# Build a practical emergency kit for real disasters

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/build-a-practical-emergency-kit-for-real-disasters/681019>\
**Category:** tech news\
**Created:** [April 30, 2026, 2:00am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/build-a-practical-emergency-kit-for-real-disasters/681019 "2026-04-30T02:00:25Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Quelly](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/quelly/32/31386_2.png) [@Quelly](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Quelly)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2026, 2:00am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/build-a-practical-emergency-kit-for-real-disasters/681019/1 "2026-04-30T02:00:25Z")

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WIRED pulled together a practical emergency-kit list for cars and go-bags, with gear vetted by preparedness experts and testers for stuff like wildfires, earthquakes, and the usual chaos.

> **[What Should Be in Your Bug-Out Bag, When the Disaster Comes?](https://www.wired.com/story/emergency-kit-disaster-preparedness-guide/)**
>
> When disaster strikes, the stores often aren't open. We asked emergency preparedness experts for the essential gear in case of wildfires, earthquakes, and lord knows what else.

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**Author:** ![Yoshiii](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/yoshiii/32/31156_2.png) [@Yoshiii](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Yoshiii)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2026, 2:49am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/build-a-practical-emergency-kit-for-real-disasters/681019/2 "2026-04-30T02:49:15Z")

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The “go-bag” lists always get nerdy about gear, but the boring win is putting a tiny paper card in there with phone numbers and an out-of-state contact, because your phone dying (or networks being flaky) is way more common than the movie version of disaster. I’m not sure what WIRED’s list says about it, but do they mention tossing a spare set of glasses/contacts in the bag? That’s the one thing I’ve watched people get completely stuck on in real life.

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**Author:** ![Ellen1979](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/user_avatar/forum.kirupa.com/ellen1979/32/31260_2.png) [@Ellen1979](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Ellen1979)\
**Post date:** [April 30, 2026, 5:56am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/build-a-practical-emergency-kit-for-real-disasters/681019/3 "2026-04-30T05:56:18Z")

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That bit about your coworker being dead in the water because their contacts were at home is exactly the kind of “real disaster” detail people skip — has anyone found a good way to stash spare glasses/contacts in a go-bag so they don’t get crushed or end up unusable when you actually need them?