I'd say for the bare minimum for city it would be flashlight and leatherman you never know when you may need the scissors to clip a coupon or the blade to trim a hangnail <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
I have also had to use mine in a blackout to open electrically locked doors.

Agreed. It was tempting to say "a light and a multitool". But... if you could only have one item... which would you choose? (In a city.)

Actually, it's probably not a qood question. For one thing, we don't have to limit ourselves. Second, there are reasonable scenarios (like yours) that would require two things (light and multitool) to solve.

Ok. Amend the bare minimum to "light and multitool". <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

(This is ignoring, of course, the "hassle factor" from various security checkpoints about the multitool. Just carrying a flashlight is unlikely to attract any attention. The multi tool, blades or no, could be a problem in some situations. So while you might need a multitool, not carrying one gives you maximum freedom of movement. i'm not arguing against carrying one, just sayin'....)

Regarding the fresnel lense being the best firestarter for minimum carry - I wouldn't agree. I think a mini-bic, a match book of matches or even a BSA flint would be better. The limitations of the fresnel lense are too confining to make it a good main method of fire starting. It's true - it's probably the smallest and lightest, but it doesn't have the flexiblity of use the others have. Not so good if you want a fire on a cold, wet night for some reason, or if you need to light a candle at night.

Yeah, knife and light are about as bare as I would ever want to go.

If I am gonna carry only one firestarter, it needs to be something I can use any time, under most conditions.

Good points otherwise, the sharpener and all the rest are easy enough to tote, just not what I think I really need to have. If you got em, tote em.

Safety pins are no problemo through the airports, unless maybe you got a hundred of them, or they are the really big ones. The ones I'd have on me would be just big enough to do a diaper, or hold a hole in my breeches shut. Paper clips do have other uses, but not anything I really need more for EDC (hmm, now I have to think about that, maybe there are some uses I might be overlooking....)

Cash.

Very portable and very useful. Think of it as a tool.

TRo

10 fish hooks? Gee... <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

Maybe building a 10-hook rig is what you had in mind! Just teasing you a bit, but I think 10 fish hooks is way overkill for an EDC kit!

> Paperclips are easier to bend than a safety pin.

If you have a pliers-based multitool, it probably doesn't matter.

I carry both on my keyring. Safety pins are the most useful as-is - working with cloth eg to fasten a bandage or improvise a sling. Paper clips are longer so are a bit more useful for straightening and then bending into shape.

That still sounds like a lot to me. I have a Photon Freedom instead of the Surefire E2E; it's much smaller but gives out enough light for most purposes. The Leatherman also sounds quite big.

I'd add a good whistle, which is small and light and useful if you get stuck in an elevator for hours. You can shout yourself hoarse otherwise.

Your keyring is a good place to put stuff. Don't forget a whistle.

Bare minimum?

Wear good shoes and tools are keyring based for me.

Photon II and SAK Classic on my keyring.
+/- Whistle
+/- BSA HotSpark