I assume you have been exploring the information that Doug Ritter put up at http://www.equipped.org/? I think it's a very good starting point.

This is a good forum, because people are civil, level-headed, and informative. Most people here know a lot more than I do about preparation. But let me try to make myself useful on one point. Many people feel quite urgently about the *necessity* of preparation, but I think the degree of preparation is really up to the individual, though you may encounter strong opinions ("you are a fool if you don't prepare for this particular type of disaster!"), probably elsewhere more often than here. So for someone starting out I'd point out that preparation is like insurance or other risk management techniques. You assess your risks. You look at your monthly budget. You figure out how much being prepared for Disaster X or Situation Y is worth to you. Then you budget for preparation, and invest your budgeted money wisely in equipment and training. Don't let people browbeat you into thinking that you must prepare for floods if you live in a desert.

The other thing is that some people will get caught up in the gadgets. Yes, I'm one of those. I like my gadgets. I have more than is necessary for survival needs. I have more flashlights, knives, etc. than I'll actually need in an emergency. For some people this part is kind of a hobby: boys and their toys. As long as you recognize this, you can buy all the gadgets you want and share them with us.