In response to several earlier posts on the carriage of EDC items, here is a rather verbose description of the Cool-at-the-Office-Incognito-EDC Daytimer I carry. With pictures, no less (Thanks, Rob!).

THE FOUNDATION
As I said in my earlier post, the base zippered case is a "Travel Organizer" By Eagle Creek. Amazing bit of kit, this is. Unfortunately, it is one that is no longer made. It was supplanted by, I believe, the "E-Ticket Organizer". I do not know if the latter has all of the pockets and nooks of the "Travel Organizer", so I can't make any judgements on it's suitability as an office EDC platform.

THE INNER WORKINGS

As you can see, when you unzip and open the organizer, what you see is what you would expect from your standard office daytimer/organizer. If left open on the desk (as mine often is), it raises no questions. On the left, in the zippered mesh pocket is a small architectural scale, small template (tools of the trade…) and several pens I use frequently. Comb goes in there, too, to deal with what remains of my hair. <img src="images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> On the right, the orange book is my date book, journal, and sketchbook. In actuality, it is a Surveyor's fieldbook (hence, the lovely orange color. Besides it's size, I chose it because it's is rugged and uses water-resistant paper. Below my date book is my address list, several sketches of designs I am working on, and my checkbook. So far, nothing out of the ordinary.

Now, for the fun stuff…

Turn over the left zippered pocket and you will begin to see my EDC goodies. On the flip side of that first pocket are several business cards I need (including my own), Underneath the business cards is a pocket where I keep a $5.00 bill, 2 large Band-Aids (Ditchfield: translate "plasters"), and about 6 or seven smaller Band-Aids - I have two kids, and these are used almost as much as my datebook! OK, moving right, I have a calculator and a pack of tissues (tinder, small child sniffles). Below that is my real PSK. In the zippered mesh pocket is a Leatherman Kf4, surgical glove pack wrapped in elastic gauze, Bic lighter, small compass, pill bottle (aspirin, three days of personal meds), and my Altoids tin (the usual items) wrapped with a bit of inner tube. A Frensel lens lives under the Altoids tin. Under the left side is another pocket which holds 12+ feet (about 4 meters) of paracord, a bandana, a small face towel (again, a kid maintenance item) and about 2 square feet of heavy aluminum foil, folded flat. I did not remove these things for the image because it took me a loooong time to get them in there, dead flat. On the other side underneath my journal and sketches is another pocket, mirror of the one with the cord and towel, that holds two heavy plastic trash bags, two large and two small zip-loc bags, and about three feet of duck tape folded flat. Again, you must trust me that it's there, as it took some time to get all of that in there without any creases or lumps.

IN SITU

As you can see in the final image, the case, when zippered shut is not bulky (thanks to all that careful placement and folding). In situ (my desk), it looks absolutely ordinary. (No comments on the condition or tidiness of the "situ", please…) Also note that I added split rings to the ends of the carry handle, so that I can attach a shoulder strap. This comes in handy when climbing ladders to inspect a roof.

Well I hope I haven't bored or insulted y'all with my ramblings (except for "Peanut", that weird animal doctor who sometimes lurks round here…) and I hope that someone out there may find this useful. Any suggestions (other than desk cleaning variety <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />) would be most welcome.

…..CLIFF