I do not have a bug-out bag in the strict definition of the term. We do keep earthquake kits in our two cars, packed into 5 gallon buckets with handles, so they could be carried if necessary. They'd be awkward to carry for any distance, but in the event of an earthquake while we're away from home, we're almost certain to try to return home, not bug-out, and 98% of the time that will be a short trip.

We also are about 80% of the way toward having some more extensive disaster preps stored at our home, but not inside it. We have about 60 gallons of water under a sturdy work bench in our detached garage. It should survive even if the garage fell over. The remaining supplies are in two garbage cans on the patio.

On top of that, we have oodles of camping gear, food and water in the basement, but that could be inaccessible, so we are not banking on it being available. If it were, then we could ride out a disaster for a very long time, if need be.

The traditional bug-out bag is more designed for someone leaving their home in a great hurry in response to a warning of impending disaster. Where we live there aren't hurricanes or tornados or flash floods. Earthquakes don't come with a warning, so a BOB wouldn't be a very suitable preperation in our case.

As for a trend, it is possible, but it has roots going back to the 1950s fallout shelters, up through the 1980s survivalists, and the Y2K alarmists. However, recent events like Katrina, the Indian Ocean tsunami, and Japanese earthquake/tsunami and the swarms of destructive tornados this year have got more people aware of how vulnerable they are to sudden disasters.

That's good as I see it. Rural people have always understood how precarious good fortune can be. As so many have moved to cities, this knowledge has dulled considerably. It's about time that ignorance and complacency was corrected.