Packing a Go-Bag (Part 2 of 3)

In my introductory article on “go-bags” (See it here) I discussed why you may want to consider a “go-bag”, what kind of bag to consider, and the first subject of the R3 foundation, shelter. In this article we are going to tackle the subjects of food and water.

Your body can go three days without water, but you’re not going to want to go that long. Dehydration can set in quickly and body performance suffers quickly. There was a fantastic research paper put out by the National Center for Biotechnology Information that reviewed the findings of published studies that examined cognitive skills and dehydration. The findings showed that being dehydrated just by 2% impairs the performance of tasks that require attention, psychomotor, and immediate memory skills. I don’t know about you but, if I were in an emergency I want to be as sharp as I can be.

So, now that we have established that hydration is important; I recommend one or two wide-mouth 32oz Nalgene bottles and a wide-mouth 27oz stainless steel Klean Kanteen bottle. The Nalgene bottles are virtually indestructible and drinking two a day will ensure that you are getting the optimal 64oz of hydration. The Klean Kanteen bottle can be used in a pinch over a fire to boil water or to cook. Along with the water bottles I recommend a water purifier of some sort, LifeStraws and MSR water filters are great. I am not a fan of UV purifiers because they’re electronic and technology always breaks at the least opportune time.

 

I usually keep the Nalgene bottle full of fresh water, just fill it until it is completely full and let the cap push out some water as it is tightened. This will ensure that there is minimal air in the bottle and it should theoretically last forever. Purified water may taste and smell strange after being stored for an extended period, but the quality of the water should be safe.

When it comes to water and hydration there is a lot of bad information out there and there is also a lot of confusing information. There are a few simple rules to follow, drink regularly throughout the day to avoid being thirsty and if you only have a small amount of water it is best to drink it all at once vs. rationing it out throughout the day. The reason being is that your body will perform better for a longer period hydrated than being in a constant state of dehydration.

I recommend developing a hydration chart to keep in your “go-bag”; Camelbak has a great hydration calculator here that you can use to model various activity levels using your basic features (sex, weight, and age). This is important. If you have to use your “go-bag” you more than likely are in a situation of stress and increased activity; as such your normal water consumption may not be enough to keep you optimally hydrated. A simple reference chart may help you get through an event at an optimal hydration level.

Now, that we have you hydrated let’s focus on calories and the need to replenish them. The human body can go a lot longer without food than it can without water. However, the lack of calories can negatively impact the body very quickly by reducing energy levels and decreasing cognitive abilities. Let’s just be honest we perform better when we are properly hydrated and fed.

As stated in the 1st article, we don’t want to overload our “go-bag” with everything including the kitchen sink, but we do want to ensure we are bringing along high-calorie foods that are nutrient packed. First I recommend keeping a week’s supply of a multi-vitamin in your “go-bag”. There is a lot of a contradictory data on vitamins but, I personally think that in any situation where you’re using your “go-bag” helping your body out with a multi-vitamin can’t do any damage, especially if you are combining it with proper hydration and some nutrient rich food.