Try to keep it simple. We might be survival geeks, but most of our parents are ordinary people that might not have the motivation or knowledge to start a fire, for example. I know my mother wouldn't try to light a fire, even in a survival situation. Neither would my father bother brewing some tea with a small stove he's never tinkered with before.

In other words, I would try to equip them with items that they are familiar with. I know what my mother would look for : CLOTHES. So... here goes : blankets, a candle lantern with matches/lighter, some Clif-type bars, small boxes of fruit juices, fleece hats and gloves, whistles, adhesive bandages, and some decent flashlights with lithium batteries (long shelf life, work in cold temps).


Last march, there was a huge snowstorm in Quebec City (See video: http://fr.youtube.com/watch?v=5JbTqhOFBVY). Police cars were left overnight unattended on major highways because they were covered with snow! Dozens and dozens of people decided to leave their vehicles pretty much everywhere, right in the middle of major highways and on secondary roads... Everybody survived the ordeal, it was just an inconvenience. People helped each other out, some snowmobilers picked some people up and took them at their place to stay overnight, etc.

My point is... don't skimp with the basics. Blankets, fleece hats, candle lantern, something to eat.