MiniMe,<br><br>I am glad you appreciated the super long post. I was sort of hesitant to burden everyone with my list of junk....but hey I am not the first .<br><br>Among my collection of eccentric behaviors I collect and use fine fountain pens. I am also an amateur sketch artist so I have a bunch of pencils and a sketch pad. I sort of figure that if we have another earthquake and I get to sit outside for as long as last time I might as well sketch the crowd, the piles of bricks or whatever. Really my daily bag and kit is more than just survival gear, I carry my hobbies and the things that I like using. The pens pencils writing material etc cannot be construed as UPSK gear even by me. You may have also noted an abundance of cutting items...again an eccentric colllector, but a bit more directly useful.<br><br>Note the optional backsupport brace!<br><br>I guarantee that you will enjoy and treasure any clothing you purchase from Filson. The initial cash outlay is steep, but I have not yet worn out any Filson garment. I wear their shirts, vest and coat everyday. It gives me a "unique" sense of style, but I do it for the great function and value.<br><br>I recommend you size the Filson #8 vest one size larger than you may normally wear. All the junk in the back pocket and inside pockets adds a bit to your waistline.<br><br>I urge everyone to look into getting their HAM license. A Technician Class license is very easy to get. You do not have to know Morse Code anymore. The Tech license is ideally suited for local communications and participation in your community Auxillary Communication Service <br>(ACS) or Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES). Contact any repeater group in your local area or contact ARRL the Amateur Radio Relay League (www.arrl.com).<br><br><br>Very few people are aware of the number and type of items I carry everwhere. The vest and multiple pockets keep everything distributed around my Michellin Man profile!<br><br>Randy<br>