Emergency Bag suggestions

[BPRoberts]

We had a great thread last week about trying to build a good EDC kit on a budget. I'd love to get a similar one going for bug out bags, get home bags, etc. Now that I have a house, family, etc. I'm trying to be a bit more mindful about what we'd do if there was some kind of a disaster and we had to move quick.

[Chako]

I found a real cheap camping back pack for my kit. Nothing fancy but big enough to carry anything I needed.

[JowiiYoyo]

Ill try to get to it sometime tomorrow. Loving the idea 

[Grant Lamontagne]

I put together some inexpensive, fun and cheap "survival" type kits for my nephews a few years ago.  I don't imagine they used them for much, or even know where much of the kits are anymore, but I think they were a reasonable starting place for an emergency kit.

Nephew Survival Kit

If I was being serious, I'd add a lot more things and upgrade some of the things in it as well.

Def

[MadPlumbarian]

Here’s a little something I found a while back,,
JR

[MadPlumbarian]

For some reason it wasn’t posting right,,
JR

[powernoodle]

Good thread, BP.   

I don't imagine they used them for much

I think that for the vast majority of us - probably 100% of us - bugout bags or get home bags are never going to be used for their intended purpose.  I can't imagine a circumstance when I would bugout, because my food and arsenal and toys are here.  I guess that if you live in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, for example, when a raging wildfire is headed your way, then you will actually bugout because hunkering down is not an option.  But for me, at least, bugging out is extremely unlikely to ever happen.

But bugout bags and emergency/get home bags are sure fun to put together.  They can also give a real/false sense of having some control in a cold, cruel, chaotic world. 

What I used to characterize as a get home bag, has over the years morphed into more a convenience bag that can make life easier on a daily basis.  Like having a backup battery for your phone when you really need it, or Advil or a Sharpie.  I can imagine being stuck in a major traffic jam for hours, for example, when snacks and water and a bottle for bladder effluent would be handy.  I have those things and a lot more in my vehicle. 

Here is a partial list of what I have in my sweet, sweet 2023 AWD hybrid Toyota Sienna:

tool bucket
jumper cables
2x car battery jumpers
lug nut X wrench (I've been stranded when I could not break loose the lug nuts with a tiny OEM wrench)
squeegee
small brush/broom
large folding saw
U.S. map book
legal pad
battery-powered tire inflator
vehicle-powered tire inflator
2x large backup batteries for phones, etc.
various USB cables
2x tire gauges
dog leash to wrangle strays
nitrile gloves for dog doody and whatever
plastic grocery bags for dog doody and whatever
dog water bowl
hi viz vest for traffic incidents, large enough to cover winter coat
Costco water bottles
gallon ziplock with snacks
WD-40
coffee can with lid, and toilet paper
med kit
gorilla tape
hearing protection for tire inflator
wet wipes
umbrellas
paper towels
Narcan for opioid overdose
Albuterol emergency asthma inhaler
box of N95 masks (for dust)
leather gloves
I used to carry traffic cones.  Haven't done that in a while.

[nate j]

Here’s a little something I found a while back,,
JR

Who are these “experts”?  Less than 1/3 recommend carrying a knife or MT on your person, but more than 2/3 recommend carrying a fishing kit and snare wire…

[G-Dizzle]

Going off of memory here

1. Medical/IFAK
2. Fixed blade Knife
3. Pew and pew acessories
4. Water filtration and/or iodine tablets
5. MT
6. Lighter or firesteel
7. Snacks/water
8. If it’s cold maybe a jacket

I don’t always have a bag with me, but most of this stuff stays in the truck in addition to car specific gear.

[G-Dizzle]

I think if you have too much stuff in your kit you probably won’t have it with you/accessible when you need it. Theres a balance somewhere.

[Chako]

That depends. I have my bag ready at a moments notice in case the local steel plant decides to go up in flames. I hope I will never need to use it, but it is there just in case.

[MadPlumbarian]

Who are these “experts”?  Less than 1/3 recommend carrying a knife or MT on your person, but more than 2/3 recommend carrying a fishing kit and snare wire…

Idk, they were just suggestions, I mean I don’t step foot out of this house without my sheathed sak(FarmerX) and my keys which has duct tape, a flashlight, a mini pry bar tool, and another sak,,
JR

[Farmer X]

I'm trying to be a bit more mindful about what we'd do if there was some kind of a disaster and we had to move quick.

I do suppose that in large part, it depends on the disaster. Some disasters might force you to "bug in." You definitely should prepare for those as well.

I think that for the vast majority of us - probably 100% of us - bugout bags or get home bags are never going to be used for their intended purpose.

I would think, and sure as hell hope, that you're correct. INCH bags excepted, all the different bags that survivalist and peppers carry on about are just like insurance policies. (I may rant about "go bags" later.)

This is probably an important enough topic that any budget cap shouldn't be assigned to the entire kit. Rather, the $100-150 budget could be used to build up the kit in stages.

[JowiiYoyo]

Okay so ive read through the posts and given this some thought. Obviously this topic is relative in that depending on the situation you will need different equipment but some things are needed no matter what. Ill list them and wont be adding any specific product, besides some recommendations based on my preferences, since thats where i think the situation will decide what product you will need. I will be thinking in extreme situations.

No matter what always start with Water, Shelter and Food. Remember the rule of 3. Its not a perfect science but we as humans we can survive 3 minutes without oxygen, 3 hours without shelter in harsh environments, 3 days without water and 3 weeks without food (if you have water and shelter). Some kind of water filtration system or some way to collect water is essential. Shelter will most likely be the one that differs the most depending on the situation which can mean anything from some nights at the motel or sleeping under a tarp so pack your bag accordingly. Food will most likely differ a lot aswell but i would most likely include a wood fueled stove of some sorts (my favourite beeing FireBox for its simplicity but BioLite may be a better choice since their stoves turn heat into electricity that could be used to charge your needed devices) and a Zebra billy can no matter the situation. I say Zebra because their cans are verry high quality and come in different sizes, can be used as a makeshift oven if needed and are next to indestructible.

Now that we got those priorities fixed and as long as we keep them checked every day we should be able to survive. The rest of the list will be items that will make the first three points easier to achieve. Some or even most of these will be useless in some situations while essential in others. So in no particular order:
Firestarters, a minimum of 2 ways to start a fire.
Bladed tool of your choice.
First aid kit.
Sanitary products to keep yourself and your cloathes/gear clean.
Paracord or other suitable rope.
Pen and paper.
Compass.
Closed containers for food and water.
Flashlight.
Batteries.
Cables and chargers.
Sewing kit.
Sharpening kit.
Saw.
Hatchet.
Tarp. (There are tarps with a relective side that can double as an emergency blanket)
Whistle.
Maps (be it digital, paper or books)
Self-defence tools (guns, bear spray, pepper spray, etc...)

Information and knowledge is probably your best friend in these situations so if you dont know some things like trap and snaremaking i would include a small book for that. Same goes for foraging and orientation.
I also believe that mental state, meaning happiness and sanity are key in survival situations so i would include something that you like and can keep your mind occupied when not focusing on important and lifesaving tasks. Be it your favourite book, some kind of game, an instrument, whatever floats your boat.

Also i want to add that in survival situations it is important to not get overwhelmed by the tasks ahead. In order to avoid this divide everyhting into smaller tasks and prioritise according to the rule of 3. Never panic, take one thing at the time, you got this. Why its important to divide the tasks and focusing on one thing at a time is the sense of accomplishment. Once we succed with something, no matter how small, we realese dopamine which will help you keep motivated and hopefull for the next task.

I believe that is it for me awl. Thanks for yet another really interesting thread and remember, Spread Love💜

[Chako]

iI took some time, but I was able to find my post from 2013 and my rational. It is now 2024 and it still exist pretty much the same as it has all those years ago with water and food that I constantly upkeep.

The idea of this kit is to survive out away from the city for a period of several days if needed.

https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,44422.0.html

One thing I will have to state, when I created this emergency bag, I kept it in the jeep. I found it took too much room, so now resides next to my front door in a very easy to access pick up spot.

[BPRoberts]

Was mostly away from my PC this weekend, and enjoyed all the good comments when I got back. A few of you raised what was going to be my next question. What bags do I actually need? Obviously, you see the people online who seemingly have two bags for every pair of underwear they own, but trying to be reasonable.

My current thought is as follows:

Car bags x2: One for my wife and I to cover basic issues while traveling, and in case we need to evacuate from work without stopping home.

Work bag?: Unsure on this one. Obviously, my car is generally accessible at work, but a small kit in my desk might be helpful.

Go bag: To cover us if we need to quickly evacuate the house to go elsewhere.

Stay "bag" (probably a box): For when sheltering in place makes more sense.

For context:

My wife and I work first shift about a block away from each other in the suburbs of a city ~20 miles from home. We usually carpool and leave the car at her location. I don't anticipate sheltering in place at work being a major concern. They're pretty good about getting people out in severe weather, and have onsite supplies for food, first aid, etc. on the off chance it was necessary.

I'm not sure how things will be in our new house, but in the past, we've lost power for a day or so once every few years. We have a major storm that would require sheltering in place or evacuating once every decade or so.

We have a small unfinished basement, municipal water, and gas heat/stove.

In the past, for any event where evacuation has been on the table, it's generally been better to shelter in place. What's the point of driving up a flooded, snow covered, etc. road to somewhere that's also flooded, lost power, etc.?

In terms of shelter locations:

1. The closest designated emergency shelters I can find are about 15-20 miles away.

2. Various friends and family within a similar radius.

3. Further out, my parents live about 70 miles away. We have a camper parked at a camp ground slightly less far away. I think my parents would generally be preferable, but if it was inaccessible the camper is an option. I guess I should consider leaving a "stay box" there too.

There's the two of us, my cat, and my stepdaughter part time. My in laws live in an apartment in the same town, so there's a good chance they'd wind up with us. So 5 humans and 1 cat.

Appreciate any thoughts. 

[Farmer X]

Go bag: To cover us if we need to quickly evacuate the house to go elsewhere.

Okay, now's the time to rant about go bags. I've seen some go bag builds that are more akin to slightly slimmed and trimmed bug-out bags. My approach to a go bag is similar to BPRoberts.' I'd grab the go bag if my house became unsafe and I didn't have to go far to find safety. That is to say, the world as we know it hasn't ended. Go bags may also be used in the event of evacuation due to fires, hurricanes, and the like.

My go bag contains things that aren't easily replaceable; copies of birth certificate and DD-214 are among them. Asking your doctors for an extra supply of prescription medication couldn't hurt. Cash or a credit card would be good additions.

Of course, also consider how you'd be going. If you have a vehicle that can be inhabited, that's so much the better.

[BPRoberts]

I'm personally not a big fan of the, "This is the bag I'm going to use to survive in the nuclear wasteland after Russia nukes us" bag. It seems pretty unlikely (we'd have to get nuked, you'd have to survive the nukes, and there would have to be no viable shelter within reasonable distance) and the ones I see are often very heavy, and thus impractical to travel with.

The goals of an emergency bag are, IMO:

1. Give you what you need to get from point A to point B (work to home, home to a shelter, etc.)

2. Handle "normal" emergencies (your car bag should have reflectors, flairs, etc. in case you break down)

3. Cover needs you can't expect to be met at your evac location (specific medicine) or that are useful regardless (a multi or a flashlight are great to have even if you don't need one at the high school gym you're waiting out the flood in.)

Important documents are a good point. Ours are in a flood/fire safe, but making copies for the Go Bag at least would be a great idea. Thanks!

[Farmer X]

Glad I could be of some help!

[Alan K.]

I use an extreme boat bag from Bass Pro / Cabellas  https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro-shops-extreme-boat-bags?ds_e=MICROSOFT&ds_c=BPS%7CShopping%7CSmart%7CCatchAll%7CGeneral%7CNAud%7CNVol%7CNMT&msclkid=2608cd93937c111fa2d1ab4b28f73cc4&gclid=2608cd93937c111fa2d1ab4b28f73cc4&gclsrc=3p.ds

This is my contingency bag that I bring to weekend long encampments or if I'm going to be away from home with no access to shopping for an extended period of time.  It contains knives, multitools, boot laces, shoe repair glue, twine, paracord, gloves, headlamp, flashlight, batteries, notepad, pens, painter's drop cloth, Zone meal replacement / snack bars, towel, toilet paper, and whatever else I think might make me more comfortable if I'm stranded or otherwise can't get what I need for up to 3 days.
I have organized it further by putting a car seat organizer inside the extreme bag similar to this, https://www.amazon.com/HEYSKAY-Organizer-Passenger-Handbag-Console/dp/B0BRS7NDVH/ref=sr_1_296_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.b02cd478-bf8a-4028-a2ed-89cf0c172d2d%3Aamzn1.sym.b02cd478-bf8a-4028-a2ed-89cf0c172d2d&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.-Kas3hMfpLOCPxxno3Z7ASr4W8OHTZvxnpk0S4lATryZBCJNqFbE1-HR0jeX9z6AlHtRqaG7bqEP5hxpd5Lt__SWaDJEnrJDPTGQF2L6YQMatUMX4mFZQDawEjVhSxaJ9JW7gwWph_--Kac_ngTS_Tdm4_yOw2Rk4q-gBdbDc-A0kKjhxA-JGXuar3w4OV7V.YPPZFkMtofakMm3jhRmCSR7U7JmwycCJdvqpSHBm13U&dib_tag=se&keywords=front%2Bseat%2Borganizer&pd_rd_r=fa3e45e2-35ef-476d-a06d-62731d90ba0c&pd_rd_w=kzSQo&pd_rd_wg=MxfYN&pf_rd_p=b02cd478-bf8a-4028-a2ed-89cf0c172d2d&pf_rd_r=7YJZX0QW0ACGFK6ED66Q&qid=1725481121&sr=8-296-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9tdGY&th=1
to keep everything easily accessible in numerous pockets made of elastic netting.  I didn't mention water because I always have water with me anyway.

[Fireman]

Stuff that is always in my truck:

Heavy duty jumper cables
30" breaker bar with 6pt socket for my lugs
Spare set of clothes in case I get soaked
Ammo can with automotive tools
12v work/emergency light

In the "what every redneck needs" category, I never travel without two fishing rods/reels, a small tackle container, and a hand thrower for clay birds. 

[aicolainen]

In prepping and talking about prepping I think it's important to recognise that everyones situation is different and so are the risks and threats we are exposed to. Threads like these can serve as a valuable source for ideas or to expose a weakness in your own setup, but it's always important to understand your own situation and build a system for your needs and not expect to copy someone elses "perfect" emergency bag and believe you're prepepared.

For anyone with the patience to read on, I'll "quickly" go through my own setup and rationale.

The rationale:
My own situation is that there is no significant threat to the area I live. There's no tectonic activity, no forest fires, no chemical plant near by and no nuclear plant in the whole country - there's basically nothing that I could reasonably predict or prepare for, so I have no justification to spend time and money on BOBs or grab bags (in the regular sense). What we have here is harsh climate with lots of cold weather, rain, snow and such, so I've of course done the necessary preparations to bug in and stay comfortable in our house should we be cut off from our regular supply of groceries, electricity and/or water.
I'm also an avid outdoors enthusiast so I have a full range of outdoor gear for myself and the family, for any season, as well as a mountain cabin and other assets I can bug out to if for some reason the need should ever arise. But as it is, with no specific threat and wildly different gear requirements depending on season and mode of transport, I find that a pre-packed bug out bag doesn't make much sense. 

The philosophy:
I haven’t really found the dedicated emergency bags approach to work for me, so I rather try to build convenience and reasonable emergency preparedness into my "regular  EDC system". And given that I consider my home to be a very safe place the scope of my emergency prep is simply to get me through most realistic emergencies and get me home. In common terms something most closely resembling a Get home bag (GHB) or Get home system.
For this I rely on a somewhat modular system consisting of static contents pre packed in my EDC backpack and my vehicle as well as a dynamic portion that will be specific to where I'm going, what I'm doing and the prevailing conditions. I mentioned briefly that I don’t have Grab bags in the regular sense, well there’s two pieces in my static system that I define as a kind of Grab bags. One is a cold weather vehicle bag and one is a compact kit with just a minimum set of tools, first aid and repair items. I’ll circle back to the contents and purpose of these.

The EDC backpack, static and dynamic items:
I actually don't drive much at all, so for the most part I rely on my EDC backpack to get me home in a safe manner. I only live like 13km from my office, so for my regular commutes I typically run, bike or (increasingly) use public transport. So most of the time I have to cover my basic needs without being dependent on my car. For this reason I like to have ample spare space in my backpack so I can comfortably carry both the static portion of the content as well as additional clothes and equipment suitable for the season and my planned tasks for the day (dynamic content). At minimum I carry a set of lightweight rain gear as that will protect against both rain, wind and provide enough added heat retention to get me through anything but the really cold winter days.
The static portion consist of hand tools, hygiene items, very basic first aid and rescue items, power and digital connectivity, some basic PPE etc.

Full static content incl. rain gear (old picture, see below for up to date tool section)

Almost up to date tool section, Skeletool has since been replaced by LM Surge

The car, dynamic preparations and grab bags:
The reason I find a fully prepped static GHB rather irrelevant for the car is that when I go somewhere with my car, it's usually for some type of outdoor adventure or work assignment in the field, so the luggage compartment will be filled with clothes and equipment appropriate for the specific season and prevailing weather. For how wildly the weather changes around here, this allows me to be better prepared most of the time than any pre-packed GHB could achieve, but it isn't a 100% reliable system - so to cover for the rare non-outdoor related drive or road trip, I have the cold weather grab bag that I'll throw in the car for any longer drive in the cold seasons (which some would argue is most of the year :winking-tongue). It contains a complete range of insulated winter clothes and rain gear. Everything needed to cover my whole body from head and fingers to feet, some of it in high-vis colours to allow for safe roadside rescue work.
The other small grab bag (or pouch would be a better description) with misc basic items is mostly intended for when I ride along with someone else and don’t have my own static car kit to rely on. There are some unique items in there, so I also tend to bring it on road trips and other extended trips to extend my repair capabilities. It contains a selection of repair essentials like silicon tape, electrical tape, rubber glue, sewing kit (or actually; dental floss with a sewing needle taped to the dispenser), select first aid items, LM bit kit (to potentially complement the LM Surge I carry in my EDC backpack), and various other just in case items.
This organiser started out as my O.G. car kit, but as I developed a more capable and dedicated car kit this has evolved in to a supplementary kit that I store in my house ready to grab.

This is also where I keep a stash of spare batteries that may come in handy on extended trips.


Except for purely outdoor related trips my EDC backpack is almost always with me when I drive anywhere, which adds both static and dynamic capability to the mix without additional planning, which is great for shorter drives and going somewhere on short notice. 

The car, static items:
The static car kit is a base kit that's always in the car and would of course be supplemented by appropriate gear for each specific trip and season. Winters are long, dark and harsh around here and the population density is low compared to most other countries, so any road trip in excess of 3-4 hours would most likely involve passing through desolate areas ond/or exposed mountain passes. Though I've hardly ever run into problems, some level of preparation and planning ahead could greatly impact comfort level and outcome if something unintended were to happen.

The kit has evolved naturally over many years through a multitude of mini failures and embarrassing moments, as well as some foresight and learning from the mistakes of others. As any other kit it undergoes constant evaluation and tweaking, but the rate of changes and improvements drop off significantly as the kit has matured over the years.

Glove box:

band aids, instruction manual, mandatory paperwork, pen, notebook, LM Supertool 300, 17mm socket and extension for the wheel bolts, tick removers, padlocks for the dog cage and barely visable in the back..


Resilience S35VN CE and Hultafors OK4

Center console:

assorted USB cables for device charging, Astrolux FT03 thrower flashlight, Lumintop TLF/BLF FW3T titanum flood flashlight, Olight Nova CR123 headlamp, spare CR 123 cell and hand lotion.

Under passenger seat:

Ice scrape/snow brush and..


telescopic pipe socket wrench

luggage compartment:

The luggage compartment is completely filled by a custom made, double dog cage. This leaves very little accessible storage for my kit - much less so than my previous 4WD, but there is enough accessible and semi accessible storage to make due.
Side compartment:

med kit, work gloves and tool kit with:

screw driver kit, pipe socket kit, adjustable wrench, 10 and 13mm fixed, ratcheting wrench, paracord, box of assorted screws and vinyl gloves (in zip pocket).
Under floor compartment:

TP, cork screw dog leash attachment, jacking strap, ESEE Darien machete, telescopic snow shovel/hatchet, Fiskars X11S axe, tire repair kit, luggage net and collapsible storage box.
I'd probably move the snow shovel to the roof top rack (as it was in the old car) when I have it fitted to the new car, but there's still a few pieces missing before that can happen.

Although a motorised vehicle impose fewer restrictions on size and weight, I still try to keep it lean and clean and try to avoid unnecessary clutter by assessing the relevance of any item I add to the kit.
Another principle I try to adhere to is not to buy items specifically for this purpose, but rather repurpose items I already own or for items I would own anyway, I just store them in my car if the car is typically near by when I need them.
I did not bother to snap photos of disposable items like paper towels, wet vipes, poo bags etc. as well as mandatory safety equipment like high viz vests and warning triangle. There's also a large wool blanket in the back seat and I keep a few gallons of water stored in the car during the warm season, primarily for the dog, but you never know. Otherwise that's pretty much all.

All in all, I feel I've found a modular and dynamic system that works very well across the scenarios I do- or consider myself likely to run into, but also serves me reasonably well across multiple modes of transportation.
I feel like a die hard prepper writing about this, but I'm really quite relaxed about it. Trying to strike a balance between convenience (mostly this, because I hate not being able to resolve small issues that becomes unnecessarily difficult without very basic gear) and I'd also like to avoid dying from some stupid cause that could be easily prevented by common sense foresight and preparation.

Short and succinct as always

[Farmer X]

@aicolainen: My present situation is much the same as yours. I live in Michigan, and while we see awful winters and the odd tornado, we don't have many worries about natural disasters. I could be wrong, but I think I'd be more likely to "bug in."

[Alan K.]

aicolainen, I have recommended them for many years for addition to the bug out, get home, or forager's bag, but you are the only person I've seen besides myself with a universal sillcock key in your bag.  Good on you!
https://www.primalsurvivor.net/sillcock-key/

[aicolainen]

aicolainen, I have recommended them for many years for addition to the bug out, get home, or forager's bag, but you are the only person I've seen besides myself with a universal sillcock key in your bag.  Good on you!
https://www.primalsurvivor.net/sillcock-key/

Thanks, Alan! Well spotted.
I have to admit it's more of a convenience item than a survival item for me. Being an electronics engineer and with electronics often times being installed in cabinets this thing makes my life much easier. It never hurts when an item serves dual purposes though, that's weight well worth carrying.

Maybe I should have gone into more detail about the contents of the backpack, it's not obvious from the picture what everything is, but my post was getting long enough as it was and like I said in the intro; everyone's situation is different, so it was only meant as inspiration.

[Sos24]

For the shelter in place, I tend to have a lot of items that I have collected over time and store in plastic totes.  For sheltering in place, the biggest concern as far as survival is ensuring you have enough food and water to last. 

For outside of home, whether evacuation or getting home, I have various supplies that I keep in my care out of site.

Shelter - This really depends on how far you need to go and weather.  I usually go with a combination of tarp, poncho, bivy.  In warmer weather, a poncho/cape that can convert be used as shelter and a emergency bivy.  For colder weather, a thermal poncho that can be used as bivy and tarp, plus a thermal tarp. 

Water - need both water storage and a way of ensuring clean.  For this, I really like a metal water bottle and a CNOC soft bag with filter (Sawyer, HydroBlu, Katadyn Free).  If in an urban environment, a silcock key is worth an add because small but could give access to water.

Food - because I keep this in the car, I like to have some survival bars because they are designed for temperature extremes.  I also like jerky, tuna, oatmeal, nutrition gels and bars, coffee.  If possibly longer distance, some freeze dried meals.  I  include an alcohol stove as a quick way to heat water that doesn’t use a lot of fuel and the fuel is easily acquired. 

Tools - lighter and ferro rod, headlamp and flashlight, multitool and SAK.  If allowed fix blade knife, gun, or other defensive tools.  Power bank is something else to carry and potentially mini solar panel to charge. First Aid kit.  Rope (paracord or bankline) and duct tape.  Paper maps or atlas and compass/gps especially if need to take alternative routes.

Clothing and others - extra underwear and socks, extra layers based on weather, cotton bandana or shemagh or balaclava.  Comfortable shoes and possibly spare outfit, especially if have to wear uniform or dress closes when working.

[IMR4198]

   I see a lot of the women who are capable of walking for good distances but are handicapped by their footwear.  If you must wear dressy shoes, at least have access to something you can walk several miles in.  Keep something in your cars.  Waterproof is even better.  Sometimes the only transport you have are your original equipment. 
   You have been seeing how things are where I live (western NC).  I saw a story where a woman was saying her grandchildren hadn't eaten since the hurricane started.  I don't know her exact situation, but a little forethought is a good thing. 

[Sos24]

   I see a lot of the women who are capable of walking for good distances but are handicapped by their footwear.  If you must wear dressy shoes, at least have access to something you can walk several miles in.  Keep something in your cars.  Waterproof is even better.  Sometimes the only transport you have are your original equipment. 
   You have been seeing how things are where I live (western NC).  I saw a story where a woman was saying her grandchildren hadn't eaten since the hurricane started.  I don't know her exact situation, but a little forethought is a good thing.

Completely agree.  My car always has a spare pair of hiking shoes for both my wife and I, as well as comfortable socks to wear with them.

I am very glad that I am not in any of the effected areas of Hurricane Helene.  I have been affected by a couple different hurricanes and other events, but was fortunate enough to never be in the severe situation many are right now.  I just hope that help gets to those who need it.

I will say the events that I have experienced caused me to do many things so that I feel I could take care of my family if something were to happen.  I hope many people will take these events to heart and prepare just in case.

[campussecurity]

I love this topic.
I used to haul a overpacked get home bag with me. I trimmed the fat so to speak after rewatching a bunch of Paul Harrell videos. ( RIP Paul)

In my day to day work bag, I have a custom built first aid kit, that I made after many life situations.
It has the assortment of bandaids, alcohol wipes, antiseptic. But also 3 rolls of gauze and tape, 4 pairs of nitril gloves. Plus I have a LM Squirt PS4, Vic Farmer Alox, lighter, Fenix LD02 and 3 extra batteries, firesteel, CPR kit, and a windows class break/seatbelt cutter.
 

edc kit.jpg (Filesize: 272.3 KB)

In the bag I also have  LM Wave and a Screwdriver with a full bit kit.
I also keep an extra sweatshirt and my gortex rain jacket, plus a wool crush hat I have had over 20 years since boy scouts.

EDC get home bag, has 6 bottles of water, 2 32oz Nalgene and 4 24oz clean canteen. 3 pairs of wool socks. Extra pair of clothes. A woobie, large waterproof tarp for shelter/ground pad. 3 MREs. 2 boxes of granola bars/fruit bars. 3 means of fire starting, Buck 105, Gerber MP600, water filter and 3L squeeze bag. Aluminum camp cup, MSR jet stove and a can of fuel. Pus the typical roll of fishing line, mini fishing kit. 200 meters of 550 cord, 6 garden trash bags. I also rotate an extra box of ammo into it from whatever I am EDCing at the time. Also my Baofang BF-F8HP, NA-771 antenna, 4 3800MAH spare batteries. (I have my ham license) And a handheld CB radio by Midland. Fenix PD35 and 6 extra CR123 batteries.

Car has the typical kit and it saved us 2 years ago. Got stranded in a freak once in 20 years snow storm.
I keep 3 MREs, 3 mountain house and assortment of snacks. 36 pack of water, battery jump box, jumper cables, craftsman tool kit. Mini car jack and tire iron. 2 Woobies, and a car size trauma kit. Also always have my get home bag. Plus magmount antennas for UHF & CB. Plus 5V adapters for both radios.

My main concerns are, fires, and earthquakes. I work 40 miles from home, so I will be walking home if a large quake happens.

My EDC on my personal always is some form of a multitool, SAK or LM, Quality folder, and my Fenix E12.

Some redundancies, but one 1 none. 2 is one.

[Farmer X]

Earthquakes? Do you live in California? I spent most of my life there, but never felt anything more than little tremors.