Get-Home Bag vs 72-Hour Evacuation Backpack: UK Checklist and Gear

A get-home bag and a 72-hour evacuation bag solve different problems. A get-home bag helps you manage an unexpected journey back to a safe place when transport fails. A 72-hour evacuation bag helps you leave quickly when authorities advise it, get to safe accommodation, and manage personal essentials while arrangements are made. Neither bag requires military-style equipment or encourages travelling on foot through dangerous conditions.

For most households, British Red Cross emergency-kit guidance is a sound starting point. Prepare for the people who actually use the bag, not an imaginary average person. Go Prepare stocks some of the optional equipment below on backorder; items such as medicines, documents and food may be better sourced locally.

Before choosing a bug-out bag: compare the safety of staying home with the risks of travelling. Check fuel, routes, your backup destination and a dependable supply plan. Read our Stay or Go guide on realistic winter survival, growing food and trusted support.

1. The difference: get home, evacuate, or stay home

Safety first: follow police, local council and emergency-service instructions about evacuation, shelter and road closures. Never delay leaving immediate danger to pack or collect equipment. Do not assume a walking route is safe after floods, severe weather or civil emergencies.

2. Get-home bag checklist — practical, compact, carryable

For many adults, a roughly 20–30L civilian daypack is a sensible starting point; this is a suggested size, not an official standard. Keep essentials reachable and test the actual loaded weight.

• Route and information: phone, offline route map or paper map, emergency numbers, transport alternatives and a simple check-in plan.
• Power and light: charged phone, suitable power bank and lead, compact headlamp or torch; spare batteries if applicable.
• Drinking water: a sealed bottle or clean reusable bottle, with an opportunity to replenish from known safe sources. Do not assume that untreated natural water is drinkable.
• Food: familiar ready-to-eat snacks or a meal that does not require cooking or refrigeration, suitable for personal dietary needs.
• Warmth and weather: appropriate layers, waterproof jacket or poncho, hat and gloves when required by the season, and comfortable footwear.
• First aid and health: compact basic first aid kit, any prescribed essential medication, spare glasses and personal needs.
• Practical essentials: a small amount of cash, payment card, personal contact information, keys, sanitary items, wet wipes and a whistle if useful.
• Optional comfort: a small flask with a warm drink for a planned journey. Never substitute a hot drink for adequate clothing, shelter and emergency help.

Get-home equipment from our suppliers

Highlander Ivar 30L hiking rucksack — £49.99, non-military design, ventilation and rain cover. Ivar 40L — £59.99 if your clothing and personal requirements justify more room.

Kombat UK Predator Headlamp II — £12.95; foil blanket — £2.50; basic first-aid kit — £10.96; emergency poncho — £1.25.

Pocket-sized drinks flask

Kombat UK Ammo Pouch Flask — Black or Olive Green, each £7.96. Both supplier descriptions identify a stainless-steel flask with a lid storage compartment designed to fit a PLCE-style ammo pouch. You can carry one in a suitable pocket or pouch after checking fit and dimensions.

Heat-retention caution: an eight-hour performance claim has not been confirmed by the published supplier specification. Do not rely on the drink remaining hot for eight hours without verifying your actual flask, fill temperature and conditions. Check for leaks and avoid burns when filling or opening.

3. 72-hour evacuation bag checklist

A 72-hour label means preparing for possible short-term disruption after leaving home. It does not mean one person should carry all the drinking water, fuel or food for three days without a safe resupply plan. The right bag depends on evacuation transport, likely accommodation, mobility and any dependants. A 40–65L well-fitting hiking pack can make sense when carrying bulky clothing or bedding; some people will need much less. A very large 85L pack is not a default recommendation.

• Leave quickly: essential identification, relevant documents in a sealed folder, keys, phone, medication, emergency contact sheet and an agreed family meeting plan.
• Clothing and weather: spare socks/underwear, suitable layers, waterproofs, appropriate footwear, gloves/hat as seasonally needed.
• Water: personal drinking supply for the initial journey, plus a realistic resupply and sanitation plan at your destination. Consider each person’s ability to carry it.
• Food: suitable ready-to-eat food for travel and an expected delay; consider dietary restrictions, children, allergies and safe storage.
• Lighting and communications: torch or headlamp, charger and compatible power bank, offline contacts, small radio if appropriate.
• Health and hygiene: first-aid supplies, essential prescription medicines, suitable personal care and sanitation items.
• For dependants: baby milk or supplies, spare child clothing, mobility or sensory aids, pet carriers, pet supplies and relevant care instructions.
• Optional sleep: only if your likely accommodation or safe planned journey needs it. Include a properly fitted, temperature-appropriate sleeping bag, suitable insulating mat and shelter arrangements.
• Comfort and organisation: dry bag or bag liner, cash, keys, writing materials, reusable cup/flask and a basic manual tin opener if your meals require one.

4. Affordable non-military hiking backpacks

Our current Highlander range includes:

• Ivar 40L — £59.99: moderate-size evacuation or travel load, subject to fit.
• Ivar 50+5L Men’s — £69.99 and Women’s — £69.99: hiking-oriented alternatives where back fit and load distribution matter.
• Discovery 65L — £79.99 RRP: adjustable back system, padded hip belt and integrated rain cover for bulky loads.
• Rambler 66L — £79.99 RRP: hiking pack with pockets, adjustable fit and water-repellent fabric.
• Discovery 85L — £99.99 RRP: a larger trekking pack for exceptional gear requirements, not an everyday get-home bag.

Where Highlander shows a promotional sale alongside a struck-through regular price, Go Prepare lists the supplier’s regular/RRP price rather than automatically mirroring a temporary supplier promotion. Specific colours are listed separately; other colours are not implied to be available on Go Prepare.

5. Sleeping systems: bag + mat + appropriate shelter

If an overnight outdoor setup is genuinely appropriate, the sleeping bag is only one part of the system. Insulation underneath matters because compressed sleeping-bag fill provides less protection from cold ground. An insulated sleeping mat, dry shelter, appropriate clothing and knowledge of weather conditions are essential. Highlander’s sleeping bag guide explains the manufacturer’s temperature ratings and system approach.

Manufacturer temperature ratings are not a promise of comfort in every climate or for every person. Body size, health, fatigue, wind, moisture, shelter and the mat all matter. Carrying bulky sleeping equipment for a short urban journey could make your bag less useful.

Choose an insulating ground layer

Highlander Reflective Camping Mat — £7.99 is a basic lightweight supplementary mat. Compact Self-Inflating Kip Mat 30mm — £29.99 has a manufacturer-stated R-value of 3.2, but is only 120cm long; check whether its shorter length fits your needs. Neither item creates a safe overnight sleeping environment without appropriate shelter.

Optional Highlander backpacking tents

For people planning a safe, lawful outdoor overnight trip, the Highlander Blackthorn 1 Gen2 solo tent (£74.99) and Blackthorn 2 Gen2 (£124.99) provide dedicated tent options to compare with the sleeping bags and mats above. These are camping products, not items everyone needs in a get-home bag. Always consider suitability, weather, location and your ability to carry the load.

6. Food, hot drinks and water

Prioritise ready-to-eat food you normally enjoy and that stores safely. A simple manual tin opener (£2.28) may be useful, but avoid carrying heavy tins where lighter, familiar meals would do. A flask of hot tea, coffee or soup can improve comfort on a cold journey without an open flame, provided the container is filled and handled safely. Do not assume it meets a whole day’s hydration needs.

To carry extra water, use a suitable bottle or compatible bladder. The Kombat 2.5L Aqua Bladder — £16.96 is designed primarily for Kombat’s small/medium MOLLE bags; do not assume it fits Highlander hiking packs without checking. Go Prepare also has Highlander household water carriers, which are better suited to static water storage than long-distance carrying when full.

7. Finding food and safe drinking water after leaving home

A bug-out bag buys time to reach somewhere safer. It is not 30 days of food and water on your back. If your journey, accommodation or resupply fails, change to a safer viable destination rather than treating an unsafe location as a survival challenge. Never delay an urgent evacuation to assemble supplies.

Before leaving: identify the first two resupply options

• Choose a safe destination and an alternative. Check the actual route, access, distance, weather, your carrying ability and a fallback if roads or transport are closed.
• Carry a clean, filled drinking-water bottle and suitable familiar ready-to-eat food for the first realistic travel period. Adjust for heat, effort, medication and personal needs. There is no universal amount everyone can safely carry.
• Identify and verify at least one reachable drinking-water refill and food stop, plus an alternative: a currently operating shop, service station, authorised host, accommodation provider or confirmed potable public refill. Do not assume a sign, a map pin or opening hours guarantee access during an emergency.
• Keep offline contact information and a suitable payment fallback. If the planned stops have not been verified, mark them as not confirmed, rather than counting them as supplies.

While travelling: replenish at known-safe sources

Food: packaged ready-to-eat snacks and meals can bridge travel disruptions. Additional meals may be bought from operating supermarkets, convenience shops, cafés or service stations or provided by an agreed host, subject to access, payment and safe storage. Do not rely on foraging unknown plants or mushrooms, unauthorised hunting or fishing, or food damaged by floodwater.

Drinking water: prioritise sealed bottled water or a confirmed safe cold drinking-water supply. Ask for permission at a staffed service point, accommodation or known host before refilling. Do not assume unattended taps, wells, streams, rainwater or floodwater are safe to drink. If a usable water source cannot be verified, reassess your route rather than travelling into an area with no dependable supply.

At a safe destination: make supply repeatable

• Check safe accommodation first. Verify that drinking water is available, permitted to use and not subject to a boil-water or do-not-use advisory. Keep suitable clean containers and identify a second source.
• Find out where food can be obtained again tomorrow and next week: suitable local retailers, an agreed host, a genuine available delivery service, or a pre-arranged food supply. Verify payment methods, opening/access, refrigeration and safe cooking before relying on them.
• Make a simple replenishment routine covering food, potable water, hygiene, prescribed medication and safe waste arrangements. A 7-, 30- or 90-day planning horizon is a continuity goal, not a claim that a backpack carries that many days of supplies.
• For a planned lawful off-grid location, establish a reliable supply before travelling: permitted water access, hazard-appropriate treatment, safe storage, a workable food supply, and a restocking route. Gardening takes time to yield food, and wild food or fish is not a dependable emergency plan.

If usual water, shops or assistance are unavailable

Plan without assuming that a reception centre, government distribution point, charity, water bowser or shop will have food or water ready for you. Check legitimate help if available, but have another lawful, safe destination or alternative source. If you cannot obtain safe food and drinking water, your chosen location needs to be reconsidered.

Critical water safety: a basic camping filter may not remove viruses or chemicals, and boiling water does not remove chemical contamination. Do not attempt to treat floodwater, chemical runoff or visibly polluted water for drinking. For water-quality problems, follow the relevant supplier and public-health instructions, including any do-not-use notices; seek a different verified potable source. Outdoor fuel stoves must not be used in enclosed spaces.

Further guidance: UK Government Prepare, British Red Cross emergency kit, Drinking Water Inspectorate: flooding and water quality, and Food Standards Agency: food safety in emergencies.

Choose the type of safe destination — and check it actually works

Before relying on any location, check lawful permission and access, an alternative safe destination, weather protection, potable water and repeatable access to food. For a 30-day stay, the UK Government Prepare guidance implies roughly 75–90 litres of drinking water per person over 30 days at 2.5–3 litres daily, or approximately 300 litres per person including basic cooking and hygiene at around 10 litres daily. These are planning amounts to obtain across time, not backpack loads or a requirement to store every litre. Heat, exertion, illness, children and pets change needs.

• Family or friends: ask whether you can stay, and verify drinking water, meals, sanitation, heating, space and a way to resupply.
• Confirmed official rest or reception centre: follow the relevant authority’s active instructions. Verify it is operating and accessible. Never assume meals, clean water, beds or transport will be provided.
• Forest, woodland or campsite: check lawful access, conditions and safe ground. You need weatherproof shelter, a groundsheet, a suitable mat and sleep system, dry clothing and a verified safe water/food replenishment plan. Do not rely on permission to light a fire.
• Barn or agricultural building: obtain owner permission and check the roof, structural condition, machinery, chemicals, animals and fire hazards. Do not use a camp stove, barbecue, fire or fuel-burning heater inside; hay/straw and carbon monoxide are serious hazards.
• Vacant or older building: do not assume a building is lawful to enter or habitable. Unstable floors, damaged electrics, asbestos, mould, poor ventilation and unsafe water can make it dangerous; use safe accommodation instead.

Water collection, safe treatment and staying warm

Use confirmed safe mains drinking water or sealed bottles where possible. Rainwater, wells, springs, rivers and streams may contain germs or hazardous chemicals: identify the source risks first, then use a verified treatment suited to those risks. For microbiologically unsafe water from a source assessed free of chemical pollution, bringing clear water to a rolling boil for at least one minute kills germs. A portable filter may not remove viruses. Boiling, filtering or tablets cannot reliably make chemically contaminated or floodwater safe; use another potable source. Keep treated water in clean food-safe containers separate from untreated water.

To stay warm and dry, prioritise a weatherproof safe shelter, waterproof outer layer, dry spare socks and clothing, suitable sleeping-bag rating, insulated sleeping mat and wind protection. Only use safe heating for the actual location. An outdoor open fire requires lawful permission and safe conditions and must not be relied on for survival. Never use fuel-burning appliances in tents or enclosed buildings. Plan a reliable food resupply through operating shops, safe stored food, a pre-arranged host or a verified delivery route; wild mushrooms, unknown plants, hunting or fishing are not dependable emergency food sources.

8. Try the actual loaded kit

1. Lay out all essentials on a table, and remove duplicates and items you cannot use safely.
2. Load the heaviest suitable items close to your back, within the pack design limits; keep emergency items accessible.
3. Walk a short, safe route with the loaded pack to test fit, balance, shoulder/hip comfort and fatigue. Include your actual coat and shoes.
4. Check reachability of medication, contacts, water, first aid and light without emptying everything.
5. Update contents for weather, household changes, medicine dates and battery charging.
6. Keep a separate home emergency reserve rather than forcing all household essentials into a backpack.

For a tailored questionnaire, use Build My Plan. For home supplies, also see the 72-hour household readiness checklist. The UK emergency scenarios library gives context on when evacuation, staying home or avoiding travel might be appropriate.

Backorder information: The linked Go Prepare items may be ordered on backorder rather than supplied from stock held on site. Delivery time depends on the supplier. This page is a practical checklist, not a pre-filled kit or guarantee that every item is available immediately.

Preparedness guide reviewed 16 October 2026. Applies throughout the UK. Local official incident instructions take priority; check manufacturer specifications and individual health requirements before use.