I have a "grab & go bag", but not a B.O.B. A lot of the latter seem to be heavy on the weapons and light on practical clothes. What my wife and I have is not much different than what we'd pack for a 3-day hike, except the food doesn't need any prep and the insulating items don't mind staying stuffed in a bag 24/7. Plus we keep more tools in there.

Growing up, it was a given that a lot of people were always prepared for the worst simply because it was rural Alaska. It's a habit that stuck with me when I moved to Washington. I can't say whether preparedness is a trend that's gotten more popular in recent years.