If folks hiked 10 miles with some of these bags, they'd probably get a lot lighter (the bags and the people).

9/11 was a harsh lesson in footwear for many in DC and NYC, especially women, who ended up walking home from work.

I won't judge other people's lists without seeing the actual lists and knowing the context -- anticipated mileage, climate, terrain, dependents, crisis event, etcetera. But I'm mindful of my own tendency to overpack for every trip and suspect I am not alone in being prone to go overboard in a BOB and EDC.

I've tried to address this by becoming more cognizant of the fact that I'm rarely more than a couple hours walk from my vehicle, office or home -- all of which are well stocked. So I feel less compelled these days to have everything in my purse or rucksack.

Jury duty yesterday was one occasion for this situational awareness. Knowing I'd be going through security screening at a courthouse and it is within easy walking distance of home (I can sustain a 3 mph clip for a good while), I dumped my purse out, left the leatherman and Bic lighter at home and took only a small Fenix flashlight (I've become superstitious about having a flashlight or Petzl Zipka head-wrist lamp with me at ALL times, especially in office buildings), cash, wallet, Kindle, phone, cotton bandanas.

This thread is another reminder that I need to tear my car apart. I like to do spring and fall makeovers and inventories of the contents.


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