Page 74 - Southern Oregon Magazine Summer 2022

the good life | great outdoors

PACK A “GO BAG”!

bryant helgeland

f you live anywhere in the western United States, you’ve probably countless times over the last decade as wildfire becomes a more com-
heard the term “go bag” by now. Personally, I hate it! I don’t know mon aspect of our lives, but I’ve never actually packed one. I’ve had some
why. I just do. It is one of my quirks, I guess. The really funny thing close calls but still resisted. Not anymore… I have now evacuated three
Iabout my aversion to the term is that it’s just the phrase “go bag” that times in the last decade due to fire with less than five minutes notice!
I don’t like, not the actual concept. Once was from home where a fire burned within a quarter of a mile my
house. Once for the Almeda Fire where I was at work and could not get
The basic idea is that you should have a bag/pack packed with some home for over a week due to living and working on opposite sides of the
essential items needed in case of emergency or wildfire. The basic emer- fire, despite only living eleven miles away. And most recently, from work
gency kit should consist of water, food, emergency radio, flashlight/ when I heard a fire alarm go off and could not figure out where it was
headlamp, first aid kit, extra batteries (battery backup for devices), a coming from until I saw smoke coming out of the roof of the building
whistle, dust mask (I’d go with an N95 these days), plastic tarp and duct my business was in. That was the final wakeup call. I’m packing a go bag,
tape (to make a shelter if needed), personal sanitation supplies, tow- even if I still hate the term and will instead call it an emergency kit.
elettes, garbage bags, zip-lock bags, a multi-tool, local maps, and your
cell phone with chargers. Based on personal experience, I would recommend adding a few things
to the basic kit: a toothbrush and toothpaste, a sleeping bag and pad, at
I’ve talked with customers about go bags and what needs to be in them least two changes of clothes, extra pet food and bedding, and an extra
72 www.southernoregonmagazine.com | summer 2022