By now you have read the NY Times Article or read a story about the NY Times article. Then of course this happened: Earthquake Kits Selling Like Hotcakes After Terrifying New Yorker StoryIf these are flying off shelves as part of a complete planning process by people great! If they are going where I think they are (closets, basements) then its a failure; it will take more than a prepacked kit for you to make it through a catastrophic event.
I am not a fan of buying an emergency kit; it typically will be thrown in a corner and forgotten, besides who wants to eat wood chips and drink 10 year old water.
Kits need to be packed piece by piece by the person so it reflects their needs and desires - mine has chocolate and a wine bottle opener !
Instead of buying a kit, make one; here are there sites I recommend, there are others:
http://www.wikihow.com/Sample/Survival-Kit-Checklist nice printable list to start from
http://www.redcross.org/prepare/location/home-family/get-kit The Red Cross the experts
http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit because I guess we have to include the feds.
and then start answering some hard questions:
Where will you go with your kit?
What if you are at work and your kit is at home?
Where will you meet your family or friends after the quake?
Don't be scared , just get prepared
Disasterdave
