Cellphone? IMHO, it's the single most important component of urban EDC gear, followed by a flashlight. (My cell phone has a built-in led light which is used by the camera for self-portraits. Not very powerful, but nice to know about in a pinch.)

All that being said, I carry several pounds of gear in my pockets, so the notion of a minimal EDC is alien to me.

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you´re probably right but they fitted so I can´t stand to leave them out ... It´ll be never finished ...

1. I wouldn't bother with the Surefire E2e and that's even speaking as a flashaholic (CPF member). A Photon II-type light should be enough for most situations, and you can carry several spares in almost no space. The more expensive Photon Freedom has tremendous runtime at its low output levels, and comes with a convenient clip for handsfree use. Countycomm also now has some very low cost, tiny clip lights.

2. I haven't felt a need for a large multi-tool either. I'd go for a small SAK (Victorinox Tinker maybe). If I want pliers I'd rather have a mini vise-grips along with the SAK, than a multi-tool.

3. Two words, duct tape. Useful for all kinds of electrical and other repairs.

4. I'd add a small radio (AM-only is fine) to get news about what's going on. I have a tiny one (one piece earphone AM radio, maybe 0.5 ounces, runs on watch batteries) that I got at Walgreens for about $5 that I keep in my belt pack. Main disadvantage is no speaker. Countycomm makes a fairly small $5 2AAA AM-FM radio with a speaker if you don't mind the larger size. Keep in mind that in a city-wide emergency, your cell phone service will probably be overloaded or out of commission.

5. You're right about the Ritter PSK being for wilderness use. Not much in it is that useful in a city, so I'd leave it. I also wouldn't bother with much firestarting stuff. In a city, fires are more likely to be the problem than the solution. I'd put at most a mini-Bic in the kit and leave it at that.

6. A ziploc bag or two is good for carrying water, and may as well have some purification pills in case your water sources aren't so good.

Depends on how far you are from your office, home or car. (Where you may have different gear.) I normally don't travel to far from my car so I have a SOG folder in my pocket and some matches on my keychain. I`m normally within 1 to 5 miles of my house, river, or parents house so I don't EDC much. (I work from home.) When I go away I normaly am going away for atleast a day so I have that gear + my bathroom bag becomes my 'kit' as it's stashed with a bunch of useful goodies.

Bare minimum?

I once rode a waterbike (don't know what they're really called) with my sister. It was a spontaneous invitation. We were on the beach. All I had on me at the time for some reason were my swim trunks. You know the tiny pocket swim trunks have? I stuffed one of my tiny Schrade Old-Timers in there.

The items I normally always with me are my Inova X5-T, Sure E2e, one of my SAKs, and lip balm.

I have yet to try getting my EDC lanyard through a security checkpoint. It contains no sharps except for an Uncle Bill's Sliver Gripper.

-- Craig

Since I'm retired I probably have a little different situation than most of you. When I go "walkabout" I'm never more than a few miles from home so I carry the bare minimum: cell phone, pepper spray, whistle, CS XL Voyager, SAK, mini Bic, a few band aids & a piece of moleskin for blisters. I reckon maybe my Irish Blackthorn walking stick would probably count too! YMMV
gino <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I have seen several posts about sharpeners and wanted to leave a note here. I took one of the Lansky sharpeners that is in a plastic V shape with two rods in it and removed the rods and carry one in my PSK and one in my wifes. I have used them and they work fine and they are almost nothing to put inside a PSK.

I've made up a few little keyring collections of gadgets. What I've been EDCing lately is:

- Bandanna
- Handkerchief
- Leatherman SideClip
- SAK Huntsman
- Benchmade Griptilian (large)
- Keyring with:
- Streamlight Key-Mate
- BSA Hot Spark
- REI aluminum tube whistle

Each of the keyring devices is on a separate ring, so I can get unclip and use the striker without having to work it off the ferro rod ring.

That's my pockets, and is my minimum EDC. The rest is in my shoulderbag.

Bear

My bare minimum is actually: Photon on a Leatherman Squirt......that's it!!!!

My brain!