Get Home Bag (GHB): What It Is & How to Build One

A get home bag (GHB) is one of the most practical: and most overlooked: preparedness tools for working adults. Unlike a bug out bag designed for evacuation, a GHB is purpose-built for a single scenario: you are at work or in your car when an emergency occurs, your normal transportation is unavailable, and you need to get home on foot. This guide explains exactly what to pack, what bag to use, and why every commuter needs one.

The GHB vs BOB difference is primarily one of purpose and weight. Your BOB gets you away from home. Your GHB gets you back to it. Both are essential, but they contain different things and live in different places.

GHB vs BOB: Key Differences

When Would You Actually Need a GHB?

Get home bag scenarios are more common than most people realise:

• Major earthquake: Roads damaged, bridges closed, public transit stopped: you're walking home from downtown
• Widespread power outage: Traffic signals out, gas stations closed, trains not running: getting home on foot or by bike
• Terrorist attack or civil unrest: Public transit suspended, roads blocked, you're 10 miles from home
• Blizzard or ice storm: Your car is stuck or roads are impassable: you walk or shelter temporarily
• Major flooding: Normal routes flooded, bridge closures add miles to your route

Most of these scenarios last 12–48 hours: which is exactly what a well-packed GHB is designed to handle.

Building a Get Home Bag for Your Journey

A GHB isn't one-size-fits-all. Before you buy anything, size your kit around your own commute: how far you'd actually have to walk, what the weather does in your area, and whether you or anyone in your household has a mobility limitation that changes the math.

Distance, Weather, and Mobility

• Distance from home: Under 10 miles, a basic kit with water, food, and good shoes covers most scenarios in a single day. Over 15–20 miles, plan for an overnight: add a mylar bivy, extra food, and a second water source.
• Climate and season: Hot-climate commutes need more water capacity and electrolytes; cold-climate ones need insulated layers and hand warmers added on top of the base list (see the seasonal checks below).
• Mobility considerations: If you or a family member has a mobility limitation, chronic condition, or relies on mobility aids, a multi-day walk may not be realistic. Build your plan around the nearest safe shelter-in-place option instead of assuming you can walk the full distance, and keep a charged phone and any required medical devices at the top of the bag.

Worked Examples by Commute Type

The same 10-mile commute needs a different bag depending on how you'd actually be covering that distance. A few worked examples:

• Walking commute: Weight is your main constraint, since you're carrying it the entire way on foot. Aim to keep the packed bag under about 15 lbs, roughly 10% of an average adult's bodyweight, so it doesn't slow you down over several miles. Prioritise broken-in shoes and blister supplies over extra gear: foot problems, not lack of equipment, are what actually stop most people from completing a multi-mile walk home.
• Public transit commute: Your GHB has to live with you all day at a desk or on a train platform, so bulk and appearance matter as much as contents: a nondescript daypack beats an obviously tactical bag. Plan for the scenario where transit stops mid-route: know at least one walkable route home from your usual line's stations, not just from your final stop, since you may need to detour on foot from wherever the train or bus actually stops running.
• Driving commute: Weight matters far less since the bag stays in the vehicle, but plan for the case where you have to abandon the car and continue on foot. Keep the walkable core items (water, food, shoes, map) in one grab-and-go section of the bag rather than spread through vehicle-only gear, so you can grab just that portion quickly. See the car storage section below for heat/cold considerations specific to a bag that lives in a trunk.

For the actual route selection and decision-making, don't duplicate that work here: our Emergency Evacuation Planning Guide covers choosing and rehearsing primary and alternate routes in more depth, whether you're evacuating from home or figuring out how to get back to it.

Basic Get Home Bag Gear Checklist

If you're starting from zero, these ten items cover the highest-consequence gaps first. The full category-by-category list further down fills in everything else once the basics are covered:

• Comfortable, broken-in walking shoes (pre-packed, not your work shoes)
• Water (1.5 litres) plus a LifeStraw or Sawyer filter
• 2–4 high-calorie food bars
• Printed map of your route home, with two alternates
• Power bank and phone charger cable
• LED headlamp with spare batteries
• Rain poncho and a packable warm layer
• Blister kit (moleskin and bandages)
• Emergency mylar blanket
• $50–$100 cash in small bills

What to Pack: Complete GHB Contents List

Water (Priority 1)

• Water (1.5 litres in a quality bottle): enough to start your journey
• LifeStraw or Sawyer filter: source and filter water from any urban source (fountains, streams, puddles)
• Water purification tablets (backup): compact and lightweight insurance

Food (Priority 2)

• High-calorie bars (2–4): Datrex, Clif, or similar: eat on the move
• Trail mix or nuts (1–2 packs)
• Electrolyte packets (4): walking miles in heat depletes electrolytes fast

Navigation (Priority 3: often underplanned)

• Printed maps of your city and home route: three alternate routes, not just the fastest
• Compass: orienting a map when landmarks are obscured
• Your home address and key waypoints written on paper

Footwear & Clothing

• Comfortable, broken-in walking shoes or boots (pre-packed): the most important single addition to any commuter GHB; your dress shoes or heels are not an option for a 10-mile walk
• Extra socks (wool or synthetic)
• Rain poncho: getting soaked slows you down and drops body temperature
• Warm layer: a packable down jacket adds warmth for <1 lb

Communication & Power

• Fully charged power bank (10,000 mAh)
• Phone charger cable
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio (small, not full NOAA unit) for news
• Emergency contact card (printed)
• Whistle

Light & Safety

• LED headlamp + spare batteries
• Emergency mylar blanket
• Personal safety item (legal in your jurisdiction)

First Aid (Compact)

• Blister treatment kit (moleskin + bandages): blisters are the #1 GHB injury
• Small first aid kit (25–50 pieces)
• OTC pain reliever
• Prescription medications if applicable

Cash

• $50–$100 in small bills: gas stations and convenience stores may accept cash only during power outages

Choosing Your GHB Bag

A GHB should look unremarkable: a work bag, a gym bag, or a normal everyday backpack. Avoid military-looking tactical bags for this application, especially in urban environments. You want to move through a chaotic city without drawing attention to your supplies.

Ideal GHB characteristics:

• 20–30L capacity: enough for everything above without overpacking
• Comfortable to carry (padded straps, sternum clip)
• Not obviously tactical or military in appearance
• Durable: it lives in your car and gets occasional abuse

Get Home Bag for Car Storage

Most people keep their GHB in the trunk, which is convenient but exposes it to temperature swings a bag left at a desk never sees. This section covers storage only: for the vehicle repair and roadside tools that belong alongside it (jumper cables, tire gear, tow strap), see our Car Emergency Kit guide instead of duplicating that list here.

Hot- and Cold-Weather Supply Checks

• Summer heat: A closed car can reach well over 120°F in direct sun. Standard food bars can melt or degrade faster than their shelf-life rating suggests, and bottled water sitting in a hot trunk for months is worth rotating more often than the twice-a-year default. Swap in food rated for extreme temperatures (Datrex-style bars are formulated to survive heat) if the bag lives in a car year-round.
• Winter cold: Water bottles can freeze and crack their containers, and cold significantly shortens battery life in headlamps and power banks. Keep water bottles less than completely full to leave room for expansion, and pull batteries or power banks inside during extended deep-freeze stretches if you can. For the broader winter vehicle kit (traction aids, blankets, engine safety), see our Winter Car Emergency Kit guide.
• Check twice a year: Pair your GHB check with your home kit's Daylight Saving Time review: replace anything that's melted, frozen, cracked, or past its date, and confirm the bag is still packed the way you left it.

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