My first time ever to leave or evacuate it's truly mind numbing. I always thought why does the news and generally people constantly remind people what to do, what to take. It's because you just don't think clearly to a degree. So many things I left behind and this morning I look in my bag and see I took my daughters first communion gloves. Like... really? I did take important papers and family jewelry she will inherit. I wish, I took my sewing machines! It took me years to acquire them. I didn't take my art work I have done or art supplies.
Then I think and remember when I shut the door I was ok with everything left behind if it's gone.
Maybe the answer is a large plastic box with a clip on lid that you can just pick up and run. In it you could keep a torch/flashlight, batteries, a battery powered or wind-up radio, road maps, a first aid kit, a couple of paperback books, a spare phone charger, presciption meds, a small stove with gas canisters and matches etc etc, a vacuum flask and supplies to make tea or coffee, and basic clothes such as changes of underwear, a couple of t-shirts, a pair of jeans, a lightweight waterproof jacket and so on. You could have a press-seal plastic bag with all vital documents to hand, or keep a bag with copies of these documents already in the box.
A pet owner could have a separate pet box with dried food, spare lead and blankie, brush, a few toys etc.
People I know who go camping regularly have "grab boxes" like this which they can just pick up on Friday evening and go camping on a whim without having to get everything together.
I have a couple with most of my metal detecting kit in - a dirty box for everything that gets muddy (boots, socks, kneepads, finds pouch, pinpointer etc) and a clean one for stuff that doesn't (finds bags and boxes, disposable latex gloves, a small bowl, water and a toothbrush for cleaning finds etc).
