Thinking back to 9/11 when thousands (millions?) of people were hoofing it out of Manhattan, was there much violence among the evacuating masses? I don't recall hearing about any.

With that in mind, I would focus on gear/knowledge aimed at you getting out of there safely and quickly. To me this says maps, good shoes, water, clothing appropriate for the weather, flashlight, dust mask, small first aid kit, knowing how to send text messages on you cell phone, etc... A commando knife and lockpicks seem overkill in this situation. However a cresent wrench and a bandana could be very useful.

-Blast, try to apply the past to tomorrow