The Go-Bag

Carrying capacity is per person, adjusted for who they are — the strong carry more, the young and old less. This is the ceiling everything fits under.

Demand over 3 days is 72 L — far too heavy to carry (72 kg). So carry ~1 L each to start, and the means to make water from what you pass.

• 8 × 1 L bottles, filled at the start
• 1 × collapsible 6–10 L water bag (empty)
• 2 × squeeze/straw filters (LifeStraw/Sawyer type)
• 1 strip water-purification tablets (chlorine dioxide)
• A metal cup/pot to boil in

Treat every drop that isn’t from a sealed bottle: clear → filter → tablet-or-boil.

~2,000 kcal per person per day of dense, no-cook food — sized to your household at 11.9 kg. Pack per-person daily pouches so rationing is automatic.

• Nuts & dry fruit (almonds, peanuts, raisins, dates)
• Energy/protein bars, granola bars
• Peanut butter (jar or sachets)
• Chikki / jaggery-peanut bars / glucose biscuits
• Ready-to-eat pouches; roasted chana, khakhra, theplas
• ORS sachets × 8; salt, sugar, tea sachets
• The children’s own snacks they’ll actually eat

The foothills swing from a sweating day to a cold night. Layer, don’t bulk — sized per person.

• Broken-in walking shoes each + 2 pairs wool/synthetic socks (never cotton — the single most important items)
• 1 warm layer each (fleece/light down)
• Waterproof shell each + 8 rain ponchos
• Hat + gloves each; sun cap + sunglasses for the day
• 1 change of quick-dry base layers each
• A large scarf/shawl each — sun, cold, dust-mask, sling, towel

• 2 × lightweight tarps + 20 m paracord to rig them
• 8 × emergency mylar blankets + 1 real blanket for a child
• 2 sleeping bags/liners (rotate/share; cover the vulnerable first)
• Thin foam sitting/sleeping pads (ground steals heat)

• 1 headlamp per person + spare batteries (hands-free for the night walk)
• 1 wind-up/solar torch (never goes flat)
• 2 power banks (charged) + all cables + 1 wall charger
• Phones on power-save; a folding solar charger if you have one

• Paper road map of the route + alternates, and a compass
• Marked safe stopping points, decided in advance
• Wind-up/battery radio — road closures, weather, official word
• Written route + key numbers + destination address on paper
• A whistle on every person (carries far further than a shout)

• A real first-aid kit — gauze, bandages, tape, antiseptic, a way to stop a heavy bleed, blister care (moleskin), gloves
• Everyone’s regular medicines, several days’ worth, in the document pouch, with a written list
• Painkillers, anti-fever, anti-diarrhoeal, antihistamine, ORS, motion-sickness
• Hand sanitiser, wet wipes, soap

• Multi-tool + a good knife
• Lighter ×2 + waterproof matches + firesteel (redundant fire)
• Duct tape (wrapped round a bottle), cordage, carabiners, safety pins
• Work gloves; heavy-duty garbage bags (waterproofing, groundsheet)
• N95 masks; pen + small notebook

In a slim pouch worn under a jacket, in a waterproof zip bag — because a bag can be dropped or lost.

• ID for everyone (copies + originals if evacuating for real), passport photos
• Cash in small denominations — 3 days of fuel, food, a room
• A little in a second hidden place (never all together)
• Vehicle papers, insurance, numbers on paper, medical records
• Spare house & vehicle keys; a recent photo of each person

Packed for the actual people, by name — never inferred.

• Each child: own snacks, a warm layer, a comfort toy, a small bag, and a card in their pocket with their name and a parent’s number
• Any elderly member: medicines double-checked, mobility aid, extra warmth (they chill fastest)
• Anyone with a condition: the specific supplies, doubled
• Hygiene: toilet paper, menstrual supplies if relevant, soap, sanitiser