Tell them you helping out at the local Boy Scout troop. And than really do it :)<br><br>Matt

I knew a young guy once... he was in his twenties, but had a very sheltered life, and he was terrified of the idea of going into a liquor store and buying beer. His question was, "what if they ask me what I want it for?".<br><br>Well, there are several answers. The most obvious is that I can't really imagine anyone asking. <br><br>Ladies often carry whistles on keychains as a low-level mugging defense, and in the post 9/11 world I don't think nearly as many people are quick to call someone else paranoid for something that simple. If by "torch" you mean what Americans call a flashlight, that is also extremely common. People put them on key rings just to be able to see their locks and keys at night. If you mean one of those torch-type cigarette lighters, I'd be a bit worried about drug connotations- I prefer one that looks like a lighter. Gentlemen who do not smoke still sometimes carry them for gallant gestures.<br><br>More fundamentally, it would depend a great deal on who asks, and why. All sorts of people have all sorts of happy nonsense on their key rings, and it's rarely a subject of conversation. If you're being searched for some reason, I can't imagine them caring about a whistle, cigarette lighter, or flashlight. I guarantee that if I'm searched, nobody is going to be worrying about a whistle. :-)<br><br>If you're concerned about revealing something, don't reveal it. If, on the other hand, you're concerned about being searched against your will, don't sweat the whistles, flashlights and lighters. At that point, they won't be an issue.<br><br>That having been said, I don't carry a lot with my keys- just a BSA "Hotspark" that's shaped much like a key. Between the leather key case, the remote for the car alarm, back-up remote for the garage door, office, home and car keys, it's way too bulky as it is. If I did, though, I like the idea of having a small nylon or leather pouch on the key chain- protects pockets, and protects the contents against wear and inquisitive eyes.

Whistle - to hail a cab<br><br>Torch - to find dropped coins in the dark<br><br>Wire - uhhh....to make a snare for those pesky pigeons ??<br><br>

This is a question I have put a lot of thought into myself.<br><br>Depending on your work environment, you may not be able to carry anything visible.<br><br>For many, this means limiting yourself to what will fit neatly in your pants pockets without bulges.<br><br>This need not prevent you from being prepared, it just presents a special challenge, much like assembling a tin. You have to decide what you really need and how it will best fit.<br><br>My pants pockets at work contain a Multi-tool, flashlight, pepper-spray, compass and lighter and sometimes an electronic organizer AND no-one would ever know it by looking at me from any angle. No one has ever asked me why I have that stuff because no one knows it's there.<br><br>3 principles to get you started: <br><br>1- Drastically reduce what you are already carrying (trim your wallet and keychain, etc.).<br>2- Choose a few of the most important items and get the most compact versions (anything thicker than 1/2 inch will show as a bulge and be uncomfortable, look for flat stuff).<br>3- Be creative in how you carry the stuff- hint, things carry lots better if they are vertical in your pockets.<br><br>The big break-through for me was realizing that I could easily carry a somewhat-bulky item such as a multi-tool discreetly in my pants pocket if I could get it to do 2 things: stand up vertically and stay at the outside edge of the pocket. If you can do that, it will be comfortable and will not show a bulge. The best way to get the item to do those 2 things is to physically divide your pocket into 2 sections, one of which is a narrow vertical shape at the outside edge of the pocket shaped to fit your item. This can be done by sewing a short vertical seam through the pocket, or by just putting a few safety-pins through the pocket. You'll have to experiment with the positioning. Brass safety pins won't cause you headaches at the metal-detector.<br><br>How many keys do you carry? 10? How many have you used in the last 48 hours? 3? Put the rest in the ash-tray of your car along with any extra split-rings and key fobs and leave them there. Now make your keychain even smaller by replacing your split-ring with something flexible like a short bead-chain or cord.<br><br>Take every single item out of your wallet and spread it out on a table. Separate it into 2 piles based on whether you are actually going to need to use the item in the next 7 days away from home. Think about whether you really need to carry 6 credit cards and 2 calling cards every day. If you have multiple slips of paper with notes and phone numbers on them, put it all on one piece of paper with your calling card number. The other pile goes into your dresser drawer or glove-box.<br><br>You probably just cleared a whole lot of pocket space. You now have some valuable spots for items to keep you prepared. You won't be able to carry everything you could ever need, but you can discreetly carry a few of the most important, carefully selected items without compromising your professional appearance.<br>

As a network administrator / tech support / guy to take the blame if anything computer-related don't work I have a good reason for carrying blades. I don't bother to hide my Wave blade from people, only one person asked why do I need one (I told him about few uses). However, I don't show other knives if I carry them. Multi-tools work great because they don't look like weapons. Having a job that explains your EDC is great - mine also works for flashlight ("that's for locating network equipment in the basements") and duct tape. Few days ago I was asked about carrying adhesive bandages. I just showed a fresh scar (a result of incautious handling of my own knife - BTW, do you know that with a razor-sharp blade you can cut yourself painlessly? I hadn't felt anything, somebody had to tell me that I was bleeding!)<br><br>Now, a world record in being curious about a blade:<br>A quite experiencied female sailor asked me why do I carry a knife when we were on the yacht at sea!!! I didn't tell her that I carry 3 - leatherman in a jacket pocket (for use when I'm in the cockpit, fully ziped and pants pockets are inacessible), folder in a pants pocket (for use when I'm inside, without a jacket) and I keep fixed blade for real work somewhere near. I wonder if she hadn't notice that virtually all sailors carry a knife of some sort and use it many times a day.<br><br>Why do some people keep thinking that knife is only a weapon and you don't have a non-criminal reason to carry one even when they see it used for stripping wire, cutting cordage and opening cardboard boxes...

Fortunately, I'm middle mgt and get away w/ scorpion and leatherman on belt next to my cell. But, as was discussed in detail, a big no no for meetings/power lunches etc...<br><br>I've been thinking about modifying a tool pallet from a company like Jensen, or at this point, making one of my own. Kydex holster and mag pouches/flashloght, knife. Probably a velcro backed pouch for the rest of the psk an goodies.<br><br>I regularly use an Eagle Creek briefcase or an Uphill Down backpack. Sometime a Samsonite hard Briefcase for flying.<br><br>I figgure that the pallet will fit inside the Eagle Creek "File Cabinet" which will also carry papers and files - as innocous as I can get.. But at least I can transfer everything as a gruop to whatever I'm using...

That's an excellent idea.

I wanted to add another thought to my above post:<br><br>In order to keep my pocket-carried items to a minimum, I also keep a kit in my car and 2 kits in my desk: One desk kit can be grabbed quickly and carried easily in an evacuation scenario. The other has supplies for living in the office for several days.<br><br>True, these kits are not always accessible to me, but I am within 50 feet of my desk about 90% of my time at work, so it's a good compromise.

My job is middle management working in the field of mental health. My day runner carries a Victorinox Swiss Card and a Craftsman mini-plier. My briefcase carries a mini maglight, a CRKT fixed blade knife and a small PSK. My pocket carries a tactical style folder (mostly a Spyderco Delica). My belt holds a Leatherman wave. My wallet holds several band-aids, a small surgical scapal, some dental floss and two "emergency" quarters. My back pocket carries a bandanna (with a second carried in the winter in a jacket pocket). I also carry a lighter with me. I'm never very far from a handgun. My keychain holds a CPR mask and a small Swiss Army Knife. <br><br>Kev Mullins

"Why do some people keep thinking that knife is only a weapon and you don't have a non-criminal reason to carry one even when they see it used for stripping wire, cutting cordage and opening cardboard boxes..."<br><br>It seems to me that people are being programmed by the media to fear most everything around them now-a-days. The media has been saying that knives and sharp objects of any kind are a big no no at airports because terrorists used box cutters to hijack the jets and all of a sudden they start thinking that anyone that carries is a potential terrorist. These people will vote away their constitutional rights just for a little implied and imaginary safety. A very dangerous place for this country to be in right now, that's for sure.