Our building held a partial evacuation drill a week ago where we evacuate our floor and gather 8 floors down. I had my water bottle wrapped with some duct tape and my Palm leather case that has my Urban PSK items and keychain attached. The keychain is one of those detatchable dohickies that allows me to switch the attatched items for different uses. It includes a Leatherman Juice S2, a CPR microshield, a red and white photon II, BSA metal match & striker and an orange Fox 40 whistle.

I was ready! <img src="images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

Then I was scolded as I met the door warden for carring items in my hands. <img src="images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> And once again in the elevator lobby 8 floors down.

The logic makes sense. They want your hands free to prevent injury to yourself, as well as prevent dropped items from becoming hazards in the staiwell for others. The retired fire department chief who reviewed our readyness afterwards (he works for a private firm now), recalled an incident where someone dropped a cup of coffee they were carrying during a drill and another employee slipped and broke her ankle. The injury is bad enough but then there;s the added difficulty of an injured person bloking the stairwell, a real problem had this been a real emergency.

Hence, I need to rethink my Urban PSK carrying strategy. Obviously a bag or pack of some sort would be in order. But finding something that's unabtrusive in an office environment will be a challenge. Perhaps a lanyard or two.

BTW, I stuck the items in my pockets, which worked, but was uncomfortable and my not always be practical.

Why not just a get a backpack? Then you can add a few more items if you want. Also, a small "butt pack" like those found in travel stores may be helpful. THat way you can just put them in a drawer or hang them on a door and roll out when you need to.

Just my two cents

Garrett

I'm only at my desk about 2/3 of the time. Otherwise I'm boucing around the building at various meetings. So I'm considering options where I can carry items unobtrusively at meetings and still be prepared.

For the water bottle, I was thinking of these belt clips the kids got at an ammusement part. I could hook it on my belt quickly and have my hands free for my water bottle. Then I'd need a lanyard to hang the remaining items around my neck.

Depending upon the image you feel comfortable projecting and how much stuff you need to carry around you could look into an option like this urban sling bag or a scott e-vest Both would allow you to carry the nalgene, your pda, day-planner, etc without having to busy up your hands.

How about a tactical breifcase like the maxpedition multipurpose bag? Or if you want something smaller one of their waist packs like the fatboy.

My first post but I don't feel like a newbie since I have been reading and learning for some time now and could no longer sit on the sidelines. This is absolutely the best of the best and I visit this forum everyday, sometimes several times a day. My "kits' have grown from very little to a reasonable "where I want to be", thus my username "Readyone". I continue to learn and prepare for all contingencies and I have to thank all of the professionals on this forum for their input, and especially the photographs and spreadsheets of personnally owned kits, The Best! Chris and Doug, or is it Doug and Chris, continue to provide outstanding guidance and expertise for this forum and website and I want to thank them personnally.

As a safety professional in a hospital I am on the move quite often to conduct daily duties or respond to emergency incidents/drills. I alway have this Binder with me which contains necessary survival items to support me in case I am working an incident/drill or at a long... meeting. [img]http://office.reviewindex.com/reviews/B00006IAAF.html[/img]. (Hope the image works, if not just go to the websites listed). In addition I have a fanny pack that is constantly at my side with other survival items. The Vinyl Binder is a Heritage Industries, number 2460675/Black. I purchase mine at Office Depot, Item number 310821 (I have no association with either of the companies I have referred too). The convenience of this zip-around 3-ring binder with calculator is its carry methods. It has a over the shoulder strap (removable if so desired), which I keep in place at all times, for hands free use, and regular handles to carry like a professional.

Keep up the great work Doug and Chris, and all of you wonderful contributors, because survival and safety is a state of mind.

Welcome !

tech tip :
if you use the [image] marker, you have to insert an URL pointing to an image (i.e. */image.jpg )
in your post, your link was to a web page (*.html) ; then you better use the [url] marker.

Thanks frenchy for the welcome and for the tip. This oldster Still has problems figuring out what to do when, and how, on these computers. Keep sending the tips my way. They are most appreciated!

Hey, I know how frustrating computers are sometimes... they seem to do what THEY want, not what you want them to do ...... <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />
BTDT .....