If you are going to be homeless on very short notice, at least take the essentials, like your ID, birth certificate, cash, bank card and any portable electronics you have, such as a cell phone, tablet or laptop. Store sensitive items, like your birth certificate or electronics, in a heavy duty ("freezer") Ziploc bag.
Grab a little clothes and a little bedding and stuff them in whatever bag you have handy. If you have no bag, stuff them in a pillow case as an expedient solution.
Tip: Wool and flannel items, whether clothes or bedding, will help you stay warm even when they are wet. Most other materials will wick the heat out of you while wet. So if you are facing cold, wet weather, go through your stuff and try to take any flannel or wool items you have.
If you have a little time to prepare and a small budget to work with, here are some nice to have items that aren't too expensive that can make life on the street a lot more bearable:
A virtual mailbox.
This will allow you to check mail online. This will leave open the option to relocate and keep getting mail should you decide to do so. If possible, prepay it for a few months.
A dirt cheap Tracfone.
If you have a bit of money, you can prepay it for a few months. Having a cell phone number really helps while homeless and Tracfone is the cheapest option I have found. It can be sustained for as little as $7/month after it is set up.
A very small tent.
A small tent is easier to carry and will also keep you warmer than a large tent because it will help create a bubble of warm air around your instead of your heat rising to the ceiling, leaving you cold. This can allow you to stay warm with less bedding, which means you can carry a lot less stuff overall.
Grab a little clothes and a little bedding and stuff them in whatever bag you have handy. If you have no bag, stuff them in a pillow case as an expedient solution.
Tip: Wool and flannel items, whether clothes or bedding, will help you stay warm even when they are wet. Most other materials will wick the heat out of you while wet. So if you are facing cold, wet weather, go through your stuff and try to take any flannel or wool items you have.
If you have a little time to prepare and a small budget to work with, here are some nice to have items that aren't too expensive that can make life on the street a lot more bearable:
A virtual mailbox.
This will allow you to check mail online. This will leave open the option to relocate and keep getting mail should you decide to do so. If possible, prepay it for a few months.
A dirt cheap Tracfone.
If you have a bit of money, you can prepay it for a few months. Having a cell phone number really helps while homeless and Tracfone is the cheapest option I have found. It can be sustained for as little as $7/month after it is set up.
A very small tent.
A small tent is easier to carry and will also keep you warmer than a large tent because it will help create a bubble of warm air around your instead of your heat rising to the ceiling, leaving you cold. This can allow you to stay warm with less bedding, which means you can carry a lot less stuff overall.