Mar 2 / Tara Bonhorst

AI Go Bag: The Essential Toolkit Every AI User Needs

It's Monday morning. You've got your coffee in hand and a list of tasks that would make anyone's head spin. You open ChatGPT to help draft that important email... and it's down.

Or perhaps you log into Claude, ready to continue that brilliant project you've been working on for days, only to discover your conversation history has mysteriously vanished.

Maybe you've crafted THE perfect prompt, when suddenly your favorite AI tool rolls out an update that changes everything you've learned about using it.

Sound familiar? If you've spent any time working with AI assistants, you've likely experienced at least one of these frustrating scenarios. This is exactly why you need an AI "Go Bag."
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What is an AI Go Bag?

An AI Go Bag is a portable toolkit of essential resources for AI users. It helps you move seamlessly between different AI platforms and environments.

Think of it like the emergency kit many households keep ready for evacuations. Your AI Go Bag contains your collection of prompts, instructions, and resources - all packaged to grab quickly when needed.

When ChatGPT goes down, or Claude starts acting strange, your Go Bag ensures you can switch to another AI tool without missing a beat. No starting over. No lost momentum. Just grab your essentials and continue your work elsewhere.

Why Every AI User Needs a Go Bag

If you're just getting started with AI, you might wonder why you need a Go Bag at all. Here are a few compelling reasons:
  • Flexibility: AI platforms have different strengths, weaknesses, and occasional downtime
  • Consistency: Maintain consistent outputs across different platforms
  • Efficiency: Save time by not starting from scratch with each new AI interaction
  • Progress tracking: Document your AI journey and learning experiences

Essential Contents for Your AI Go Bag

1. Go-To Prompts

The foundation of any good AI Go Bag is a collection of prompts that consistently work well for you. These might include:
  • Frequently used prompts that reliably produce good results
  • Basic templates you can customize for different situations
  • Prompt patterns that have proven effective for specific tasks
For example, if you regularly ask AI to summarize content, you might save a template like: "Summarize the following text in [number] bullet points, focusing on [specific aspect]."

2. Custom Instructions

Some AI platforms allow you to provide the model with "custom instructions" that apply across every conversation, or a particular group of conversation. If you have any overarching specifications you want applied to every response, you should save these in your go bag.

Custom instructions might include:
  • Your preferred output formats (bullet points, paragraphs, tables, etc.)
  • Special requirements you often use (tone, perspective, level of detail)
  • Instructions for handling specific types of content
For instance: "When analyzing data, always present key insights first, followed by supporting evidence, and conclude with actionable recommendations."

3. Frequently Used Context

Context is crucial for getting accurate and relevant responses from AI, which means you should keep the documents you use most frequently on hand and ready to go. You could include:
  • "About Me" information that helps AI understand your background (resume, social profiles, etc.)
  • "About My Business" details for relevant business recommendations (mission statement, business plan, website copy, etc.)
  • "About My Industry" context for industry-specific queries (reports, white papers, etc.)
This information can be quickly uploaded (or copied and pasted) when switching platforms to ensure consistent personalization of your outcomes.

4. AI Outputs: Greatest Hits

Don't let your best AI-generated content disappear! The AI landscape is volatile right now, and startups can disappear overnight, along with your work. Even the more financially stable platforms could experience data loss. Make sure to save:
  • Your most successful AI outputs
  • The prompts that generated these successful outputs
  • Notes on which platform produced which results
This archive becomes increasingly valuable as you build experience with different AI tools.

5. Additional Notes

The final essential component is your personal knowledge base about using AI:
  • Which AI tools work best for specific tasks
  • Common issues you've encountered and how to fix them
  • Platform-specific quirks and workarounds

How to set up you go bag...fast

Choose Your Storage Solution

Start simple and pick a storage method that works for you. It could be simple, like Google Docs or a notes app, or a more advanced personal knowledge management system, like Notion.

The important thing is to pick something you already use in your day to day life -- that way, you'll be most likely to follow through and create something useful.  The best system is one you'll actually use, so don't overcomplicate it initially.

Add Your First Materials

Once you have a storage solution, you can start building your Go Bag. Save 1-2 prompts you use often, write down your preferred output format, and add some notes about which AI tool you prefer for different tasks.

Remember, it's OK to start small. Add to your Go Bag gradually as you work with AI...you don't need to create a comprehensive system right away.

Update Your Bag Regularly

Set a reminder to review and update your Go Bag as you learn new techniques and as AI platforms evolve.

Make sure to save your best AI outputs along the way -- don't count on AI apps to store your best outputs indefinitely. Many platforms have limited history or may clear conversations after a certain period.

Your AI Go Bag: Ready For Whatever AI Throws Your Way

Creating an AI Go Bag is one of the smartest first steps for anyone looking to use AI tools effectively. It not only helps you navigate between different platforms but also accelerates your learning and ensures you're never starting from scratch.

As AI continues to evolve at a breakneck pace, your Go Bag will become an increasingly valuable asset—your portable toolkit for success in an AI-powered world.

Have you created your AI Go Bag yet? What essential components would you add? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below!
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