
• Besides a water bottle, there is more than enough room to carry a small amount of supplies, sufficient to supply one person in an emergency.
• Add-on points allow easy modification of what can be carried.

What's Left

This is the complicated part. In my opinion, the additional items from this point get into Personal Choice territory. Other than possibly one or two liters of water, any new gear needs to be tailored to the owner. Gear such as:

• Clothing. Do you add rain gear, a change of clothes or just a pair of socks?
  
• Food. Do you add a couple cans of chili, or several packs of freeze-dried meals? Depending on where you are and how far you may need to cover, it makes a difference to me.
• Shelter. If you're in a car and not going to be stuck for long (see  my Snow Post), don't worry. If you need to walk out, should you have a tarp or some other way to protect yourself from the elements if stuck over night?
• Tools. Do you need specific tools for what you are doing or the area you're in? At a minimum, there should be a multi-tool of some sort in the bag, which is shown in the Bottle Bag post. Purple Pack Lady has a small folding knife on her key lanyard, along with a very nice Benchmade fixed blade in the bag.
• First Aid. The Purple Pack will have, at the minimum, the same assortment of First Aid gear as in my bag, which is what is shown in the Bottle Bag post. Both vehicles already have larger First Aid kits that will be put into the bags if that time comes.
  

I weighed everything so far and as it sits right now, the Purple Pack is ~4lbs. With 2L of water it's still under 10lbs, so a sub-20 lb Get Home Bag seems more than doable to me, with the extra items (and weight) tailored to the individuals wants and needs.

Have fun!

Recap And Takeaway

• I can't say this enough: search for Get Home Bag or GHB on the blog page and read everyone's posts. Since we all have different needs. there are as many different bags as there are BCP bloggers.
• Have a bag of some kind, with the things you know you may need in an emergency. You never know when you will need it.
• One MSR 775l pot purchased from Amazon: $21.95 with Prime
• One Sea To Summit Silicone X Cup purchased from Amazon,: $17 with Prime

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Just a reminder: if you plan on buying anything through Amazon, please consider using our referral link. When you do, a portion of the sale comes back here to help keep this site running!

If you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!

NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.