To think that it isn't insane to have a 'just in case' bag?

No offence taken Havlona!

Also, word to the wise: if, like I was, you are now struggling for somewhere to keep your pencils, I can recommend this wonderful bag I found in M&S.
It's roomy enough for all my colours, plus a full range of 6H to 6B, compass, protractor and 15cm ruler plus it has a little zipped pocket inside which is just made for my rubber and sharpener.
Looks rather snazzy too, if I do say so myself, I take it everywhere I go and am thinking of getting another one for just in case:

www.marksandspencer.com/faux-shearling-chain-strap-shoulder-bag/p/clp60694740?color=CREAM#intid=pid_pg1pip48g2r5c1|prodflag_New|prodflag_plp_ts_QP_15

Sounds like the bottom of my daily handbag really

I used to have a drawer like this at work with a toothbrush, trousers etc because I had to get a crazily early train

I think it makes sense. In the car I keep a bag with a sewing kit, torch, extra batteries, travel toothbrushes/toothpaste, first aid kit, hairbrush, wet wipes, deodorant, salvon, suncream, bottled water, screwdriver, pliers, big heavy novel (currently War & Peace), note book, pens, charging cable, spare underwear and socks, a pack of cards, chewing gum, tin of hardboiled sweets, plastic cutlery, travel chess set and so on.

It lives in the under tray in the boot and has come in handy many times.

All my handbags also hold tampons, pain killers, plasters, antiseptic wipes, notebook, pen, small hairbrush, mirror, chewing gum, mini sewing kit, hair bands, £10 in a separate purse, sunglasses, tissues and dental floss.

I love bags with lots of pockets.

Hilarious. I'm apologising just in case I offended you saying that.

If it all fits in a pencil case it’s not doing any harm.

I don’t have a kit that but every handbag I’ve used for at least the last 15 years has contained hand cream, lip balm, paracetamol, chewing gum, tampons, tissues, wet wipes, plasters, hand sanitizer (from before covid) a biro, a tiny notebook and pound coins for parking.

@mrsmiawallace3 How are you not stone cold dead from the fright! I'm shaking even reading that. How did he get in?

There was a thread a while back where someone was putting these together as gifts for relatives. I meant to do 2, one for the car and one for my bag but completely forgot. Thank you OP! I'm forever needing hair bobbles, bobby pins, lip balm etc. I'm so disorganised.

I do have a grab and go hospital bag, those who regretted not having one will understand why!

As for the handbag stuff, well I have a little box like a miniature tea chest on the stand in the hall. It has all the bits and bobs in there similar to those mentioned above, tissues, lipstick/balm, mints, etc. I just take what I think I need and go. I put the stuff back when I get in (had to train myself to do that!) so it works for me. This stuff is all spares BTW.

The one thing that foxed me for a long time was leaving the house before the time for my (critical really) meds and freaking out that I wouldn't have taken them at the right time. Doh! I have had some panics in the past and often had to turn around and come home to get them. I tried putting the tabs in a little contact lens case, but I'd forget that! I figured that I'd need to put the spare tabs along with something that I HAVE to take with me every time I go out. I found a key ring on Amazon that has a cylinder that opens and I now put the spare tabs in there. What a difference that has made to my panics!

I'm sorted now.

I also have a just in just in case in case pencil case, just in case I ever forget my just in case pencil case.

So far I have never forgotten both my just in case pencil case and my just in just in case in case pencil case but am considering adding a third, just in case I ever do.

I keep a Hi Viz coat in there too.

Look unless you have had bone-crippling anxiety then it is going to be difficult to explain to anyone how this helps.

You do you,...but maybe set yourself some safeguards so the pre-planning doesn't get too out of hand.

most of it is stuff like tissues and knickers that don't go out of date ditto a spare phone charger. Stuff like paracetamol keeps years and so do wipes if they are sealed. When I had dogs on medication, I used to rotate the stuff in the grab and go when I got the next prescription, so once every 3 months.

Having seen a few relatives taken into hospital at short notice I have toyed with the idea of having a hospital bag! Silly I know - but PJs, toiletries, phone charger, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, sleeping eye mask, noise canceling headphones.

Mynparents are elderly and I have prepared these bags for them. We have used them twice for dad .

Last Monday at 4am, a drug addict burst into my bedroom with a torch shouting " Gimme your bag, where is your bag!". My bag was beside me on the bed. I threw it at him forcefully. He seemed winded and confused, and turned to run back downstairs. I called the Gardai who arrived within ten minutes. Fortunately, while he got a few credit cards and a small amount of cash, my phone, car and house keys were all in my 'other' handbag ! He is already in custody thanks to CCTV.

Isn’t that what most people keep in their handbags? I have a Kate Loxton pouch with paracetamol, anti histamines, lipstick, lip balm, eyeliner, plasters, safety pins, some coins and £10, a perfume and a deodorant stick. It moves between bags with me, and I also have most of that in my glove box too.

I really don't understand these emergency get away bags that posters say are intended for leaving the house if it was damaged again, or a hospital stay

Surely these things go out of date/need using up and just sat there for ages otherwise?

Full disclaimer being that I have a grab and go bag with toiletries and change of clothes - But my DC is a regular in hospital so it gets used

great idea! I have similar in the car where the spare wheel is

Oh I see, each for a separate situation.

I was imagining: broken down car therefore tissue to wipe hands after checking engine, then tissue doubles as writing paper and use black pen to leave a note on the dash to say broken down, bus fare to get to a garage and lemon tea bag so you can ask for hot water (no need to require milk/sugar) to warm up while engineer goes out to retrieve car.

I have IBS so my just in case bag is immodium, spare pair of knickers and a radar key in every handbag!

First stop lip balm in a hand bag next stop fully stocked apocalypse bunker by the sounds of some of these posts, but who’s to say that’s wrong. You never know….

I keep a little sewing set in mine...needles, a couple of safety pins and some cotton. You can even ready thread the needles. Blooming helpful if a button comes off.

starts making bag

I call mine my EDC (every day carry). It has a phone charge cable, a couple of pound coins, my little card purse, a mini hairbrush, safety pin, mirror compact, lipstick, paracetamol, a pen, my earbuds, my keys, a pen and a penknife! Its all in a surprisingly small leather zipped pouch.

I've been doing this about two years it works brilliantly for me. It lives in my work bag all week then in whatever handbag I need at the weekends,

Great idea! I would have paracetamol, tampons, cold sore cream, safety pin, burn cream, anti histamine, wet wipes, mini deodorant, hand sanitizer and plasters!

let’s brain storm