If you have a Go Bag packed, where do you expext to go with it?

[Hyroplate]

Is it really for very localised things that mean you need to leave home quickly, but the rest of the area is fine?

Because I'm struggling to think where we'd go or how we'd get there, if everyone was in the same boat.

I wonder about this too. Maybe if we had no heating or water we'd go to a hotel? So I guess we'd need medication and a phone charger. Clean pants. We're past needing baby and toddler supplies.

This is all starting to feel quite complicated.

I guess it could come in useful if your house caught fire or the roof was blown off in a storm.

Not so much in a country wide SHTF situation.

If there's a big local emergency that affects lots of people, eg flooding, gas leak etc, they'll set up a reception centre such as at a sports hall or similar.

I'm on the fringes of the emergency planning industry so have been working on all this for decades so am slightly baffled about why people are only now waking up to the idea and are seeing it as evidence that 'they' know that something bad will happen but no-one is letting on, rather than it all just being common sense contingency planning for the worst versions of what could go wrong.

To family/ friends/ hotel/ emergency shelter?
The only reason I would leave my home is fire risk or severe structural risk like a sinkhole, we’re 500ft above sea level so not likely to be flooded but we are on top of miles of old mineshafts and tunnels.

It would be ironic if, having built up emergency supplies, you were then ordered to leave.
For most of today, my village has been partially cut off due to the worst flooding I’ve ever seen locally ( Staffordshire). Every direction but one that’s uphill was flooded due to ALL the local brooks overtopping. The wider area was also badly affected for the same reason.
Our ‘ go bag’ has rain ponchos, battery radio, good first aid kit and medicines, water purification tabs, torch and lighter, mini toiletries, penknife and multi tool, ziplock bag with passports, birth certificates etc.
I could shove in water bottles, a flask, snacks and socks+ undies plus a couple of power banks quickly.
We also have a camping box with sleeping bags, blow up pillows, utensils, stove and gas, plus a tent and tarps if push came to shove.

I’m going to add a written list of bank/savings accounts, insurance details, pensions and important phone numbers. I have an offline and cloud file on my phone and tablet containing everything but a paper copy seems prudent.

I had one packed over the summer for hospital ! Power charger spare pants loo roll loo wipes / headphones. / Toothbrush / snakes / tea flask etc

I know! Loads of posts on SM saying that the government are hiding something!

People really need to have some staples in for even situations where there is a power cut for several hours in mid winter. I live in a rural area so pretty common here.

DS was taken to hospital in an ambulance yesterday. DH put what he needed in a bag while the paramedics were getting stuff sorted. I went over after work with my overnight stuff. Took us both less than 5 mins to pack.
Might take us longer to find the cat mind you!

usually local leisure centre. Although having had several emergency hospital admissions in the space of a year recently it’s come in handy for that.

pyjamas, couple of changes of underwear, wash bag with a few days meds in, chargers, power pack, wet wipes, snack bars or something similar.

Snakes??

I do have a sort of grab bag but it's for family (distant elderly parents) emergencies, when I might need to get there quickly to sort things out for a few days. Just has clothes, meds, water, crappy old laptop and chargers etc.

Snakes? I mean we would want to take the cat if nobody was going to be at home for 24h so I suppose everyone else wants to take their pets.

PS DS is back now but he still has a cannula in his arm and don't we know it.

My car is a sort of mobile grab bag and has first aid stuff, blankets, snacks, spare jackets and god knows what else.

Many people are not aware that local authorities have emergency planning scenarios worked out. I used to live in Wiltshire where the threat to the military bases was real - even 40 odd years ago.
I lived in a number of countries where having a grab bag is totally normal.
I would say: make one and don't stress about it - hopefully you'll never need it but you will always have spares when you forget to reorder medication, lenses; lose your glasses etc. And you'll know where your most important documents are.

Yes, spare glasses are a good call. My old pair always lives in the car in case of emergency breakage en route but I'll stick another pair in the bag. With or without snakes.

I have a go bag, but it wasn't packed for the apocalypse! I've been admitted to hospital when things were discovered at outpatients - more times than I'd like! So I have a small backpack with PJs, toothbrush, paste, eye mask, spare underwear, charging cables, ear buds, toiletries, and some other bits and pieces that I bring with me to appointments now. Oh and a tenner in cash.

Might serve a dual purpose these days, if Armageddon happens.

I hope the trains will be running as we don’t have a car to go anywhere

We all have go-bags for possible a&e visits.

I have a small zipped bag with passport and UK bank card (and a few spare pounds), and extra pants in case I need to fly back to the UK for sick parents.

We've needed them, so they work well. There are stretchy clothes that can double as outdoor clothes or pyjamas, those cheap foldy slippers that IKEA sells, travel sized toiletries.

I’ve had a go-bag for years. Pants, PJs, pills, travel size toiletries, a change of comfy clothes, slippers, phone charger, puzzle book and an emergency tenner. It’s been used a few times when DM was admitted to hospital.

The hospital. They aren’t prepared to deal with my allergies. I need to bring supplies.

It also came in handy the last time we had major house damage. The contractors came in quickly to mitigate the damage, but I had to evacuate quickly because they were going to start doing things that were going to cause an allergic reaction. I had them give me 15 minutes to grab some extras, grabbed my go bag, and found a hotel for the next few weeks once I was in my car.

depending upon what is the situation, if roads were clogged with traffic, I’d be getting in an ebike heading for high ground

Yes, I have done this and think it's much more likely. A bag with all you'd need for a stay in hospital, at least in the first instance. So I could just direct someone to it, or grab it myself.

This
hospital bags are always packed for me and DP

Why put a passport in? I saw that on the government advice as well. In fact they said photocopy of passport and insurance docs. What good will they be? Genuine question.

But do they have snakes in?

No jelly snakes although I do like them but there is a bag of Percy bigs in each.

I’m picturing more a Go Go Bag which has some sort of disco themed frills on it.

Honestly I cba with all this emergency planning, my children are both adults now and I think I’m not biologically programmed to worry now. I’ve packed more than enough bags over the years and I work away from home a lot, but my ability to think ahead is decreasing. Let the younger generation have the water and the tins and the wind up radios, I am content in my attic room with some books.