KITS: Radio “Go Bag”

Today we will dive into my Radio “Go Bags.” We will discuss what a go bag is, what’s in mine, where I got the inspiration from for mine, and I will share with you links to my amazon lists that will make searching for everything discussed plus more simpler for you, my reader. I am not sponsored by any company at this time, so I do not make any money off anything you may purchase that I may provide links to.

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Radio Go Bag, what is it?

In short, your radio go bag is the container which carries your emergency or daily communications equipment.   Everyone should have a radio go bag with them because in times of crisis phone lines will get bogged down and make it near impossible to contact your loved one.

With a properly setup radio go bag and plan in place, you will be able to “call” home during a time of crisis when the phone lines are jammed.

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The insperation behind mine

I decided to put together my Radio Go Bag as a backup means to get ahold of my loved ones in case of an emergency.  I took most of my inspiration from the book “Ham Radio Go Bag” by Max Cooper as well as some YouTube videos.  I tailored my bag to the radios I had and my family’s level of experience.

This means that I got my GMRS license and programmed GMRS channels and repeaters into the radios for my area.  I also got a pair of FRS radios from Walmart in case I need to lend them out to non family members for short distance communication.

I also have a number of other emergency frequencies programmed for the purpose of information gathering, like state police, location fire and police, Civil Air Patrol, etc.

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My Go Bag, what is in it?

The contents of my Go Bag depends on if it’s my personal bag , a generic one for my family, and what radio it’s for.  I will cover all 3 radios I have for my communication network and what’s in each bag for that radio type.  As it is the simplest, I’ll start with my mobile radio then cover each of the handhelds.

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Wrap up: why might i need one

In short, one might need a Radio Go Bag as an emergency line of communication or information gathering.  Any time you might get into areas with limited cell phone coverage, it’s always a good idea to have a way to call for help if needed.

For me personally, it’s part of my disaster preparedness.  As well as I have a background in radio communications from my time spent in the military holding 4 different communication job titles or MOSs.

GMRS on its own can make for a fun hobby allowing you to build a local network of like minded people you can learn from.  Then step it up to HAM radio and all it offers and you can quickly expand your local network to a global one.  And having a Radio Go Bag on your person will allow you instant access to that radio network.  Just be aware that you’re not trying to get your radio to operate outside its perimeters.

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