Had a similar experience with the trusty Acme Tornado on my keychain, although it was inside - a very loud pre- Parent-Teacher Association meeting hubbub, lots of chatter, and the microphone, as usual, wasn't working. The PTA president, a woman who was soft of voice, kept trying to get everyone to quite down and get seated so we could get started. After about 5 minutes of that, I asked if she wanted the room's attention, she said yes, I gave one brief but authorative toot from my Tornado, and we got on with the task at hand. And several people asked to see it after the meeting, so I got to slip in a little preparedness pitch as well!

Comanche7,

I am pleased to note that I myself carry most of the gear on your EDC neck lanyard, distributed throughout my pockets.

Your post also mentioned the USK you keep at your desk. May I ask what its contents are?

Craig

Comanche7,
first of all thanks for sharing the story (and JC you too) very humerous!
Secondly what does USK stand for? Uniformed Survival Kit?
As you see I cant seem to make an educated guess

Reinhardt

Hi Craig & reinhardt_woets,

Thanks for your interest, the USK (urban survival kit) is basically 10# of "home away from home" and the contents vary from time to time.

Due to work constraints, we're not allowed to carry things even resembling weapons, albeit, since my department was issued Leathermen Super Tools [EDITED the next day by Comanche7, Leatherman Super Tool = LST. sorry Craig], I've taken to carrying my personal LST in the USK. This is in addition to stuff in the vehicle.

As far as the individual contents, it is a pretty good sized list, I have it on an Excel spreadsheet and will see about pulling it out and providing a more direct answer to your question. I apoligize for not having it at hand right away.

Although I carry the kit daily, (mostly kept out of others sight and mind) I try not to keep going into it, as it it a bit of a pain to repack.

Off the top of my head, 1 EVAC-U8 smoke hood, leatherman ST, .5 L water Kirkland / Costco, emergency blanket, maps of state roads, ARC AAA & ARC AA, spare batts., Nite Ize headband for the ARC's, 2 oz. Sawyer 100% MaxiDEET, insect headnet, small can of vienna sausages, Fl. orange STORM whistle, small OD, military strobe light WP to 400', uses two AA bats & has IR hood), Coughlans Magnesium block, Butane lighter, small chemlight stick 3"?, fuel tabs, quality tweezers, small and large nail clipper, Pocket Ref handbook by Thomas Glover, box of Coleman w/p matches, four food bars, 3 @ plastic knives, forks, spoons, a handful of wooden toothpicks (round body, sealed in individual wrap), pack of Write in the Rain (spiral bound, 50 pages, 3' X 5"), Fl Green & Orange large reflective safety vest (from WW Graingers), 2 USA Hothands-2 handwarmers, folding "slimjim", small black film canister w/flip top attached containing large anticid TUMS tablets, plastic baggie of heavyduty rag type paper towels from autoparts store, several "handywipes" towellettes, small bottle of handcleaner (waterless), film canister of pocketchange, info and contact listing for family and close friends and verily the list goeth on.

Since I live / commute & work in a rather urban environment, most of my outdoors stuff is kept towards the bottom of the pack (several tightly packed Altoids tins, 3 rectangular & one round). I have one that has rather mundane stuff that lives in my pocket during the day, the others contain a full complement of hooks, spiderline, sinkers, Potable Aqua, razor blades, matches of various types, mostly modeled on what you will typically see other ETS longtime members packing.

Is this kit the endall USK?
Absolutely not, it is simply what has met my individual needs and consists of stuff that I've acquired in dribbles and drabs as I could over about 10 years of effort, and as all great work, is continually being revised. It is not flashed about and it generally only becomes known to others in a time of need >generally theirs<, and are many folks, whose day has been made a bit better for my being able to pull out a bit of thread and needle, bandaids, various flashlights etc.

Can it be improved?
Without a doubt, like the rest of the ETS members, this is a journey and not a destination.

Will it work for others as well as for me?
Maybe so, maybe not. These kits are typically highly individualized things, and so much of what one needs in your area, might not work in a different neck of the woods.

As a flight instructor, I encourage my students to think ahead, this of course LOL, pushes me even harder to stay ahead of them. ETS has provided some great insights in this regard, and I've really enjoyed lurking and finally posting on ETS and have learned quite a bit from just reading.

Hope this helps ease the curiosity a bit. There are more bits & pieces. LOL

Best Regards,
Comanche7

Thank you very much for responding. I'nm still poring over your reply.



Such rules and regs are highly amusing in their stupidity. A hammer can used as a weapon. So can a sharpened pencil. So can a heavy reference book. So can my cat.

Am I wrong here, or has this country lost its ability to think clearly?

Urban Survival Kit!

>>>Due to work constraints, we're not allowed to carry things even resembling weapons, albeit, since my department was issued Leathermen Super Tools...<<<

Unbeleiveable!

That puzzled me, too, for a while. Then it came to me, "Urban Survival Kit."

Comanche7,
thanx for the thorough post.
Well for not thinking of URBAN I should be scrapped of my "title" and kicked of the forum. I cannot believe I didnt think of that!

Please elaborate on what an "LST" is. Now I'm the one who is puzzled. Don't feel too bad, reinhardt_woets. You have company now -- me!