HJL,
I thought this was a great article with many fine ideas. I have a couple of comments to add to the theme. As someone who has to often work hundreds of miles from my home for extended periods of time, I am always thinking of how I would return home if the balloon goes up. I addition to the idea of bringing cash, I like to take a little silver coin. I have also been known to frequent pawn shops in my new area and pick up silver, since lately it is at bargain prices. One thing I do upon arriving to my new location is to immediately get to a store and pick up a few candles, matches/lighters, and emergency food/water, which I keep in my rental SUV. Remember to keep your fuel tank full! I have found the camping section at a Walmart, or better still, yard sales or a gun show in the area are good places to look for your emergency items. Check your hotel room and make sure to get extra blankets stored in your closet. You could bug out with these if there is an emergency. (Don’t worry; the hotel will charge your credit card so you won’t be stealing them.) I also purchase an atlas or map and study back roads out of metropolitan areas. I have made up my mind that if I detect any trouble, I take my gear and go for a drive, seeking out the back roads. If you are hearing of trouble on TV, it may be too late. I figure it is better to take a drive and find that nothing had happened, than to risk being stuck on a freeway “parking lot”. One different measure I take when flying is that I always wear cotton, wool, or other non-flammable clothing. Polypropylene underwear, shirts, or socks would be very detrimental in burning wreckage. Be sure to wear practical, leather shoes with wool socks.
When it is time to return home, I either give my emergency items to a friend I have made in my work, or I mail them home to myself. The last job I had in New Jersey, I gave candles with matches, a blanket, and some high energy bars to a work associate. You would have thought I gave him the world. He had never thought to keep these items in his vehicle, and I could see the wheels turning as he placed them around his spare tire in his vehicle. Thanks, – S.M.