I've read lots of suggestions online, that besides the 72-hour bug out bags (OR "bobs") that should be right by the door, that it is wise, PARTICULARLY DURING WINTER MONTHS, to have all the emergency survival gear ALREADY packed -- into a heavy duty rubbermaid-type container which is then placed in the garage.
You can even hide it away in the garage rafters -- NOT food stuffs, of course, but the GEAR.
This way it is all in ONE spot, immediately accessible to place in the trunk of your car, or the back of a pick up.
If all the tents, blankets, sleeping bags, camp lanterns, misc.tools, etc. are ALL OF THEM, cleaned in August and then carefully packed into one large container -- then you will NEVER be running all over the house trying to gather survival gear, when you really should already be several miles out of town, on the road to safety.
Some people have multiple spots where they store identical containers of survival gear, just in case any of the locations are impossible to get do.
This means carefully finding duplicate items at prices you can afford.
All the gear in the world is ultimately useless if you can't just GRAB the EMERGENCY SURVIVAL GEAR all at once, and just toss the ONE container into a vehicle.
Good thoughts pennie. That’s what I intend to do this evening, reorganize and re-stage.
That’s why I took the trip; practice. Now I have a better idea of how things should go.
May go again after Christmas. Going to be too busy before then.
Thanks again for the suggestions!