A “Go Bag” is called by many names, some of which are Bug Out Bag 72-hour kit, a grab bag, a battle box, a Per-sonal Emergency Relocation Kit (PERK), a GOOD bag (Get Out Of Dodge). Per Wikipedia, this is a portable kit that normally contains the items one would require to sur-vive for seventy-two hours, when evacuating from a disas-ter (however some kits are designed to last longer periods of time than just 72 hours). The focus is on evacuation, ra-ther than long-term survival, distinguishing the bug-out bag from a survival kit, a boating or aviation emergency kit, or a fixed-site disaster supplies kit.
Cities have Go Bag websites for natural disasters so people can take items that will be needed if they have to evacuate. This NYC site which shows how to put one together. The commonality in all these bags is they STAY in the bag, so you don’t have to go searching for an item that you also use when in your house. In other words, double up items if you have to, but do not TAKE anything out of your Go Bag for your regular use. In a disaster, you might not have the luxury of time.
Writers are a peripatetic lot. We like to think all we need is our laptop/tablet and we can write anywhere. Maybe, but we could make it a lot easier on ourselves. I submit that a writer’s go bag would save you time and grief. How nice to be able to grab your bag from the closet and go. This is what I would keep in my Go Bag, assuming the only thing I would have to put in it was my writing device.
Flash drive
Notebook
Post-its
Pencil/Pen/Highlighter
Power cord/extension cord (what if your cord can’t reach the outlet?)
Portable power battery. You might be in the park or waiting for your child to finish sports practice and your battery runs out. (Zagg makes a great one that lasts at least 8 hours for those times there is no wall power source)
Snack, chocolate, whatever, just in case
$5 because you never know when you might want that Carmelizer!
What would you put in your Writer’s Go Bag?
Intrigued by the question I had to go and make my own virtual bag on Pinterest. My real bag isn't far off, just add my Chromebook. Best thing about this post though? Janis is the one that got me my writer's bag. You rock Janis!
I've got to make one of these now. So much fun, but is this another way to procrastinate writing?
ReplyDeleteI don't think it has to be. You could get the bag and put a few items in it and put it by the door. Then on your next shopping day you get a few things for the bag. Build it up over time. One of my struggles is leaving stuff in the bag. I know there are pens in the bag and instead of finding a different one, I get one of them. Next thing I know, I don't have a pen to write with.
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