Car kit

Of course I don't drive, or own a car.  However, one of my sisters really enjoyed my advice on the subject.

So, here it is.

Say you are out on a sales call.  You are wearing a business suit and dress shoes.  You suddenly hear of a dirty bomb attack.  The bomb detonated at the freeway, traffic is impassible, and the cloud is headed for you.  Emergency responders won't be able to get to you for hours, and you have about 90 minutes to flee.

As you walk out of the danger area, your feet throb.  You sweat.  Your clothes chafe you horribly.  Foot blisters are killing you.  You're hungry, you're thirsty, and quite possibly you are very cold.

I have noted car people seldom carry a heavy coat.

How can you prevent that?

Another scenario, one I posited to my sister: what if an earthquake hits and destroys the freeway, when you're away from home on a sales call?  All you have are the contents of your car.  Home, and your son, are 20 miles away, and you're in heels.

Pretty scary.

So.  First things first: heavy shoes.  A workboot style would be best, but a running shoe would work.  A running shoe wouldn't protect you from debris, though.  You might encounter broken concrete, shattered glass, nails, and 2x4's.  So, I will suggest

Comfortable workboots in your size.  I found a good pair for $20.

Now, what if it's just a horrendous traffic jam?  Well, you can sleep in your car if needed, if you have

A nice heavy blanket and comfy pillow.  I suggest a wool blanket.  It is very warm, repels water, and will keep you warm even when wet, which is great if you're stranded in the cold rain.  It really does work that way, I have a wool hat that is fantastically warm in the winter rains.

Food and water
Pretty obvious.  I have been told, by "driving" Prepper type, that MRE's are the only way to go, they are far more tolerant to extremes of heat and cold, but I think some shelf stable meals, granola bars, peanut butter (good energy if you have plenty of water), whatever you like that will tolerate heat and cold, will work fine.  Rotate it out every 6 months to a year, eat it, make sure you like it, replace it.

I'd suggest a case of bottled water, minimum.  Ideally, you also have water treatment tablets and a water bottle in your glove box, so you could treat water along the way and make it potable (safe to drink).

Cell phone charger
Odds are, your car battery will work.  A charger enables you to have video, music, etc, even if the network is down.

I cheated and went to www.ready.gov for the rest of it.

Jumper cables, I wouldn't have thought of that myself.

Flashlights and batteries.  Or, if you can manage, get a hand crank flashlight and a regular one with batteries.  You can get a very decent flashlight at Dollar Tree, with plenty of batteries, for $2.  Make sure you change out the batteries along with your food every 6 months.

First Aid Kit - what does that mean, really?  I got a basic one at Dollar Tree for $1.  You don't have to drop lots of money.  A couple of clean rags in a plastic bag, along with an inexpensive first aid kit, would work.  If you can get a first aid manual, great.

FEMA says you need a radio.  Don't you have one in the car already?  The stores have very cheap radios for less than $10.  I'd keep it in the glove box.  Ron has a hand-crank radio he loves, or you can go batteries, but change the batteries out every 6 months or so.

I can't believe I forgot a change of clothes.  I'd get a comfortable older set of sweats, or cotton drawstring pants and an oversized t-shirt, old stained stuff is great, you just want something comfy and easy to move in.  A summer outfit and a winter one.  Say 3 changes of socks & underwear.  A nice wool hat, and a baseball cap.  Sunglasses (cheap ones).  I walk a lot, outside, and things get bright.

Living in a "wet" city, I'll also suggest a poncho, a nice rugged vinyl one, not the "trash bag" plastic.  They even have camouflage ones if you want, and they run less than $5.

FEMA also suggests baby formula and diapers if you have a little one.  Good idea.

A good point to mention medication.  If you take anything (even headache pills) on a regular basis, have it available.

If you can afford it or have them already glasses to backup your contacts.  What if it's very dusty?  I don't think you can leave most contacts in for very long.

How about a roll of toilet paper?  Wouldn't that be awful?   Also, if you're a woman and it's about time for your cycle make sure you have plenty of supplies on hand.

Ziptop plastic bags  I can think of a million uses, and I bet you can too.  Dollar Tree has great ones, even a 2 gallon I'm always using.

I'd also suggest a backpack to use as your bug out bag, put your supplies in it as you leave the vehicle.  A cheap backpack.