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>