I am an engineer, so I try to break things down into numbers.

Why do we prepare?

Cost of being prepared = (money_spent) + (invonvenience of carrying). I assume that we enjoy this stuff just a little, so there is no cost in the time spent putting a kit together.

Cost of NOT being prepared = (cost of loss) x (probability of event occuring). The probability of an event occuring is low, while the cost of the loss is very high (your life). So a certain amount of preparation is prudent.

Now, on to YOUR problem.

Cost of NOT being prepared = (cost of loss) x (probability of event occuring). The probability of something happening just a few hours is quite low. Not zero, but still rather low. And you can still leave your stuff in the car, so at least you can get to it within minutes.

Cost of being prepared = (money_spent) + (invonvenience of carrying). Well, in this case, you have already spent the money, so that is zero. The "inconvenience of carrying" is harder to guess. It could be as low as spending a couple of nights on the sofa, all the way up to alimony and child support. for a couple of decades. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

So, by the math, do what your wife tells you. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />