12 Unusual Go Bag Items

12 Unusual Go-Bag Essentials That Just Might Save Your Sanity

Because your multi-tool can’t fix a mental breakdown.

Let’s get real. Everyone’s got the same dusty checklist for their go-bag: water, knife, flashlight, first-aid kit, dried food, and the kind of “tactical” gear that makes you look like you lost a bet at a military surplus store.

But here’s the truth: Survival isn’t just about staying alive—it’s about staying you. And when the grid goes down or you’re hoofing it with nothing but a pack and prayer, it’s the unexpected items—the beautifully strange ones—that remind you you’re more than just a walking trauma kit.

So let’s open up the zipper on your soul (and your pack) and add a little humanity to your preparedness. Here are 10 unusual go-bag essentials that might not make the standard list, but absolutely should.

1. “Things I’ve Already Survived” Journal

Not a survival manual. Not a to-do list. This is a journal where you scribble down every hard thing you’ve made it through: heartbreak, layoffs, your kids’ Lego phase, that time you burned the bread but served it anyway.

Flip through it when you’re exhausted and smell like wet wool. It’s a reminder: “If I lived through that, I can handle this.”

2. A Pair of Ridiculous Socks

The world may be ending, but your feet can still have a party. Flamingos, tacos, kittens with lasers—whatever makes you smile. Because in a shelter full of chaos, you will be the one bringing foot-based joy.

And hey, warm feet are a morale multiplier.

3. Baby Powder or Dry Shampoo

Hygiene matters. So does smelling like something other than fear and spam. Dry shampoo or baby powder absorbs grease, fights chafing, and restores a shred of dignity when you’re too tired to care what day it is.

Bonus: it doubles as fire starter and Steve repellent.

4. A Balloon

No, not for your birthday. A balloon is survival’s Swiss Army bubble:

• Carry water

• Start a fire (Google it—it’s wild)

• Distract a child (or adult having a meltdown)

• Set up a perimeter alarm by tying it to fishing line and thumbtacks

And in worst-case scenarios? Turn it into your official “I haven’t lost my sense of humor” signal.

5. Safety Pins, Paper Clips & Bobby Pins

A trio of tiny tools with giant possibilities:

• Secure bandages

• Repair gear

• Lock-pick if you’re feeling Jason Bourne-ish

• Make friends with a toddler who’s never seen a paperclip before

These weigh less than a guilt trip and do a whole lot more.

6. Electrolyte Powder Packets

More unusual go bag items

Dehydration is sneaky and rude. These little packets will save your bacon when plain water just isn’t cutting it.

Bonus: They take up no space, taste like childhood Kool-Aid nostalgia, and might keep you upright long enough to drag Steve back to camp after he “tested” the questionable mushroom.

7. A Mini Deck of Cards

Entertainment. Bartering. Deciding who gets the last granola bar. You’ll be shocked how much peace a game of solitaire or go fish can buy in a tense moment.

Just don’t let Steve talk you into poker. He’s got raccoon luck.

8. A Laminated Love Note (or Encouraging Quote)

From your spouse. Your kid. Your grandma. Or even yourself, on a good day.

“You’ve got this.”
“Don’t eat that mushroom.”
“You’re not alone.”
Trust me: when you’re exhausted, scared, and questioning your choices, that one little reminder could be the match that relights your inner fire.

9. A Travel-Sized Luxury

Everyone gets one totally unnecessary item.

• One herbal tea bag

• A tiny bottle of peppermint essential oil

• A harmonica

• Glitter (I said what I said.)

This is your emotional emergency chocolate. You don’t need it—until you do.

10. Sleep Mask & Earplugs

Let the rest of the world toss and turn while you sleep like a tactical burrito. Block the light, drown out the chaos, and get the rest you earned.

Because you don’t rise to the occasion—you fall to your level of rested, caffeinated readiness.

11. A Piece of Chalk

Simple. Genius. It’s a messaging system for when the grid’s down, radios are silent, and your phone is just a very expensive mirror.
Use it to:

• Leave notes for loved ones

• Mark safe paths or danger zones

• Track how many days you’ve been somewhere

• Draw a tic-tac-toe board when morale hits rock bottom

Bonus: No batteries required, and it doesn’t scream “tactical.” Just quietly saves lives in pastel.

12. A Bandana with a Sharpie-Styled Map

Grab a bandana. Draw your local map or bug-out route in permanent marker. Now you’ve got:

• A map that won’t tear, fade, or fall apart in the rain

• A multipurpose tool: headband, sling, water filter pre-screen, SOS flag, or—if Steve starts monologuing—emergency gag

And unlike your phone GPS, it won’t need a software update mid-evacuation.

Your go-bag isn’t just for surviving the disaster. It’s for protecting the parts of you that make life worth surviving. The hope. The humor. The human-ness.

Let’s face it—this isn’t just a go-bag anymore. This is a go-you bag. It holds your resourcefulness, your humor, and your fierce determination to keep going when comfort isn’t an option.

Because being prepared isn’t about expecting the worst—it’s about being your best when it matters most.

So yeah, pack the water and multi-tool—but don’t forget to pack you.