In the past several months I have gotten pretty serious about trail running. It's a great sport for me because it combines several of my passions--running, ultralight hiking/camping, primitive skills, fitness, orienteering, and generally escaping the urban jungle (which I do love) in which I live. Well, now that I'm running harder, and faster, and on more challenging, technical trails, I decided it's time to take my kit to the next level. I'm going on longer runs, running faster, and on more dangerous terrain--and all alone--so my chances of injury, and being placed a survival situation have increased, I think. Just tucking a light weight folding knife, and butane lighter in the sleeve of a UA Cold Gear top (in addition to phone, and water, of course) isn't making me feel too confident, or responsible anymore.

I have always tried to take a minimalist, but responsible approach to what I carry, and trail running (at least the way I do it) brings about a new challenge because it requires a light weight kit, with no rattle, that can be attached to my body, somewhere other than my right arm, my left wrist, or my waist (those spots are already taken by water bottles, a GPS and my phone). The contents of the kit, in my opinion, must also be unlikely to increase my chance of injury when I take a hard, fast fall (which I do often) while zipping down the trail. So in other words, nothing sharp, or pointy, no glass, etc.

Here's what I have come up with. I'd seriously love to hear thoughts on it. What's right, what's wrong, how to better carry it, how to make it lighter, how to make it more effective, etc.

I'm using one of these armband pouches that have become quite common on the jogging trails, in the gyms etc., mostly for carrying iPods and cell phones. I'm sure you've all seen them. The one I use looks very similar to this one, except with a much better seal at the top. I keep it wrapped around my arm, just above the bicep. Total weight equals 8.3oz.

Here's what's in it.

1 SAK Farmer Knife
1 Large Reynolds Oven Bag
1 Unlubricated Trojan Condom
6 Katadyn MP-1 Water Purification Tablets
1 Rescue Flash Signal Mirror (Plastic for Safety)
2 Bayer Aspirin
4 Ibuprofen
1 Butane Lighter
1 Sparklite Firestarter
12 Tinder Quick Tabs
1 Photon II White LED
1 10mm SAS Button Compass
1 ACR Whistle
1 Bundle of 5' Duct Tape
2 Bundles of 25' of 80# Spider Wire

On my other arm, just above the bicep, in a very similar pouch is my phone, which is a Blackberry, with mapping software, internet access, etc. Not that I really use all that stuff when I'm running, but my company pays for the phone, so I carry it. Actually in half the places I run, the phone is just dead weight because I can't get a signal to save my life (no pun intended). On my left wrist is a Garmin Forerunner 205 GPS (I love this thing--I could do a whole 'nother thread on it). Around my waist is 1 or 2 20oz bottles of water.

Thoughts?