New to preparedness? Go camping with your go-bag, even if it’s just in your back yard

If you're one of the many new readers of *The Prepared* who have recently come to realize the importance of preparing for the worst thanks to the pandemic, welcome aboard. You might have already started putting together your emergency go-bag kit. Perhaps you've even purchased a backpack and filled it with essentials. No matter how far along you are in assembling your kit, you're not truly prepared until you’ve put your gear to the test. I learned this fundamental lesson the weekend before last. My oldest daughter and I went on a mini-camping trip without even leaving our property. Living on 17 acres of land, with about half of it wooded, we set up camp in the woods on a Saturday afternoon. I brought my go-bag, an overstuffed Goruck GR2 40L, while she carried hers, a (now-discontinued) Goruck Echo. We wanted to field-test our packs and loadouts for the first time. We didn’t attempt to live entirely out of our packs since we brought along a tent and other supplies that wouldn’t fit in a foot-bound bug-out scenario. That's okay though. The aim was simply to gain some practical experience and learn a few things, not to mimic a full bug-out situation.  I'll share some of the insights I gained from spending one night outdoors with my pack—not because these lessons directly apply to your preparations, but to show you how beneficial this practice can be. **Note**: I purchased all the gear mentioned here with my own funds—the packs, the multi-tool, the axe, etc. Some of the items in the packs were provided for review purposes by *The Prepared*, and a few were sent by manufacturers. However, all the items discussed in this article are from my personal collection. --- **The Gear** - Goruck GR2 (USA) 40L - Goruck Echo (discontinued) - Williams Blade Design Bearded Axe (made by Winkler Knives) (discontinued) - Leatherman Free K4 - Therm-a-Rest NeoVenture Sleeping Pad - Nemo Fillo Pillow --- Before diving into what I learned, let me emphasize why testing your entire go-bag setup is crucial, especially for beginners. **Why You Should Test Your Loadout** - Don't wait until an emergency to figure out how things work. - Discover what might break under real-world conditions. - Identify what isn’t working effectively so you can fix it. - Learn what truly functions well so you don’t inadvertently change the wrong elements if you tweak your kit. - Customize our general recommendations to better suit your unique needs. One often overlooked aspect is that while our team works hard to create comprehensive lists, there’s always room for personal adjustments. Our lists aim to cover most people adequately, but they can’t cater to everyone perfectly. Therefore, testing your gear ensures you know exactly which tweaks you’ll need. --- **Pack a Pillow** I can’t sleep without a pillow—it’s non-negotiable. Even before this experiment, I knew this, yet I forgot to include my inflatable camping pillow in my bag. It wasn’t on our standard list, so it slipped my mind. None of the alternatives I had in my pack—a few articles of clothing and a tarp—worked well enough for me to fall asleep. Eventually, I improvised by stuffing my spare clothes under my sleeping pad near my head, creating a makeshift pillow. While I survived the night, it wasn’t ideal. In high-stress situations, anything that improves sleep quality is worth its weight in gold. Resting well reduces stress and boosts clarity of thought. **Lesson Learned**: I need to prioritize comfort by keeping my inflatable pillow in my go-bag permanently.  --- **Bag Design Matters a Lot** We chose Goruck bags for several reasons: - If we lose one, describing it will be straightforward since all five of our packs look similar. We’ll just point to another and say, “It looks just like this but with different colors.” - Their distinctiveness makes it easier to spot each other from afar. - Goruck’s reputation for quality remains solid, even if customer service has declined slightly. - The packs unzip fully, allowing easy access to contents without rooting around. This last feature really stood out during our short trip. In the middle of the night when I needed something, unzipping the pack allowed me to find it quickly without disturbing other items. Whether it was buried deep inside or not, I never had to move anything else to retrieve what I needed. My daughter initially tried to unzip only the top compartment of her Echo, digging through its contents. By the end of our overnight stay, I had taught her to use the pack correctly. This change improved our campsite organization significantly, proving that the investment in these bags was worthwhile. **Lesson Learned**: Despite the cost, I’m thrilled with the performance of the Gorucks in the field. Sticking to the pack review’s recommendation and avoiding top-loaders was the right call. --- **A Hatchet Plus Multi-Tool is a Killer Combo** I’m passionate about knives, both literally and figuratively. I love knives, and I prefer large ones. For this outing, however, I decided to try something new—leaving my fixed-blade knife in my pack and carrying only a Winkler tactical hatchet and a Leatherman Free K4 on my person. This combination worked exceptionally well for me, and I regret not trying it earlier. I used the hatchet for heavy tasks like chopping, rough carving, and shaping wood. The Leatherman handled lighter jobs such as cutting, food preparation, fine carving, and whittling. Together, they complemented each other beautifully, like peanut butter and jelly. I never felt the need for a larger knife, although I did wish my Leatherman had a saw blade at one point. While I still wouldn’t recommend skipping the fixed blade entirely, I intend to experiment further with this hatchet-and-multi-tool setup on future outdoor excursions to see how it holds up. **Lesson Learned**: This hatchet/multi-tool duo works well for me in my environment, so I’ll be less hesitant about using it during more demanding activities like hunting or extended wilderness trips. --- **Every Little Bit Helps** You don’t need to stage a full-scale bug-out drill or anything close to it to gain meaningful insight into your kit. A simple backyard camping session can reveal a lot about what’s effective and what needs improvement. In fact, I uncovered much more during this outing than I’ve included here. (I’ll discuss those details in future gear-specific reviews.) Overall, I felt a sense of satisfaction: “Wow, this stuff actually works together! I could manage with this pack if I had to.” The experience reduced my stress levels and gave me peace of mind. Knowing your kit is ready for anything—from an unplanned hotel stay to a few days in the wild—is invaluable, especially in these uncertain times. Every bit of mental security counts. --- I hope this gives you a clearer picture of why testing your gear is essential and how even small steps can lead to significant improvements in your preparedness journey.

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