A Subtle Inconspicuous Get-Home-Bag For Urban Every Day Carry
An important topic for every-day preparedness is the GHB (Get-Home-Bag) or whatever you want to call it — a simple kit of preps, supplies, gear — to help you get home.
Get home from where? From work! How many hours each day do you spend away from home at work? What if “something” happened while you were there which hindered your ability to get back home the way you normally would?
We could hypothesize all sorts of potential scenarios varying from minor to worst-case which “could” happen during the day away from home. The thing is though, having a bit of “kit” may help you out when you need it most.
Many, many people work in Urban areas. For those who do, how might you inconspicuously every-day-carry (EDC) this kit to work without standing out like a sore thumb?
Since it would probably be a bit conspicuous to carry a stuffed backpack every day to work, one reader here on MSB recently emailed and suggested the following inconspicuous type of every-day-carry bag for the urban worker, and I thought I would pass along the idea:
Computer / Laptop / Tech bags
“These may be good choices for every day carry or get home bags in urban areas. They have multiple pockets and sufficient capacity for 2-3 days worth of food, water, etc, while blending in with what a noticeable segment of the populace carries.”
He’s right! Having worked many years myself in an Urban city (the commute was horrible!) I can attest to the fact that many or most people carry some sort of “tech” bag. Some of them carry a hard cased bag while many or most would carry a soft bag of one form factor or anther – slung over the shoulder.
It’s what’s “normal” for that environment.
During the years when I worked in the city, I went through a variety of these bags and I always carried some “kit” within. I also kept some supplies at my work area too, however the shoulder bag was best because it was always with me during commute and readily accessible at work or wherever I chose to go with it during my work day.
It’s not like you need to keep a ton of stuff in there – although some of us would like to be able to!
Even if you don’t normally carry one of these bags but are concerned about preparedness while in an urban environment, you might consider this EDC technique as an option. Even if you don’t work there and are just going there for one reason or another (a trip perhaps?), it’s a great way to carry kit items while fitting in with the environment.
The last bag that I carried during my previous career was a Maxpedition (they make a wide variety of bags). I still have the bag to this day and it looks as good as new. They are well built and tough! I couldn’t find the exact same one on Amazon to show you, but I’ll link a few others for your interest:
Maxpedition Vesper Tactical Laptop Messenger Bag
5.11 Tactical Rush Delivery LIMA EDC Messenger Bag
So there aren’t too many more words to embellish the notion, except maybe asking…
What kind of EDC bag have you carried in the past (or present?)
What you would consider carrying in such a bag if you worked in an urban (or suburban) area where this is the “norm”?