Note that the following are just some items you might and will need. There are others but we just want to give you a heads up on what, in a city environment, should work best for you!

Being prepared is the best safety tip any survival article can give you and as simple as that sounds you might be surprised how many well-meaning people wander around outside, in the winter and pre-SHTF, without gloves or a hat!

1.   Poncho and liner
A good poncho can be a lifesaver if you’re stuck outside overnight, which is why we got them in the Army. It can be worn to keep you dry in the rain or stretched out as a shelter or a blanket. It’s also useful just to keep all your stuff organized if you want to dump it out on the ground. Go to a surplus store and get a poncho if you can. There are many on Amazon or ebay like this one that would still work but they’re not quite as good.
2.   A hat for each person
A hat can help keep you a lot warmer if you find yourself sleeping without heat during a cold night. Contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually lose 80% from the top of your head, but you do lose a lot. I carry one of the fleece watch caps I was issued because it packs small, keeps my head toasty, and looks hella sexy. Not as sexy as my awesome outback hat I wear everywhere, but just the right amount of sexy for this kind of situation.
3.   Food/water
Carry some freaking water! One thing you have to have in your car at all times is water. Just do it. You can only go a couple days without water and things get pretty uncomfortable way before that point. I just throw in a case of bottled water in the trunk and leave it there. Take a few bottles out and put in your bag.
4.   A pair of heavy gloves
You’d be amazed at just how quickly your fingers will give out if you’re not used to moving cement and rock all day. After an earthquake, you may find yourself needing to do just that. Gloves can also (obviously) keep your hands warm on a chilly night. Get a good pair of heavy-duty gloves so you can move what you need to and also give yourself some added protection against being cut or stabbed by sharp objects. Masonry gloves would be what I’d carry if I lived where earthquakes roam.
5.   Compact stove and pot
With a compact stove and pot, you can boil water to either make it safe or to use in emergency food pouches. You can also use it to stay warm. I personally have a Solo Stove that’s a pretty cool mini gasifier wood stove. I replaced the pot with a titanium model because it’s tougher and lighter. This allows me to cook with twigs, pinecones, paper, or whatever else like that is around.
6. A can opener
The easiest can opener to carry would be the old military standby: a P38 can opener (also called a John Wayne by some of my friends). The example link I gave you there also has a P51 can opener. They’re so small you can carry them on a necklace or on a keyring. They’re named from the number of punctures they make around the cans they open (obviously the P-51 was designed for large cans).
7. Aluminum foil
A few feet of aluminum foil, folded up nicely, can be great for cooking things. You can also use it to fit an AAA battery into an AA slot or as a fire starter with an AA battery and some of your toilet paper.
8) Fire Starter
If I could only bring one way to start a fire, it’d be a cheap lighter. They’ll work in most cases. Since you’re in an urban environment, it shouldn’t be too hard to come up with a way to build a fire but you’ll have to light it.
9)  An emergency whistle
A whistle is not only a LOT louder than you can yell, it requires much less effort so you can do it for much longer. Just keep whistling 3 times every so often as a distress signal if you’re lost or buried. Get a loud, compact one like this. You may need to plug your ears with something as you blow, and then take them out to listen.
10)  Survival food
A better option would be to carry some homemade (or at least store-bought) trail mix – sometimes called GORP. Pound-for-pound, it’s pretty hard to beat and very easy to pack. You could technically go a week without eating and not die, but not only would that be pretty miserable, you’d lose motivation to do things and your thinking won’t be as clear.
11)   A REAL Emergency blanket
Get a real emergency blanket. I have this one in my bag or behind the passenger seat of my Harley at all times. It’s durable, large enough to be used as a REAL blanket, and has both a reflective side and a colored side. I got orange. It’s cool.
12) Emergency Documents
Detailed map of your town. Unless you live in a small town and never leave, you may have to walk several miles to get where you need to go. I’ve done enough foot surveillance to know that things on foot look completely different than things in a car. 10x different at night. Put a map in your bag that shows friendly “go-to” areas such as police stations, hospitals, and the homes of friends.
One of the things you and your family/friends should also work out in advance is a couple of rally points. In most cases, you’d want to head home but that may not make sense if your work is pretty far. Also, your home may not be accessible during or after an earthquake. Find a couple of options and mark them on your map.
Either seal the map in laminate or put it in some kind of waterproof container that can get banged around a bit without breaking. If you laminate it, make sure you don’t keep folding and unfolding it. Laminate doesn’t always hold up to that after a while.
A GPS is even better if you have it and it works but make sure you have a cable that you can charge it or it’ll be dead weight. I highly doubt you’d have an extra GPS that you could toss in the bag but grab the one out of your car if you can. A paper map doesn’t need electricity; you just need enough light to see it.

And, of course, there are other things you really have to think about, including a list of emergency info, medications, and even toilet paper! Go to Graywolf Survival to learn more!

Also, and we cannot stress this enough, make certain you have cash with you. No checkbook but actual paper money. We know it sounds dangerous and, especially in the city, you may have a fear of being rolled for your bills.

However, when push comes to shove that emergency room attendant, water vendor, gas station worker, or anyone who you will need further supplies from for your family will want to see the green. This is especially true if the grid goes down, the bank has closed, and your local ATM is not working!

While we go over these things time and again, probably seeming tedious, there is a good reason for it. Some of us need these things drummed into our heads. Whether you are living in the country or city, be prepared and never stop reminding yourself there may come a time when a well stocked bug out bag will become necessary!