What would be in your emergency bag?

Just as a conversation starter with well-known personalities, interviewers often ask what they would take with them if they thought they’d be stranded on a desert island. The celebrities list all sorts of things like their favourite records, a favourite book or their favourite board game. But no one ever mentions taking a small raft or boat on which to escape if they were stranded. They never list anything practical but I suppose it’s supposed to be a fun game and if they did say a boat, the conversation would be a non-starter.

In the Tom Cruise movie, War of the Worlds, there’s a scene in which Cruise returns home from being attacked by the Martians. He’s very disturbed and covered in what can only be described as dust. When he comes to his senses he suddenly announces to his kids, ‘We’re leaving this house in 60 seconds.’ He frantically begins to pack things like batteries, a torch and a weapon. He then tells his son to pack any food items he can find in the fridge but there’s not much in there except sauces!

He was planning to leave in an emergency and grabbed whatever he thought might be useful and I would have thought that this is what most people would do. But not so.

In a recent survey, people were asked, if they had to leave their home in an emergency, what item, or items, would they grab to take with them? The findings will amuse you to some extent, and you might say, aahhhh! But you might also be astonished at how lightly people may take such an event where they might need to leave their homes in a hurry and perhaps not even return. Most people said they’d take their favourite toy, such as a teddy bear; they said they’d take something that had sentimental value or held fond memories for them. No one talked about grabbing their phones and chargers, or passport or ID. And no one talked about grabbing tinned and dry food, a torch or a first aid kit.

In fact, most people advise having an emergency bag at the ready so that if you need to leave, for whatever reason, then all you need to do is pick up your phone, its charger and that bag. So what might the bag contain?

First of all, it might depend upon the size of the bag but most experts in emergency planning advise having a battery operated torch with extra batteries. Rechargeable ones are also useful but you don’t know if you’ll have power. And in case there is no power, a high capacity power bank is a must. Water is also essential and there should be enough for each person of the family. A first aid kit is essential and it should include bandages, antiseptic, wet wipes, scissors, plasters, cotton wool, pain relievers and some gloves. You should also have at least a two weeks’ supply of all prescription medication. You should have a radio so that you can hear the latest alerts. Now this might sound silly but you should include a sewing kit in case you need to sew something critical back together again. And every member of the family should have one change of clothes in case what they’re wearing gets soaked.

After reading this I started to wonder what I would pack in such a situation. I would definitely include my degrees and I’d be sure to pack all the keepsakes that belonged to my late father. I’d also pick up all the paintings I’ve ever completed over the years. I realise that these don’t sound essential but, to be perfectly frank, I’d honestly be in a real pickle because, to some extent, I understand that sentimental behaviour people might exhibit in an emergency situation. I mean I have all my art supplies and I’d be crushed to leave any of those behind. I mean every single brush and paint is important to me. But that being said, if leaving your home in an emergency has nothing to do with a major disaster then of course having your vital documents at hand is essential because many are irreplaceable.