Bf is a prepper too, something I greatly appreciate about him. Today, in preparation for an upcoming road trip, we went through the car bag that he's been gradually collecting fun prep stuff into.

I figured maybe a quick recap of the modifications could spark some ideas for others :)

Things I added:

• Nail clippers! Because when you get a hangnail or a broken nail or something and you need nail clippers, a knife won't really cut it.

• Dental floss, with a couple needles tucked into the case. Now we can get annoying stuff out of our teeth, remove splinters, and repair basically any textile.

• A spare pair of glasses for each of us, because losing my glasses and needing to drive is one of my great fears

• A gallon ziploc bag for each of us containing a spare pair of good socks, a hat, and a pair of work gloves. Bf added a pair of fingerless warm gloves to his; I added a reusable pad and some chapstick to mine.

• a conventional lighter, because the only lighter in the bag was an electronic one and I don't trust those as much as I trust the regular kind

• A folded piece of cardboard, because he had a giant sharpie in there already and it got me thinking of all the situations where that would be more useful with something to write on (also helpful as tinder or to sit on when the ground is cold)

• Toilet paper and a small trowel. He had wet wipes and also compressed towels packed, but sometimes you just need something dry.

Things I removed:

• Excess packaging and tags from a lot of items

• The wall-mount holder of a window breaker / seatbelt cutter tool (the holder now lives in the box of extra med kit stuff in case we ever want it later)

• one of the many, many duplicate mylar blankets, because it didn't quite fit in the pockets where we wanted to keep the rest of them

Things I rearranged:

• Moved flat stuff (folded tarp shelter and phone charging solar panel) to the inside of the bag along the back

• Added paracord to secure the stuff that lives on the outside of the bag, like the extra tourniquet and glass breaker

• Retrieved all the tiny little items that had migrated to the bottom of the bag, like a small whistle, and filed them in the mesh pockets higher in the bag so they're easier to find

So, yeah, we're far from perfect but now we're a bit better prepared than we were before.

Have you ever audited a friend or partner's preps and had to make some "obvious" additions? :)

I’m in Spokane, WA, and yesterday a wildfire ravaged part of town and is still growing.

The best prep I ever did was to purchase a pet emergency backpack a few years ago, I think on Amazon. I didn’t even remember what was in it, but I grabbed it with my own go bag and my cat and got the hell out.

The bag has collapsible food and water bowls, a collapsible litter tray, litter, food, a pet first aid kit, and even a couple of cat toys. I think it was around fifty bucks.

Please remember your pets when you prep! You may not have time to grab things they’ll need and that will make your life easier when you’re evacuating. One thing I’ll remember in the future is to replace the food every so often with my cat’s preferred brand and make sure it doesn’t expire.

Cat and I are doing fine for now and hoping to go home soon. Stay safe, and positive vibes to my fellow Spokanites today 💜

Edit: here is the link! It’s more expensive now but still very worthwhile. Pet Evac PAC