Most GHB and BOB's are planned to get you into the wild to survive. Tents, stoves, etc.

Yes, but... I'm staying at work or taking the bus home - Not walking 20 miles.

And if I am leaving my house, its to go to a friends or to a Red Cross shelter. Instead of a water filter, I'd like my favorite pillow and some dress shirts to get me through.

An alternative opinion,

Teacher

prior to the building code changes after Hurricane Andrew, my school was a community shelter... the old timers would show up with a chaise lounge, wheeled cooler, battery fan, portable TV or radio with earphones, toiletries kit (with TP)...and bug spray or citronella candle...

Everyone should certainly consider their situation, threats and what to do if they are at home, work, shopping, vacationing or on a business trip in some strange city. And the season - I switch out things depending on what the temperatures are likely to be or could be in the extreme.


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I'd love to find a travel pillow that packed down small but made it easier for me to sleep. That would be a worthy addition to my kits.

Try spare clothing placed into a stuff sack (usually the one that contains your sleeping bag).

I've done that but I'm thinking that if I'm sitting up, one of those neck pillows might work better.

Like Dagny, I change out some contents & even the rucksack itself, depending on needs and the season.

Currently, I am using a medium ALICE on a frame and its packed (98%) for summer in VA. In mid-September I'll start changing things as the weather changes.

I have one of the inflatable neck pillows I bought to use on long airline trips. It doesn't work as well for me as one of the airline's small pillows, but I find (barely) better than nothing.

Being inflatable, it does pack down small when you let the air out.

But as to the main topic, I do think that everyone's BOB bag needs to be tailored to the local environment and what you expect you will/may have to face. I look at everyone's lists and pick and choose things that I overlooked or simply had not thought of. There is no one size fits all in kits.

Well, I guess everybody but me is not confused by the original post. I was somewhat understanding, until the original poster said he'd like some dress shirts to get him through. At that point, I realized I don't understand what's going on. Around my parts, dress shirts are nice, relatively uncomfortable shirts (compared to T-shirts) that are usually worn to go to business meetings, weddings and such.

However, if the idea is he wants to have things that are familiar, but unnecessary in the general sense, then I get it. Since the original poster is talking about an urban environment, the BOB is probably extremely limited in space. There is probably room for packing one luxury item. For me, I would pack hard copies of photos. I think that would pull me through the uncomfortable times and help fill the gap of missing niceties.

LOVE Truckstops & others sell a decent small pillow wrapped in a wool blend "car" blanket. They are comfortable and compact. Check them out at a truckstop near you.