I gathered a lot of information from the both threads. Thanks everyone for help. I reply to everyone in one post for (my) convenience:<br>- I bought a medium sized folding knife that I carry in my pocket - you're right, I shouldn't put anything in my backpack, not to mention that my fixed-blade knife is much to big for my urban needs and it would be hard to explain why do I carry one. I also consider repartitioning my gear so I can carry more stuff on me - but it must wait for my return from the sea (I'm going sailing in two days) - while on the boat, I always carried things like cordage, duct tape, etc. in the pocket of my jacket and I won't change this habit.<br>- I decided to buy a Leatherman Wave. It is quite heavy, but well, it's only twice heavier than my shock/water resistant heavy-armored cellphone It will also be useful in everyday life - being a computer geek, I'm often asked to help somebody with a hardware problemy so I carry some basic tools anyway. As I said, it's expensive for me, but I didn't found a cheaper alternative (other than carrying regular tools - but I'd rather leave them in my car...). Fortunately, I have a relative in US who can buy one and send me.<br>- BTW, why do you put both multi-tool and a folding knife to your basic equipment? I understand that it's generally better to use a knife - it can be more robust, easilly replacable - and spare a blade of expensive multi-tools, but do you find knives so useful in everyday life to put them along with multi-tools to the small "don't leave the home without it" kit?<br>- I won't add a compass to my kit yet. I won't need one at sea - there'll be enough navigation devices on the yacht (well, there will also be knives, flashlights and duct tape - but these are the things that might be useful even on my way to the sea). As a sailor, I don't trust these small button compasses to much - everything that's smaller than 2" and doesn't have sightings seems a toy for me <br>- I didn't do this yet, but I'll add a whistle to my sailing jacket - I will definitely try do avoid being overboard at night in the Baltic Sea, but just in case...<br>- I consider buying a white LED flashlight - it's quite expensive, but I use a flashlight almost everyday - my small red LED flashlight is to weak, while my 2-AA regular bulb flashlight is a little too big and consumes battery to fast. Anyway, I'll need a lot of reasearch to buy it cheap, so it'll have to wait<br>- someone asked if a military surplus is a good source of supply in Poland - well, it depends. While we have an agency that sells surplus/obsolete stuff from Polish army (everything from shoe laces to fully-operational but weapon-castrated diesel-powered submarine) and a lot of stuff left away by a soviet army is sold on marketplaces (rumors are that to buy an AK-47 you just need two keep asking about one), it's generally very low quality. Most soldiers in central/eastern Europe are conscripts, that stay in the army for a year or two - and so, their stuff don't need to be functional longer... But sometimes you can buy some preaty neat and very,very cheap gear - I've seen pocket Geiger counters for about 2$. I have a man-powered flashlight that I bought for about the same price and keep for really-emergency situation (unlike newer desings, it stops lighting when you stop pumping, so it's not very practical).<br>- about a self-defense stuff... The law about self-defense in my country is so bad that it's usualy a better idea not to disturb a criminal. Without a permin one can only buy a CN/CS/pepper spray or low-powered electric weapons. To buy a shotgun or rifle, you need to be a member of hunting club, hunt regularly, pass an exam, etc. Of course, you can't carry it with you. It's almost impossible to by a short firearm if you're not a bodyguard or a very endangered person (unpopular politician, rich businessman living out of the city). And it's very easy to abuse a right to self-defense in Poland - you can't use much more powerfull weapon than attacker has (I wonder what should a person with a knife do against 5 unarmed people - I guess that to be lawfull you should give them knives, no smaller than yours...). I'll stay with a CS spray and running shoes for now