Bag

Now that Christmas is over and all the presents have been opened, I can tell you about one of the things I gave this year. I have been reading about the need to have a bag ready for an emergency. Now that three of our four children live away from home (two in the City) I started to wonder what they would do if they had to leave quickly and try to get home. For the past several weeks I've been collecting up things to put into their bags. I realize there are many options for the items but these are the ones I chose to make a start. I am hoping that they will gradually add to the bag to make it more useful. I got most of the items from Walmart but a few from thrift stores, the map from the gas station, and the Berkey ordered online. Some of the items came in packs of 4-5, which was perfect for me.

Here are the items I put in the 'go bag' with approximate costs:

drawstring bag (repurposed or thrift)
Berkey water bottle (Sport Berkey $19 sale, online @LPC Survival)
rain poncho ($4.50)
bandana ($1)
emergency blanket ($4)
tissues ($2.50)
wipes ($1)
hand sanitizer ($1.50)
hand warmer packs ($1)
lighter ($1)
duct tape (from home supplies)
first-aid kit ($1)
mini toothbrush ($1)
sewing kit ($2)
pocket knife ($10)
flashlight ($1)
ear plugs ($.50)
rubber bands ($.50)
disposable gloves (from home supplies)
paracord ($2)
compass ($3)
mask ($3)
lip balm ($1)
superglue ($2)
spork ($1)
whistle ($2)
road map ($4)

There are numerous websites that sell similar bags but at first glance they all look overpriced and didn't contain all the items I wanted. My bags cost about $70 to put together.