Get-Home Bag Food Guide: Lightweight, Heat-Stable, Ready-to-Eat Options

A get home bag is designed to get you home within 24 to 72 hours. It is not a long term survival kit. The goal is simple. Carry efficient fuel that supports movement, not full meals that slow you down. Every item in your bag should earn its place.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:02

Food can either be an asset or a liability in your get home bag. Too heavy, too fragile, too salty, and suddenly you're working against yourself. Today we're breaking down smart choices that actually support movement and endurance when you need your get home bag. We're also covering a segment on rodent control and a $50 prepping starter kit.

SPEAKER_00 0:36

Hi friends, welcome to Practical Prepping. Today is June 15th, 2026, and this is episode 558. This is the prepping podcast with no bunkers, no zombies, and no alien invasions. Just practical prepping, where we teach everyday people how to prepare for life's emergencies, disasters, and crises. And we're here to help you get prepared. I'm Krista.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

And I'm Mark. And if you'd like the expanded notes for this episode, go to practicalprepping.info forward slash five five eight. Now let's get into our first segment, talking about get home bag food.

SPEAKER_00 1:18

Remember, a get home bag is for 24 to 72 hours maximum, not long-term survival. You want efficient fuel and not full meals. So you want to avoid some items that would crush easily unless they were packed very carefully.

SPEAKER_01 1:33

We also want to look at some foods that are compact and lightweight. A get home bag is meant for mobility. Now we keep ours in the car and we use it. The greatest place we use it is when we're stuck in traffic when we're traveling.

SPEAKER_00 1:48

Yeah, sometimes it gets slowed down quite quickly.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

We do, and we've used it for that, but it's meant for mobility. So your food should take up minimal space, it should not crush easily, and it shouldn't weigh down your pack excessively.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

Now, probably the most important thing is you need to select foods that are heat resistant. Your bag might be living in a vehicle that reaches extreme temperatures. And at this time of year in the U.S., those temperatures will be well over 100 many, many hours of the day. So the foods that you should select need to tolerate prolonged heat.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

You also want some foods that are chef stable. And we're talking long storage life here. A get home bag may sit untouched for months. So you want foods that have at least a six to twelve month chef life.

SPEAKER_00 2:38

Also, you want to pick some foods that are ready to eat. In other words, no cooking required because you may not have the time or the fuel or the necessary water for cooking food. So it should be an immediately eatable food with no prep. If it requires boiling water, it doesn't belong in your get home bag.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

Also, some foods that are calorie dense. You may be walking several miles under stress. So choose some foods that provide high calories per ounce, maybe a mix of carbs for quick energy and fats for sustained energy, moderate protein. Weight matters, bulk matters.

SPEAKER_00 3:19

Something else to think about is that you need to pick foods that have a low thirst impact. Some of these foods could increase the thirst if you're talking about things that are very salty or very dry. So you need some balance. You do need some sodium for sweat replacement, but you don't want excessive salt that would increase your water demand. Remember, with a get home bag, your water capacity is limited.

SPEAKER_01 3:43

You want foods that are individually packaged. Now this reduces contamination because who knows what all falls down into a bag.

SPEAKER_00 3:52

That's true.

SPEAKER_01 3:53

So it protects the food. It also makes rationing easier.

SPEAKER_00 3:58

And you may want to actually look for foods that are designated for survival or emergency situations because those are going to be designed for heat stability, things like Datrex bars or SOS food bars, and also mainstay rations, because these are going to be non-thirst provoking, and they're very heat stable to very high temperatures. They're vacuum sealed. They've got a five-year shelf life. They're even the Coast Guard approved survival food choice. Now we're going to put some links to all of these types of foods in our episode notes, so check it out.

SPEAKER_01 4:30

Now, Krista and I carry jerky in our bags. So you might want some jerky or meat snacks. I've had quite several different ones in there. They're great when we're stuck in traffic, but from a get home bag standpoint, the reason that we want them in there is they're high in protein, they've got a long shelf life, and they're heat stable. You can get beef, jerky, turkey, jerky, all kinds of different jerkies.

SPEAKER_00 4:56

Also think about having some dense carbs to give you some fast energy, something like a pretzel or some individually wrapped crackers or trail mix, but without the meltable chocolate pieces. If you're going to have chocolate in your trail mix, we recommend it's an MM style. You know, it melts in your mouth, not in your hand.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Yeah. And the simple sugars will give you a quick boost, like honey packets. You used to get honey straws. I haven't seen those in years.

SPEAKER_00 5:23

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:24

Hard candy is good for that. Glucose tabs. I carry glucose tabs in my bag. One because I'm diabetic and I'm on insulin.

SPEAKER_00 5:33

You have to get low blood sugar.

SPEAKER_01 5:34

I can get low blood sugar, but if you just need a quick boost of energy, a glucose tab would do that.

SPEAKER_00 5:41

Something else to add in that bag would be some electrolyte add-ins. These are the types of things you would put into a water bottle, like liquid IV or LMNT or MIO. Some of the things might be powder, they may be liquid, a Gatorade powder stick. Those take up almost no space, but they can improve your hydration dramatically and be a lot kinder to your kidneys.

SPEAKER_01 6:03

Now this next one's optional for some, but it's mandatory for me.

SPEAKER_00 6:07

I bet it has coffee in the case.

SPEAKER_01 6:09

And that's caffeine.

SPEAKER_00 6:10

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 6:10

Now, if you're commuting when something happens, you might be a while being able to get home or being able to get to where you can get a cup of coffee.

SPEAKER_00 6:21

Right.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

So we carry instant coffee packets. And those are great. But also discovered caffeine gum. Caffeine gum would be good if you're having to use your get home bag and you're not going to be able to make a cup of coffee, don't have time to stop and build a fire. Caffeine gum would be great for that. But also like the instant coffee packets, you could carry tea bags.

SPEAKER_00 6:51

Now are you talking about preparing some kind of a beverage, but obviously not heat it up? It's not the best solution, but it's better than C-Wag. Yes. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:00

But at least once a day, if I'm going to have to walk multiple days to get home, at least once a day I'm going to build a fire and have a cup of coffee.

SPEAKER_00 7:08

Okay. Well, that that makes a lot of sense. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 7:10

And if we're staying in the woods, we're going to need a fire at night, possibly anyway, for heat.

SPEAKER_00 7:14

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 7:15

For warmth.

SPEAKER_00 7:16

Well, let me talk about this. Here's some foods you want to avoid in your get home bag. For the obvious reasons, once I go down this list. Chocolate bars. Why?

SPEAKER_01 7:25

It melts. They melt. Yeah, it becomes big clumps in your bag.

SPEAKER_00 7:30

It is not a pleasant experience. Anything packaged that may have a frosting on it, some of these pre-packaged cupcakes, for example, have a frosting. These things tend to get kind of hard and brittle and brick-like. Not pleasant.

SPEAKER_01 7:42

This next one is debated.

SPEAKER_00 7:44

Well, it depends. We've got canned goods on our list because of the weight. Now, there are some lightweight canned goods.

SPEAKER_01 7:51

There are.

SPEAKER_00 7:51

I mean, but you know, use your best judgment. You kind of know. I mean, if you want to walk around with some 28-ounce cans in your bag, you just go right on ahead, but I don't recommend it.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

I don't, but I do have some small, like single-serving pork and beans.

SPEAKER_00 8:05

Well, that's what I'm thinking too. If you're looking at a no-heat up option that can be pop-topped, beanie weenie's great for something like that.

SPEAKER_01 8:13

I can walk through the woods and eat those, not a problem.

SPEAKER_00 8:15

Continuing on the avoiding list, how about those protein bars that have a dairy type of a coating? They also can spoil more quickly and won't last as long. Obviously, we've already touched on this, but any food that absolutely requires cooking, that's just gonna be between, you know, you and your get home bag, because I don't know how much cooking you think you're gonna be doing, but it's probably not much if you're gonna be able to do that.

SPEAKER_01 8:39

Yeah, that's for stocking up at home. That's not for getting home.

SPEAKER_00 8:42

Also, don't put anything breakable like a glass container. They'll break. I mean, things happen and you just don't want glass up in your food. So consider metal containers, thermal water bottles, single insulate, double insulate, anything that won't break. If it bends, if it dents, that's okay.

SPEAKER_01 9:00

If your bag stays in your vehicle, here's some tips you may want to look at for heat. Rotate your food every six to twelve months.

SPEAKER_00 9:09

We even put a reminder on our calendar.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

We do.

SPEAKER_00 9:12

Because we'll forget.

SPEAKER_01 9:13

We put rotate go bags, and that comes quarterly for us.

SPEAKER_00 9:16

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 9:17

Avoid anything chocolate. Yeah, just choose. Just avoid chocolate entirety.

SPEAKER_00 9:22

Right. Don't do it.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

Store these things in the most temperature stable part of the car. Instead of in the trunk, the back floorboard may be better. I was thinking because you're running the air conditioning when you're in the car.

SPEAKER_00 9:36

It also may avoid direct sunlight being down low like that.

SPEAKER_01 9:40

And consider vacuum sealing to extend the life of the foods that you put in your get home.

SPEAKER_00 9:45

Good call. Hey, you know, last week we told you about the ReadyFam Preparedness app and some of the things that it can do for you. And we shared how it provides a personalized risk assessment based on your location. It also includes powerful inventory tools such as barcode scanning, photo capture, and easy tracking for item locations and expiration dates. Hey, how handy is that? So this week I want to tell you about the AI voice assistant. Now, no, no, don't run away from me. Hang on, stick with me now. I know I said AI, but listen, with simple voice commands, you can add or remove inventory. You can ask questions, you can get guidance, completely hands-free. You can even generate meal plans and recipes based on what you already have on hand. Hey, it doesn't stop there. This AI voice assistant can walk you through scenario simulations. It can provide priority insights to help you identify your gaps, the ineffective areas in your plan, and also strengthen your preparedness plan. And it's kind of like having a preparedness coach with you every step of the way. Now listen up. Get the ReadyFam Preparedness app. It's at readyfam.app. You can search it on your Play Store or just download the link in today's show notes and use this code PracticalTwenty. Now let's hop into our second segment.

SPEAKER_01 11:07

A rat can chew through thin plastic in just a few minutes, and a mouse can squeeze through a hole the size of a dime. Every year, families lose thousands of dollars of stored food, not because they didn't prepare, but because they didn't protect it. In this segment, we're talking about how to rodent proof your food storage because if you're storing your survival food in plastic totes from the hardware store, you could already be in trouble. First, plastic alone is not a barrier. Standard storage totes, and we all use some of them, they're chewable. But also be aware that lids that snap on are not airtight. And if food smells escape, you're lost. You lose in that battle. You're drawing the rats. We want to look at thick commercial grade bins, food grade buckets with gamma lids, or ideally metal containers. Krista and I were talking the other day about putting plastic tubs of food down inside galvanized metal trash cans.

SPEAKER_00 12:20

Oh yes.

SPEAKER_01 12:21

And that would protect it very, very well. They're going to have a hard time getting into that. But elevation and positioning of your storage matters. Rodents travel along the walls. They prefer dark edges. They avoid open spaces. So keep the bins off the floor. Store them on metal shelving. And pull the containers slightly away from the walls. Make that space in there, make it hard for them to get there. Wipe down the containers to get rid of smells that may be coming out of it or might have been on your hands when you're putting the tub together. You might want to consider vacuum sealing when possible to help keep those smells contained. And avoid spilled grain in storage areas. If you're storing grain, be sure you don't have it spilled on the floor. And also store your pet food securely. Pet food is a huge attractant for rodents.

SPEAKER_00 13:28

You know, a lot of people will store food in a garage, but it's in one of those plastic pet food bins. Big no-no. Because it's going to attract those rats, those mice, and squirrels, voles, chipmunks. If it's a rodent and it's got teeth, it's going to get into that pet food container. So definitely store your pet food just like you would these other foods in a metal container.

SPEAKER_01 13:48

And rodent proof the structure. This is where we want to look at the garage if that's where we're storing food. We want to look at the shed, the basement. We want to close up any cracks that are larger than a quarter inch. You can use steel wool, or you can use caulk, or you can use a combination that rat's not going to go through that steel wool. You can install door sweeps on the bottom of your doors so that they can't come in under the door. And repair weather stripping where that needs to be repaired. That can allow a small space for them to be able to get through. Now let's look at some monitoring and prevention of some of these things. You can set snap traps along the wall, but you do want to be inspecting these quite regularly, say monthly. Take a look around your food storages there. Look for droppings, look for chew marks, because preparedness isn't just having food, it's protecting it.

SPEAKER_00 14:53

Good call. Hey, let's take a minute to tell you that today's cup of coffee comes from Ruby. She is a longtime supporter of our podcast. Ruby, we really do appreciate your support. Hey, friends, you too can go to practicalprepping.info slash support, where you can show us a little bit of love by buying us a few cups of coffee if you want to. Hey, even better, you could do a coffee membership. It's only $5 a month, but it really helps us offset the expenses of the show. So please consider helping us out at practicalprepping.info slash support.

SPEAKER_01 15:25

Now let's get back to the rats.

SPEAKER_00 15:27

Back to the rats.

SPEAKER_01 15:28

If the rodents are active in the area, think about this. Metal trash cans with tight fitting lids. Those are dramatically more resistant.

SPEAKER_00 15:38

And you actually can buy those in a variety of sizes.

SPEAKER_01 15:41

Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_00 15:42

You don't have to think, you know, hundred-gallon.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

Doesn't have to be the big one that we had to put out on the street when I was a kid. You can get them small. Let's talk about a layered defense.

SPEAKER_00 15:51

All right.

SPEAKER_01 15:52

We want to build our preparedness in layers. First, we want to keep the rodents out.

SPEAKER_00 15:57

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 15:58

So we want to keep them away. We can use traps to prevent them from getting to the food. We can elevate our food. We can put it in metal containers, but we can also do things inside the containers that will help. For example, if we're using plastic containers, like a lot of the 25-year emergency food comes in.

SPEAKER_00 16:21

Yes, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 16:21

You can put a couple of those into a metal trash can.

SPEAKER_00 16:24

Oh, I'll see.

SPEAKER_01 16:25

Now you've added another layer of defense. And he's going to have some tooth problems if you choose through that galvanized can. I see. But then he's still got plastic to go through. So look at the layers that you can use for that. And that's how a lot of the long-term food storage communities do it. They build in layers.

SPEAKER_00 16:46

A very important aspect would be smell control. Because rats and mice operate primarily on scent. That's how they know they can smell food through walls. Peppermint oil, that's fine as a mild deterrent, but it's never going to be a primary defense.

SPEAKER_01 17:01

Yeah, the peppermint oil that can help a little bit, but as she said, it's not the primary defense, but it's so much better to go back to those layers. And even if you don't see rodents, you probably want to avoid poison near the storage. Dead rodents inside walls become a bigger sanitation problem.

SPEAKER_00 17:22

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:23

They're fine if it's out in a shed or something where you don't have enclosed walls. Even the garage may not have enclosed walls.

SPEAKER_00 17:32

You don't want to put $500 worth of food in a $12 tote because that does give you a false sense of security.

SPEAKER_01 17:38

Yep. So in the end, think in layers. Seal it, elevate it, harden the room, and monitor it. Now this third segment is a very simple $50 prepping starter kit.

SPEAKER_00 17:52

So if you've got $50, you can get a little bit more.

SPEAKER_01 17:54

So that's what you've got. You haven't started anything. This will get you going in the right direction.

SPEAKER_00 18:00

Sweet.

SPEAKER_01 18:00

First thing is an LED headlamp or a flashlight.

SPEAKER_00 18:04

A must.

SPEAKER_01 18:04

You're looking at around eight bucks. You can spend whatever you want to on a flashlight, but you can pick up a decent flashlight for eight bucks.

SPEAKER_00 18:15

Sure.

SPEAKER_01 18:16

Along with that, compact LED lantern, the double A powered.

SPEAKER_00 18:20

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 18:21

And I think we've got them on the featured items page. I think there's a pack of four in there for ten or twelve dollars.

SPEAKER_00 18:28

That's not bad. It's really not.

SPEAKER_01 18:30

These things are not expensive at all.

SPEAKER_00 18:33

You could add a couple of sets of double A batteries. That's about eight bucks.

SPEAKER_01 18:36

Yep. And three gallons of water. And I was trying to think through you know, we buy distilled water and we refill those jugs after we use them with tap water. But if you're getting started and you want to you don't have the jugs to do it with, you can pick up three gallon jugs of water at the grocery store. Sure. And they're under $2 a piece. I think it was $1.69 the last I saw. And a very basic first aid kit.

SPEAKER_00 19:05

Now that would be very basic. This is not a trauma kit.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

This is not a trauma kit, and it's going to have a lot of band-aids in it, and it's going to have some antiseptic wipes and antibiotic cream, maybe.

SPEAKER_00 19:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:17

But get something that's inexpensive to start with.

SPEAKER_00 19:21

You've got to start somewhere.

SPEAKER_01 19:23

If you want to go ahead and buy you a big one, go ahead. But it's not going to fit into the $50 prepping starter kit. And the next one, which is, you know, we we've talked a lot about this lately, and that's a manual can opener.

SPEAKER_00 19:37

This is the determiner on whether or not you're serious about being a prepper. If you forget the manual can opener, you're still a rookie. So get you a couple of those. You may go over the $50 a little bit, but get at least two of those. Manual can opener. You will thank yourself many times over.

SPEAKER_01 19:54

But you won't forget it after your first need for your stock.

SPEAKER_00 19:58

That's right. And once you use that manual can opener out of your prepping kit, then you, my friend, are an official prepper.

SPEAKER_01 20:04

And we're going to put this list in the show notes as well.

SPEAKER_00 20:07

Good deal.

SPEAKER_01 20:08

We really appreciate you being here today. We thank you for your time. And as Krista always says, Stuff happens.

SPEAKER_00 20:16

Stay prepared.

SPEAKER_01 20:17

And we'll see you next time.