Lifehacker link

*shrug*
The whole point of my "bug-out-bag", "72hourbag" or whatever you want to call it was to get home from work.
If I'm at home, so is it. If I'm away from home, I'm probably at work.

I have stuff in my car that might help me get home. Depends on how far from home I am.

Some seem to have this fantasy that they will walk 100 miles to get home in 3 days while fighting off hordes of people trying to take their stuff so they will need 50 pounds of guns and ammo.

I only live 6.5 miles from work. I can walk that without too much trouble. I did 7.5 miles Saturday. I managed to hike the whole 7.5 miles without even needing anything out of my fanny pack except the bottled water. Not like there is much in it to begin with. Pretty basic. Not so much as a single gum drop.

I think most people are fixated on stuff, rather than what it is the stuff is supposed to help one do.

You have the correct. Lots of cool stuff out there, but it does depend on your objectives and expected scenarios. I have a 45 mile walk home from work - hard to think of a scenario where Iwould have to walk ALL of it, but if I do it's likely to be before the end of the world (I don't expect us to go from current environment to Mad Max in less than say 48hours ;-) )

The bag I keep in my car serves several purposes for me. If I had to hike a significant distance to get home, my plan is to leave most of the gear behind and bring only those things that the circumstances dictate. In other circumstances I'll probably be glad to have the gear.

Yes. For me a rain jacket is like that, great to have if its raining, otherwise, leave it in the car.

Nice to have at work;

Walking shoes
Spare cell charger
cash
snacks
bottled water/ water bottle
jacket

for you older folk that have a copy of "Up Front" by Bill Mauldin laying around... the main protagonists are Willie and Joe, a couple of WWII grunts... cartoon of Willie and Joe loaded down with all forms of equipment... caption reads something like... you won't have any problem picking up our trail after the first couple of miles...

I always have a rain coat/jacket with me. Either in the car or in my office.

I am rather fond of the Carhartt Waterproof Breathable line. Pricey, but very well made and remarkably waterproof.

I would recommend you go to the store to try them on though, they are a little large cut. I think they are designed so you can wear an insulated parka or something underneath it if you need insulation as well as waterpoofing.

The mention of a BLACKOUT in the lifehacker link always triggers thoughts of driving home -

A recent post on SURVIVAL BLOG continues the thought -
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Preparedness for Dark Times, by John D.

I am a deputy sheriff in Louisiana and patrol primarily on the night shift. A few nights ago my shift was alerted that the main city in our parish was under a complete "black out", meaning a total loss of ALL electricity. The reason for the blackout was unknown but the repercussions were great. The power stayed out for a mere hour and a half, but that was all it took to cause chaos all throughout the city. In this hour and a half multiple shootings occurred, multiple wrecks occurred on the highways and city streets, and multiple stores and businesses were broken into and looted due to security systems malfunctioning. All within that small hour and a half. It really shows how fragile the order in our cities hangs in the balance. People who would probably have been watching television or engaging in other peaceful activities, were gathering in the streets starting fights. All because the lights and tv turned off. You can imagine the thoughts of driving home during this.
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This thought process would not be complete without Michael Douglas -

Falling Down is a 1993 crime-drama film directed by Joel Schumacher. The film stars Michael Douglas in the lead role of William Foster (credited as "D-Fens"), a divorcee and unemployed former defense engineer. The film centers on Foster as he goes on a violent rampage across the city of Los Angeles, trying to reach the house of his estranged ex-wife in time for his daughter's birthday party. Along the way, a series of encounters, both trivial and provocative, cause him to react with violence and make sardonic observations on life, poverty, the economy, and commercialism. Robert Duvall co-stars as Martin Prendergast, an aging LAPD Sergeant on the day of his retirement, who faces his own frustrations with socially-accepted spinelessness, even as he tracks down Foster.

The title of the film, referring to Foster's mental collapse, is taken from the nursery rhyme "London Bridge is Falling Down", which is a recurring motif throughout the film.
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So now, back to packing the "GET HOME BAG".

You should have seen the sftermath of Katrina.