People have always laughed at me carrying all sorts of survival gear. Of course, they always come to me when they want something, but they laugh the rest of the time.<br><br>That pretty much came to a halt last year when my girlfriend and I avoided the WTC attacks by a few hours. Something like that brought home to me (and to everyone else) that these disasters don't just happen to 'someone else'; they can happen to *you*.<br><br>Sure, if we *had* been inside the WTC at the time of the attacks, my stuff may have been of no help. Or we may have (in fact, probably would have) got out fine without it. But it's just the whole proximity of the attack that brought home how uncertain life can be, and how you can never know when or what disaster or emergency may strike.<br><br>(In fact, I felt an overwhelming sense of guilt at not being in NYC during the attacks; as if I'd 'run out', some sort of chicken. Ridiculous, I know. There's nothing I could've done to help. But, you know, the brain's odd like that.)<br><br>Anyway, think of your kit like insurance; you desperately hope that you'll never need to use it in a real emergency, but by God, if one comes along, be thankful you've got it!