I mean it, we do. I often see posts about "concealing" PAKs or other kits on your person, but for students, concealment isn't a problem. We aren't given a second look for carrying a backpack everywhere we go.
However, i must comment on the overall preparedness of students. For the opportunities we have to pack emergency "stuff" we sure don't take advantage of it.
Personally, in my pants i keep my keys and my wallet (a few 1st aid items in my wallet [Band-Aids, Triple-A ointment, etc).
Preparedness isn't a problem, however, because in the pack (which i love. . . maybe i'll start a post about how great swiss-army backpacks are. . .) I always have a 1st aid kit (VERY complete, thanks to theis site), CPR mask, xtra light, foldable or earbud headphones (an item, i might add, that SHOULD be in any urban survival kit but has been completely overlooked thus far on this site) batteries, Yaesu Vx-5R (radio), camera, and dozens of other Goodies. Best of all, these all fit into a compartment that i rarely open (the main compartment is used for books and the like) in public. (so im not constantly badgered about being a paranoid, neurotic, Y3K fanatacist [students do that])
Anyway, if ya want a specific listing of what this student carries, i'd be happy to oblige. however, my main point is, I can get away with being prepared without having to conceal anything. Don't you have any briefcases?
I can understand the whole "what if i lose the briefcase" scenario, but when something is used as often as I use my backpack, i start to feel downright naked without it. I haven't left the thing anywhere for several years.
Oh, if I'm not going to classes I still carry it with some food items in the main pocket so i can pretend I'm returning from a store or something. (beef Jerky and Fruit Roll-ups. . .)
Oh yeah, I also carry a Wave-minimag combo on my belt. (i get away with it cuz I'm the commando-pants and polo shirt type of guy.)
Any comments?

We've touched on the earbuds, in connection with various mini-radios, which I've been promoted here as essential in an Urban PSK. It helps a LOT to know which way the riot is going- this is from personal experience of trying to figure out exactly that, just by watching the news choppers overhead. Not fun.

When you say "swiss-army backpacks", do you mean the Victorinox/"Swiss Army" brand, or real Swiss military surplus? I have a Victorinox wheeled travel-pack, and it is very well designed and constructed, seems to be worth the premium price.

Briefcases have been pretty much passe in the business world since the 1980s. I don't even remember the last time I saw anyone I worked with carrying one, and when you do see some poor guy with a suit and a briefcase, everyone just assumes he's a salesman.

That being said, for the years off-and-on when I worked in the city, I carried a shoulder pouch on the subway (everybody carries something for the commute) so I was pretty well prepared then. The problem was that I did not carry it around during the day- meetings in the building and sometimes in other buildings, out to lunch, just walking around the office- unlike in the "campus" environment, that definitely would have been noticed. Nobody carries stuff around with them inside the buildings, so there were significant blocks of time when I was separated from the pouch, which was hammered home once when I got back from lunch and the building had been evacuated for a fire alarm- even my car keys were in there, I couldn't leave.

That's getting to be a problem in my current situation. Some items, like the led flashlight, ferrocerium sparker, and P38 can opener currently live in my leather key case. The problem is, what with that, all the keys, and the bulky car alarm remote, it's very awkward to have them in a pants pocket, so they tend to stay in my desk, or in a jacket pocket all day.. which means they may very well not be where I am if things get dicey fast.

Current worksite is RIGHT under a flight-path to a nearby airport- at times those big jets are wallowing in, low and slow, directly over the parking lot and building. Statistically, that's probably not even a measurable risk, but I can't look at one of those big guys without reflecting that, if it ever does cause a problem, there sure isn't going to be much warning.

In general, I don't think having enough gear at your desk is a big problem in the business world- it's the parts of the day when you are away from both your desk and your car that are a concern.

Good post.

I wholeheartedly agree. All anyone needs to due is look around any college city and you’ll know the students by their attire “the backpack.” This is not always bad either. You never forget the backpack, so why not have preparedness (survival) items? You and maybe a handful of others, have items of preparedness with you, which is good. Most students though, are like the rest of society and are ill prepared at best, living under the belief that somebody else will be there first and take care of everything. It’s not my responsibility syndrome. The concealment in a backpack is almost unlimited, unless you have to walk through a screening area, which some campuses have. Most students I have seen are within arms reach of the backpack and some even sleep propped up against it. The only time I have seen a student without one is in the campus bookstore or other business, which tries to curtail theft by having one drop their backpack in a bin by the door. I always carry either a backpack, or a nylon briefcase with a shoulder strap. This way I have very little, including wallet, in my pockets. Please by all means post your lists. We always seem to like lists on the forum and you will get feedback too. I cannot see carrying a set of earbuds though. <img src="images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> I do carry a small thermal mug (coffee fiend) with my briefcase.

Beef Jerky and Fruit roll-ups, are you sure you don’t have a cup-o’-soup packet and some Ramen noodles in there as well? <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Thorr! Hows the after life?

Currently, I have the same problem that old people (26+ years of age) have, except I find my situation far more worse. You see, I am in my senority years, getting old and frail and such, soon I will also be in the afterlife. Anyway, in high school, you are simply Not allowed to have backpacks or the such in school unless you are entering or exiting. There is good reason for this, I guess. However, I find an interesting double standard in which girls are allowed to carry purses and stuff. Anyway, I do keep a few survival things in my pack, but not enough and I need to update, heck, I'll do it as soon as I get done here. So I do need to conceal, does anyone have any tips? I want to try hiding stuff in my shoes, or maybe onder my pantlegs, although that would be overly RAMBOesque, and would probably cause some trouble if I ever got caught. Well, I suppose there is always my traspper, I just thought of that. I guess there isn't to big of a problem in school, since any problems would be handled by the teachers. HEY! Don't give me those shocked glances, do you want your kids on their own at school? Even after all those hundreds of school tax dollars? What I meant was working in tandem with the teachers and such, providing resources and stuff like that. Not dependance. Wow, this raises a whole series of questions, maybe I should start another thread, eh?

Not allowed backpacks? I am at college now, but at school we were allowed to carry any bags we liked. It certainly allows a lot of gear to be carried easily. I personally always keep a spare house key and a needle and thread under my innersole (unless going through metal detectors) and I also put money under there if i'm going out somewhere and antisipate the possibility of theft or loss of my wallet.

Ruzz

We also have the backpack rule. It's reallllly irritating that we are only allowed one type of "school backpack" that needs to replaced twice a year due to iys inferior quality <img src="images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Ditchfield



In south africa, it's also not unheard of to have your shoes stolen if you are unlucky enough to mugged <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> - no jokes! I saw some EMS footage on TV showing a man take the shoes from poor guy who was unconscious after being hit by a car <img src="images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

i carry speare cash in mine (money)belt, just in case. i don't have a problem with what kind of backpack we are allowed too carry. i don't put too much preparness stuff in to mine packpack, some days in the week mine backpack can weight over 10 KG ! <img src="images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> those books are to freaking heavy ! i have to squeze them in mine 25Liter backpack twice every week. On otherday it's lighter fortunaty.

Yes, I have the book problem. A huge A4 folder, A4 pad, 200 page archaeology course book, chemistry folder, 2 chemistry course books, 3 english literature books, 2 history books and a lab coat. Not exactly ultralight.

>>I cannot see carrying a set of earbuds though.

Well, come on - how else are you going to listen to the underground radio net in complete silence while roving patrols of Starving Unprepared Citizens (SUCs) are hunting high and low for us (and our carefully hoarded supplies) after the meltdown? <img src="images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

>>roving patrols of Starving Unprepared Citizens (SUCs) are hunting high and low for us (and our carefully hoarded supplies) after the meltdown?<<

And they call me paranoid. <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

You're ignoring the real threat, the human-alien hybrid mutants that use gravity waves to lull most of the population into sheeplike dependence to keep them from being interested in preparedness in the first place, so there will be fewer to resist when they take over the governments.

Speaking of such happy nonsense, has anyone read any decent new survival-theme fiction? The newest I've read is "The Rift", and while that was a great read, it was 3 years ago. Amazon doesn't seem to be aware of anything new in the "genre", if you can call it that. Seems like such a fertile field to be so ignored...