Drinking water and your go bag: solving a difficult problem

A water reservoir like the Platypus Big Zip hydration system, that can be rolled up when not in use, may be the best solution for one of the harder problems of mobile urban preparedness: having enough water. You should have 3L (100oz) of water per person per day, and the ideal go bag must be able to carry you for more than a few hours.

So, have all the full and sealed plastic water bottles you can carry, but also bring one or two empty 2L portable hydration systems with you, filling them when you have the chance and safely accommodating it in your go bag – if you don't have to flee in a hurry, it's highly probable that you'll be near some potable water source anywhere urban you might be when the things start going wrong. And if you have to run, use the water bottles until you can find a safe water source to fill the Platypus.

The best flashlight for your go bag: Energizer Solar Crank Light

The Energizer Solar Crank flashlight never needs batteries: you can charge it leaving it in the sun1 or hand-cranking it – 1 minute of winding provides 4 minutes of light, and 5 hours in the sun allows for 2 hours of usage of its 3 LEDs.

When you need light in an emergency situation, you won't want to funble with batteries. Or have a hard time finding it in the dark. This brightly orange-colored flashlight has its own carabiner, so you can fix it to some internal hook on your bug-out bag, or even outside, specially when you are using it.

 
  1.  Even in cloudy days.

The Wave is the best multitool for your go bag

The Wave is Leatherman's most popular full-size multitool, and its 17 tools have earned him an easy to reach place in many go bags. It has both needlonose and regular pliers, saw, hard-wire cutter, bit driver, bottle and can opener, and all of its blades are lockable. Definitely find place for the 40 bits extension, that works with hex, Torx, Phillips and other screw standards.

Gerber Downrange Tomahawk: Axe, hammer and pry bar

This tomahawk is an axe that can cut through doors, panels, wood and drywall, a hammer to deal with locks, door knobs, glass and more, a pry bar for all the rest, and comes with Molle-compatible sheath. Don't get caught in a sticky situation without an appropriate escape tool: the Gerber Downrange Tomahawk can replace many other tools you would carry on your extended go bag or your car trunk.