I carry a tweaked version of Doug Ritter PSK, minus some things that are not really that vital in my location (signal mirror, paper, pencil, sewing kit and fish hooks), plus a BIC, the DR mk5 knife, a LED light and a wire saw (long term test ongoing, results still pending). And all wrapped in gorilla tape - can't have too much gorilla tape

The PSK rides along a thin disposable plastic poncho and a heavy duty garbage bag. It all fits into one of the thigh pockets of the cargo pants I use whenever I go somewhere interesting. This pant also has a tool pocket that holds a Mora 840 knife.

This setup is a re-tweak of the PSK discussed here. Contents are basically the same, but I went back to the DR pouch.

My keyring includes a quark mini AA flashlight, a scraper/screwdriver/poking thingy and the tiniest possible pocket knife I've seen (spyderco bug).

EDIT: My cell phone slips into a water proof pouch and then into the cargo pocket on my other thigh.

My anorack (wind and water proof, similar to goretex) has a whistle. Usually there's also a multitool and a tiny 1st aid kit in my pockets. I say usually, because the multitool and 1st aid kit migrate between different uses and different pieces of clothing, so they might easily be somewhere else when I need them.


I am very happy with this setup. The most basic things are permanently in one of the cargo plus tool pockets of my outdoors jeans - just put that on and my most basic PSK and shelter items are with me.


I am not really that concerned about loosing my pack (which, among other things, usually contains my bigger PSK and a bivy bag) - but I frequently will put it down somewhere (at a camp or picknick site). I may then wander off exploring, picking firewood or whatever. On a nice sunny day my anorack / shell jacket will be in my pack, too. So I am a bit concerned about being caught by the elements and not being able to make it back to my pack and my jacket (lost, injuries, wandered too far off). But as long as I literary keep my pants on I always have some protection against the elements (poncho, thrash bag) a knife and a PSK.

I could see my pack being lost because of an aggressive bear. Because there are a lot of them here, and the woods are very close-in around you. a bear on or near the trail can smell food in a backpack. If you came upon a bear suddenly, is possible that you might have to abandon your pack if the bear becomes too interested. If for no other reason than to make it easier to climb a tree or to distract the bear while you get away. It is possible the bear would just maul up the pack for the food and leave the rest, but it might also drag the whole pack off into thicker cover where I wouldn't want to go in after it. When hiking in the deep woods, I keep my food in a separate little nylon stuff sack in my pack on top of my gear so I can grab it and throw it if I have time to.

Whether I am hunting or backpacking or just hiking, I always have at least the following basic items in my pocket or attached to my belt when in the woods:

A paracord belt lanyard with:
Fox whistle
shrink wrapped flint
compass
mini bic shrink wrapped with flint striker

Leatherman Wave or Supertool

cell phone

AA Maglite

a belt knife (Mora MG640 Clipper, or Green River 4215, or Western W-36)

XL bandana

All of the above is attached, the rest of my kit is in the pack or pouch depending on climate, area, and activity.

I can relate a couple experiences of “losing” a pack:

First was in some fairly open, flat (featureless) woodland. A pleasant day, but quite a gusty wind rustling the trees.
A member of the party headed away from the small group for some Number 2, and because of the open nature of the ground, went quite a long way, leaving the pack behind (of course). When finished the business, the person stood up and found themselves disoriented. They could not see the main group and weren’t sure which way to go ! After some time we realised it was taking too long, and walked in the direction - we knew only the basic direction the person headed in. Although we were calling, then blowing our whistles, they could not be heard effectively because of the wind (and a bit of panic too I suspect). Eventually they heard us and then saw us, so the lost member was found and all was well. But it was a lesson on many fronts, including the need for an “on-body” kit. This experience was with a competent adult who was simply not thinking when heading off for a very mundane task.

-Disaster happens when you least expect it, so don’t get caught with your pants down !

Second time was a little different, (actually this was a close friend of mine), was camped in the wilds, but not too far from the vehicle (half day walk, about to head off for a few days). They pitched camp, had dinner and put stuff back into their packs and put the packs into the vestibule of the tent. Next morning one of the packs was gone and there were several inches of snow. The looked about, but couldn’t see any sign of the pack or how it had been removed from the vestibule, and no tracks in the snow. A mystery ! They reported the loss to the ranger and police and several months later the pack was found by some hikers in the general area where it was lost, but empty of contents. The only explanation anyone could come up with was that an animal dragged it off in the night. A bit un-satisfactory, but the end result was a lost pack in the wilderness.

They were with other people so there was equipment available etc etc, but had they been several days into a walk it would have been very inconvenient. Having told that story, I’m not sure that on on-body kit would have been helpful, but it shows that people (with brains) have lost their packs !

I've heard of people losing packs over a cliff or bear hauling them off.

I think a broader point is that a On-Body kit is not just something that is needed for emergency's only but also for simple daily items. Face it most internal frame packs suck at pockets that are easily accessible by hand while being worn. And after market attachments are expensive.

So instead of taking off my pack each time I want a bar, seeds, skin protection, compass, whistle, mirror, map, pen, knife, etc, it is on me in such a way as I can reach it with my hands without having to be super flexible or asking someone behind me to help.

so its not just a matter of worst case scenario but also 'keeping things in a convenient location on my body' scenario. Heck I've got a Mountainsmith Lumbar pack with Strapettes that I occasionally wear front facing w/ pack & w/o cause it convenient to get into.

That's a good thought, but most of the stuff people have put forward in this thread seems "emergency" related rather than convenience.

Another way to look at the body-kit is that it is something which you take with you where and when you may not bother with a full pack, so its really a PSK,
but not necessarily a single “kit”, bag or box, but a “distribution” of equipment, perhaps some on a key ring and some on a belt, neck, wallet, pocket etc.

It varies. I use my flashlight, SAK, or Wave on an almost daily basis. On the other hand, I have never used the whistle on my key chain. I rarely have to resort to my emergency cash, but it is there just in case.

Hi.

This is the micro EDC I wear around mi neck 7 days/24 hours: In the duct tape pouch there are a few all weather matches, a scratcher and a few tablets for water treatment. Note that the duct tape may be used as fire starter.



I also have a "classical" EDC in a belt pouch but it's not with me all the time...

Don't get me wrong Aussie, my On-Body system(s) hold critical items in the event I am separated from my pack and I don't mean that its necessarily lost. Heck separated means it might just be on the other side of the camp or in a tent someone is sleeping in and what I'd need is stuffed somewhere inside it, like a blade or lighter, light, map, bug juice, sunglasses, etc. So for me On-Body also means anything I might need is on my person. I'll use anything from a separate Camelbak pack, to a modified LBE set up, to a fanny pack. Generally anything larger than a fanny pack is going to have extra space for comfort items as well so why not use it for such on the trail?