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I used to keep a drawstring bag of stuff at my office. Jogging shoes, a few slimjims, and a waterproof windbreaker. I think there was a flashlight, and a few other odd and ends too. I figured if worst came to worst, it would make a 28 mile walk home suck a little bit less.

I don’t bother with any prep now that I work from home. If the world goes sideways I’ll either die quickly or I’ll rob/murder/plunder my way to survival.

I've had to do this twice in 50 years. Neither time really hurt for me to take 15 extra minutes to throw together some clothes in a suitcase.

Honestly everywhere has a Walmart in the US. We just bought stuff we forgot or needed.

I don’t have a actual go bag but can replicate one in about two mins. More importantly I have a short checklist I keep on the fridge of stuff that’s absolutely vital if we have to evacuate ourselves and the pets in an emergency. Most likely a forest fire so we would have a little warning thanks to a robust emergency alert system here but trying to recall everything in a panic would be tough.

Take a couple of minutes and just pack it and then it's ready to go you don't have to worry about it. My opinion there's no reason to take up that mental headspace and panicking at the last minute

Instead of worrying 2x in 50 years, you have to worry about whether something was removed from the 'go' bag pretty much all the time.

Or do you just buy seconds of everything and update it every few years?

Still sounds like more worry overall.

I pretty much just have a set of clothes that chill in there and update every few years as I go through things.

The list in question is not what to pack in a go bag (outside of reminding me we have medications in more than one place), it’s actually a list of what pet supplies and gear like crates, etc I need to get in the truck before driving away. None of that can be packed ahead of time since a lot of perishables or stuff we use daily but in a rush, forgetting to grab leashes or food/water dishes for the cats would be a problem.

We have our RV travel bags in the closet, we’re used to packing up quickly. But in an emergency, a checklist you can split up and work on strikes me as a good idea.

That doesn't always work out though - I was evacuated due to a wildfire a couple of years ago and in the rush to get out (flames were literally right across the street) I completely forgot any medications I was on - that's not something you can easily get at Walmart.

Ever since then I've had a go bag packed and ready near the door, with a week's supply of pretty much anything I can think of that I'll need.

The joys of living in the dry southwest.

There was a huge storm a few years ago that led to bad flooding. Everything was shut down. I had to walk miles in uncomfortable and wet shoes and eventually took them off and walked in my soaking socks to avoid the pain.

Now I always keep a pair of sneakers at the office. Also a change of clothes, but those good shoes could be a life saver.

I also had to do this. I didn't even get time to go through things, had to describe to someone else what I wanted, and leave everything else behind. The person packing for me got mixed up and so I had no clothes for several days and no money to buy anything new. You just never know what situation you're going to have.

Do Doomsday Preppers also pack "bug-out bags" or is that the polar opposite?

The need for a bug out or emergency pack varies greatly by the environment your in

Pack a spare cell phone charger, and data cables, cash for a few meals. A portable radio is nice to have as well.

There's a subset of doomsday preppers that go overboard on their bug out bags, but a 72-hour kit or "go" bag is recommended by most emergency preparedness agencies

Yep. You can get as complex or simple as you want with it, I usually tell people "if you couldn't go home for 3 days, what would you take?" And go from there.

Do that and keep an eye out for last minute travels. Well not actually last minute cause you won't make it but like last hour if you live close to an airport. When you see a flight to a different country for as cheap as €20 in Europe, just take it, take the bag and go