Your Standard Adventurer's Kit

[Nytmare]

In the Wearable Tech thread, Radiating Gnome brought up a point I've been meaning to start a thread about for years.

You're at least the second person in this thread to mention carrying a knife around with them as part of your regular pocket loadout....I'm fascinated. Don't get me wrong, I like a good knife, have several, some even appropriate pocket knives.... but I don't carry one with me on a daily basis. I guess I'm just too much a product of the suburbs -- not urban or rural enough to feel naked without a knife.

Now, if you wanted to talk about fountain pens....

-rg

The typical array of items in my pockets and "utility belt" have changed over the years, different items have worked their way in or out of use depending on the vagaries of my life; but I've often wondered how many other people there are like me out there.

Belt, off center right - Gerber multi-tool (a 15 year old version of this http://www.gerbergear.com/Military/Tools/MP600_07550G1)
Droid X in a SEIDO Convert case ( http://www.seidioonline.com/motorola-droid-x-x2-convert-case-holster-black-p/bd3-hkr4mtdx.htm)
Back left hand pocket - A leatherbound index card holder, behind the last index card are two or three Post-it notes
Left hand pocket - At least one, but maybe two or three, two to three foot lengths of trick line. (http://www.filmtools.com/blactriclin4.html)
Two hair ties
Back right hand pocket - Wallet
Right hand pocket - (retired) Mlik and Cheese Zippo lighter. I'm not a smoker, but I used to hang out with a ton of them, plus I used to do a lot of Zippo tricks. For a while I had a flashlight insert instead of a lighter
Pen pocket, or right hand cargo pocket - One ball point pen and two double tipped Sharpies, one black, one red
Left wrist - Coleman combo wrist watch/LED flashlight (http://www.amazon.com/Coleman-40891-Digital-Light-Watch/dp/B003SWBJL6/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top) I see that these are no longer being made. I kinda wish I had stocked up on them when I had the chance...

 

[Hand of Evil]

Wallet is an metal one (front pocket)
Pocket knife
Multi-tool like yours on my belt
Flash light (small but powerful, also on bad)
Sharpie
iPad

 

[Janx]

I believe in travelling light, and keeping my hands free.

I carry a DroidX on my belt in a case for work
I carry an iPhone 5 in my front pocket

In the other front pocket, I carry:
keys
mid-sized swiss army knife (only 8 blades)
Secrid aluminum card case


Reciepts go in the back pocket for filing.

I don't carry phone or wallet in the back pocket as that can lead to lopsided sitting, which in turn causes spine problems that my chiropractor would love to adjust. (if you spent 10 years sitting with your left cheek higher than the right, your spine is compensating for the angle of your hip, which isn't good posture).

If I really need to carry more, I'll bring my leather messenger bag, which Jack Bauer shows is great for holding guns. Ben shows us they're great for holding numeric rabbits. I just keep my iPad in it or laptop in mine.

 

[Radiating Gnome]

Well, since I was sort of invoked (to do it properly, you would need to repeat my name three times, but I'll let it slide this time), here's my loadout:


Shirt pocket: iPhone 5. Often a pen or two (either or both of a fountain pen or my livescribe pen). Reading glasses sometimes.
Pants pockets: Front: Keys, balled up dingy headphones for the iPhone. Maybe a little change.
Back: Wallet

That's about it. If it expands out to my shoulder bag, it looks like this:
Bag: Fully charged Powerbag, containing:
-Macbook air (work computer)
-3-4 assorted notebooks (livescribe and normal, lined and gridded, work and play, bound and circa)
-Assorted pens, pencils, ink refills
-Mophie Juicepack Case for iPhone
-Travel mouse
-Mac power cord for Macbook air
-Organizer bag of other power cords and accessories (dongles for VGA and HDMI display, CAT5-to-USB connector)
-iPad

Clearly, based on my bag, I must live in mortal fear of being without power for my devices, and of not having something to write on.

-j

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

As I'm a woman, I carry most of my stuff in a rather formidable purse. Seriously, the thing could be used as a weapon all on its own. But I always carry a mid-sized Swiss army knife (given to me by my Eagle Scout father on my 14th birthday) and a nail clipper/file combo. With those two tools, you can be useful in all sorts of minor crises. With what I have in my purse, I could probably survive out in the wild for a week.

 

[Janx]

As I'm a woman, I carry most of my stuff in a rather formidable purse. Seriously, the thing could be used as a weapon all on its own. But I always carry a mid-sized Swiss army knife (given to me by my Eagle Scout father on my 14th birthday) and a nail clipper/file combo. With those two tools, you can be useful in all sorts of minor crises. With what I have in my purse, I could probably survive out in the wild for a week.

Good on you for carrying a knife.

I'm always sort of appalled by how much stuff is carried in purses. I can appreciate there's some quantity of unmentionables to be carried (for which it is an excellent tactic to pack those things on the top for when your bag is likely to be searched by non-TSA security (like at a bar).

However, too much stuff is bad for your back. Much like RG's load-out, there may be too much junk in the trunk. Though the brick should probably stay as a self defense tool.

 

[Bullgrit]

I'm a minimalist. I have an iPhone in my back pocket. Concealed/stuffed into the phone's protective case, (Otter), is my debit card. That's it. I carry no knife, no watch, no pens. Oh, I do have my truck key in my left front pocket -- a single key, not even a house key.

Although, I do keep a backpack near me, either in my truck or in my office. But I don't carry it around with me.

Bullgrit

 

[Janx]

I'm a minimalist. I have an iPhone in my back pocket. Concealed/stuffed into the phone's protective case, (Otter), is my debit card. That's it. I carry no knife, no watch, no pens. Oh, I do have my truck key in my left front pocket -- a single key, not even a house key.

Although, I do keep a backpack near me, either in my truck or in my office. But I don't carry it around with me.

Bullgrit

Why do people carry phones in their back pocket?

That seems a likely way to break the screen as you put the majority of your weight on it, sometimes on hard surfaces (benches, etc).

I've never had a cracked or broken screen or case on any cellphone I've ever had. I keep mine in a front pocket.

Additionally, I have the added benefit of plausible deniability in a robbery. "I don't have a cell phone. Or a wallet. See no lumps on my rump."

Of course my LG Tone+ wearable headphone thing might give that a way (forgot to mention that in the first post). As well as my presence at the gas station to apparently browse but not purchase...

Once RG gets his Tone+, he'll be convert and get some space back in his bag.

 

[Bullgrit]

Why do people carry phones in their back pocket?

Well, the outer covering of my phone case is "rubberish" -- not slick. (Otter Defender http://www.otterbox.com/apple-iphone-4s-cases/apple-iphone-4s-cases,default,sc.html) I couldn't put it in or take it out of my front pocket without a lot of effort and wiggling. My back pocket is wide enough for the phone and case to slide in and out with relative ease. Plus, I don't know if I could sit with the phone in my front pocket -- I mean, my front folds when I sit. This phone in my front pocket would dislocate my hip. If I'm going to sit on some hard surface, I simply take my phone out of my pocket and hold it in my hand.

As for fooling a robber, you can't tell I have a phone in my back pocket unless I bend over to stretch my pants over my butt. If I did bend over, the Otter case essentially makes good bullet-proof armor. (My wife no longer slaps me on the butt for fear of breaking her hand on the hard case How tight are your pants, Janx?

I've never broken a phone, either. *knock on wood* Had this phone for almost 3 years. Dropped it a couple of times, but never damaged it.

Bullgrit

 

[Janx]

Well, the outer covering of my phone case is "rubberish" -- not slick. (Otter Defender http://www.otterbox.com/apple-iphone-4s-cases/apple-iphone-4s-cases,default,sc.html) I couldn't put it in or take it out of my front pocket without a lot of effort and wiggling. My back pocket is wide enough for the phone and case to slide in and out with relative ease. Plus, I don't know if I could sit with the phone in my front pocket -- I mean, my front folds when I sit. This phone in my front pocket would dislocate my hip. If I'm going to sit on some hard surface, I simply take my phone out of my pocket and hold it in my hand.

As for fooling a robber, you can't tell I have a phone in my back pocket unless I bend over to stretch my pants over my butt. If I did bend over, the Otter case essentially makes good bullet-proof armor. (My wife no longer slaps me on the butt for fear of breaking her hand on the hard case How tight are your pants, Janx?

I've never broken a phone, either. *knock on wood* Had this phone for almost 3 years. Dropped it a couple of times, but never damaged it.

Bullgrit

Just tight enough, apparently

If your back pocket's that loose, odds are good so are the front. Though the larger Otter box case might be part of the problem, it should fit (I used to keep my leather wallet and iPhone in the same pocket before I got the Secrid).

I use a slim case on my iPhone. I deplore putting on quarter inch armor onto the world's prettiest phone. I upgrade every 2 years, with trade-in value coming in at 50% of the new, it's worthwhile to protect the phone. But I don't treat my phone roughly.

Anyway, it's never been a problem sitting down and it's more secure. I know where my phone is. Nobody's lifted it off me (I like to think anybody getting a front pocket lift is really friendly, or really close). You back pocket is more vulnerable to not detecting a pick pocket.

I seldom do anything for just one reason. Where I keep my stuff and keeping my hands free has security application (though getting kicked in the phone might be bad).