My roommate was looking at what is in my ditch kit the other night (had it spread out on the living room table), and she asked me how much it would had cost. Couldn't tell her, but I still don't think she believes me that I started building that kit when I was 10 and won't stop until a week after I'm dead.

But I also wouldn't bring one of my hardcore "survival machine" kits to a speech- I'd bring my "plague box" with it's ten days of food, and augment it with my big blue water container, a bottle of bleach, and some batteries and fire starting stuff. That totals less than $80 for one person. About $110 if you add Coleman camp stove from Wallyworld, a couple of fuel canisters, a 1.7L kitchen storage bin and a pair of cheap pliers (also all from Wallyworld). That right there is a good start for a disaster box.

We can do this for a reasonable cost, then us hardcore guys start refining, upgrading and expanding.