Hi folks,

I'm putting together my emergency bags, and there's a few things I'm looking for that I could use some advice on.

First, I'd like a dust mask that would provide a reasonable amount of protection in an emergency that causes a lot of property damage -- earthquake that causes fires, terrorist attack, etc. Obviously, there will be soot in the air, possibly asbestos and other building materials, etc. I'm not looking for a full-blown gas mask or respirator. It's just to get through a debris type cloud, or if circumstances allow, for me to stick around a few hours to help. This is for my small car bag, so I'm looking for some small paper masks. The first question is, do any of the paper respirators provide enough protection that they're worth getting? I think the answer is yes, and if so, do you have any specific recommendations? Cost and size are the main concerns here.

Second, I'd like to get a few light rain ponchos, the type that fold very tightly (again, my car bag is small). I'm not talking about living off the land in a torrential downpour, just some added comfort for a day or two while I get my family to wherever we're going. These don't have to be super durable, just last a couple of days, and fold tightly.

Lastly, medical supplies. There are a few things you can get in a pre-made medical kit (like from Adventure) that I can't seem to find otherewise. For example, the Tempa-Dot type disposable thermometers -- I can find them, but only in packages of 100. Ditto the single-dose packages of Tylenol, Motrin, etc. -- available in packages of 100, but no smaller. Any helpful supply houses break them up, so we can buy them in lots of 5 or 10? No big deal about hte medicines (probably makes more sense just to take some from my current home bottle and just label them with expiration date), but I sure wouldn't mind getting some of those disposable thermometers.

thanks!

Joe