I've been thinking about the same thing today. I came up with a very similar list of items to keep handy at work. I fleshed out my list with a couple of your suggestions and I also had a small am/fm radio on my list. Could be helpful to receive news and to be aware of the overall situation so you are making the right decisions. They make some really tiny ones now that you just wouldn't believe, so not much weight penalty for that item.<br><br>The cell phone is always a good idea. It's use in wilderness situations has also been touted. You said that you were considering getting another phone for the purpose, and if you are like me, the cost of the additional monthly service contract is always a consideration. We don't wan't to waste any money that we could be spending hoarding MREs and Rambo knives ;-) Just to remind everybody about the little-known fact about cell phones: they can be used for emergency purposes even after the service contract has been cancelled. You do not need to have an "activated" cell phone to give you the extra margin of safety you may be looking for. Many people may even have an old cell phone laying around the house that can be used in this way and not know it. Any "deactivated" cell phone can be used to dial 911 for free and in most, if not all areas, it can also be used to place a call to any other number if the call is billed collect or to a calling card number or credit card number (at a pretty high rate, like maybe $1/minute plus something like a $1-$2 connection charge). <br><br>