Recharge batteries, replace expired medicines, replenish canned goods — the recent successive earthquakes in Cebu, Davao and other areas had many of us scrambling yet again to assemble or update our emergency kits. But if your go bag is by principle the only thing you should be grabbing during evacuation for safety, should it really be boring and basic? Wouldn’t a little bit of style and fashion in your go bag help keep you sane, calm, composed and optimistic amid fears of an apocalypse? 

An emergency situation is no joke, but should you also look kawawa (helpless) in the face of uncertainty? Shouldn’t you also prepare to go out in style? As they say, you shouldn’t be caught dead wearing bad underwear! 

Fashionistas and doomsday preppers might seem like oil and water, Venus and Mars, they simply do not jive. But actually, you can pick up a thing or two about prepping from fashionistas, who are so used in everyday “disasters” like wardrobe malfunction and spilled red wine over white dress. Thus, they know stilettos dabble as self-defense weapons. Makeup and leather jacket or shoes, if certified organic, could become emergency food. Even a giant diamond ring acts as a mirror-like deflector to signal rescuers.

Kidding aside, whether you are assembling your go bag for the first time or updating it, here are some ways to inject some style that could lessen your suffering. The good news is, you do not have to buy new stuff or spend a lot that could jeopardize your emergency fund, because many of these things that could add a spark of color and hope to your go bag can be found already in your own home or accessible at a physical or online store. You can also make your own and personalize — test your MacGyver and Mission: Impossible improvisation skills! Your resourcefulness and creativity surely would be the most handy during an actual emergency scenario.

First: the ‘stylish’ go bag 

Trivia: the Birkin, the world’s most expensive bag at auctions, was originally designed by fashion house Hermes with a go bag concept — with many pockets and easy but secure closures to suit celebrity Jane Birkin’s needs as a working and traveling mom with a toddler.

But of course, a designer bag like a Birkin, especially if it is made of heavy leather with metal hardware, is an impractical choice for a go bag.

When choosing a go bag, do not use handbags, shoulder bags or body bags as these fall off from the body, block passages and limit your movement — your hands should always be free for carrying other people and/or things — such as your children or pets — when you have to run, so backpacks are the best option. 

A backpack distributes weight evenly, so it would make you less tired carrying your stuff around. It is even better if the backpack has wheels and turns into a trolley you could pull in a straight road if you get tired carrying it on your back. A luggage with no backpack straps could be heavy to carry if the roads are uneven or full of debris if walking in an earthquake aftermath for example. 

When choosing a backpack with wheels, pick one that is lightweight, sturdy and has many pockets where you can instantly organize and grab things like Swiss knife and torch light. A mountaineering bag is okay since it has spine support, for as long as it is not too bulky or eye-catching. 

Your go bag could come in any color or style you want, but neutral colors except white are recommended — something like brown or black that does not easily get dirty and at the same time, looks classic but does not attract thieves’ attention. But something neon, preferably orange, is also good so rescuers can easily spot you from afar. If your bag is not neon, putting a neon tape on top should do the trick.

It would be better, too, if the bag is made out of water-repellent, all-weather material such as recycled plastic, so it would be low-maintenance and the least that you would have to think about during a crisis. 

In general, a good go bag is also cabin-size and something you could use even on a weekend trip. After all, you do not know when disaster would strike — it could happen even during a leisurely travel — so you should always be stylishly prepared.

Spare the bag from charms and other bling that could make it heavy. One luggage tag would do. Put there not only your name and contact details, but also a wallet-size picture of your loved ones and a note with a list of emergency contact numbers and addresses. Also put there a separate note listing down the expiration dates of food and medicines in the bag, so you could easily regularly replace these. 

Second: What water bottle is best 

Water is the number one essential and the key to survival, so it should be everyone’s go bag priority. Actually, in an actual emergency and if you do not have time to get your go bag, just running with a water bottle (make sure it has water though!) would be enough to save you.

A lightweight, stainless steel water bottle is better than plastic — whether for emergencies or not. Studies show there are more micro plastics that blend with the water from plastic containers. It would be nice, too, if the bottle comes with self-sterilization features or you could also buy instant water sterilization tablets and include these in your go bag.

The design of this steel water bottle depends on you — you could have it in your favorite color or patterns; personalized with stickers or engraved with your name on it or with a positive quote that could lift your spirits up during trying times. 

Pick, though, a bottle that is just handy and do not put a big one that could make carrying your go bag a burden. Think about where to get more water later — it is important to escape with just a few for the moment and survive on sips that would also save you from looking for bathrooms during a crisis.

As a rule of thumb, always leave a full water bottle on your bedside and under the sturdy table or corner where you plan to hide in during an earthquake. Always keep the water in it fresh and replace the water at least once a week. Do not store coffee, juices or other flavored drinks into the bottle as these may get spoiled and unusable during an emergency. Flavorings could also make you thirstier. If you forget to replace clean water in the bottle for weeks, it is still drinkable anytime. 

While it is good to have a separate bag or strap for your bottle for easy carrying, it would be easier if you leave the bottle only in your go bag. The goal for the go bag is to make it as light for carrying as possible, so let go of peripherals even as simple as straps.

Third: ‘Fashion’ food

After water, the most important thing that should be in your go bag is food. 

An emergency “fashion” food is not something that only fulfills your whim — no, not something like a cake or macarons that easily spoil or need special refrigeration and can send you to the guillotine like Marie Antoinette. Think of something that could actually save you and at the same time, afford you with a bit of indulgence — like chocolates, bakwa or preserved meats popular in Singapore and/or preserved fruits like plums commonly from Hong Kong. If you also chance upon astronaut food from your travels – including preserved sugarless ice cream – that would also be nice for your go bag.

As a rule of thumb, always keep dark chocolates, peanuts and/or other long-life nibbles in your everyday bag not just in your go bag because you do not know when disaster or hunger would strike. Apart from those with long expiration dates, choose those with no sugar or with the least sugar content not only to save you from diabetes and tooth decay, but also because sugary food makes you thirstier.

Instant noodles, sans the salty and monosodium glutamate flavorings, are also good for emergencies — the dry noodles are carbohydrates and energy source even if eaten raw. If you want a bit of flair, store instant ramen with the faces of your favorite P-pop or K-pop idols in them in your go bag.

Likewise, vitamins and medicines in the form of individually-packed gummies and jellies, made popular by Korean stars, could also become both emergency food and energy boosters.

Fourth: Other emergency stuff — but with sparkle

For your other fashionable go bag must-haves, these could also not be plainly utilitarian — you can add a little bit of character without being insensitive — you could have bandages in different colors and patterns, for example, or alcohol with aromatherapy. Even Korean and beauty masks are portable for emergencies — if you cannot take a bath for days, for instance, you could unpack a facemask refresh your skin – and use the excess serum for cleaning your armpits and whatnot. 

Do not forget to include sanitary napkins in your go bag! These are not only handy during a woman’s period, but also super absorbent for dressing up wounds. Even sanitary napkins now come in “aesthetic” packaging like cartoon characters, which makes these napkins less dreadful and awkward to use for those only starting to have their period like teens.

As a rule, keep only emergency stuff not just for their designs, but also pick ones with multi-functionality to save space and weight — it is like packing a carry-on bag for a trip. Thus, for your go bag, opt for an athletic or “dri-fit,” anti-microbial clothes that dry easily and wick off sweat; sturdy slip-on and light running shoes with no straps; hand-cranked or solar-powered powerbanks and flashlights; army knives in cool designs; and even pocket Bibles that double as wallets where you can stash in some cash and important documents. There is also a cross that is also a whistle and a ballpen that opens into a small knife. These could be used not only as accessories, but also as conversation pieces that could make you feel like Duraemon and his interesting thingamajigs.

Just remember: Do not compromise function and comfort for style. It does not hurt, though, to have a fashion-forward go bag that gives a sense of normalcy and pushes you to fight for another day.