A while ago I started putting together a couple of evacuation bags. I don’t know why I started doing this. It seemed fun? I decided I would raffle them off. But I also promised I would describe what was in them.
They were put together over a long period of time, with items picked up on clearance and things I had lying around; I didn’t buy everything at once. A good evacuation bag can be a significant investment so feel free to take your time building it and upgrading the gear inside. I’ve written further explanations about most of the items I included and a few I didn’t include; if you’re interested in detail then jump straight to the notes section.
Without further ado, the go-bags I made:
- Backpack (The Warehouse)
- Dry-bag (Macpac, probably? May have been Kathmandu, Bivouac, or Mountain Warehouse)
- Roll of black rubbish bags (one of these can double as your pack liner/dry-bag if you want; buy from any supermarket)
- Small first aid kit (CHRISTCHURCH ONLY; apparently first aid kits are restricted items and NZ Post don’t want to carry them. Who knew?)
- Soft/collapsible 1L water flask (Hydrapak)
- Head torch (Bunnings)
- Paracord on a carabiner (Gearshop)
- Weatherproof notebook (that’s a really good question, I have a bunch of these but do I remember where I got them? of course not)
- Whistle (Gearshop)
- Multi charging cable (PB Tech)
- Powerbank (PB Tech)(CHRISTCHURCH ONLY; restricted from post)
- Small card game (The Warehouse)
- Waterproof document pouch (picked these up free as a promo item)
- USB stick (I paid way too much for these; don’t do what I did, which is grab the first ones you see)
- Neck gaiter (Snood)
- Sunscreen (supermarket or pharmacy)
- Tissues (supermarket multipack)
- Face masks (Grace and August)
- Water purification tablets
- Nail clippers (trust me on this)
- Emergency poncho
Notes
The Backpack
This was just a cheap bag to hold everything. For an evacuation bag I recommend not going for the cheapest you can get. Splash out for a better quality backpack that will be comfortable to wear and carry. You might be able to pick up a decent tramping backpack at a market or second-hand shop.
Pack liner
Just use one of the big black rubbish bags; you’re (hopefully) not using this pack every day so it doesn’t need to be really durable. If you have a dry bag spare or can get one cheap, sure, use it, but don’t feel that it’s critical. You just want something to keep the rain off your gear if it’s a severe weather event or flood.
First Aid kit
How extensive you want your first aid kit to be is a whole other (series of) post(s). I do recommend that you add some paracetamol, ibuprofen, and spares of any regular medication you take, if possible. The kits I included in these go-bags were pretty basic, but I added blister plasters due to the potential of having to walk a distance in an evacuation.
Drink bottle
You can choose whether you prefer soft or hard (or both); if hard then I recommend metal over plastic, and then single-walled or double-walled comes down to whether you think you might need to boil water in it (single-walled) or you might want to keep the drink inside insulated (double-walled). Or, you know, what you have to hand or what you can afford!
Head torch
I picked up some 250 lumen head torches from Bunnings; these are brighter than the torch on your phone but not super powerful. If you have a torch or head torch other than your phone, I recommend storing the batteries outside the torch but close to it. Bonus of a head torch of course is that it keeps your hands free.
Paracord on a carabiner
Listen, carabiners are useful, it’s not an obsession if they’re legitimately useful.
Weatherproof notebook
Pen and paper is a good all-purpose resource that can be used for multiple things. As we head into a time of more and more severe weather events, chances are that your notebook is going to get soaked. Hence, weatherproof – the paper is specially produced to be water resistant (which also means resistant to some inks). Test the pen you’re going to use with it! Include a pencil if you want!
Multi charging cable
This has a number of different swappable ends so it can be charged by USB-A or USB-C and can charge multiple different types of phones and equipment. I have a lot of these little guys and they are so useful.
Powerbank
Straightforward. Charges your phone, torch, radio, batteries, whatever. Check on it periodically because it will lose charge over time.
Small card game
Emergencies are BORING. Sitting in an evacuation centre is BORING. Staying with friends has the potential to be BORING. It never hurts to have something to do, to while away some time.
Not included
Multitool
Good ones cost money and I didn’t have enough money. That’s the only reason there’s not one of those in there.
Tarpaulin
More for your stay at home kit than your evacuation kit, although it can serve a use in either. If you have room and the inclination, feel free to include one.
Wind up radio
I didn’t want to include a shit one. Again, it came down to money.
Firestarter (lighter or stormproof matches)
Preferences vary and I figured people could supply their own.
Toiletries
I figured people would probably rather select their own.
