I have found that the small single AA Gerber Infinity Ultra is great for wondering around at night. The battery lasts a long time and the clip can be used to keep it in one place. I have one on the dresser (right in front of the clock) that I use regularly, but if stuff started falling, there's another clipped to a bag that's right at my feet as I get up. Also clipped to that bag is an RSK (you never know). Boots with socks are just to the left of the bag between the bed and wall, within reach of me sitting on the bed. After a major earthquake I'd grab the light and do a quick check before I got up, if it's clear I'd grab my jeans (which still have a knife clipped to the pocket) put on the boots (rather than the cross trainers I'd normally wear) and then whatever shirt, sweater felt appropriate for the weather.

If it's just an earthquake and everything is still standing, there's no reason to evacuate, the damage is done. If bugging out is still the goal, I'd finish loading the pockets, grab a couple critical bags (a couple items I don't store in the truck) and drive away. I keep gear in the truck 24/7 so packing is not a time consuming project. I can't imagine what would make me drive away on a moments notice, other than a nuc, and then the question of where you gonna go comes up.

Some great responses and suggestions. Thanks! Keep 'em coming... <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

good thoughts -- find flashlight, find glasses, find pants.
asses situation -- if you need to exit, how do you alert other family members
test door for hear
find keys, cats and cell
exit

Even a small earthquake will shake your glasses and flashlight off the side table. In a drawer might be better. Has anyone tried those recharageable flashlights that stay plugged in until a power outage, then then turn themselves on?

TRO

I haven't but I think it's a great idea. It's like having one of those battery-operated emergency lights from work in your own home. The one thing I don't like about them is that they all turn on at full power. What if I'm not at home? Then that's wasted battery power that I might find handy when I do come home. If they could be set to either turn on at a low setting or turn on a small LED or something instead of only full power, that would be handy.

Actually, I have seen flashlights, like at Target, that have a permanently blinking "here-I-am" LED. That should help make it easier to find in the pitch dark. You could put a number of them in strategic locations between your bedroom and the exit and even if the power were out, you could use the blinking LED's to orient yourself and just follow them to the outside. Just an idea.

*EDIT*
Duh, if you follow the blinking light to the first flashlight, then just use that flashlight to get out. No need to follow the trail of blinking LED's. Sometimes we just make things too difficult, eh? <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
* END EDIT*

Occasionally you'll see one of these plug-in lights that uses a flourescent lamp instead of an incandescent bulb. The flourescent would be more efficient and give more runtime or at least a broader area light. As another option, an LED bulb would be nice, too, but I have yet to see one of these emergency plug-in lights with an LED. An LED bulb would also be very efficient and give long runtime, probably much longer than a flourescent lamp.

I put a large safety pin on the bottom part of my mattress at the head of the bed, I have a small Garrity LED keychain flashlight on a carbiner that I keep clipped on the safety pin. Unless my bed gets out of the house before I do then I know I will have light. I just have to run my hand down the corner of my bed and unclip it and i'm ready to go.

Yes, that's exactly the type of lighting solution I was thinking about in case of an earthquake!

Now, I'm just waiting for someone to post the hypothetical situation question--an earthquake totally destroys your house and you crawl out of the wreckage. The gas main catches fire and burns up everything you own. All you have is a keychain light and the carabiner and large safety pin that held it to the mattress. How do you survive? <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I don't live in earthquake country exactly but I do keep a BOB next to my bed so I would survive just fine. I was only refering to a handy light.

I'm in SOCAL, but away from the major faults. Still, I wanted to have a light handy just in case. Once you have light, getting dressed and booted up becomes much quicker. That small bag next to my side of the bed has lots of little things that could make things stop bumping in the middle of the night.

I didn't think I live in an earthquake zone; earlier this year I looked up fault lines in Texas. This far north, we are at greater risk of an earthquake than a hurricane. We are at a greater risk of a tornado and the problem with tornados are they have a tendency to blow away all your survival equipment. At least hurricanes have the courtesy of giving people advanced notice.

Jeanette Isabelle

Hmmmm, where to start?...

My BOB's are kept in the vehicles. I figure wherever I am, they'll be nearby. Also in each vehicle is a duffle bag with a change of clothing (pants, shirt, jacket, gloves, hats, socks, etc.) and an old pair of work boots and two sleeping bags. I also have a 'grab-and-go' bag, which sits on top of a second fridge at the bottom of my basement steps. It's like a BOB, just larger. It contains 2 or 3 changes of clothing (some old pants, shirts, t-shirts, underwear, socks, hats, scarves, gloves (leather and wool)), boots, a heavy coat, pullovers, etc. Most of the clothing/boots are old and pretty sad looking, but in an emergency, who cares? It also has a tent, some blankets, a few of those charcoal handwarmers & extra fuel rods, firestarting supplies (folding saw, tinder, matches/lighters, etc.), some food items (needs to be rotated every now and then). I'm sure I missed some things in there but you get the idea.

If you live by yourself, it just a matter of keeping your gear where you can find it quickly. A friend keeps his gear bag in the kitchen cabinet just next to their rear door.
My clothes (with a flashlight on my belt) lay on a chair next to my bed with my boots under it. I have an old camping flashlight hung from my bedpost on a cord. It'll be changed to an LED one soon. The flashlights get fresh batteries every time the clocks change, along with the smoke and CO detectors (You do have smoke detectors, don't you??). The older batteries go into a box to get used whenever needed.

I've heard of others keeping a small bag under their beds with flashlights, leather glovers, and a prybar for stuck doors. All the interior doors in my house are those flimsy doors I can punch through, but if you live in an apartment with heavy wood or steel doors, maybe a prybar (and a sledgehammer) would be a good idea. One of those headlight things with an elastic band would allow you use of both hands. Make sure your bedroom slippers have tough, puncture-resistant bottoms, so you can jump in them and go (and anchor your taller pieces of furniture to the wall so they won't be as likely to fall over). A long, thick (and warm!) bathrobe, especially nice if you like to sleep 'au natural' (Rappelling naked from your 5th floor apartment's bedroom window in the middle of a midnight fire would get you quite a few interesting looks, as well as a front page photo!! <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />) I keep a small flashlight in my bathrobe with spare keys to the vehicles and my mom's house tied to it. You might want spare keys to your car, spare prescription glasses, phone numbers of friends or family living nearby, etc.

If you have kids, try having monthly or quarterly evac drills. It teaches them to exit the house/building quickly and safely. You could keep it somewhat playful and lighthearted, as long as they learn what to do. If everyone does well, reward them with a pizza dinner that night. If the emergency is only your house or building and they get separated from you, teach them to go to a safe place like a friendly neighbor. If it's on a larger scale, a nearby corner/building/parking lot/etc. Just make sure they know that if they don't see mom or dad, they go to your 'chosen meeting place', wherever that may be and wait, not walk around looking for you and becoming lost. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to make sure they have some form of ID on them either, especially if they're young. No idea how to do that consistently unless you tattoo your name and cell phone number on their butts. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />