I respectfully disagree...identity theft is a VERY big deal. It can go undetected for months or years, even with the victim being vigilant. The last person we convicted in this area made a six-figure income from it for several years. Part of her plea agreement was to make a police training video on how she did it. The video is two hours long, and only scratches the surface.

After a local disaster, your personal information may be scattered everywhere, but not by you! How well does your landlord or the store up the street maintain your personal information?

I agree with you that, like your wallet, you should not loose your USB drive (or have it taken from you), if possible. But that is not always possible under all circumstances.

This is one of my investigative specialties. If anyone is interested in learning more, send me a PM, and I will attempt to assist you. And no, you don't need to provide me your personal data! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Having a working credit card (and perhaps the ability to access additional credit) would seem to me to be a vital survival tool. Not as sexy as knives, fire starters, and flashlights however!