Being prepared on a day-to-day basis doesn’t mean you have to lug around a big rucksack “just in case”. There are useful bits that you can carry every day that may come in handy in an emergency. For example:
- You are on the Eurostar, and it breaks down in the tunnel and you are stuck there for several hours’
- There is a natural disaster or terrorist attack, and you are told to stay in your office overnight
- You are stuck somewhere without transport home – maybe the trains are not running – and you have to shelter overnight somewhere or try and walk to the nearest safe place.
This list is not exhaustive – it is to give you an idea of the kit you may want to carry for small emergencies (such as mentioned above). It can be tailored to your own personal preferences, of course.
Size wise, the dimensions of the bag used are a fairly compact 11.8inches (L) x 8.3inches (H) x 6.7inches (W) or 30cm x 21cm x 17cm.
What’s in my bag?
- Bivvy bag
- Raincoat
- Wet wipes
- Hand sanitiser gel
- Snacks
- Water bottle with built in filter
- Two days’ worth of medications
- Gloves
- Socks
- Hat
- Small notebook
- Face masks
- Plasters
- Tactical pen
- Spare bag
- Door wedge
- Matches
- Dental floss
- Swiss army knife
- Hairspray
- Hankies
- Lipstick sized power bank
- ‘Mobile phone.
These are personal items: Scarf and pouch with personal bits in (lipstick, small moisturiser) and a pouch holding a door key, cash and cards.
What are these items used for and where can I buy them?
Peaked winter cap, spare socks, gloves, raincoat, Bivvy and a scarf. The uses for these are pretty obvious – for keeping warm and protected. Extra socks can be great for an added layer of warmth or where there are floods, and your feet are getting wet.
The scarf will keep you warm but can also be used to wrap around your face as a mask or around your head for extra warmth.
The raincoat does what it says on the tin – keeps you dry but can also add an additional layer of warmth.
The Bivvy from Amazon is a multifunctional survival bag. It can be used as used as survival emergency sleeping bag, emergency shelter, a wind blocker etc. It can retain up to 90% of body heat. It also includes a 120-decibel whistle for emergencies. The size is 84x 36 inch, large enough to wrap around your body and weighing just 5.3 Oz. When folded, it fits in the palm of your hand.
Refillable water bottle with filtration system, two fairly long-life and protein rich snacks. Hand sanitiser, wet ones and a swiss army knife.
The hand sanitiser is not only for sanitising your hands but can be great for cleaning a small wound. Ditto for the wet ones which can also be useful for cleaning your face, personal hygiene.
The swiss army knife weighs just .21 pounds and contains 15 different tools including a large and small blade, can opener, screwdrivers 3 mm and 5mm, bottle opener, wire stripper, scissors, wood saw, multi-purpose hook, toothpick and tweezers.
Door wedge, mini power pack, small notebook, DNA pen and mobile phone.
The door jam from Amazon is strong and has been independently tested against a repeated push and pull force of 12Kgs. This could be useful if you need to lock yourself in a room and stop the bad guy getting in.
Also from Amazon is this lipstick-sized power pack. It isn’t solar powered but has enough to o fully charge your iPhone 8 1.5 times or charge your iPhone X 1 time.
And, your mobile phone is more than just a phone! Provided there is WiFi coverage, you have maps, a tool of communication, a compass, a torch and somewhere to keep all your personal details safe etc. (Simply photograph everything you need).
The uses for these are all pretty obvious. Matches (or you can use a lighter), hairspray (a legal alternative to pepper spray to spray in the face of an attacker), hankies, plasters, mini medication box and dental floss (good teeth hygiene is always important!).
These are personal bits – a pouch with lipstick etc., a card and cash wallet and spare bag. Plus, disposable face masks.
How does all this fit in to a bag?
Watch our two-minute video here to see how these items fit in to an average-sided handbag.
