As part of your planning and which ultimately determines what to have in your kit is the question: What events would prevent you from getting home and where would you go if there was no home for you get back to?

For example. In our everyday routines, we are seldom more then an hour walk from home and usually there are no natural or manmade obstructions that would slow or stop us from getting home. There is no threat of flood (home is too high up and miles away from the biggest river and creeks.) There is no fear of tornados, hurricanes or major snow storms where the city is paralyzed for days or weeks at a time.

That said, we do live in an active earthqauke zone and after a few thousand years of relative inactivity, we are almost ripe for a major quake. Experts say it could happen at any time, meaning any day or in the next few milleniums...and I am sure there is room for error in their calculations.

I work less then a 45 minute walk home and my G/F's walk home from is even less then that and is on my route home so I would head there first.

If we had to evac on foot from home to another area, such as a family or friends home, again it would not take that long on foot and it is fair to say that it would be faster then driving depending on the circumstance.

With the all the above in mind, nowadays I don't carry a lot of EDC other then a flashlight with extra batteries, water bottle, folding knife, various bandages, a few OTC meds, some loose change, small pack of diaper wipes, extra pair of socks, and probably a few other odds and ends which escapes me right now. This all fits into a small pack which I take to work everyday as I use it as my lunch carrier also.

In the event there was a major disaster, the trunk of the car (which I drive to work) always has hiking/camping gear, clothes, backpacks, first aid, extra food, water, shelter that we could press into use when required.

For none everyday routines where we could be hundreds of miles from home, distance, weather, terrain and environment plays a bigger role in planning and is probably best suited for a separate thread.