When preparing a go bag, the first things that are usually considered are food and water. After all, these are things that we consume everyday and are among the first things listed in any emergency kit. According to the survival rule of threes, we can survive 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food. However, we cannot survive 3 hours without shelter in a harsh environment. With that in mind, emergency shelter is an absolute must for our go bags.
What is Emergency Shelter?
In short, emergency shelter is a place for people to live temporarily when they cannot live in their primary residence. In the event of an emergency, this could be a tent, sleeping bag, or car. It also consists of other items to protect us from the elements and to provide some level of comfort while displaced.
Since we cannot always predict the situations in which we will need emergency shelter, we have to consider a wide range of scenarios. Here are some things to consider:
- Will we have to be outdoors?
- Will the weather be extreme?
- How many people will need shelter?
- Will we have access to electricity?
Each household’s answers to these questions will vary. Taking the time to assess the needs of you and your family is of utmost importance.
What Emergency Shelter Should I Have?
Let’s take some time to review some options of items that you can have in your go bag that are both practical, budget-conscious, and portable.
Please note that this page contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something we may earn a commission. Thanks.
2 Person Mylar Emergency Tent
Tents are not only for recreational purposes. They are ideal for emergency situations as well. This tent selected by our staff is lightweight, portable, and waterproof. Another nice feature is that it reflects heat, thus making it ideal for year-round all-weather protection. When folded, this can be popped in any bag and because of its size, we recommend this for car trunks as well. While it comes in 3 colors, we recommend the orange due to its visibility.
Emergency Bivy Bag
Many might not know what an bivy bag is. A bivy bag is a bag made from a lightweight waterproof floor fabric, with a waterproof top. We can almost think of it as a very thin, light, waterproof outer bag that goes around both your sleeping mat and sleeping bag.
What makes this bag recommendable is that it reflects 90% of body heat to prevent heat loss and is so compact and lightweight, that we can have one for everyone in our family in our go bag.
Emergency Mylar Thermal Blankets
Thermal blankets are designed to be reusable, waterproof and windproof. They can also be used for both ground cover and shade. These thermal blankets are highly recommended for both their value and compact size.
Consider the Options
We just considered a few, budget-friendly options for emergency shelter. Because of the compact size of these options, they will definitely fit in your go bag. We are sure that these will work for most people. However, we do recommend that you assess your family needs and adjust accordingly. In this way, you not only have a go bag that addresses your emergency food and water needs, but also prepares your household with emergency shelter.
