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#14892 - 04/11/03 02:24 PM Re: The Difference? Huge, or Nonexistent. . .
Anonymous
Unregistered


What each personally carries will be dependant upon two things atleast:
1) environments traveled through and within
2) level of preparedness you wish to attain

as to the environments, If you often find yourself outdoors in a northern clime then you will probably carry an extra hat during the winter. This won't depend upon your size or fashion of dress but upon the fact that you want your head warm which leads us to the second item.

As to the level of preparedness you wish to attain this speaks to the scenarios that you don't want to be caught by. Scenarios are more or less likely then others and the consequences of being caught by a given scenario will be more dire than another. For example, being dropped out of the sky and surviving it from a commercial flight over nowhere-land is highly unlikely but if it should happen to you the consequences of being unprepared would be dire. OTOH, the probablility that you will skin your knuckle enough to bleed next time you try to pull a board out of the network switch in the lab might be in the 60% or higher range but not having a bandaid and having to press the bleeding knuckle into your jeans to stop the blood whilst you curse is not so bad a consequence of being unprepared.

As for myself, I am a rather small guy @ 5'8" and I tend to carry an amazing collection of gear. I carry an altoids tin in each fron pocket - one is a standard field PSK and the other is a FAK. I also wear a rather stylish Filsons #8 cruiser vest in charcoal wool unless it is really warm out. In that vest I have enough stuff to setup camp including tarp and stove and a bunch of other things. Now I am a software engineer working in a single story building in a suburb. I am no more than 200 feet from my vehicle during the day and closer at home. My vehicle is parked in a lot not a garage so it will not be crushed by a collapsing structure when a bad thing happens and all my gear will be available - And believe me there is infact more gear there. I travel an hour through some rural and suburban environments on my way to work. I ride back roads most of the time so there is little traffic and little chance of "events". I don't worry about having a knife to open a box. I don't worry about having a bandaid for the skinning of knuckles. The scenarios I prepare for are the low probability - High consequence scenarios. This means that most of what I carry I don't ever expect to need but when / if something truly horrific happens, I will be prepared whilst you, in your tight fitting - but enhancing jeans will be - well - truly horrified. Let's review what these scenarios might be.

1) traveling to work and car hits patch of ice skids off road and sinks into pond in rural setting on lightly traveled backroad early in the morning 10 miles from nearest home which is empty since its occupants are also commuters.

for this scenario, I will be wearing wool ( do this in the winter) which will be warm even if wet unlike jeans, I will have esbit stove and fuel and lighters and matches all of which will be usable after the dunking, I will have a spring-loaded center punch to get me out of the vehicle after the windows short out, I will have a number of flash-lights to raise attention and a whistle or three, I will have a space-blanket to wrap around me while I get a fire started to keep me warm. I will have a tarp that can become my bivouac while I wait for the eventual passersby who may or may-not stop. I will have the cell phone but that may be useless after the dunking as may be the vhf ham radio which is also clipped to my belt. I will have the leatherman wave for creating tinder to start the fire needed to keep me from dieing from hypothermia as the light snow that caused the accident turns into a full fledged blizzard shutting down the road and eliminating all hope of quick rescue. I won't have the stuff in my vehicle - it is at the bottom of the pond.

2) Bad stuff (terrorist incident - riots - SARS outbreak) happens in the nearby city and all roads are blocaded and I am cut-off from traveling home and may be subjected to undesired scrutiny or harrassment from civil officials or worse subjected to lawlessness brought about by the rioting and resultant societal collapse.

Not only will I have all of the afore mentioned items for making life on the road more comfortable but I will have from my vehicle the appropriate pack and boots for making the hike back home easier. I will be able to travel at an easy pace and take the time since I have the gear to feed myself from the land and the gear to make water drinkable. I can go-to-ground for E&E if necessary.

3) Stop on an abondoned section of road because I really need to take a leak and find I can't start my car! See Numbers 1 & 2. This is not that unlikely a scenario for anyone how commutes.

I guess my point here is that, at least for me, there are scenarios for which I choose to prepare. I prepare for them not because they are likely but because the consequences of experiencing them without preparation would be dire.

There are many stylish modes to dress in which are not as restrictive, look just as nice if not nicer than tight jeans and allow for a bit more comfortable carrying space. All that I carry is less than 5 pounds even with the vest. The vest is 3 pounds of preparation. My PSK and my FAK together weigh just under a pound - add my leatherman and cell phone and ham radio (the ham radio is admittedly left on the desk at work I don't wear it around the office but when out of the office it is worn) and you have the 2 pounds of stuff I wear EDC. The vest is not EDC since I don't wear it Every Day. But any day where the weather (environmental or political) is iffy I wear the vest.

Try some pants with pockets
and a nice vest which they will gladly make for you in wool if you want something more formal.
and maybe a shirt with some pocket capacity.

All of these items are available for the short and lean and carry quite a lot without looking too bulky or obvious. Of course, if you carry a few pounds of gear you will have to - well - carry it. This means being a little heavier. A few pounds of gear shouldn't wear you out but you might want to empty your pockets or arrange a light-weight set of gear for when you go running - perhaps in a butt pack along with your hydration solution for your run.


[FULL RANT ON]
OTOH you might consider that you only need to prepare for things that are more likely to happen and just trust that you won't drive off the road into a pond on the way home on a dark night far away from the main roads, and blizzards, earthquakes, hurricanes and social unrest only happen to those other people on the news but never in your neighborhood or to you or your loved ones.
[FULL RANT OFF]

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#14893 - 04/11/03 08:34 PM Re: EDC for Urban "Convenience"
Anonymous
Unregistered


I weighed 140 once...

I'm not sure when, but I'm sure I crossed it on my way up. It may have been before I learned to read/write, if not before I learned to speak. <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

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#14894 - 04/11/03 09:42 PM Re: EDC for Urban "Convenience"
Anonymous
Unregistered


hello,
what is the hot melt glue for? and also, what is in your wallet, aside from normal stuff? also, where do you keep the nylon pouch? on your belt, in your pocket...?
thanks <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

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#14895 - 04/11/03 10:04 PM Re: EDC for Urban "Convenience"
gear_freak Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 09/25/02
Posts: 239
The hot melt glue stick can be held and partially melted by the lighter, and then dabbed on whatever for adhesive. Just more compact and less messy than carrying a paste-type glue stick.

In my wallet, I keep a couple of extra bandages, emergency info, an extra house and car key, and that's about it besides the normal stuff. I like to keep the wallet slim.

The nylon pouch is small enough to keep in my front pocket. Its about the dimensions of a deck of cards and has a key clip attached. You can get them at Galyans sporting goods stores under the name "Marsupial Pouch."
_________________________
Regards,
Gear Freak
USA

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#14896 - 04/16/03 08:24 PM Re: EDC for Urban "Convenience"
beakman Offline


Registered: 02/25/03
Posts: 6
Loc: Buffalo, NY
For an EDC folding knife, the longest blade that I'm comfortable carrying is about 3". Here are some possibilities that will fit your budget, and around 3" in blade length, with approximate retail price. First, ones that I own:

Kershaw Vapor $20
AUS-6 Stainless Blade, Stainless Steel Handle, Frame Lock
Kershaw Vapor

A.G. Russell FeatherLite One Hand Knife $35
AUS-8 Stainless Blade, Zytel Handle, Modified Lock Back
A.G. Russell FeatherLite

Ka-Bar Dozier Folding Hunter $20
AUS-8 Stainless Blade, Zytel Handle, Lock Back
Ka-Bar Dozier Folding Hunter

Timberline TimberLite Medium Drop Point Folder $15
425 Stainless Blade, Nylon/Fiberglass Handle, Neeley Lock
TimberLite Medium Drop Point

Of these, my favorite is probably the A.G. Russell FeatherLite.

Knives that I don't own (yet):

Benchmade Mini Griptilian $55
440C Stainless Blade, Noryl GTX Handle, Axis Lock
Mini Griptilian

CRK&T Small Crawford Falcon $33
AUS-6 Stainless Blade, Steel/Zytel Handle, LAWKS Liner Lock
Crawford Falcon


Hope this helps.

the beakman

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#14897 - 04/16/03 08:56 PM Re: EDC for Urban "Convenience"
gear_freak Offline
Enthusiast

Registered: 09/25/02
Posts: 239
Thanks for the list. I'll print this out and take it "shopping." I've longed for the Mini Griptilian since I saw the ad in Backpacker magazine.
_________________________
Regards,
Gear Freak
USA

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