Don't need the P-38 with the Wave.

Good point. I don't EDC a wave, so I forget this.

Safety pins instead of paperclips.

Paperclips are easier to bend than a safety pin. This may or may not matter. I do wonder if they're a little more friendly to security than a safety pin. I haven't tried to go through airport security with a safety pin.

Leave the sharpener in the PSK. I don't sharpen my knives daily.

<img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> This has been debated before. I come down on the side of "It's the size of a credit card, and it works really well. Plus it can turn things that aren't knives into knives quicker than rocks or (most) sandpaper." So why not carry it? But as you said, personal choice and circumstance are big factors here.

I haven't used a fresnel lens or any other magnifier in months

Ah. This isn't for reading. He said "bare minimum". A fresnel lens is about the smallest, lightest fire starter I can think of. Sure, it has some pretty severe limitations (only works in direct sunlight). But you can't beat it for size, weight and reusability. So, if you think you might need a fire, but not right now then this is a pretty good choice, I think, for ultra light weight edc.

Actually, in a city, here's my idea of "bare minimum" edc. "Bare minimum" here, meaning, it's the least amount of equipment you can carry that (a) will make a huge difference in capability and (b) can't be easily improvised on the spot:

• Flashlight

That's it. In a city, and in my opinion, the one thing most likely to happen is to have the lights go out unexpectedly. You can't just make a flashlight out of found parts, and a lighter is a poor substitute. Everything else goes in the "nice to have if you can carry it" category. Even a knife won't get you out of a dark building or subway tunnel. The flashlight will.

(Groo runs for cover.)