My day pack always has a basic FAK plus what I term a "core bag," plus possibly other items. I could easily spend a night out using the contents of the core bag - about three pounds of tastefully chosen goodies.

Though a little more substantial, you are describing my EDC. I designed mine when an unexpected overnighter in Dallas was the norm.

Jeanette Isabelle

I keep my usual backcountry ditty bag in my handbag, right next to my makeup bag. I used to have just the basics in my makeup bag, but decided recently to carry more.

I have a Victorinox Rambler, Bic mini Bic, and Fisher Bullet Space Pen, a Storm whistle, a small PackTowl, an Inova X1 flashlight and spare battery, a LMF Swedish Army FireSteel, and a DiaSharp card, along with a few odds and ends like a couple of blanket pins, a couple of ponytail elastics, and a small vial of acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and diphenydramine, plus a 1 oz spray bottle filled with 70% isopropanol for hand sanitizer.

All of that goes in an IKEA fabric sandwich bag. I'm looking for a new pouch, though. There's a few things that need to be added/replaced, like a simple compass and a bit of cordage, those are on my shopping list.

On top of that, in my handbag is *always* a full set of Snow Peak titanium flatware (knife, fork, spoon, spork) a pair of Keith titanium chopsticks, and a fixed-blade Buck Diamondback for cutting baguettes, because those are all my EDC for lunch.

And then there's my vintage Gerber AirFrame folding knife.

My makeup case always has a compact in it that has a mirror that could be used for signalling, if necessary. Also, lip and eye pencils make good tinder, or a carpenters' pencil, if you don't wear makeup.