How to Really Build the Perfect Go Bag Share This: Photos: SOFREP, "The Book of Eli" film In times of emergency a Bug Out Bag or a Go Bag, as it is also called, is invaluable. But before we go any farther, for the uninitiated, what exactly is a “Go Bag?” A Go Bag is an emergency survival bag (normally a backpack) that is filled with the essential survival gear that you would need during a short-term natural disaster or crisis. It’s meant to be grabbed quickly so that one can dash out the door, hence the term “Go Bag.”