In a single year, we were ravaged by the Covid-19 pandemic, thrashed by raging wildfires near the homes of our friends and family in California, we witnessed a record year for Atlantic hurricanes, lived through existential fear from political and social unrest, displaced by urban fires, and saw unexpected weather events knocking power and water offline. It was overwhelming to say the least.
Starting out 2021, we find ourselves with a new conscious and appreciation for life, and a strong desire for a sense of security. Looking back on the events of 2020, we consider if we could have managed it better? How it could have been different? Could our collective personal stresses and adverse experiences been reduced? One thing is certain, our collective consciousness of life's risks has been permanently brought to new heights. We see a society forever changed, more aware, and fearful.
The events of 2020 have taught us that, more than ever, our lives can and will be altered by drastic unexpected events. We are learning what happens when we're not ready for these things. Indeed yes, nothing can be taken for granted. We all now, to varying degrees, are questioning our assumptions about how safe we really are.
More people than ever are contemplating questions like: Will we wake up tomorrow to shortages of food and household essentials? Will a fire have suddenly destroyed my home? Will it deep freeze again and leave me without heat and water? What if we have to suddenly evacuate because of a major storm? What do we do if there's no power for an extended period of time? Will there be a hospital bed available if something terrible happens? How do we deal with unexpected civil unrest near our home or place of work? Whats the plan if the next big earthquake hits and chaos follows? What is our plan?
All these questions we now ask ourselves are fundamentally the beginning of forming a plan. As society is now more aware of risk, we want solutions to help us navigate and simplify our preparation. Moreover, we want go to bed a night knowing that we're ready and did our best.
Foremost on our minds when founding GetxGo was being ready for whatever comes next. Our firsthand experiences had compelled the need to plan for the worst to top of our minds. What inspired us was our experience of talking to friends, researching online, and thinking about what we'd need kept ending in our indecision about where to begin...
We conducted a survey and it turns out most of the people we know are in the same boat. They either don't know how to be emergency prepared or just hadn't done it. For people like us, a clear friction point existed between wanting to be prepared and actually being prepared.
We researched the internet in search of some sort of ready kit and realized that none of the existing products completely addressed our needs or just weren't compelling. Most companies just stuffed a bunch of supplies together in a cheap backpack with little or no organization. Others made attempts at organization, but didn't really think though the urgency to which people would need to find the right thing and know how and when to use it. The rest of the kits we ran across seemed best suited too hard core survivalists or suburbanites with a large SUVs and implied assumptions the users knew what to do with the supplies. We live in an urban area, most of these kits assumed we'd go off living in the woods and hunting or something for the following week after a major emergency. We and our cohort of society are actually more concerned about having juice for our mobile phones or potentially getting mugged because we have a bright recognizable supply bag, then many of the selling points emphasized by some existing kits.
There had to be a better emergency preparedness option than what we could find..
Close to home, the latest batch of western wildfires was the call to action. The media served up stories of people whom had minutes to leave their homes and left with nothing but their pajamas and jackets. Why are people not ready and why does this story repeat every year?
These events have led us to believe everyone should have a plan and a ready-to-go kit for if and when disaster happens. We want to solve this dilemma for others and help people save time and energy getting prepared.
Like most people we're not doomsday nerds, mountain survivalists, seasoned endurance athletes, or in possession of EMT training. It became obvious the majority of current existing solutions mainly appealed to a niche audience with pre-existing knowledge, more specifically, dudes with some sort of adventure hobby. A 48 piece medical kit with no instructions? What's the rope for? Is it really necessary to dump all the contents out every time a particular item needs to be found? Why would I want to put a cardboard box of supplies on the ground if water is everywhere? When does someone take the included Acetaminophen vs the Ibuprofen? Why is everything waterproof when fire is a huge threat in our lives?
Realizing Our Mission
Learning from our own experience, we've committed to help society become better prepared for unknown risks by providing thoughtful planning advice and solutions.
The GetxGo kit combines a compact, organized, grab and go kit containing emergency essentials like food, water, first aid, communications, protection from the elements, survival tools, and essential hygiene, combined with a user friendly app to aid in planning and education.
The GO kit is designed with the understanding that everyone isn't a hardened survivalist with years of planning under their belt. We know people may panic in emergencies and but also aren't alarmist individuals stocking their homes with contingencies. The GO kit guides you through the planning process of creating backup documentation, provides a forum to discuss your particular situation online, and ends the preparedness search with a serious product that's ready for the job.
The GO kit is intentionally compact and made in a subtle color to make easier to store in an urban environment and to not attract unwanted attention when chaos erupts. The kit is made to be opened and closed in a sliver of time, without the need to reorganize things back into packaging, expose the contents to the elements, or needlessly dig through an unorganized pile.
Ok, so it is what?
It is a thoughtfully designed ready-to-go emergency kit to help everyone cope with serious unexpected situations. The GO kit to provides a high quality preparedness option for everyone at risk of adverse events. It is safety on the go designed for maximum functionality, with the most user friendly format available. GO is an emergency bag designed for modern citizens.
The GO kit is a compact, organized, grab and go kit containing emergency essentials like food, water, first aid, communications, protection from the elements, survival tools, and essential hygiene.
The GO kit is designed with the understanding that everyone isn't a hardened survivalist with years of planning under their belt. We know people may panic in emergencies and but also aren't alarmist individuals stocking their homes with contingencies. The Go kit Ouides you through the planning process of creating backup documentation, provides a forum to discuss your particular situation online, and ends the preparedness search with a serious product that's ready for the job.
The GO kit is intentionally compact and made in a subtle color to make it easier to store in an urban environment and to not attract unwanted attention when chaos erupts. The kit is made to be opened and closed in a sliver of time, without the need to reorganize things back into packaging, expose the contents to the elements, or needlessly dig through an unorganized pile.
The Go kit is the first available that is made of fireproof material, the first to include a solar power charger, the first to offer a complimentary preparedness app, and the first designed from the direct feedback of everyday people, especially our female friends.
What Now?
Soon we all will be heading back into the cities we live and work but will do so with a new awareness things may instantly change. We know we have to be ready. GetxGo will it easier for everyone to be comforted with the knowledge that they are prepared.
Compact | Smart | Thorough | Easy to Use | Water/Fire Resistant | Preparedness App | Mobile Charge | Urban Ready