A grab bag is simply a small bag of useful things that you can pick up quickly if you need to leave home in an emergency.
It isn’t a survival pack, and you don’t need to prepare for every possible disaster. The idea is much simpler: if you suddenly had to spend a few hours — or perhaps a night — away from home, what would make that easier?
A small rucksack is usually ideal. Keep it somewhere accessible, make sure everyone in the household knows where it is, and don’t make it so heavy that it becomes difficult to carry.
Start with communication and power
Your mobile phone is likely to be one of your most useful tools during an emergency, so you need a way to power it.
Put a charging cable in your bag and, if you have one, a charged power bank.
A small battery-powered or wind-up radio gives you another way of receiving information if mobile networks or internet access are disrupted.
If the phone is lost, damaged, or flat, you may discover that you don't actually know the number you need; we have become very good at letting our phones remember numbers for us, so it is also worth keeping important telephone numbers written down on paper - in case, for example, you need to borrow someone else's mobile phone, use someone's landline, or use one of the (increasingly rare, but still existing) public telephones.
Let there be light
A battery-powered or wind-up torch is useful if the electricity is off or if you have to be on the move in the dark for any reason.
Medication
If anyone in your household relies on regular medication, think about how you would manage if you could not return home immediately.
Keep a written list of regular medicines and doses with your emergency information. Where practical, keep enough essential medication available to cover several days, while following the storage instructions for that medicine. Don't forget asthma inhalers or EpiPens for you and/or your children if required.
A small first-aid kit is also sensible — it doesn't need to contain field dressings, just a few basic plasters, a couple of bandages, wipes, and painkillers.
And don't forget things such as spare glasses or contact lenses. They are easy to overlook until you suddenly don't have them.
Keep copies of important information
You probably don't want your original birth certificate, passport, and entire filing cabinet sitting permanently beside the front door.
Copies of important information, however, can be extremely useful. Paper copies still have advantages; they don't need a battery, mobile signal, password, or internet connection.
Consider including:
- identification details;
- insurance policy information and telephone numbers;
- prescription and medical information;
- emergency contacts;
- details of your GP, pharmacy, or other important services
Keep sensitive information together and preferably in a waterproof plastic folder.
Take a little food and water
A grab bag is not intended to contain your household's emergency food and water supply. It's just there to keep you going for a short time.
A bottle or two of water and some ready-to-eat, long-life snacks are much more realistic, not to mention lighter.
Choose food that doesn't require heating or preparation and that the people carrying the bag will actually eat.
Remember any particular dietary requirements, and check the contents occasionally so that food and drink do not quietly sit there for years after their best-before dates.
Your larger household supply of food and water should normally stay at home.
Add warmth and practical clothing
Emergencies have an unfortunate habit of occurring regardless of the weather.
A warm layer, spare socks, a hat and gloves, and a lightweight waterproof can make an unexpected wait much less unpleasant.
A compact emergency blanket is also a good backup.
Don't forget the little things
Basic toiletries can become surprisingly important if you are away from home longer than expected.
A few travel-sized items might include:
- toothbrush and toothpaste
- tissues
- wet wipes
- hand sanitiser
- sanitary products
A notebook and pen are also worth having. A small amount of cash can be useful too, particularly if card machines, cash machines, or communications networks are unavailable.
Your bag should fit your household
There isn't one correct grab bag.
A household with a baby will need different things from someone living alone. Someone who uses mobility equipment or medical devices will have different priorities again.
And what about pets?
Pets need a plan too.
Depending on the animal, consider keeping or being ready to take:
- a lead, harness, or suitable carrier;
- some food and water;
- any medication;
- veterinary and microchip information;
- a collapsible bowl; and
- a familiar small blanket or toy.
The important part isn't fitting everything into the same rucksack. It is knowing how you would get your animals safely out of the house if you had to leave.
Don't make the bag enormous
It's very easy to start preparing a grab bag and end up packing for an expedition. Resist the temptation! If your bag is so large or heavy that you wouldn't comfortably carry it, it has stopped being a grab bag.
Keep it ready
Once you've packed your bag, don't forget about it forever.
Every so often, review the contents and:
- rotate medication — replace older medicine in the bag with newer supplies, and use the older medicine normally
- charge the power bank
- replace or recharge any batteries
- replace food and water with newer supplies
- make sure telephone numbers and documents are still current
You don't have to build it all today
As with most emergency preparation, there is no need to spend a fortune. Start with a spare bag, add the things you already have, and fill the gaps gradually.