And that is also true of most of the folks in the rest of the good ole U S of A!!!

it's not just the US, but i quess most of the western world. I quess we are to safe to really prepare for disasters.

In The Netherlands, prepardness is even less. The govermant has started to promote prepardness, but with little succes. And we are not talking mayor prepardness.

The list of basic items by the Dutch goverment is:"
- A FM radio, with batteries
- Flashlight
- First Aid kit
- Matches in a waterproof containter.

On the addition items list:
- Prescription medicine
- cash, importent papers
- Spare keys
- maps / phonenumbers
- 3L water per person, per day
- 3 days worth of food
- hygiene stuff.

Really basic in all, yet i have yet to find somebody that actually has these things with prepardness in mind. And i don't just know a lot of normal people, i work in the emergency and safety business.

My NYC EDC for commuting from Brooklyn to Manhattan by subway in a suit and tie:

On self / in pockets / on belt:
Keys
Blackberry
Fox 40 Whistle (on keychain)
Small Buck folding knife (on quick release on key chain)
Fenix P3D flashlight
Watch
Wallet with ID, credit cards, and never less than $20
Rain gear / umbrella as appropriate

In briefcase (messenger bag type):
N95 dustmask
Spare CR123 batteries
Paper, pens, pencils
Lunch
Wind-up emergency AM/FM radio with built in flashlight

At work:
Running shoes and change of clothes
Two Nalgene type water bottles, as well as commercial bottled water in my desk
Additional N95 dust masks
Company provided emergency kit with:
Battery powered AM/FM radio
Chemical light sticks
"juice box" water
Space blanket
Cheap flashlight
Latex gloves

My thougts are that in most any emergency my first concern will be to get myself out of the subway or highrise office building where I am, followed by walking home. The walk shouldn't take more than a couple of hours (even in work shoes), so huge amounts of food and water are unnecessary. I'd have to choose between one of three bridges, though I suppose if it got really bad I could walk through the Battery tunnel as well. (Heck, I've even mapped out a route home walking through the subway tunnels if I had to stay below ground the whole way, but it would have to be REALLY BAD before I tried that one!) At home I have substantial resources for sheltering in place and keepng my family safe and comfortable, so getting there is the primary goal.

Do I have everything I could conceivably need? No
Do I have reasonable resources available to me that I am unlikely to find overly inconvenient to keep around? I think so
Do I have more than nearly everyone around me? Absolutely.

Jesselp,
Why did you choose the "Wind-up emergency AM/FM radio with built in flashlight"? It seems to me a standard battery powered AM/FM radio would have enough battery life to get you home. The windup radios I've seen were all more geared toward the long term. A standard radio should save you both weight and space in your messenger bag. Add a SAK Handyman to make up the weight savings

Russ,

Well, they came in a pack of two at Costco. Rather than buy something else, I figured I'd put one in my bag.

Truth is, I've not been impressed with the things, and will probably be replacing them soon. I've had them for about a year, and they no longer hold a charge for the light. You need to keep turning the handle to get the light to work.

I don't think I'll be buying a new SAK for my bag, but I've toyed with the idea of tossing my Leatherman Charge Ti in the bag, however it was an anniversary gift from my wife, and I'm a bit scared I'll lose it

JLP

If the LM Charge Ti was a gift, all the more reason to carry an expendable in the bag. The SAK Spartan is fairly inexpensive and not too threatening if that's an issue.

As for a radio/light combo that doesn't hold a charge -- dump it, dump it now. Don't waste your energy lugging it if it doesn't work. A cheap Sony AA. . .wait a sec while I check Amazon. . .will set you back ~$10 plus shipping and it works on very common AA batteries. Something to consider would be to get a flashlight that also runs on AA batteries such as the Fenix L2D or L2T so you only need one set of spares. Just a thought, yours to carry.

This article depresses me, but doesn't surprise. I think the short memory span is just part of being human and flawed.

Jesselp - you're doing a lot better than the majority, I'm sure. I'd say Russ has some very good suggestions.
If you don't want to order online, you probably pass street vendors or electronics stores with even cheaper and/or smaller radio versions - something with earbuds so you can listen on the move. I was very glad to have one in the '03 blackout - news reports on WNYC (1010 WINS was knocked out by the power outage) started explaining the scope of the outages, so I could convince some people still waiting on the subway platform that there wasn't going to be a "next" train that day.
Also, you might want to consider a small Nalgene, like a .5-liter, with water on you. Something you won't break, something you can refill as you walk (unlike the "juice box). The blackout was also a hot day, and it was a long walk home for me (and I was already in Brooklyn...adding Manhattan to the walk would not have been fun).

Dave

That would be a perfect way to get banned

I think it's unfair to single out New Yorkers...there are people like this everywhere and I see my fair share every day.