MCS 10 Essential Pieces of Gear
The following is based on my research and experience over the years and what I have found most useful in the Bag of Evil. It is not based on fast roping of the Space Shuttle whacking tangos or bugging out to the woods with my family to create a new life for ourselves. Instead, it takes into consideration that during emergencies you will need what you need any other day, along with some other items. I will also list ballpark prices, sources, (when possible), and why I won’t leave home without them. Over the years this basic list has served well from Boy Scout Camp to SWAT call outs and everything in between.
1) Water Bottle- I prefer the Klean Kanteen 40 oz wide mouth model. On a regular day, I drink lots of water, in an emergency even more. The KK being stainless keeps the water tasting like water. ($28 from Goinggear.com). I also carry another empty Nalgene bottle containing a Frontier Pro Water Filter.($22 from Goinggear.com) I am listing this along with the water bottle because it fits in it. No mystery here. You need water to live and to be able to trust your water source. You can not afford to take a chance drinking bad water.
2) Knife- This should have been a hard one with all the knives out there, but it wasn’t. I am going with a folder, since you are able to carry it most anywhere. Hands down, if I had to choose one folder for an emergency situation, it would be the Al MAR SERE 2000. Be sure to include a small pocket sharpener.
3) Gloves- Just about any emergency situation will produce jagged metal, and broken glass, and likely heat. Even a small injury to your hand will decrease your survivability; right now I am using Mechanix brand gloves. (Around $20 at any auto parts store). I use the same ones for shooting, lifting, etc.
4) Eye Protection- This was an easy one too. The ICE Kit from ESS wins hands down because of cost, toughness, and lenses. In the kit, you get enough Lego type pieces to make two sets of protective glasses. Their RX inserts are the best. Just like your hands, you only get one set of eyes and need to protect them.
5) Towel- because of it’s light weight, size, and versatility, I prefer to use a Shemagh. It can be worn as a filter to protect your eyes, nose, and mouth from dust; cut into strips as a bandage, and many other uses.
6) Fire Starter- As with anything you would bet your life on, combat failure with redundancy. My first like here is a Zippo with a butane insert., second line is Bic, and last line is a Sparkie One Handed Fire Starter ($15 from Goinggear.com).
7) Headlamp- a priceless piece of gear in my opinion. Right now I am using a Engergizer model from Wally World ($15) Great for navigation and much more. I back my headlamp up with a Novatac Classic because it can give you 3 lumens of light for up to 240 hrs on 2 AA. ($99 from Goinggear.com). Since oxygen kills batteries, I keep my spare AAAs for the headlamp, and the AA for the Classic in a Gearpod ($20 from Goinggear.com)
Extra clothes- since I am usually wearing good seasonable clothes, the only extra clothes I carry is the Woolrich Elite Waterproof Breathable Parka. ($150 Woolricheliteseriestactical.com) My two big reasons for this is the amount of storage in the parka, and the fact that the pit zips go from the wrist to the waist allowing for full ventilation and protection even when it is hot. 
9) First Aid Kit- Typical Boo Boo type stuff like band aides (the cloth ones), bandages, tape, antibiotic cream, and sting relief. And I also like to include some pain killers and anti-diharreal meds.
10) Food- I like Cliff Bars, hard candy, and sunflower seeds. It is amazing what these things can do for morale.
I guess this is what some would consider the contents of an E&E (Evasion and Escape) Bag. Of course I carry much more than this in the Bag of Evil, but this really is the core of my EDU (Every Day Use) Gear and not a bunch of EDC (Everyday Carry Gear) that some seem to haul around like talismans. Except for the water filter, I can not think of anything on the list I don’t use several times in a week, and many everyday. Consider putting together starter kits for those you care about encouraging them to add what they like. Preparedness is about having in arms reach what you need or the resourcefulness to get it or improvise it with what you have. Training allows you to do more with less.