Fooman's reply to the 'Super typhoon' to hit Philippines thread got me thinking about what happens if the SHTF while you're on travel. All your food, water, and tools are back at home. Your kit's been stripped down to get it through TSA, and you're in an unfamiliar city which may or maynot have working utilities.

1) What do you need to know before leaving for the airport?

2) What should you pack (carry on only and checked luggage travel) to ensure TSA doesn't confiscate it?

3) What do you buy when you get there (before the disaster)?

check the local news before you leave,easy to do with Google and such.just take the easy stuff like clothes,shoes,meds you must have with the scrips.everything else could be bought on the first street out of the airport.food,water,hardware--knife--first aid items,flashlight,whatever.the local gear will more than likely be more in keeping with what you will need that stuff brought from home.

I realize after typing my response and re-reading the OP I am off topic. My apologies but I feel the response represents many on the forum.

I'll just relate traveling in CONUS. I occasionally fly to work retreats with several employees. Fly to Vegas with friends. Drive around the West Coast for races and long weekends.

I am known by what we all recognize by the term, "Boy Scout" in my group. Someone needs something, regardless of how arcane, I have it or something that works. This is not compatible with ultralight travel. I always carry more gear than anyone else.

Extra this and that. Batteries, flashlights, Steripen, SPOT2, blades (or bang bang), sewing kit. Of course if I am driving there is a large pack and/or 5 gallon bucket full of tent, fire and stove, sleeping bag gear, cold weather gear, cases of water, food, rope, etc. Almost a minimalist camping trip.

I buy maps everywhere I go. First thing.

Timely topic.

In about 3 hours, we will be heading into northern Canada and will only be able to take very limited kit due to transportation restrictions. In the very unlikely event that a major and regional/national debilitating event should occur, we would stay there and not try to make our way home any time soon as the weather, terrain and shear distance would make such an attempt foolish.

At least where we would be staying up north is a familiar environment and some family and friends live there. Most of these people have spent their entire lives living in some of the most inhospitable winter conditions in NA and are well prepared as compared to people in a large metro locale where we live right now.

Travel by air is a huge remover-of-options.

Quite a few years ago on a business trip I woke up early in Taipei and watched the early morning traffic volume building up from my window on the 25th story of a high-rise hotel.

I thought about how screwed I'd be if there was an earthquake about then. (Can't speak the language, can't read the signs, equipped only with a business suit and electric razor, and it's way, way too far to walk home. Hosed is me.) Fortunately there was no earthquake.

Having a list of emergency phone numbers and a map is a good starting point. I actually carried a compass on my foreign travel trips because, again, couldn't read the signs. But with map and compass I could be reasonably certain I got on the train going the right direction.....

Well, frankly, this hits at the very root of survival. In such a disaster scenario, finding yourself alone and poorly equipped in an unfamiliar environment, all bets are off and you do what you have to do to keep yourself upright and breathing in and out. Otherwise, you may not get back to your family and friends.
No one else is likely to do this for you.

I suppose fundamental to this is trying to avoid putting yourself in harm's way in the first place. For starters, I wouldn't advise going hiking anywhere near North Korea, Afghanistan, or Iran. Or, as a teenager, going on a single-handed around-the-world sail. Apparently some people don't see the common sense in this, and hopefully will have made appropriate preparations to deal with the consequences.

Iran isn't really a problem (legendary hospitality ), but Afghanistan (probably the most difficult at the moment with a war currently ongoing, not you have to keep a eye for potential kidnappers but you have to watch the sky as well) and North Korea may well be difficult (though not impossible as long as you are prepared to take along a couple of Government issue Guides/interpretors );

http://www.highplaces.co.uk/treks/country29.html

I personally felt safer on a trip to Cuba (even with the Hurricane) than I did with a trip to Barbados for example, although it has not been unknown for me to go drinking in the local pubs and bars in an area described by the UN as one of the most dangerous locations in the western world.

The last trip I took was to a very remote South Pacific island that only had one flight a week in and out and very little in the way of assets on the island.

I check the weather forecast, State Department and other travel advisories, reviews of people who traveled to the location to get an idea of what to expect. That helps focus my kit for local conditions.

Well in advance, I go to http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/ for what immunizations and meds needed for that trip. Some have significant lead time required.

I took an extensive medical kit including suture kit, OTC meds, trauma supplies, etc. I figure I would provide the doctor with MY suture kit, exam gloves etc for him to use on me if necessary. Many of these third world places wash their gloves, needles, etc which is responsible for spreading disease. I'd like to not get what the last guy had.

In carry on baggage I carry some food, LED headlamp, ear plugs, iPhone, and a couple days of clothing in case my checked bag doesn't arrive. I ALWAYS bring a fleece vest and rain jacket regardless of where I'm going.

In checked baggage I put my basic pocket survival kit, water filter, Leatherman etc.

I bring some snacks from home like packaged peanuts and jerky. I had a Microbiology Professor who advised eating something from home about an hour before eating local food. Starts acid production in the stomach and helps prevent food borne illness.

I also purchase Medical Evacuation Insurance to cover repatriation flights. On this last trip you'd have to charter a jet from Hawaii to fly the 1300 miles each way to get home.

By the way, I left the Med Kit with my Dive Guide for his family's use. Nice tip for him in addition to the cash.

That CDC link is a very good one. I typed in "US" and then "California" to check on health hazard updates, and I see pertussis (whooping cough) cases are at 50 year high epidemic levels out here, and vaccinations are being recommended.

Decent street maps are normally the first thing I buy. I've gotten turned around too many time relying on the rent-a-car maps.

The bottle of any prescription meds along with the more common travel stuff (dramamine, tylenol, antacids).

A flashlight (keyring for the city, pen light if I'm going out a ways).

Compass (it can take a couple of days for my sense of direction to kick in).

Water bottle(s) (fill it up after getting through airport security)

Still working on a way to deal with cutting needs for carry-on only travel. TSA has proved extremely capricious as of late (e.g. cut the TSA approved locks off of the suitcases going in both directions), and I'm not sure I want to risk a decent pair of 'approved' scissors or a Gerber EAB sans blade. Maybe I should just buy a cheapo utility knife when I get there.

It sounds like I should add a sewing kit, FAK, iodine tablets, and the locations of any potential disaster relief facilities (red cross, schools, stadiums, etc.) to my bag.