One basic question for me in deciding how much of each item is: How many am I preparing for? If it's just me then I don't have a lot of duplicates on my person -- pretty much a whistle, multi-tool and lighters (I smoke).

But in my car, where I'm likely to have my wife and/or one or both of my children, I tend to carry more, much more. Heavy on water (at least a case) and food (granola bars, oatmeal, cookies, hard candy, etc.). Also, various tools, shelter materials and cooking gear.

Since you use the word "carry", I'm thinking you're focusing on a situation where you are without a vehicle or it may not be usable and you have to walk to somewhere.

I tend to focus my redundant items on areas that I consider high reward or perhaps make up for areas where my skills aren't what I want them to be. For example, on one camping outing, I decided to test my skills and make fire on my own. First, it took me almost 20 minutes to collect tinder, very small wood pieces and increasingly larger wood and set up a a fire bow with a branch and shoelace. Then another 45 minutes to get an ember -- and that was in good (but damp) weather in the summer. I can't imagine me being too successful on a day like today in Ohio starting as fire that way. Therefore, firestart redundancy is important to me.

So for me that means several fire-starting methods (different types such as lighters, fire steel, spark-lite, wetfire tinders, some steel wool, candles), means of collecting and purifying water, some high-carb light-weight foods, several knives and quick shelter (heat sheets, bivy, tarp, paracord). For you, it could be different.

I tend not to keep too much in my pockets (that's just me) but rather tend to keep most everything in a good quality hydration backpack (kept filled) that can handle 30-40 pounds of gear easily. I keep that in my vehicle with other gear that would be more for sheltering in place (such as if sheltering in my vehicle after getting stuck out somewhere).

Finally, my mindset is that if I would need to hike out, my final (hopefully no pun intended) decision on if I would keep the pack as-is or perhaps swap out some things from my car kit would depend on the specifics of the situation at hand. Weather, distance from my destination, my current state would all be variables.

Regards,

Michael