#7 Learn to love tarps

For the past few days I've been thinking a lot about tarps.
Yes. Really. Tarps.

Those big, plastic (or polyvinyl) blanket like things with grommets in the sides.

http://www.tarpsupply.com/buy-case1-blue-6x8.html

I have spent hours on the treadmill pondering the many uses for tarps because they are one of those things that you need to have. Simply put, if you own a home, or a car, or have children, or pets, or think that there is some point in your existence you may need to be outside for a while, you want to have a tarp handy.

The worst thing is to need a tarp and not have one. Well maybe not THE worst, but it can sure feel like it at the time.

But most people don't think, "hey, one day I may NEED a tarp so I will pick one up now, just to have on hand." If we did, everyone would have tarps and I wouldn't need to suggest this.

The problem I've run into with my consideration of tarps, other than the funny looks for from the interns who ask me what I'm thinking about on the treadmill, is that once I start thinking of all the things you need a tarp for, I (a.) want to run out an buy a bunch of new tarps in lots of different sizes, and (b.) keep coming up with ideas for things you can do with tarps.

And then I decided to google it. Yes. I googled "Tarps". The good thing is I realized I am not the only one who spends an excessive amount of time thinking about things to do with tarps. I feel like I'm a 10 year old being asked to build a fort, and survive in the outback with an ax, a tarp, and some duct tape. (Which is actually not too far off base.)

Okay, Climate change and tarps.

With climate change we are witnessing an increase in severe weather events. Increased rain, increased flooding, increased heat waves, increased freezes, increased snowfall, increased winds and storms, increased hail, increased tornadoes, increased hurricanes, and increased storm surges (where water comes in from the coasts). And even increased wildfires - though not technically weather -still closely linked, increasing and bad. Right now (August 2016) there are some pretty severe weather happening with unprecedented flooding in Louisiana that has many many thousands of people who didn't even live in flood zones flooded out of their homes. At the same time in California there are wildfires consuming homes and communities with a ferocity that is astounding.

Just to be clear - tarps won't stop flooding or forest fires, but they can help out a lot in emergencies like these.

Tarps can be used in the event that there is damage to your home including roofs and windows, your car, your yard, or any other area that is vulnerable to weather. And get some bungee cords too. They are super helpful.

Let's take an example - a lot of rain falls, the soil gets softer, the wind picks up and you have an uninvited tree in your living room. Until you get it fixed, unless you want rain, wind and critters coming in through that new hole, you want to cover it with a tarp. If needed you can even put a few tarps together. When it comes down to it, you don't want to have to try to find a tarp and bungee cords in the local home improvement store after a really bad storm, because you probably are not the only one looking for them then.

http://www.knoxvilleroofcontractors.com/emergencyroofrepairs/

Here's another example - your car is sitting in the driveway. Severe weather hits and you hear there is hail forecast. If you have a tarp in the car, you can run out, and grab your floor mats to cover the back and front windows and then cover it with a tarp. If you have a blanket or towels in the car, put those on too and then the tarp on top. It can prevent things like this from happening:

http://www.dings-n-things.com/how-to-protect-your-car-from-hail-damage/

And let's face it, a little preparedness can absolutely help in a case like this.

Other uses for tarps - looking at climate change.

If there is going to be extreme heat or extreme cold and you want to protect gardens, fruit trees in blossom, or outdoor animal habitats - tarps are great for creating a barrier between what you want to protect and elements. For cold - a tarp with a blanket under it can provide extra insulation and protect from harsh winds. For heat - a well staked tarp can provide shade over a garden to reduce the evapotranspiration and keep plants comfortable.  You want to have enough space for airflow so the plants are not smothered, of course.

You can also extend the growing season of your garden with a tarp system to create a green house, so that you have and extended growing season - in that case, light colored or clear plastic tarps are great. We'll talk about that in another installment.

You can also use tarps to collect water and direct water. In cases where the foundation of your house in not getting proper drainage in a heavy rain, using tarps beneath drain spouts can move the water out in to the yard. You can also collect water during dry spells with a tarp.

And of course, if you have to leave your home, a tarp is a must have item.
(This is the true jackpot of the google search, btw)

You can build a tent:

http://instinctsurvivalist.com/tarps-tarps-and-more-tarps/

This is where having a Boy/Girl Scout in the family can be very helpful. But if nothing else, look at these and figure out how you would do it if you had to. Using a single tarp for ground cover, sides and top of the tent may work well, but be sure the open side faces downhill if it is raining, or you'll have a tent full of rain. Alternately, you can use a few tarps together and use one to cover the ground:


You can have a ground cover for your tent:

http://bushcraftusa.com/forum/threads/help-with-a-shelter-bedroll-for-light-wknd-hiking.117519/

Seriously, if you have to spend much time on the ground, and you are in an area that has any soil moisture at all, put a tarp down underneath you. This creates a barrier to keep you dry and comfortable, and if it rains it keeps you more comfortable. It also reduces the number of critters climbing in to snuggle.


You can create a nice covered outdoors area:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/rclawson/3773547754

As climate change results in increased demand on the power grid - and air conditioning stops working, we will have to remember that our ancestors survived when it was more than 84 degrees outside. A tarp, strung between trees, or poles as needed, can create a dry shaded spot to gather. You can even get fancy and create privacy areas if needed by running a tarp around 3-4 trees close together. (Handy for changing clothes etc.) But use some common sense. Don't set up the bar-b-cue grill right underneath the low hanging edge of the tarp. And set up a way to capture the water that falls from it to use for washing dishes, bathing, etc. It's not as fancy as those electric crank out awning, but it sure can be nice, especially if it's raining.


You can use a tarp to carry things or move things

http://media.chicoer.com/2016/06/20/photos-news-week-of-6-20-2016/#1

Yard debris after a storm, other bulky stuff junk that needs to be moved, leaves and compostable yard wastes for your compost pile. Hauling things with a tarp is very efficient, if you have the right combination of weight to labor. And you look like you know what you're doing too.



You can make a hammock

http://blog.cheaperthandirt.com/10-survival-essentials/

It's not really the lovely, hammock you may fantasize about relaxing in, but in an emergency, it can keep you dry, off the ground, and insulated. There are times in an emergency that is a pretty AWESOME combination.



You can use it as an emergency rain poncho

http://popupbackpacker.com/the-search-for-the-holy-grail-waterproof-breathable-rain-gear/

Nothing says "I'm ready for anything" more than a poncho made from a tarp. It's stylish, if covers a lifetime of over indulgence, and it keeps you dry. Sort of a plastic muumuu, which can be used for all sorts of other things (like a tent!)

The Google search yielded so many tarp-tastic ideas, these are just a few.

Additional information for what you can do with tarps include:

50 Campfires - the Camping Authority 5 great uses for a blue tarp
Provides a quick overview of some additional uses with cute photos

Far Out Living - 101 Uses for Tarps
Provides an extensive list of uses for tarps that feel impressively as though many have actually been tried and true.

Off the Grid News - 19 Off-Grid Survival Uses for a Plain Old Tarp
Provides some videos on tent building and other uses...

Happy Preppers - Tarps Nine ways to use a tarp for prepping
Provides some good information on tarp uses, as well as a lot of other information.

You can see the pattern developing here.

Tarp = Useful

More Tarps = MORE Useful

As I noted above, get some strong good quality sufficiently large bungee cords (at least a dozen for a large tarp). They are great for tie downs and don't require too much fancy knot tying skills. Go ahead and get some rope too, but bungee cords are amazing.

Recommended would be at least 2-3 medium to large sized tarps for your home, at least 1 tarp to keep in your car - medium, and then maybe a few smaller tarps, depending on where you live and how much you use them.

Remember a tarp is a terrible thing to need.

Coastal Flooding Will Hit World’s Biggest Polluters Hardest

• Ryan GrenobleEditor at The Huffington Post

Three of the world’s heaviest polluters will likely face the greatest human and financial costs caused by coastal flooding, one of the effects of climate change.

According to a report released Monday by Christian Aid, an anti-poverty organization, people living in the U.S., China and India — three of the world’s very worst offenders in terms of greenhouse gas emission — face the greatest risks posed by coastal flooding.

By 2060, more than a billion people worldwide will likely confront coastal flooding due to sea level rise, storm surges and extreme weather, with the majority of those people living in major cities throughout Asia.

Calcutta, India, tops the list, where around 1.3 million people are currently exposed to coastal flooding. By 2070, that number is expected to balloon to 14 million, according to the report. Mumbai ranks second, where an estimated 11.4 million people could face disruption due to flooding by 2070. Dhaka, Bangladesh, is third with a projected 11.1 million vulnerable people.

CHRISTIAN AID

The world’s top 20 cities ranked in terms of population exposed to coastal flooding in 2010 and 2070. The rising numbers reflect socioeconomic factors driving populations to the coasts, as well as increased coastal flooding risks due to climate change.

The poorest residents in these areas are likely to be hit hardest, as they would be ill-suited to respond to extreme climate events and would have the most difficult time rebuilding their lives afterward.

“Cruelly, it will be the poor that will suffer the most. Although the financial cost to cities in rich countries will be crippling, wealthier people will at least have options to relocate and receive insurance protection,” Dr Alison Doig, one of the authors of the report, said in a release accompanying the study. “Evidence shows that from New Orleans to Dhaka, it is the poorest who are most vulnerable because they have the worst infrastructure and no social or financial safety nets to help them recover.”

That includes people like Adan Morales Saracay, a 59-year-old fisherman in El Salvador whose family nearly died last year amid a series of wave surges created by a storm at sea.

We were in panic for the love of our families, we didn’t want to lose anyone. So we decided to abandon everything, but it was very scary.Adan Saracay, a Salvadoran fisherman who lost his house in a wave surge.

“It was a Saturday around 2pm. We saw that the waves started getting much larger. Within minutes they came into our houses. By the time the night came, we had to evacuate our entire families. The waves were about 13-14 meters [42 - 46 feet] high,” Saracay recalled to the authors of the report. “We were in panic for the love of our families, we didn’t want to lose anyone. So we decided to abandon everything, but it was very scary.”

“Never in my life have I seen any waves like this before,” he went on. “For the past ten years, the weather has been less predictable. We don’t have anywhere to go.”

After the disaster, Saracay’s house was buried in sand and debris, and the fish he relies on for his livelihood were harder to catch, having fled to deeper water amid the surge.

In addition to the human toll, the report predicts that flooding will exact a large financial cost on coastal cities as well.

In financial terms, Miami is the city that stands to lose the most as oceans rise — not just in the U.S. but in the world. The Florida city is projected to have some $3.5 trillion in assets exposed to coastal flooding by 2070. According to the report, the second most at-risk city in 2070 will be Guangzhou, China, with $3.4 trillion liable; the New York City/Newark, New Jersey area comes in third on the list with a projected $2.1 trillion.

CHRISTIAN AID

The top 20 cities ranked in terms of assets at risk to coastal flooding, both in 2010 and 2070.

To combat these massive human and financial costs, Doig and her co-authors argue strongly in favor of taking action now to lessen pain in the future.

“There is a chance this horrifying vision of the future can be avoided,” Doig, a HuffPost contributor, noted in the release. “It is striking that the cities facing the most severe impacts are in countries with high contributions of carbon emissions. The first thing we can do is speed up the global transition away from dirty fossil fuels to the clean, renewably [sic] energy of the future.”

“We can also do more to prepare for such occurrences,” she added. “Spending money now on reducing the risk of disasters will save money and lives later. Such investment is a no brainer.”

STRINGER . / REUTERS

Flooding at Alton Road and 10th Street is seen in Miami Beach, Florida on November 5, 2013.

Last March, in an address following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon noted that the cost savings of preparing for catastrophes ahead of time — and perhaps even preventing them — are significant.

“We cannot prevent natural disasters,” he said. “But at least we can prepare ourselves how to minimize disaster risk. We can reduce disaster risk.”

According to Ban, every dollar spent planning for and reducing risk ahead of time reduces the cost spent cleaning up after a disaster by around $7. 

“Resilient recovery means protecting societies against the worst damage from future disasters,” he said. “The money spent is not a cost — it is a valuable investment. Humanitarian needs are rising around the world. Climate change is increasing the risks. Disaster risk reduction is a frontline against climate change.”

From 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/biggest-polluters-climate-change-flooding_us_573a007ee4b08f96c183b311

Threat vs. Risk vs. Vulnerability

Within the climate change adaptation community a significant focus to deal with the impacts has come from the Disaster Risk Reduction community. These communities, largely within donor driver organizations are critical to the response in the event of extreme disasters. They play a critical role in humanitarian efforts. Impacts from climate change will certainly need the support of these organizations.

On the other hand, the approach of disaster risk reduction focuses on mitigation of disasters as extreme events from threats. Threats, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and tsunamis, by definition can not be controlled. This will be important for the extreme effects of climate change when they do occur.

In contracts, climate change adaptation examines increasing vulnerabilities and makes pre-emptive adjustments to treat the negative impacts of those, while improving overall conditions.

Disaster Risk Reduction is reactive.

Climate change adaptation is pro-active.

With all due respect to the disaster risk reduction community and their important work, the approach advocated here is proactive and responsive to the vulnerabilities of human and natural systems resulting from climate change.

Being reactive is being a victim. 

Being proactive is contributing to the solution.

thanks to Pinkerton Consulting & Investigations, Inc. d.b.a. Pinkerton Corporate Risk Management for this clarification at http://www.pinkerton.com/blog/risk-vulnerability-threat-differences

And now a word from the climate scientist - We are screwed.

Ice Melt, Sea Level Rise, and Super Storms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JP-cRqCQRc8

I don't always agree with Dr. Hansen on the social, economic and political factors and remedies because they oversimplify the complexity of these variables in actually being able to address and adapt to the situations. But as a climate scientist I respect what he has to say. This is worth the time it takes to listen to it. 

The concepts are fairly well developed and for folks who don't quite grasp all the technical aspects of climate modeling - in short what he is saying is that the models predicting climate change have a longer time horizon than reality seems to have. 

In other words, severe impacts of climate change are happening faster and sooner than anticipated, or we are screwed.

Let's get serious about impacts

Okay, So I've been reviewing the Working Group II Contribution to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - Summary for Policy Makers.

It's riveting. If you like this sort of thing. Which I actually do.

But here is their summary of anticipated impacts of climate change. This is a summary of their summary. As I read through the full report, I'll have more to say, especially as it relates to adaptation solutions. The impacts - that we need to adapt to break down like this:

• Decline in freshwater resources: Less freshwater available over all and increase competition among sectors (energy, agriculture, municipal water use, industry, etc.). This has wide ranging impacts we will spend more time with soon. It's a BIG one.
• Terrestrial (land) and freshwater ecosystem damages: extinction, pollutions, invasive species (think kudzu if you live in the southeast US, or zebra mussels if you live near the Great Lakes). This also will lead to irreversible damage to ecosystems, which leads to decrease in carbon storage, decrease in wood production, decline in water quality, loss of additional biodiversity, and damage to ecosystems.
• Sea level rise impacting coastal and low lying areas: includes flooding, storm surges, erosion, and submergence. (Not so good for Miami, New York, LA, London, the Netherlands, the Caribbean, etc. - also not great for communities that will be flooded with the people fleeing these areas.) 
• Marine ecosystems: decline in biodiversity, increase in extinctions, decline in fisheries, including commercial fish catches (Seriously bad news for coastal communities with big fishing dependencies, especially those which have already decimated the estuaries - which most have). 
• Ocean acidification: loss of coral reefs, disruption of the food web (including plankton), increase damage to polar ecosystems, and serious disruption to commercial fisheries. 
• Decline in food security and food production systems: we already are seeing a decline in grain yields, and it is forecast to drop very quickly in the next 25 years. This has some bad ramifications as food prices increase, and food becomes more difficult to grow.
• Food access and prices will become destabilized: as grain production drops and commercial fisheries collapse, (remember grain is fed to livestock as well as humans) access to food sources will become increasingly problematic. People will be hungry.
• Urban areas become increasingly stressed: by heat waves, extreme precipitation - rains, snow, ice, flooding, land slides, air pollution, drought and lack of clean waters, plus an increase strain on infrastructure, and large populations migrating into urban areas due to economic and environmental dislocation.
• Rural areas also stressed: by heat, decline in soil fertility and productivity, difficulties accessing clean safe water and food resources.
• Economic disruptions: while energy needs for heat may decrease over all, energy demand for cooling will increase, and basic infrastructure to support economic activities - such as transportation of people and food - are likely to be deteriorating and threatened - especially by sea level rise and loss of port services.
• Human health will be jeopardized: due to increase in disease vectors such as mosquitoes (think Zika), loss of nutrients from food and less access to clean safe water, and increase in vulnerable populations who are economically marginalized by climate change impacts.
• Human security will decline: meaning we will see increased large scale migrations of human populations, which will put stresses on already stressed communities as resources like food and fresh water grow increasingly scarce.
• Increased violence due to in-group/out-group dynamics: with displaced people migrating and being seen as threatening resource availability.
• Increased civil unrest: due to increase poverty, increased uncertainty, and economic dislocation with greater expectation of state/government responsiveness.
• Negative impacts on territorial integrity and infrastructure: as more demand is placed on access to shared resources, repairs to infrastructure and basic state functions will be increasingly stressed.

And all this results in:

Decreased economic growth, increase poverty, decreased food security, increased number of "poverty traps" and "hunger hotspots".

AND there is no mention of the increasing human populations in the timeframe they are looking at!!

In other words, we are in a bad way people. It won't get better and it won't go away. We have to deal with it, and we have to do it - TOGETHER!

A critical concluding remark of the summary states that:

"Underestimating the complexity of adaptation as a social process can create unrealistic expectations about achieving intended adaptation outcomes." p. 29. This will only exacerbate the negative impacts and increase pending civil unrest. 

It's time for us to address the complexity of adaptation as a social process. And get on with it.



For more details please see:

IPCC, 2014: Summary for policymakers. In: Climate Change 2014: Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability.

Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects. Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report of the

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Field, C.B., V.R. Barros, D.J. Dokken, K.J. Mach, M.D. Mastrandrea, T.E. Bilir, M. Chatterjee, K.L. Ebi, Y.O. Estrada, R.C. Genova, B. Girma, E.S. Kissel, A.N. Levy, S. MacCracken,P.R. Mastrandrea, and L.L. White (eds.)]. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, United Kingdom and New York, NY, USA, pp. 1-32.

# 3 CRITICAL: GET FIT

When talking with folks about adapting to climate change, one question I frequently get is: What is the ONE thing that I can do right now to prepare myself for climate change?

My response: GET FIT!

This often surprises people. Which is okay.

Most people don't see the linkages between climate change and personal fitness, at least until they are climbing a latter, in a wind storm, while hauling a tarp to cover the massive hole in the roof that the neighbors tree gauged during a a storm and there are more storms coming in the next few hours. And doing this in the dark makes it even more challenging. 

Most people don't seem the link between climate change and needing to walk three miles to get food and water because the roads are not passable due to wash outs and flooding. And then trying to haul all that back 3 miles.

And I am guessing most people really don't think about the strain being out of shape puts on their family, friends, and neighbors who will be kind enough to help with a tarp or hauling food and water.

Getting fit does not have to mean going to the gym for hours on end day after day. It does not mean training for a marathon. It means being physically strong enough to haul your own body for a sustained period of time in difficult conditions. 

Think of it this way - you need to have a mix of strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance abilities (cardio-vascular and mental) to adjust to and adapt to rapidly changing situations around you.

Our ancestors 2,000- 3,000 years ago did not have gyms or cross fit. They had everyday life. Our paleo-hunter-gatherer ancestors didn't have much in the way of carbs. In the event of extreme climate events, and rapidly adapting to shifts in environmental conditions, our ancestors would kick our rotund, soft, squishy, couch encumbered butts. 

Getting fit is a journey you can start right now, today. Go for a walk, lift some weights, challenge yourself. Go visit DAREBE.COM for some quick great tips to get started, that focus on getting fit and staying alive longer. 

You'll be glad you did. 

And even if you don't have to haul a tarp up a ladder in a windstorm in the dark, at least you will still be more fit than you are right now. So get to it!

Sea Level Rise - even if we slow rising temperatures... GRAPHIC

Back Bay, Boston—Before

Back Bay, Boston—After

AT&T Park, San Francisco—Before

AT&T Park, San Francisco—After

(Images: Courtesy Climate Central)

Washington Monument, Washington, D.C.—Before

Washington Monument, Washington, D.C.—After

And this is IF we seriously slow warming temperatures...

So where are all the people living along these coasts going to go? The infrastructure will be under water, no power, no heat, water and sewage systems backed up, lots of mosquitoes. Likely residents will not be staying there. 

see more at:

http://www.takepart.com/photos/10-images-show-what-coastal-cities-will-look-after-sea-levels-rise/washington-monument-washington-dc-after?cmpid=ait-fb

 

Prepare for sudden shifts in your routine

This week has been a special kind of challenge for me. The confluence of the cat, the keyboard of my lap top computer, and my first hot cup of coffee proved that not all three things could exist in the same space at the same time. 

The end result?
The 
I did not get to drink my coffee.
The cat ran off.
My 5 year old much loved computer is getting replaced sooner than I expected - in 2 WEEKS!

I've spent a few days feeling very lost. I use my computer to write. I have to write to do my job. I like to write. I like to write on my computer where everything works and I don't have to think about it.

When I have to learn a new way to write (currently on an iPad mini),  everything is thrown into chaos. TOTAL CHAOS!

My files are on the hard drive, lovingly salvaged by my husband the Mac Guru. I am forever grateful he's here to help me in my time of crisis. But they are on an antique Mac Air. So I have to learn how to use the old fashioned track pad. I must remember how to be patient when something takes weeks to load. I must embrace my inner zen and not lose my cool when something I spent hours writing can't be saved easily.

So what does this have to do with adapting to climate change?

Simple.

I'm painfully aware of how much I depend on rituals that are so minute I don't even recognize them until they are gone. The sense of disarray resulting from having to use a different set of tools to write with has pushed me way outside of my comfort zone. 

Climate change will throw our routines out of whack.

When ports can't function due to storm surges, when droughts, invasive fungus, or civil unrest makes it harder and harder to get my beloved Tanzanian Peaberry coffee, I will feel it.

When floods wipe out the routes I usually travel to get to the grocery store because bridges have been neglected for years, I will feel it.

When the water from my kitchen tap becomes unsafe to drink because drought has led to water sources reaching dangerous levels of pollutants, I will feel it.

None of these scenarios are insurmountable. But they throw off a routine.

And we have to learn to adapt.

Today, I'll be honest, if I am feeling this challenged by a seemingly minor change in my routin, I wonder how well I will adapt to climate change myself?

A few clever fixes, knowing how to adapt to the crisis has let me keep working, even with a few inconveniences. Sort of. This time...

#1 Preparing your Go Bag - Part 1

The idea behind a "go bag" is to have a bag of personal items that you want to take with you in the event that you need to leave your home in an emergency situation. The military has these, also known as bug out bags. But essentially if you had to leave your home in a matter of moments, what do you need to be able to survive?

First, why would you need to leave your home and what does that have to do with climate change adaptation?

Good question. The impacts of climate change can be disasters that strike suddenly and with little warning. This can include: floods, forest fires, sudden power outages due to storms, infrastructure collapse (more on that to come), sudden contagious illnesses, civil unrest,  Donald Trump actually becoming president. The list goes on. The point is, you need to be prepared to go quickly and it's reassuring knowing you have a "go bag" ready.

So what goes in your "go bag"?

If you google "go bag", you will find a lot of recommendations, some from natural disaster preparedness sites, some from government agencies, some from "preppers"/survivalists, some from people planning to go sight seeing. 

For now, let's assume we are looking at the first two categories. The survivalist go bag is a good idea, depending on the threat level. We can always upscale as needed. The sight seeing go bag is great for sight seeing tourist, but those won't be enough, likely.

For each family member you should pack an individual bag for each person to carry. Assume you may get separated so don't leave everything with one person.

Some key things you need to have in your go bag:

• Copies of your important documents (health, home, care, and life insurance caazrds, house deed, photo IDs, passport, bank information, cell phone number, photo, and descriptions of each family member, including pets, physician contact information, family contact information, list of family member medications, general medical records and vaccination records for all family members) in a waterproof container. This can be a ziplock bag inside another ziplock bag. Do not assume having all these in your email or on your phone will work. You may need hard copies. Go ahead and do that now.
• Cash - up to about $300 in small bills, more or less. Have it in the local currency if you live abroad, or travel abroad. You may want to have more cash on hand, but for the "go bag" this should be enough. (Kids could have less money in their bags, but should have some cash. The amount should be based on age and responsibility.)
• A first aid kit with medicines you (and family members including pets) MUST take regularly. Include pain medicine, both aspirin/NSAIDs and tylenol. Multivitamins and supplements may be nice to have on hand, but in an emergency, you don't want to carry too much. You may want some pro-bitotics if your stomach is sensitive. Also, if you have anyone in the family with serious allergies, please keep an up-to-date epi-pen in your "go bag". 
• Phone charger, including cords, and hand crank or solar powered charger unit, ideally with a radio function.
• A flashlight - high efficiency if possible. 
• Granola bars/power bars/etc. each person should have at least 5-6
• Water bottle - sterilized, full, and refillable. Make the bottle durable - metal or nalgene are good.
• Dry dog/cat food for your pets - depends on size of the animal but enough for 2-3 days, in a sealed ziplock bag. 
• Collapsable water bowl 
• A full change of comfortable clothes, including socks and underwear - focus on durable, and comfortable first. Fashion doesn't matter much in an apocalypse.
• A towel - because the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is right - always take a towel. You can use it for a blanket, a towel, a ground cloth, etc. It doesn't have to be a big fluffy towel - but something with a little heft.
• A plastic poncho to use as a tarp, rain protection, ground cover etc.
• Strong nylon rope - at least 20 feet to use for everything and anything.
• Bungee cords - again 2-3 are useful for everything. 
• A bandana - because you can use them for EVERYTHING also. And they look really cool.
• A can opener - because you may need one. Please, only hand held. NOT electric.
• A full cigarette lighter - because you may want to light something on fire, plus if you cut the nylon rope, it will fray if you don't burn the ends to seal it.
• A swiss army knife - this should be obvious. No really. Please do not ask me to explain this... Unless you really need me to. 
• A deck of cards - because you will get bored at some point. 
• What else? Seriously, please add your suggestions.

No two bags are exactly the same, but:

Just a note on what sort of "go bag" you should use. 

This is good:

This, not so much. Don't be stupid. No one could outrun zombies or hike for 5 miles in this. No. Just  No. 

I don't care how good you look in heels, and love your rolling carry on-bag, we are talking disaster preparedness, not a trip to New York City. No one else should have to carry your bag over ground it won't role over and those shoes...? Lovely, but not practical in an emergency, or for long hikes over uneven ground.

Okay, now to be honest, I do not have a "go bag" prepared for myself, as of 3 February 2016. But, I promise I will do it, and let you know how long it takes.

Do you have one? 

What's in it? Or what will be?