Cash ($100-$1000, assorted mostly $1,5,10 & 20s) saves your life in buying a needed taxi ride, hotel room or avioding a mugging. In a blackout, credit cards do not work. An extra, secondary credit card. If you loose your wallet, you'll be much happier with this precaution.
I always have cash on me, enough for a cab ride home at least. I've been avoiding keeping cash or a credit card anywhere that isn't on my person or secured at home. This leaves me vulnerable to loss of my wallet, but makes it easier to prevent cash from being stolen or credit cards from being misused.
Some, (4-8), quarters are useful for pay phones (there are still some around), vending machines and parking meters.
I just took the quarters out of my commuter kit. I can't remember seeing any payphones in the last six months, the vending machines all take dollar bills, and if I'm parking I'll have my car kit which includes $5 in quarters. If I'm desperate for something inside a vending machine and it's a life-threatening emergency, I can break the glass to get at it or bust something open that has coins in it.
Gloves, heavy leather or lighter Kevlar/Nomex, to protect your hands in a bailout situation. Swim goggles to seal stuff out of your eyes.
Got the gloves. Swim goggles seem excessive to me; the chances I'll be around a survivable incident where sunglasses wouldn't be enough but swim goggles would be seem remote.
Color copies of important documents,e.g. driver's license, medical insurance card, credit cards (both sides).
Again, I'm more concerned about identity fraud (happened to me three times in 2011!) versus being totally unable to get access to medical insurance, identity or credit card information. If credit cards are important, chances are that phones will work and I can call American Express -- I've memorized the numbers on my card. The ER will treat me without proof of medical insurance and I can get a fresh card for that easily if I incur medical bills.
It does make sense, however, for me to update the encrypted file on my phone containing the information from my wallet cards. Thank you for the reminder.
Duct tape, preferably Gorilla brand, enough to seal an office door, even if you have to split it in half. Commonly used drugs for pain/allergy/etc., along with a 2 day supply of prescrition drugs.
I have duct tape and OTC meds. I'm not currently on any prescriptions.
A 4-way silcock key to obtain water from urban spigots with no handles or recessed cocks, albeit a Leatherman may do the trick in a pinch.
A silcock key is a heavy single-use item. My Leatherman is needed for work and does a number of things reasonably well. I've never seen a silcock I couldn't open with it.
You're dead wrong on water purification. Urban bugout will have the most polluted water, chemicals, germs, viruses, debris, etc. You need a high quality straw filter or bottle for all of the above.
I can filter particulates with my dust mask, bandanna or the microfiber cloth I carry to keep my laptop screen clean. I can kill bugs with the chlorine dioxide tabs. What straw filter or bottle will reliably filter pollution or chemicals?
Cordage, say 25-50ft. of 550 cord.
I'm carrying more like 20 feet of light accessory cord. Fifty feet of 550 cord would take up a lot of room comparatively.
For an evac from a train tunnel, sealed high-rise or underground/sealed train station, a MyXcaper Mask filter (teamed with the swim goggles).
The MyXcaper looks like a good piece of kit. I've been avoiding buying one due to cost and space considerations, reasoning that while I do spend quite a bit of time in high-rises they all have multiple stairwells and sprinklers. I'm going to think this one over.
Lastly, if you need a truma kit, you really need it. They are a bit of bulk, but very lightweight. Happy thinking and may you never need to use any of this.
I do have a minimalist trauma kit. And I certainly join you in hoping I won't need any of this stuff.
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