Day 4 - A bag to carry your stuff in

I need to state clearly that there are times when you should NOT take the time to grab ANYTHING. There are emergencies when seconds count and you need to GET OUT! Researchers find that people often disregard the urgency of a crisis situation and stop to collect personal belongings on the way out the door. When you make your emergency plan, be clear with your family about when you do (storm warning) and when you do not (house fire) have time to grab supplies.

That said... At home, in the car, and at work, you need a bag as part of your disaster kit. I do an exercise at offices where they have 5 minutes to collect what they need to take with them during a weather related evacuation. Whether they choose to save critical corporate documents or if they decide to grab snacks and first aid supplies, participants in this 'scavenger hunt' of sorts find that they fare better when they have something to toss their stuff in.

You don't necessarily need to purchase a new bag to carry your stuff. Today, I'm attending a state emergency management conference, and one of the vendors handed out these nifty reusable shopping bags. This is exactly the sort of bag that you can fold up on the bottom of your desk drawer at work. I bet you pull it out and use it before an actual disaster strikes. That's OK, your disaster supplies should solve a variety of problems. Just don't forget to replace it!