Socially Responsible ETS

My wife and I are going out for a group date with a couple of her ex-coworkers and their spouses. I have met one of her friends a couple of times, briefly, but not the other or either spouse. Plans are to go to a movie and dinner afterwards. I don't know if we're going someplace like McDonald's, Olive Garden or something more fancy.

Tonight my wife told me, told me that I would wear khakis or nice jeans, but no cargos. I simply said that I was okay with that, but I wanted to take my Maxpedition Proteus, which holds all my EDC belt and cargo pocket carry items. She asked if I would be willing to leave it in the car.

She claims that her friends are more business casual kinds of people. I get the fact that she doesn't want my habits to embarass her in front of her friends. She asked if she could carry my things in her purse, so I didn't have to carry an "embarassing man bag". It seems to be a reasonable compromise, since two Spec Ops mini pocket organizers ride in my cargo pockets, my wife's purse is big enough to add those for a night and most importantly, I don't want to cause unnecessary friction in my pregnant wife's life.

She knows that I like to dress casually as much as possible and I do have some sense of what kind of clothes are appropriate for certain situations, but this seems like a judgement call. Baring the option of khaki cargos, what would other people do in this situation?

Go staright for the Gilly suit! Just kidding......... I think it's great that your wife offered to carry your kits ....(I'd have to sneak mine into my wife's purse). Be ageeable with your pregnent wife, kindness always pays back.......

Do like I do mate. Wear a smart cargo vest. Something like the one North Face makes. Make sure that it is pressed. Go for minimum carry.

Have your wife take the larger items that you feel you really must have in her purse, and perhaps make yourself a small PSK that would fit into a surplus compass pouch - I can fit an altoids (wrapped in 550, orange contractors flagging and a couple gerber bags) and a medium sized SAK in one. If you wear a sport coat, or a vest that overhangs your belt, I doubt if anyone would be the wiser.

Go full minimum. Get your gear down to the bare necessities for the evening. Let her carry a few of the bulkier/more embarassing items. And get some of the hidden pocket pants like the Dokker tech khakis or like SeV pants.

Put the rest of your gear in the car... it's like 50 yards away right? Make it a situation awareness exercise and look around you for items that you could convert to your needs in haste. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I love having to modify my kits or sometime create whole now ones. Take this chance to really "figure out" what is really needed. Make sure to have the items that will score some points with the wife and the ex-coworkers. i.e. tissue, gum, small first aid, etc. If you have theses things then maybe next time you can carry a little more.

Do not forget to tell you wife thank you for understanding about your preparedness mind set and leting you use her purse. that will get you like A Million pionts. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

A well pressed pair of decent cargo khaki's is pretty classy for the business casual scene where I live. A good pair like Trailhikers from Cabela's takes a good press and looks really good with a polo or oxford style button down shirt.

Regardless, I'm in nearly the same boat on any given work day. Hence, I put together a mini kit in a Witz See-It-Safe. It's more compact than a pack of cigarettes and carries well (read unnoticeable) in the front pocket of any (except for skin tight) pants pockets...



As stated in an earlier thread, the one shown above was confiscated by my S.O. My current version has the basics of fire, first aid, water, signaling, direction finding, and cordage for shelter building...

M

Okay, here's the unveiling of my current version:



Here's the packing list:

Mini Witz Kit Contents

01. ID Card (1)
02. Bandaids (2)
03. Steristrips (2)
04. Alcohol Prep (1)
05. Antibiotic Ointment (1)
06. Sting Wipes (1)
07. Pepcid (2)
08. Gas Relief Tab (1)
09. Sliver Gripper Tweezers (1)
10. Large eye needles (3)
11. Dental Floss (25’+)
12. MicroPur Tabs (2)
13. Water Bag (1)
14. 2x3” Fresnel Lens (1)
15. Mini-Match Firestarter (1)
16. Jigsaw blade Striker (1)
17. TinderQuik (4)
18. SAS Compass (1)
19. CR 1220 PicoLight (1)
20. Bison Small Cylinder Whistle (1)
21. Mini Lock Ring (1)
22. Electric Tape (18”)
23. Ranger Band (1)
24. SA Match Striker (1)
25. Neck Carry cord (24”)

The design can be copied for personal use...

M

Gilly suit while going out with her friends+pregnant wife=serious flogging <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

I agree with those who suggest you go minimum-carry. Even though as a chick I could carry a purse the size and weight of a bowling ball, I often go minimum-carry when I dress up and go out with friends. Trendy women's clothes, even simple blue jeans (at least the slim fits I like to wear), don't favor the gal who likes to EDC a bunch of gear.

I've also taken to using bags and cases that are very "civilian" friendly. My EDC bag is the Soho from Overland Equipment. My PSK is housed in an Eddie Bauer All-in-One Survival Kit case (threw out most the gear that came with it, it was JUNK) with a bunch of other gear. It's poppy red, looks like a CD player case, and it's branded on the outside, so I don't get any comments when someone sees it. If I'm using one of my glittery evening bags, I can still have my minimum-carry stuff.

I guess my point is that it's necessary to have versatile gear choices and carry modes.

I am an engineer, so I try to break things down into numbers.

Why do we prepare?

Cost of being prepared = (money_spent) + (invonvenience of carrying). I assume that we enjoy this stuff just a little, so there is no cost in the time spent putting a kit together.

Cost of NOT being prepared = (cost of loss) x (probability of event occuring). The probability of an event occuring is low, while the cost of the loss is very high (your life). So a certain amount of preparation is prudent.

Now, on to YOUR problem.

Cost of NOT being prepared = (cost of loss) x (probability of event occuring). The probability of something happening just a few hours is quite low. Not zero, but still rather low. And you can still leave your stuff in the car, so at least you can get to it within minutes.

Cost of being prepared = (money_spent) + (invonvenience of carrying). Well, in this case, you have already spent the money, so that is zero. The "inconvenience of carrying" is harder to guess. It could be as low as spending a couple of nights on the sofa, all the way up to alimony and child support. for a couple of decades. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

So, by the math, do what your wife tells you. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

No Glow Ring on this one? That was one of my favorite parts! I think I will develop a kit like this one. I may even be able to carry it comfortably in situations like the one I posted about.

It is a good point to take this opportunity to decide what bare minimum for me is. I think I'll work on a Witz kit and Altoids tin kit. Especially with summer coming, and our plans to spend a good deal of time at the new municipal waterpark, it will be good for me to scale down. I carry my EDC in the Proteus when I don't have pockets, but that is still not "on me" as much as I would like.

The more I thought about it, I realized that what I really wanted to have with me was my PSP. I can carry my Charge, keys and phone on my belt as I usually do, with the mini M2 in my pocket as well as my wallet and koppo stick. My other Spec Ops pocket organizer carries EDU (every day use) items, like a Fisher pen, mini Sharpies, fingernail clippers, etc, not something I HAVE to have on me for a social event.

Point being, I forgot that my wife's PSP is already in her purse, so adding mine would simply be doubling up. So problem solved!

There will be a glowring as soon as I can hunt down some more...

M

Excellent point and it's very well taken. And when you were describing the ways you carry EDC, it reminded me of things I've read about ninja practices. The concept of "hiding in plain sight", not only for the ninja him or herself, but also for their equipment. The shuriken (throwing blades, stars, spikes, etc.) were originally carpenter's tools. It was not unusual for someone to be carrying carpenter's tools, just like it not unusual to be carrying something that looks like a CD case today. I think versatility is at the heart of the ETS mindset and I thank you Christina for stating things in a way that clarified this concept for me <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I deal with this all the time. My advice: Think minimal.

No, more minimal than that. And look at your situation and think again. Are you really going to need a compass, 50-feet of rope, and a fishing kit in the restaurant? Not really. So break up your EDC.

Here is what I do:

On me, I carry only the minimum that I need day-to-day and the barest emergency essentials (see, cut, make fire, signal). These items that do not bulge, or require additional pouches or bags to carry. In practice, that means I have on my keyring a Leatherman Squirt S4, an Infinity Ultra, a P-38 Can opener (sentimental reasons) and a Boy Scout Hot Spark. Keyring and a Bic lighter are in a pocket. In my wallet I have a couple of band-aids, a flat cotton ball, an extra $20, and the ‘ol Amex Card. Around my neck I have my military dog tags (with my medical allergy tag), a metal whistle, and a third blank dog tag that I polished smooth for use as a signal mirror. In between the dog tags is another $20. Cellphone/PDA on my belt. This will deal with the most probable situations I will run into, and at least allow me to get out of the diner and to my car, where I have............

Cliff's Neat-O-Daytimer. That has my “second-line” EDC. Since my earlier post on this, I have added some latex gloves, a disposable N95 mask, and some Purell wipes. My Daytimer is usually with me, but, if it is not convenient to carry it somewhere (say, a government building, or out dining with the wife and friends), it is always in the car.

Problem solved. Go modular. And, keep an eye on all of the possible exits out from where you are, and plan how to get to them. (Handy bit of wisdom, that is.)

…..CLIFF

The key words here are PREGNANT WIFE.

If you enjoy a somewhat normal life leave your gear in the car or at least most of it. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I had the same problem when my lovely wife was pregnant with our daughter. I did what I was told... ha, ha, ha... and everything was just fine.

Word of caution: mood swings are VERY unpredictable. As if you didn't know this already.

Just put a lanyard on everything and carry it on your keychain. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Seriously, people don't question a huge keychain as much as a couple of bags, you could get away with carrying a lot of stuff! But like everyone else says, if you're only going out to dinner for a few hours, you can probalby leave the animal snares and fishing kit at home, I think you'll survive without them. And if you're going to a nice restaurant, the chances of needing three different types of firestarters plus tinder and 2 weeks worth of water purification tables are close to zero.

I also have a few of those Witz containers to hold my stuff. They're nice, but a little bulky to fit in my pockets. I had problems with the latch always coming undone in a pocket or bag, most of the times I looked at it, it was half open and no longer waterproof. So I modified it to make it a little more secure. I shaved off a bit of the inside of the latch to allow the latch to go more overcenter, then take a lighter (the one you just took out of your mimimum carry because you wife was complaining) and heat the tab until its soft enough to bend if flat. Still easy to open, but much less likely to open accidentally.

Bulky? The one shown is the wallet sized, thinner than a pack of cigarettes...

M

Wear whatever makes her happy, and leave a bag in the car... if things get so bad that you can't get to a vehicle not more than a hundred yards away, you're probably screwed anyway. Not only will she be happy, but... then she owes ya one.

Troy

Kilt and a dead weasel. And not one of the little pleated, frilly things that the English made us wear, but a real Scotsman's great kilt, all six yards of it.

I find that that makes people less embarrased by my bag of tricks. Which has been known to get stuffed into the big pocket of the organizer I have hanging on my passanger seat when it's not right to carry it.

To me, the question of "is it with me?" includes items in a two cubic foot volume in a single location within a hundred feet that I know is secure-ish.

What if it's freshly pressed? It IS the ultimate in floral patterns.

So last night was the big event, where my wife wanted me to get to know her former supervisor, one of the "business casual" types. We got to their house, and while he was getting a margarita for me, I happened to take in his attire. And what do you suppose he was wearing?? CARGO SHORTS!

We all left to go to a movie, and when we got in our car, I asked my wife, "Did you happen to notice what he was wearing?" She replied, "Yeah, cargo shorts." I just looked at her with raised eyebrows and she said (are you ready for this?) she says to me, "Well you don't have cargo shorts, it would have been different if you had cargo shorts." <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I said, "I think we've all learned a valuable lesson here. From now on, I (a very capital "I") get to decide how to dress!" Then I thought about the exact point in my life where I lost the ability to decide for myself how I dress...

BTW, I have cargo shorts ordered; should be here next week.

My closet is full of cargo shorts. I love them Ors! That probably worked out better than you think it did. For starters, you were RIGHT, and how often does that happen with a pregnant wife? <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Plus, you look like the good guy doing what she asked and future expeditions will be in your favor for dressing how you like. That's a win-win-win!

Oh, and while you are at it, I suggest that you also get some zip off leg cargo pants/shorts. The convertability is convenient and pants can be useful at times. I wear them often and really enjoy the style. They look just fine for casual dress. The legs don't take up much room or weight for carrying either.

Come to think of it, I may have a pair of zip offs coming too. I don't remember if I ordered those or if I was going to wait. I mentioned in another thread that I thought zip offs would be good for a BOB, since you could wear them in warm or cold weather.

And you're right, being right doesn't happen very often with my wife (whether or not if I am right) and most especially when she's pregnant!

She gave me the "Don't embarass me tonight" talk in the car. I get the feeling she thinks I'm some kind of lout who doesn't know how to act. Sometimes she's right about that I suppose <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

But I agree...win-win-win <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
Plus I'll add another win, because the experience (and suggestions in the forum here) got me to thinking about more of a minimum or modular approach...big win for me in that respect!

I agree, leave the bag in the car but bring a hard hat, a N95 respirator, leather work gloves and a large crow bar so that you can get to the car through the debris <img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

So what exactly did you feel you needed to carry to dinner in Iowa that requires cargo pants or a man-purse and won't fit into your pockets?????

C'mon, give the guy a break. He's in Iowa. Even battery-operated cornhuskers can be bulky... <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

In fairness, you may now begin making jokes about me and who the City of New Orleans just (re)elected Mayor tonight. <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />

.....CLIFF

Five years a registered poster
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Hey SgtMike,

Is that container you use the ID case (.75" thick) or the Keep it Clear (1.3")? From the side view it's hard to tell

http://www.witzprod.com/witzprod/product.cfm

I have the Keep it Clear, I thoughttry and carry mine today, but it is kinda bulky for the front pocket when sitting down. Maybe I'll give the thinner one a try if it's more pocket friendly.

The one I use is the smaller of the two. The large one is too big for all but cargo / jacket pocket carry. The smaller one holds all of the contents listed very tightly and closes securely. I use a chop stick to organize packing the contents...

M

While there are other questions about your Witz kit (I think I'll build one for fun!), where did you get the SAS compass? TAD Gear is the only place I've seen them, but I'm wondering if there are other options.

Bestglide:

bestglide.com

$30 for a button compass? Ouch! I have a cheapo version that works ok for now. I also magnitize the large sewing needles, as a last resort they can be hung on a thread and used as a rudimentary compass.

It's true but remember that you can safely swallow them in extreme situations.

The SAS compass was a gift from a friend overseas.

I wouldn't pay $30 for a button compass. I usually use the insert from a Suunto Clipper...

M

When did you forget how to dress yourself? The day you met your Missus, mate. Just like the rest of us.....

Yeah, I forgot a lot of stuff that day...how to fold laundry, pay bills, clean the house. I must have forgotten, because any time I try to do those things now, I;m told I don't do them correctly, and it gets re-done! <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />