
Joined up with some others with the same religion, we have setup a contact chain to alert each other at least 2 specific people each (with overlap) via the Signal app, only using a specified encrypted service like Signal to contact each other, there’s a few rednecks on my street so they’ve been going to a local range to practice weekly, discussed our family risk tolerance and when we gtfo/ setup a few contingencies incase any of the extract options become nonviable. Oh and working out regularly, nothing motivates you more than the nagging thought of what if I’m not fast/strong enough to protect those I love.
I’d say a good quality multi-tool and at least one first aid kit in a go bag. I have a “tactical” bag i got for cheap since it could be strapped to a bike/motorcycle, around my waist, or even another larger hiking pack. I would also highly recomend the Red Cross’s first aid and cpr certification course if the extent of your medical/first-aid knowledge was the chapter or two of the Health class textbook or something similar. It’s been like 5 years since I re-upped my certs, but I can’t imagine the Red Cross’s course material changing since then.
I would typically avoid those pre-built first-aid kits since they tend to have crappy quality bandaging. Examples of what I run in mine, keep in mind almost everything is in a sterile outer layer so it’s a one time use: sterile medical scissors, sterile forceps, a small bottle of sealed Isopropanol, various sizes of sterile gauze for packing wounds and bandaging, sterile self-adhereing tape, sterile iodine based wound cleaning pads, a leatherman multitool, various sizes of fabric and waterproof band-aids, and finally 2 tourniquets with a sharpie to mark the time of use. I use/have used nearly everything (except the tourniquets thank the gods) in my kit and replace what I use asap.
The things CMonster said as well. Depending on where in the country you live, having a minimum of a month(3 months is better but it can be a little daunting to not just splurge on food you think you’ll need)'s worth of non-perishables and water is just good life advice (hurricanes, tornadoes, and blizzards etc can and will disrupt normal operations in the food supply chain).