Have you heard of a ‘go bag’? I first heard the term when we moved to a bushfire-prone area and Barty joined the street’s fire team. The go bag is essentially a bag that is packed and ready to go in case of emergency. In it you’d store things like important documents, water, torch, hygiene supplies, a first-aid kit and a spare credit card.
“Oh, a get out the door fast bag?” I said to Bart. “So it’s like a nappy bag for emergencies?” It made me think about the role of the nappy bag in a mother’s life. When you have a newborn, a well-stocked, well-organised nappy bag is your pass out the front door without having to fuss around looking for all the bits and pieces that a newborn seems to need. Your nappy bag is your instant ticket to freedom. Which made me wonder why I ever thought I could let it go?
Once the kids were out of nappies and no longer requiring mass-surface-sterilisation to get about in the world, our nappy bag was slowly replaced with a standard handbag and a set of car keys. Only it wasn’t. What the nappy bag was really replaced with was a mad dash hunting for bottles of water, snacks, a change of clothes, light jacket, busy box activities and a random ‘just in case’ storybook, all before we could get out the door. So I decided to introduce a bag that would be part nappy bag, part go bag and all kinds of awesome.
The everyday go bag
Our everyday go bag contains the following:
- Water. Always needed, wherever we go. I used to get away with packing one large bottle for everyone to share, but then Max learned too much about germ-sharing and now we all have to have our own bottles. Which is a pain, but necessary.
- Snacks. You just never know how long you’re going to be somewhere. It’s so much easier to pack some portable, healthy snacks that you’re happy for the kids to eat rather than throw yourself at the mercy of whatever you can find on the road. I generally throw in a couple of apples as we leave, but I always keep some healthy non-perishable snacks I know the kids love ready-to-go without thinking.
- Notebooks. We just use cheapy non-ruled (“botany”) exercise books, one per child. A notebook is perfect for drawing, writing, recording and imagining. Sometimes I glue colouring-in or activity pages inside their notebooks. Sometimes I optimistically put their maths homework inside.
- Pencil case. Stocked with pens, pencils, rubbers and a pencil sharpener (don’t forget the critical pencil sharpener!)
- Tissue packet. It never fails to amaze me how useful a packet of tissues can be. For mopping up tears, blood, snot and spills.
- Baby wipes. They never lose their handy status, no matter how big your babies grow.
- Mini first-aid kit I’m not one to pack the Panadol and bandages, but BAND-AIDs, lip balm, bite cream, paw paw ointment, contact lenses, tweezers and nail clippers are all carted around. The tweezers are essential in our neck of the woods as grass ticks are rampant most of the year. The nail clippers are for my own peace of mind – once I notice my children’s overgrown nails I can think of nothing else until I cut them down to size. I will tackle those nails anywhere.
- Long-sleeved tops A light extra-layer, just in case someone gets cold or wet or particularly grass-stained.
- Hats and sunscreen We never remember to apply the sunscreen before we go anywhere, which is why I always carry some on-board. Sadly, more often than not the hats stay in the bag no matter how much I nag, making the sunscreen even more critical.
- Rubbish bag Plastic shopping bags are the handiest things in the world to keep on hand – we use for rubbish, knick-knacks, wet clothing, random shopping and all manner of other things. If you want to know how to fold a shopping bag to make it easy-peasy to transport, I made you a video:
The everyday go bag lives on a hook in our hallway, always stocked, always waiting to be grabbed as we dash out the door. I used to keep it in the car, but found I wasn’t restocking it enough; the trick with a go bag as that you are vigilant in keeping it ready to go! Once we had the everyday bag up and running, I started to think of other regular activities that would benefit from their own go bag. Here are a few that we keep stocked and waiting:
- Busy / car bag This is a grab-and-go if we are going on a road trip or out to dinner. It lives mainly in the car, but every now and then I’ll check the paper levels and throw out any accumulated rubbish. It contains: pencil case – Textas, pencils, crayons, highlighters, eraser, pencil sharpener, scissors; note books, A4 paper in a plastic sleeve, felt games, activity books, paint chips, playing cards, loom bands, books, water bottles, snacks.
- Swimming / beach bag When we get back from swimming or the beach, the togs, sarongs and towels get washed, the caps and goggles dried, the drink bottle washed and replenished and then everything gets put back into the beach bag along with a fresh snack. It contains: swimmers, towels, goggles, hats, sunscreen, sarongs, plastic bags, water bottles, snack.
- Dance bag This drawstring bag is for my youngest daughter. It lives in the school bag drawer and gets thrown into her school bag on Thursdays as she has jazz straight after school. When she returns from jazz, the uniform and socks gets washed, the water bottle and snack replenished and everything is put straight back into the bag. Dance uniform, jazz shoes, socks, water bottle, snack.
- Gymnastics bag This backpack is for my eldest daughter and she takes it to gym on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Everything is restocked the same afternoon or evening that she returns from gym. It contains: essential neon-bright leotard, shorts, straps, drink bottle, water bottle, lip balm, gloves, chalk, jacket, snack.
- School bags I’m often surprised at how many families don’t have a specific ‘school bag checklist’ so the kids can keep track of what they need and when. A checklist means kids can be responsible for restocking their own bag on an as-needs basis. Generally the school bag contains: reader, hat, tissue packet, lip balm, rain poncho, note folder, jacket, water bottle. Library bags, readers, homework folders, lunch bags and news items come and go.
- Handbag The tried-and-true mum saver. As well as my purse, phone and sunnies, I keep the following in my handbag at all times: my ‘rescue kit’ – a cute pencil case stocked with band-aids, paracetamol, needle and thread, safety pin, paper clip, paw paw ointment and contact lenses; notebook, pen, card holder, tissue packet and water bottle.
What’s in your go bags?
Jess says
Wow, that is so organised, I’m impressed! I will definitely be using this idea when I have kids 🙂
Maxabella says
Why wait for kids? Stock the car with an ‘away’ bag so you can take off anywhere in the world at a moment’s notice… at least that’s the go bag I’d have before kids!!! x
Jess says
Haha great point!
The Exercise Hitlist says
I love this idea and keep meaning to get organised and have one in the car. Must get my butt into gear!
Maxabella says
Go the car bag! Big help to keep on top if things (as long as we remember to restock!). x
Sarah @ Lady Sadie's Emporium says
Being expats and living in the Middle East we have a safe that houses our passports and emergency cash for a “just in case ISIS decides to invade” kind of situation. Whilst we feel incredibly safe living in Doha, we know that things could change at any given moment and we need to be prepared to leave very quickly.
On a day to day basis we have a “Restaurant Bag” which is filled with pencils, crayons, books and coloring books to entertain our 6 year old when we go out for dinner.
Then there is the never ending bags for her activities, swimming, ballet, jazz and gymnastics. Each activity as it’s own dedicated bag stocked with all the paraphernalia that we need.
My own handbag is NEVER without baby wipes, I think I’ll be carrying baby wipes around until the day she leaves home!
Maxabella says
You will definitely still need the baby wipes when she leaves, so keep them in the handbag!!
The safe idea with the passports and other documents, etc is a good idea for everyone. Living in a bushfire-prone area, we should definitely add them to our ‘real’ go bag! x
Helen K says
The everyday go bag is a great idea! We have the prepacked swimming, gymnastics, basketball and footy bags, in relevant seasons, plus I have my swimming bag ready to go (it usually hangs forlornly, untouched, for months at a time, but hey – it’s there if I need it). You have a lot more in your school bags than us – but yes, very important. We also have lists in set places – the camping list, beach holiday list, and now refining our ‘travelling holiday’ list (so not packed, exactly, but we are not stuck trying to remember the essential things that really annoyed us when we forgot them last time)
Maxabella says
I have the bags, I need the lists… x
Helen K says
All so important – I’ve got such a problem with running late that without the packed bags or lists it would be chaos! Just keep on to of things this way xx
Maxabella says
Agree! I don’t know how non-packers / list-makers do it… I know I would be instantly overwhelmed and probably not go anywhere. x
Erin says
Different term for different sports we have sports bag, ie soccer bags for the winter, swimming bags for the summer as you’ve described yours.
With older children to help now I don’t have to quite as organised ahead of time, I can now assign a task to each child and manage to all be out the door in 10 min.
Maxabella says
I look forward to my future, Erin! x
Karin @CalmtoConniption says
Great ideas. I am always running around packing up a bag before going out.
I have no idea how I lived life before my introduction to baby wipes with my first kido. Baby wipes are used for EVERYTHING!! MVP of the house.
Maxabella says
They should just call them ‘everything wipes’ and be done with it x
Sonia Life Love Hiccups says
What a brilliant idea Bron. It’s kind of like the floor of my car.. but more contained 😉 xx
Maxabella says
You could just pack that floor into a bag and you’re done! x
Bele @ BlahBlah says
OOh, now there’s a good list of contents. I’m a lover of the squishy market basket as my go bag, it fits mosts things, but not the tricycle, my boy’s current obsession x
Maxabella says
I remember the days of balancing the trike on top of the pram as we headed to the local park. So annoying that it doesn’t fit in a bag!! x
Bec says
I used to live in NSW and we had a little go box each. Bit scary when you think about it but all yo have to do is be prepared 🙂 You have a much more stylish go bag than my dinky old plastic box! Not as practical now I think about it! Bec x
Maxabella says
A ‘go box’ – I love it! We should pack ours into a fire-proof box and be done with it. x
Bec @ The Plumbette says
I have a nappy bag always stocked in the car and then I have my large handbag that has a mini nappy changing kit and a few toys and things for Phoebe. I need to make a go to bag for when we go out to restaurants. Such a great idea!
Holly says
My hand bag is kinda like this – healthy snacks, hygiene stuff, money and pens and paper and all this good stuff! Great plastic bag folding video!
Maxabella says
Why thank you, Holly. I spent MINUTES on that plastic bag video so it’s very pleasing that you like it.
Don’t get me started on my handbag… all I know is, it weighs a tonne! x
Lydia C. Lee says
What a great idea – my problem is, I have a few restaurant toy go bags that are piling up on the back of the door handle…I got a little over enthusiastic on those…
Heather says
Lordy!!! You are so organised. I am about to undertake 4 days work (blah) so I will be adding this go to bag to my list of things I need to do to be more organised – wait, not more organised….just slightly organised would be lovely. Xxx
Vanessa says
I have go bags for: evacuations/emergencies, bbqs, swimming, and my handbag. My handbag is actually about 3 small pencil-case like bags that are easy to grab and throw from eg weekend handbag to weekday backpack.