Thank you for replying. I'm already wearing a T-shirt under my sweater. I was trying the neck lanyard to take a break from pocket carry. Just to see. At the moment, pocket carry still rules.

Hi Craig,

Hey, no problem with the questions, I ask a bunch myself.

Lanyard has a snap hook that is attached to a 1" split ring.

The Fox 40 came with a 3/8" snap ring that is now also attached to the 1" ring on the snap hook.

A larger 1 1/8" snap ring is also attached to the 1" ring on the snap hook. That ring has both the Brunton watchband compass and the ARC AAA attached to it.

The AAA is attached to the larger ring via the small 3/8" snap ring that it came with. The Brunton has a half inch wide, flat rubber loop that the watch band slides into. The large ring also fits quite nicely.

All this was not really planned out as a method of keeping things quiet, it was more a matter of genuine dumb luck as I had the rings sitting around and figured that having them with me for possible other uses made more sense than leaving them in a drawer.

What other uses?
Possible slide ring with cordage?
Might need to have a ring to hang something else on?
Makes it easier to hang onto the compass when it is off of the lanyard (it does). Who knows where it will get used.

As far as the rattle issue, it really is not noticable. In a very quiet hallway, I can detect it, however in a crowd it is not a problem.

Another possible reason for it not standing out is that I typically wear a tee shirt under the dress shirt. This tends to muffle it a bit I suppose.

Although I've looked at the Jetscream whistles, I've not had a chance to hold one alongside a Fox 40. From the various photos I've looked at, there is a much different form factor, the flatter shape of the Jetscream may provide more of a sounding board effect than the Fox 40.

Sorry, no digicam.

Perhaps some rubber bands around them both might help.

Comanche7

Listening to the water cooler conversation post 911 it became apparent that there were some that felt that "out of sight, out of mind" and to a certain extent "don't tell, don't ask" was the unofficial party line. Even some of the "PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER." showed sparks of common sense...if only for the moment.

While it is perfecly wonderful for making some people feel better, the violence free workplace policy is still (regrettably) on the books as originally written, and if the "weapon" were discovered even accidently, depending upon who viewed it, it could easily cost somebody their job and/or pension. My own personal opinion is that if you have a legitimatly obtained carry permit, then you should be able to carry in a responsible and appropriate manner anywhere...post office, government buildings, schools, homes, airports etc.

Obviously such conduct is a double edged sword, flashing display and other inappropriate behaviour with it should not be condoned. Sadly, our world is not what it used to be.

Everyone is free to make their own choices as to how much risk they are personally willing to take and act accordingly.

It would be a very closely followed class action lawsuit.

As far as other items being considered a weapon, thankfully there is a modicum of common sense displayed at the local level. Yes, we have some knives on sight for food use, we can and do carry / use handtools, pencils, tire-irons for their intended purpose without restriction. Like others have voiced, in the right hands virtually anything can be a weapon. Anyone ever get a really deep paper cut? Even a silly piece of corrugated cardboard could be lethal.

billvan & Polak187,

Your both ask very valid questions. Please excuse any vagueness in the answers below.

"How are those policies enforced?"
From what I've seen, mostly by threat of enforcement and the penalty incurred by getting caught.

"Are you being searched? Go thru metal detectors? How do they verify if your car is up to date with the rules?"
I've never seen anyone searched with this in mind, however the security folks have the authority to look into packages etc. A personal search or wand detection is not currently used, neither (to my current knowledge) have any cars been searched..

"What sort of work you are involved with?"
A state agency that is primarily technical and engineering oriented. It is a professional work environment that supports the efforts of the field offices and staff in a multicounty district

Aside from certain policies, I am proud to be a part of this team.

I gave myself a viciously deep papercut once from handling a manila folder. Didn't even realize it until huge drops of blood dripped on my desk. THEN it frigging hurt. Also took forever to stop bleeding. Unless folders have obviously frayed edges, I use caution around them now.

Yeoww, I can feel your pain, where I used to work, a lady managed to cut her tongue while sealing an envelope. Ouch!

Been there, done that, too.

The interesting thing is, I began carrying bandages in my wallet after I cut my finger. Have carried them ever since.

The office first aid kit looked as though it had not been updated since it was first installed. It looked like 1970s stuff and I worked there in the late 1980s and very early 1990s.

When I mentioned this to my supervisor, the retort was something like, fine, we'll update it using your paycheck. My retort was, you won't get very far, will you? Our low pay was part of the office humor, as long as the head honcho was not around.

After that, I made sure I had some basic first aid gear around.

I had my wife read your specific post in this huge thread, and it seems to have actually made a difference.

She asked me what kind of gear I carry every day, to work and in my car, and asked me to "set her up."

While all the crap I carry would really be too much for her, I'm sure I can figure something out. Grin.

I tip my hat in your direction. You message seems to have accomplished what I could not in almost 12 years of marriage.

Amazing what the right piece of information can do at the right time.

Gratefully,

Craig

Wow!

What a great thing to hear after a long day. That's great! It's amazing the way things work sometimes.

You're entirely welcome and I'm glad to have been of any assistance. Gotta give you a bunch of credit and a tip of the hat too, timing is everything, and you've obviously spent some time poking around on the net and other places looking and learning as well. Congrats on the great timing.

On more than one instance, I've heard the remark made along the lines that it is easier to be an expert if you are from somewhere else. It would seem that folks will listen to the inhouse folks all day and even though they may be the best in their field, it is the outside consultant that picks up the kudos. I'm not generally in it for the glory, but still sometimes it makes one want to <img src="images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> say ARRRGGGGHHHH! and do something else that is much easier for a living...like stacking BB's while performing headstands. LOL.

FWIW getting the other half to become interested is something that seems to commonly be best accomplished a bit at a time, kind of like eating the proverbial elephant. One bite at a time.

I showed her my kits in bits and pieces, she would see me stuffing an Altoid 7 times in one evening and say, "that's nice dear" and that would be it. I didn't push it.

One evening, my boy (about 13 at the time) saw me poking around with some stuff and I pulled out a few items and asked if he had a tin. Zoooom....to his room and back in seconds flat....we spend what I think is called "father son bonding" for a couple of happy hours.

Made a point of getting more stuff for him as I saw the chance, the other half never asked about it, but watched carefully.

Subsequently I made up a basic FAK in a tin and included the STOP paper, didn't say anything to her, just slipped it into her purse one morning on the way to work. Several days later, I overheard someone at her office make a comment about how "she was so prepared &: even had stuff in a little candy box".

Down the road, I ordered some more ball compasses (and still later an ARC AAA, then a Fox 40) and just stuck them on her keychain. She has watched me wear the lanyard with the same items for a long time and never seemed interested. Lately however, I've noticed that more often than not, she has the stuff close by her side. Every now and again, I slip in a new item to surprise her.

In the meantime, I continue to try to be prepared for all of us.

Comanche7 <img src="images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

"While all the crap I carry would really be too much for her, I'm sure I can figure something out. Grin."

There is probably a way that you can set things up to where she does not have to carry it all. Perhaps staging stuff in a locked filing cabinet? Does her job have lockers? If not, is getting some possible? It may be that this could be helped along by just needing a place to secure overcoats and purses etc. Who knows?

In a previous job, I noticed that certain filing cabinets were only opened by me, and then only in long intervals.

When I asked the boss if I could lock one drawer, he said sure, go ahead. I found a way of locking it that involved a long rod that went through the cabinet and hung a lock on it.

Being of a cautious nature, late one afternoon, I also removed the drawers and installed some loooong drywall screws through the back and one side of the cabinet and into the walls (it was in a corner, and for good measure I put in a pair of removable floor anchors). Once the dust was cleaned up I put the drawers back in.

From time to time, someone would ask about moving "that old filing cabinet" and I'd just say that it was pretty heavy.

When I left that job, and clued in my co-worker about the secure spot. "jeez, all this time I thought that it was just a broken old filing cabinet that was loaded with heavy files!" It was good for a laugh.