Everytime I walk out the door, I have my wallet, keys with a Fenix L0P and a Victorinox Manager swiss army knife. These are the only things I have in my pockets.

I supplement with other things depending on where i'm going. When walking to work, I carry a Leatherman Juice S2 multi-tool and a Bic lighter in a Samsonite messenger bag.

If I head into the woods, I will always carry a 35-liter backpack with minimal gear : water, stove, foam pad, small pouch of goodies, first-aid kit, gloves, a saw, a larger knife, food.

You could spend countless hours reading forums on the web and never be satisfied, always comparing your gear to other people's gear... it's not a perfect science. Just look at a typical day and see what could come in handy. If you head into the wilderness, bring what you think could make it relatively comfortable for a day or two in case something goes wrong (a bad injury, getting lost, etc.)

I agree, posting what you carry on a forum is always a sure way to have your decisions on what you carry, self criticized and second guessed. My mantra is somewhere along the same line as you. Carry what you need on a typical day and also...what matches your skill level. Aside from seasonal items, my kits do not vary much. The kit that works great for one person will not likely work for me, my skill level, destination / AO and expected weather.

My answer is always the same:

Knife, gun, flashlight....
Knife, gun, flashlight....
Knife, gun, flashlight....
Knife, gun, flashlight....
Knife, gun, flashlight....

...No ammo? No lighter? You are doomed, doomed, doomed.

This is a great question, so i cleaned up some of the posts that have been getting us off track.

Since I am unable to carry a firearm wherever I go, my list would be:

1. Knife
2. Flashlight
3. Cellphone

So lets expand on the question, what are your next 3?

Mine would be:

4. Wallet (cash)
5. Lighter
6. pocket notebook w/pen.

There are actually three items I carry with me in nearly all situations, the exceptions being where legal prohibitions exist: wallet, keyring, small Maxpedition belt pouch.

Within the wallet, in addition to the usual items, are several bandaids - all that is necessary for most "FA" situations - I find it dampens the panic if you can whip one out immediately.

On the keyring, additional items include Fenix LD01 light, whistle, Classic SAK

The pouch contains Leatherman Wave, Gerber Infinity Ultra light, nitrile gloves, 2 meter measuring tape, cellphone, AAA and AA batteries for lights, firemaking kit (if outdoors).

Emergency cash is stashed about these three items.

1) Satphone with inbuilt GPS.
2) Stainless Steel Water bottle.
3) Lighter or NATO specced Waterproof lifeboat matches with striker board.


4) Knife.
5) Sleeping Bag.
6) Goretex Poncho.

I am curious - why?

Tinder! :-)

-john

It is quite small (10mm x 1 3/4"), has both metric and English scales, and I actually have excess room in the pouch most of the time. I do archaeology and there are times I need measurements when I don't have my full kit. I have found that I have used it a surprising number of times in a variety of other circumstances (measuring pipe diameters, etc). I had to pull it out to provide the dimensions cited above, for instance. Now I will never give it up.

Doesn't everybody carry one?