Here in New York, when we walk out of our apartments, we need to be ready for whatever may come our way — stalled trains, heavy rain or a run-in with an old flame.

So we carry our lives in our bags: headphones, reading material, gym clothes, flats. But with each person, you’re also likely to find something unique — an item that has come to the rescue in the past, and which its owner now never leaves home without.

We recently asked readers of our morning newsletter, New York Today, to recommend items that have helped them out in a pinch, and which cost less than $25. The result? Ten essential but often overlooked items that every New Yorker should consider tossing in a purse or backpack. We’re calling it the New York City Survival Kit.