For more years than I'd like to admit, I've been commuting via car exclusively. This lets me carry a lot of gear and be well-prepared for a number of situations that have arisen. I'm starting a new job in a week that will have me riding the commuter rail some of the time. I'll be restricted to what's in my pockets and laptop bag.

Here's what I have with me:

• Water
• a couple of Clif bars
• Flashlights (a Quark 123 in my pocket, a Maratac 9290 as my primary work light, an iTP A3 EOS Upgrade, and a Fenix E01 as a final backup)
• peanut lighter
• Leatherman Wave (pre-2004)
• Leatherman Squirt P4
• screwdriver with a variety of bits
• cable ties
• Mini RitterGrip
• 1-person Heatsheets survival blanket
• Small first aid kit
• iPhone
• Two different ways to charge my iPhone (USB battery and USB charging cable for laptop)
• Outerwear appropriate for walking at least a mile outdoors in the local range of weather
• dress shoes
• laptop, business cards, cables, adapters, notepad, pens, sharpie, blank CD-ROMs

It's all urban or suburban between work and home.

Understanding that I'm sharply limited in weight and bulk, what should I add to this list?

Consider adding a whistle and earplugs. For me these are essential urban EDC in case I get trapped in an elevator or collapsed building.

You did not secifiy how far you have to take the train. Is your planning to take into account a walk home? If so a paper map (to compliment presumably Google maps on your iPhone) would be very handy as you may be forced to depart the train in an unfamliar area. For example, one of the commuter trains near here spans a distance of 65 km (40 miles). If I ever had reason to take the train and was forced to get off it due to xyw crisis then had to walk home, even 1/2 the distance, a local map would show many more otional routes that would not be as apparent when you are driving.

I would also add some cash in small currency and perhaps also a local phone company caling card as it is quite common for cell networks to be overlaoded during a crisis.

Finally add a small 1/2 roll of TP in a ziploc bag or a travelers pack of baby wipes as you never know when you will need it...

Commuting by train implies distance - you have dress shoes, can you cache a sturdier walking shoe at your place of business, or are you comfortable walking the entire distance in these dress shoes? I have some Rockport Dressports, I travel and often walk many miles in cities with them, they're comfortable and I am confident that they would get me home from most distances.

Like Teslinhiker said, you don't specify how far you are from home - and why do you need to get there; is there a child in daycare, a wife expecting you every night at 6? Home is nice, but if you are really distant you may need to face up to the fact that you won't be getting home right away, or even for a few days. On the one hand you can walk all day for a day or two, or you might have a prearranged plan for your child or wife, someone to care for them, and make it home as soon as you can.

Think situationally for a minute - if something rules out travel by train or hitching a ride with a co-worker, where would you go, would you go all the way home, stay at work, or someplace else? Make a plan - if your train commute is disrupted - and try to make it flexible enough to cover whatever it is you may experience: winter storms, earthquakes, floods etc, whatever happens whereever you live. I am either thousands of miles from home, or within about 7 miles most of the time, but a few times I can be 20+ miles from home, and I need a plan to be on my own in the event of a disaster, especially if an earthquake takes out one of our floating bridges. Think about it, you may have a friend or relative who lives reasonably close to your place of work, where you can crash and wait things out; or find out if your new co-workers live nearby, and cultivate those relationships :-) Or for garden variety disruptions, booking a room at a nearby hotel/motel while waiting for things to get back to normal can be a welcome change.

My first impression is that you are carrying more than you need in some categories. If you have the Wave, I think you can dispense with the folder and the Squirt, and you won't necessarily even require the screwdriver. I EDC the same model Wave that you specify, BTW. Same with flashlights - two should be plenty. Consider carrying an extra battery for the ones you pick, or better yet, see that they share a common battery type. (but I can tell by your outfit that you are a flashoholic....)If you are a flashoholic, you will readily agree that a small headlamp could be extremely versatile and handy as one of your two sources of light.

I would add an auxiliary cash stash, totally separate from your wallet. Perhaps pack a throwdown wallet for those really bad situations.

I would also definitely add some kind of keychain whistle. Does you FAK include some kind of barrier gloves (e.g., nitrile?) They could be very handy.

Can you walk comfortably in your dress shoes? for longer than expected distances? over debris and uneven ground? Consider switching out the dress shoes for something more practical when you leave your office for the commute. I have had to deal with this problem for years and it ain't easy...

The Banana Bread Clif bars are the best,IMO. Best to do some controlled taste testing.

I would add a bandana, possibly a small compass to augment the map...just in case.

http://www.swissknifeshop.com/swiss-chocolate-knife

What will you do with cable ties?
What do the wave and the squirt together add that you couldn't do otherwise?
Four flashlights? How long is it dark in your winter on the train?
What do you plan on lighting with the lighter?
How will you use the blank CD-ROMs in an emergency?

What do you wear to work? Suit? Casual? Would a photographer's vest look out of place?*

I'd recommend either a dust mask or a good bandanna. I'd recommend a pair of leather work gloves - train wrecks can leave broken glass and sharp metal edges around.

A glowstick or other light you can leave behind if there are trapped people you want to give some solace to and light the way for rescuers.

*I have a couple of photographers vests, and I wear one when flying - it gives me the equivalent of a 3d carry on that the people at the gate either never notice or don't mention. I have an ARRL patch and a khaki US flag (the vests are khaki). There are lots of hams out there, and I get some comments from them. That gives me someone who might reach out to me if I need it. The US flag draws occasional favorable comments from the TSA agents and some passengers. It's muted, so it's not over the top, but it's noticed by some. (There's a name for the muted khaki patch, but I can't remember it.) Each vest has a couple of other patches, too, but they're meaningful to me; they make the vests non-threatening, non-military.

I do carry earplugs. A whistle is a great idea, I'll add one (my standard whistle is the Fox 40 Micro).



It's roughly 40 miles. I know the streets between work and home intimately and I'm confident that I can navigate home successfully on foot without a map. The only maps that are really good for this area are too bulky to carry, so unless I find one that's small enough but still has sufficient detail to be worthwhile, I will probably have to skip this one.



There are very few payphones around here. If the cell network goes down or is overloaded, finding a payphone may not be possible. On the other hand, it's a small investment in money, space and weight.



This is a very fine idea.



I could do it if I had to in terms of comfort...unless there's more than an inch of snow on the ground. It's not yet clear to me if I'll be able to cache boots at the office.



My wife stays at home, so the reasons to get home in the event of a major disaster would be to get to where more guns and ammo are, as well as more gear and stored food. Not to mention getting away from the urban center full of unprepared people. If it took a day or two, that wouldn't necessarily be a big deal.



If credit cards and/or cash work I can always take a taxi or rent a room. If those aren't feasible I'd be looking into holing up at the office or crash at a friend's house. I'd hoof it home if that seemed like the best choice, but I'd sure rather not. During warmer months if I could cache a bike at work that would make things a lot easier.



The folder is on my person at all times along with the Squirt. The Wave lives in my laptop bag. The screwdriver is used for work, so that has to stay. I guess I could get rid of the Squirt, but I often find it handy to have tools with me that don't require a trip back to the laptop bag.



You would think so, wouldn't you :-). The two AAA lights are small and light, the other two are "mandatory" in my mind. I do have a spare AA cell for the 9290, but no spare cell closer than my car or home for the Quark 123.



I could get another Prism to keep in my laptop bag for the Quark. That's a good idea.



Another good idea.



No, but that's an easy fix.



This in my mind is the weakest part of my equipment. My dress shoes are sturdy and comfortable, but if I had something better I'd be happier. It's possible that I'll be able to wear boots on the move and stash my dress shoes at the office; I'll find out after I start the job.



I can't stand banana in any form. Clif bars have been the primary food item in my car and laptop bag for years, so I buy in bulk and I know what flavors I like. With that said, I completely agree with your advice for a controlled taste test.



Great ideas.



Wrap up cables :-). While I can think of survival uses for them, I carry them for work.



Explained above.



I figure there's one to lend to a customer (or coworker, or fellow passenger), one to break, and the E01 serves as the best battery carrier I have for the iTP.



Good question. In this area if I'm starting a fire for warmth instead of finding somewhere to be inside, I'm probably screwed. It just seems wrong to not have any source of fire with me.



Signal mirror? Barter for other supplies? Burn music for someone's old Walkman from my laptop? They're mostly for work.



Button-down shirts and slacks with my dress shoes. A photographer's vest wouldn't work for me, sadly.



Good ideas, both. I'll have gloves with me during colder months, but I'll make sure that I have them all the time.



That's another good use for the E01.

Thank you all for the excellent advice! I've got some things to get for my bag.

I carry a 4 inch pin-on button that says "Please face me: I lipread." I got this at a conference for the hearing impaired about ten years ago. I carry it whenever I have to travel. I do have some hearing loss, but the most important thing this pin does, is it gets me out of conversations with other people, when I really have work to do while I'm traveling. You'd be surprised how quickly people give up, when you misread their lips:

Seatmate: "Where are you going?"
Me: "What do you mean 'where are my goats?' I don't have any goats. If I DID have goats, they'd be checked as baggage."

Seatmate: "Have you been deaf since birth?"
Me: "No, I haven't been red since birds."

For train riders, or anyone else commuting over a considerable distance, it pays to cultivate friends along the route. Develop a friendly, trusting relationships with persons and businesses along the way and it is simple enough to entrust them with a foot locker or other suitable container that might be stuffed into a corner, or placed above a drop ceiling, and forgotten except for the twice yearly restocking.

Of course the nature of such relationship is highly variable and entirely up to you to negotiate. It could be anything from a friendly, but strictly business, relationship where you pay for the space used.

Or it might be a reciprocal 'couch surfing' arrangement where, subject to approval, either party might save time and money by relatively casually crashing on the others couch. Such relationships can be mutually beneficial, but not without potential conflicts. Many people commute and regularly travel to work or regular meetings. Having a place to crash, and in return providing a place, can make travel, and emergencies, much easier to cope with.