Obviously, we can't have a kit that covers all environments. Does anyone have more than one PSK and/or BOB based on where they might be traveling? For instance, if you live in the city, but are going to visit relatives in a rural areas, do you change your items, or make up a complete new kit?

Right now as I write this I've got the following:

Attache bag - day to day goodies, tiny FAK. (BoB #1).
Trunk kit - drybox with survival items, small FAK.
Trunk FAK - football-sized 1st responder grab bag.
Hiking backpack - survival and trail items, small FAK. (BoB #2).
Camping tote - Rubbermaid Action Packer with camping gear.

The attache bag and trunk kit are always with me for travel (work and personal) and local stuff. If I know I'm heading to the boonies I'll throw in my hiking pack and trunk FAK.

If I'm heading to a very remote area where there's hours between towns, well then I will give some serious consideration to taking my camping tote, too.

If it's a run-out-the-door-now (TSHTF) situation I will just grab my two BoBs - the attache bag and backpack.

I'm already in a pretty rural area, but I don't do things much differently heading into a city.

I think you need to be prepared for anything, but be prepared well for what you can anticipate.

I had the Doug Ritter PSK for about a year now. I have never used anything in it, but try to keep it around as the back-up for the unexpected.

This weekend I am going camping. I will have the PSK in one of my pockets and I always carry a pocket knife and Photon II light. Since I will be in the woods all weekend and since it is winter, I will have an extra windbreaker and a poncho in my day pack along with gloves, chap stick, bic lighter, matches, para cord, multitool, some food, water purification tablets, water bottle, a good compass, map, flashlight, knife, small first aid kit and toilet paper (just to mention a few things).

Last summer, I went with the wife and kids to Washington DC and did the typical tourist stuff. I wore a small day pack with the PSK in one of the inside pockets. I had a windbreaker/rainjacket, first aid kit, water bottle, guide book and maps, granola bars and a few other odds and ends. I did not include the fixed blade knife or multitool. We had to go through metal detectors/security checks a few times at the Smithsonian but had no problems with a pack that contained basic tourist looking stuff. About the middle of the day in DC with the kids the Tylanol from the first aid kit and water bottle really came in handy. Also, the compass was nice to have a few times.

Just my opinion, but I think you need to have your small basic kit that goes everywhere and that you keep intact, then build around it depending on where you are going.

Malpaso,

I think both Ron & Cedfire are on the money. You should have modules ready to go. The mini kit should always be with you, and your vehicle kit intact. As you add activity or various locations or seasonal changes, add/delete from existing kits (small-medium-large-etc.) Just my thoughts.

Fox10

The mini kit is always with me. I keep everything else in the trunk. The "moderate" "hurry up" kit is on a belt that I can grab and strap on while I run, if I need to, and if there's time I can slip into the pack which has the tent strapped to it and I'm ready to go.

I just make slight modifications to my kits, add heavier clothing for the winter, a shovel, wool blanket and more food items in case I get stranded.

You bring up a good point here, not just in what a given person carries on a given day, but what a given person CAN carry on a given day, at a given place, for that matter. I consider myself lucky, in that, I live, more or less, out in the sticks. On any given day, a lot of the stuff that I and my neighbors have on our persons or in our vehicles would probably get you an over-night stay in Richie's hotel if we were in Chicago, but here, nobody bats an eye.
Sometimes some of the things that I read that folks carry and call themselve prepared makes me want to laugh, but then I stop to think about the constraints that they might be under, and hey... they're doing the best that they can. I guess I'm lucky to be where I'm at, but as things start to tighten up, Oregon or Alaska are looking better all the time <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Troy

I have a large selection of kits to meet my varied needs.

In the city, I pack light. No fishing kit, no fire making gear, etc. Bare minimum. I carry enough to get me to my car. Both cars have well stocked kits geared for an urban/suburban environment. Enough for me to make it home. My home kit is substantial.

My kits are designed based on layering. One kit gets me to the next. Very little on myself (ETS blasphemy), more in the cars, and a bunch at home.

When camping, I have a special kit for my LandCruiser that is well stocked for almost any possibility. For short day hikes with no possibility of getting lost, I make sure I have a FAK, proper dress, water, and a snack.

I dislike big crowds, but when at an amusement park or other public outing I carry a small daypack or a small over the shoulder “urban possibles bag”.

A subtle part of my kit is my dress. I do the Eddie Bauer/Columbia River look. I look like every other middle aged fart walking the streets here in the Pacific Northwest. I try not to draw a lot of attention to myself. (Offensive T-shirts or the urban commando look is right out).

Thankfully, I don’t air travel much anymore. But I am currently putting together a kit just for air travel. Trying to keep it light weight and simple, without having a vehicle or home kit anywhere nearby. The other problem is what to carry on and what to check. Arguably this may be my most challenging kit with the travel limitations and the distance from other backup kits.

I think I’ll post a thread on this and see what comes up.

Good luck, TR

Since I live and travel in The Columbia River Gorge, my wife and I have to be prepared for isolation or flight. Avalanches, snow, rock, and or mud, can and do occur because of floods, ice and snow storms, normal effects of freezing and thawing, or earth quakes. Currently I-84 is partially blocked by rock slides in two locations. One slide crushed two vehicles and slightly injured two people. There is also forest fires and volcanic activity. I spend considerable time tending my wood lot up on Mount Adams in Washington State and I do a little prospecting in three states. Therefore, my home and vehicles are stocked to spend considerable time in during all weather conditions.

However when on foot, I have kits for my wife, dogs, and I based on weather and how far we intend to be away from our home or vehicles. On normal day to day activities in towns, we both have extensive EDCs. I usually wear 5.11 class Bs which have larger cargo pockets then the standard 5.11 tactical pants and they look better in urban environments. On extensive walks in urban or suburban excursions, she carries a Maxpedition Proteus or Fatboy and I have a Jumbo. If I am out working in the boonies, I carry an old style Maxpedition Condor in summer or a Camelbak BFM in winter.

Since I was involved with disaster preparation and response for a major utility for many years, my wife has had to contend with caring for herself while I was gone. She is not reluctant as most people are in being prepared. We try to carry useful, rugged, compact, multiple use, lightweight, and lastly economical gear. Rather than switch items between kits for each activity, I have made complete individual kits for each activity. This would normally be a large undertaking but we have been at it for many years. Our only chore is keeping the kit supplies fresh. Having individual computerized packing lists with expiration dates is really helpful. We also keep copies with each kit.

I took the view when I started building kits that I had to spread my gear out for multi use until I had enough to build separate kits.
I started building modules. I use containers like Pelican Micro Cases and Otterbox, and some nylon pouches etc.
I have everything labeled, and its all ready to go. I have a small pack with a number of containers ready to zip up and go as my BOB.
I have a couple of other sized packs near by and if I am doing an activity I sellect the containers I need to suit the activity.
I do have redundancy and size range covered. For example I have 3 different battery containers ready, all different sizes holding a different amount of batteries depending what I need for an activity.
If I need to get out of there fast the lot gets dumped into the back of the car or just the prepared BOB goes with me depending what the situation allows.

Ive actually got enough to build more kits, but Ive used it to add flexability and redundancy into what Ive already got.

Actually, I've managed a fair level of success building a "one size fits all" PSK and BOB. It does require the inclusion of a few items that are environmentally specific, but otherwise suits me in just about any situation I could find myself. What does adjust more to the environment is my EDC. But even at that, it is more a matter of swapping things in and out of my kits into my pockets or my man-purse.

I would have too much trouble keeping up with "what's-in-where" if I had different PSK's for different environments.

I have my baseline EDC that I stuff my pockets with regardless of where I'm going (airline travel excluded of course).

I live in a medium-sized city (Baton Rouge) and figure the same problems (shelter, water, food, first aid, etc) would be the similar as if I were in the woods if we encountered a 9-11 level problem (no twin towers but plenty of chemical plants)

My "field pouch" (with potable water tabs, space blanket, N-95 respirator, etc) that lives in my EDC backpack gets transfered over to my camelback if I'm going hiking.

I DO have a city kit & a wilderness kit.
Both are based around tobacco tins, the city kit has more in the way of lights, money, credit card/atm card, phone cards, batteries, meds, whistle, FAK, N95 mask, SAK etc & NO fishing kit, wire saw etc.
Obviously, the wilderness kit has all the usual goodies in it to help provide heat, light, food, water, protection, location etc.
The city kit lives in the small zip pouch of my Maxpedition Falcon which now seems to go everywhere with me, usually with a lightweight waterproof & a 1litre Nalgene bottle of water.
I keep a packed bergen as my BOB in the trubk of my car AND a briefcase containing a brew kit, spares of both kits, Frost Mora, 2 Flaslights, FAK, Spare mobile phone, emergency charger for phone, leather man, SAK, mess kit & various other odd n sods.