This started as a response to the "three-day" question, but got too lengthy, and eventually veered into a new topic.

My introduction to Emergency Preparedness came many years ago, when I woke up in the middle of the night to no power, no water (electric pump), no alternate heat source, and a blizzard howling outside. No chance to bug out - there were 13 foot drifts over the road between us and town. The camping equipment we had was our lifesaver.

I live in a different area now, and the biggest threats here are tornadoes in the spring, and ice storms in the winter. There have been several ice storms while I have been here, each worse than the last, and city-wide, multiple-day power outages were the norm in each. In the last one I was only without power 1 day, but many I knew were down for a week, and in outlying areas, 2 weeks - in 20 degree weather. There were no stores or resturants open, no way to pump gas, if you could get to the station....we were really on our own.

Since my blizzard experience, I have always kept some camping equipment, water, ready to eat food, etc, and supplemented my stash according to tips from here and elsewhere. I am better prepared at home for an emergency than the average person, and now I am also working on a car kit and decent first aid kit.

My biggest weakness and I think the toughest to prepare for, is a work kit. I work in a facility in which we will probably be expected to stay put for the duration of an emergency, and not go home. How do you all prepare your work kit? Is it really necessary to carry a BOB every day, or are there good ideas for supplies to go in the back of a desk drawer? My work could provide shelter, maybe water (depending on the emergency) food for a couple of days, and some areas with generator-produced light. Heat, I'm not sure about.