Geared Up: Packing for the Unexpected
Life has an uncanny way of throwing a curveball at you when you least expect it. As I sat down to eat dinner and plan out some upcoming travel, I got the phone call that no one ever wants to get: “Your parent is in the hospital.” Being a younger guy, I still assume that my parents are somewhere between human and superhuman, always available to answer questions, and impart wisdom. Like many, I’ve viewed my parents as invincible for much of my life. As the phone call went on, two things immediately popped into my mind: I needed to book a flight home as soon as possible, and I needed to pack a bag. The concept of having an “emergency bag” isn’t new to me – being prepared was drilled into my head while I was in Boy Scouts, and the occasional threat of tornadoes in Kentucky meant I always had something ready, but between moving to NYC a year ago and just generally being busy, I hadn’t taken the time to repack such a bag, which bit me when I got the call about my father. I’m happy to report that several weeks out from that phone call he’s doing well and recovering. While I hope that you don’t get the same call anytime soon, it was a stark reminder that things are unpredictable and you need to be willing and able to react quickly. Now, I need to preface the rest of this article and say that this isn’t a definitive guide to what you should have in your bag, but rather an overview of the items that I had (and will have) in my bag as I work to be more prepa...