FOOD. While cash and coins aren’t a bad idea, you can’t rely on the vending machines working (again, in case of a power outage) or having a decent selection. It is far better to have a few snacks stashed away in your kit. Stick with things that will last a long time, such as dried fruits and nuts, granola bars, and such. Most of us work in a climate-controlled environment. If there’s little worry about things melting or going bad due to heat, feel free to toss in a chocolate bar, too.

WATER. A few bottles of water should be part of your kit. Hopefully, the building’s water supply will be just fine and accessible, as always, but plan ahead in case it isn’t. I’ve known a few people who went so far as to toss an entire case of bottled water under their desk. That’s not a bad idea at all and costs only a few bucks. This gives you some extra bottles you could offer up to those who didn’t think ahead.

EXTRA CLOTHES. Many of us work in an environment that requires business, or at least business casual, attire. That’s all well and good but most of us like to change out of that stuff as soon as we get home and put on something more comfortable. If you’ll be stuck at the office all night long, you’ll appreciate having had the forethought to toss a pair of sneakers, some thick socks, comfortable pants, and a sweatshirt into your kit.

BLANKET. Around the holidays, many stores have incredible sales on fleece blankets. The blankets are about 5 by 6 feet or so in size, very soft, and typically cost about $10. They roll up fairly small and you could easily toss one into your kit. Remember, the idea here is to make your life a little easier, and while a blanket isn’t going to guarantee a great night’s sleep at the office, it sure couldn’t hurt.

HYGIENE SUPPLIES. You likely won’t be able to take a shower, of course, but you’ll appreciate having a washcloth and some real soap, rather than trying to use paper towels and soap from the sink dispenser. A toothbrush and tube of toothpaste will also be nice.

BOREDOM RELIEVERS. Sure, if the power is still on, you can entertain yourself for hours watching funny cat videos on YouTube. But just in case, toss a paperback novel, a book of crossword puzzles, or some other sorts of distractions into your kit. You might also toss in one of those portable power chargers for your phone or tablet.

#1The container I’m using for this kit is simply a canvas shopping bag. As noted earlier, this kit is meant to stay at work, not be carried to and fro on a daily basis. A small bag like this will easily fit under a desk or in a locker. You’ll also notice there is plenty of room for additional items, should you want to include more snacks or something.

#2The Workplace Emergency Kit isn’t truly a survival kit in the sense that it isn’t really there to keep you alive. Rather, it is more like a sanity kit in that the purpose is to keep you from losing your mind when you’re stuck at work for the night.

BELT POUCH SURVIVAL KIT

The Belt Pouch Survival Kit is, to my way of thinking, the standard survival kit for venturing into the wild. Keep it on your belt any time you hit the trail, removing it only when you’re in camp or back at home. More robust than the Altoids Tin Survival Kit (page 76), it is a far more complete kit. Packed properly, it will meet just about all of your basic needs for at least a short period of time.

For my kit, I’m using a Maxpedition H-1 Waistpack. While I like a lot of Maxpedition’s stuff, their products tend to be very pricey. The only reason I have this one is that I found a great deal for it online. In the past, I’ve used pouches found at various discount retailers and even thrift stores. Don’t get too caught up in trying to find the perfect pouch. An old fanny pack will work just fine. My local Goodwill has them all the time for just a couple of dollars each. The idea is to have a fairly complete survival kit you can wear on your person for long periods of time with little discomfort.

Let’s run down the list of basic needs and go through what we have in this belt pouch kit to meet each of them.

SHELTER. Obviously, you aren’t going to fit a tent or even a tarp in a belt pouch. However, an emergency blanket fits the bill nicely. It will keep the rain or snow off, as well as trap and hold your body heat.

WATER. A water bottle isn’t going to be part of this kit. Instead, I’m using the Aqua-Pouch sold by SurvivalResources.com. It is a heavy-duty, plastic pouch fitted with grommets and gussets and designed to hold 1 full liter of water. I keep it folded flat, packaged with some water purification tablets, until I need it.

FOOD. In any survival kit, food can be an issue. It takes up space and is often forgotten between trips, meaning it can end up stale or worse by the time you might really need it. Plus, you really don’t have any cooking options, as even the smallest stainless steel cup is going to be too big for the belt pouch. What I do is toss in a couple of granola bars and try to remember to take them out at the end of my trip.

FIRE. I like to use an Altoids tin to hold a small fire kit. In it, I have a butane lighter, some strike anywhere matches, and a small ferrocerium rod with striker. Then, I’ll toss in a few Fire Straws (page 58) and a couple of Self-Igniting Fire Starters (page 55).

SIGNALING. A signal mirror and whistle fit very easily into the belt pouch kit. This way, we have both visual and auditory signaling available. I’ve wrapped my signal mirror with several feet of bank line, giving me some emergency cordage if needed.

NAVIGATION. A small button compass should be sufficient in most cases. Some folks upgrade to a more robust compass, which is perfectly fine.

MEDICAL. Another Altoids tin holds a few adhesive bandages, packets of antiseptic ointment, and some medications (ibuprofen, antidiarrheal). You won’t be doing open-heart surgery with this kit, but you’ll be able to take care of blisters and scrapes, as well as treat a headache or upset stomach.

HYGIENE. A small bottle of hand sanitizer is about all we’re going to be able to include, unless you want to toss in a travel-size toothbrush and tube of toothpaste. The hand sanitizer does double duty, too, as the high alcohol content makes it a decent fire starter.

LIGHTING. I will admit to owning more than a few tactical flashlights. They are well-made, tough, and will last a long time. For the belt pouch kit, you have the space to go with something a little more substantial than a little keychain light. What you may want to do, though, is reverse the batteries when storing the flashlight for long periods of time. This will prevent them from draining if the light is accidentally turned on. Many instructors and other experienced folks favor LED headlamps, which are incredibly useful. If they’ll fit in your pouch, go with both.

TOOLS. I’ve also added a multi-tool as well as a small Swiss Army knife to the pouch, giving me tools to use for building a shelter and such.

The Belt Pouch Survival Kit isn’t going to meet your needs for weeks and weeks, of course. But this gear, coupled with some basic wilderness survival skills, should keep you alive until you find your way home or are rescued.

MISCELLANEOUS

What follows are the odds and ends of projects that wouldn’t fit nicely into any specific category. That’s not to say they aren’t useful, though. In fact, the Preparedness Flash Drive may turn out to be the single most important project in the entire book. If you lost everything, and I mean everything, the information contained on that flash drive would go a long way toward rebuilding your life.