What's under your bed? Dust bunnies, or things that might prove useful in an earthquake, fire, blackout, or other middle-of-the-night emergency?

Currently under the bed:

* emergency ladder (bedroom is on a second floor)
* sturdy shoes and socks
* flashlight
* glow stick -- in case flashlight cannot be used due to gas leak.
* eyeglass case -- technically not under the bed, but attached to the side of the mattress with velcro in case of earthquake.
* small first aid kit
* small radio
* whistle
* dust masks
* work gloves -- for removing glass and other sharp debris
* water bottles
* crow bar



Any other ideas?

During an earthquake, bed legs may break. Lifting the bed to reach under might be difficult ... especially if the wife is still sleeping (ha!) So I installed heavy-duty legs under the bed.

I wouldn't want to keep anything under my bed. In any kind of earthquake/tornado/etc. disaster, whatever was under there would be all crushed and wet from the tons of water above it. Yeah - I still have a waterbed! Sometimes tha cat crawls into a small tunnel under there to sleep. That's OK. I'm not much of a cat person, and if the cat gets flushed and has to "ride the rapids" to escape after a waterbed rupture, no problemo.

Wow, Meadowlark, that's a pretty good set up you have there. Hardly any reason to get up out of bed every day!

I have thought about the "not putting things under the bed" argument from time to time since I also live in earthquake country, but I think that if something large enough (like the ROOF!) is on top of my bed, I'm in some really serious trouble. Especially if I'm also in the bed at the time.

In addition to some of the items you already listed, I also keep my cell phone on the nightstand every night. A regular landline phone would work, too.

I have an alarm system and I also keep a spare remote next to my bed. Just another option to call for help or maybe scare off an intruder with the sound of the alarm.

I used to keep my NOAA radio on standby next to the bed for a long time for things like chemical spills from train derailments (I used to live near some tracks) or a wildfire evacuation in the middle of the night, but I've concluded that local authorities never seem to activate the EAS around here. I'd keep it if we had severe weather around here but we don't, so it's sitting in a drawer right now.

Also:

Hardhat
CERT vest
Wrench (for turning off water and gas)
Ham radio HT in holster (put on my belt)
Fleece jacket (just keep an old one when you buy new)

I keep everything together in a duffle bag so it doesn't go wandering under the bed, also I can grab and go after putting on my shoes and hat. Some of this stuff is redundant with gear kept in my car, and in a closet.

Under my bed... Let me look... *lifts the mattress* Yep, like I thought, floor. I'm a bachelor and I like a firm mattress.

However, at my left foot, I've got a tote with my cold weather gear in it, along with spare batteries and candles, along with my most of my renfaire clothes. My "headboard" is a pair of small totes, one being my "war box" with a week of food, two spare canisters for my camp stove, and PPE in it. It also has my glasses and my Bag of Tricks on it when I'm sleeping.

The other is "BoB's Box", which keeps the stuff that goes in the main part of my BoB as I'm not convinced that my Crestone, as good as it is, is designed to ALWAYS be loaded. That is another week of food, change of clothes, more PPE, my mess kit (including a camp stove and a fuel cannister), two water bottles, and some odds and ends. On top of that is BoB (leaning against the wall), partially loaded with my bed roll, FAK, cordage, flashlight, spare batteries, fire making gear, and spare socks.

On the side of my bed by the wall, I've got shelves with my ditch kit, which is always loaded, my big FAK, a five gallon water jug, my cordage bag, spare camping food, crowbar, my Ka-bar, and the pistol case. I've also got my renfaire cutlery and belt on those shelves, with my sword close at hand when I sleep. :P And behind the door I've got most of my Nalgene collection filled up and neatly standing.

Yeah... I sleep well at night because I know I'm ready. *grins*

flat plastic box with the winter parka and flannel lined jeans.
i'm sure glad i live in a part of the country where nothing happens,your lists sort of freak me out---

under the bed is where I keep the thing with the yellow eyes and the green teeth that makes the bump noises in the night. He's not much use in an emergency, but handy when I have to dispose of a dead body once in a while.

Yes, some of us live a couple hundred yards from recently discovered fault lines whose earthquakes will shake us like rag dolls, and if we're not killed or injured outright we will have to run screaming like little girls to save our kids being roasted alive beneath the rubble that was their rooms, across a broken glass-strewn floor towards a door jammed shut by a shifting house, which is mostly collapsed. Unless we have the sense to wear shoes, kept under our beds.

Now that you mention it, I do miss living in Minnesota.

Sorry, I can't help but think of Scarface...say hello to my little friend...

I'm speaking of the "gauge," of course.