What's In Your Bag?

Everyone's daily carry (EDC) bag is different.  The idea is to carry the necessities that meet your needs which will, of course, be different for everyone.  Here's some ideas for items you may want to carry...

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• Everyday Carry
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• Everyday Carry Blog
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• Lifehacker Everyday Carry

Challenge: Get Your Daily Carry Bag Together

Note: throughout the year you will find a variety of challenges that will make you more prepared should you choose to accept the challenge (...sorry just watched 'Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol' and couldn't resist...).

The last time I updated my Daily Carry Bag, it was about nine months ago.  Times have changed a bit, situations have changed a bit, and I felt it was time to revamp and revise my Daily Carry Bag as this is the one item I have with me, day in and day out.  This is not a BOB!  I won't be bugging out with just these few things, but the items I carry with me everyday will provide the things that I need to either a) get back to my BOB (car, home, or office), or b) if TS really does hit TF, leave in a heartbeat and resurface somewhere else either near or far (I won't have much with me and would much prefer to have my BOB with me but I would also much prefer not to carry a fully loaded backpack around with me everywhere I go each day; the Daily Carry Bag is a good compromise).  Also note that my Daily Carry Bag would be different if I had super long commutes, and thus the possibility of being stuck far from home, as opposed to mostly being less than 20 miles away from home at any given time.  Here's the contents: 
p.s. Feel free to add or subtract stuff from your own Daily Carry Bag in order to make it fit your own situation. 
p.s.s. Also feel free to make up your bag, blog about it, then post the link in the comment section below so we can all get a gander at what you carry.

• Smartphone with internet and GPS (plus radio, a scanner radio app, a very good flashlight, et al.  Gotta love the app store!).
• $200 in cash, $2 in quarters
• Concealable firearm, ammo
• Pocketknife
• Wallet with driver's license, concealed carry license, military ID, health insurance card, etc
• Passport (I usually carry this with me as definitive ID instead of handing over my driver's license or military ID which both include too much personal information)
• Visa debit card (also in the wallet) linked to a bank account with a few thousand dollars in it.  I don't link this card to my main account but rather to an emergency fund to use for emergencies only.
• List of emergency phone numbers and medical info (also in wallet) which I can access in case my cell phone dies
• Thumb drive with all of my important files backed up on it
• Small, flat flashlight found at Walmart for about $2 (the flashlight on my cellphone is better but this can be used as a back up)
• Lighter (I don't smoke but this has come in handy on numerous occasions)
• Pen and paper (I can take notes on my phone but I like thinking on paper)
• Aspirin, Handi-wipe, tissue, band aid
• Digital camera (while my cell phone takes OK pictures and video, I often take pictures that require more detail so I still carry a digital camera with me)
• Floss (numerous uses)
• Rubber band, safety pin
• Bottle of water and a granola bar
• Small, tubular whistle (great for use in am emergency)
• Keys 
• Sunglasses
• Net book (I almost always carry this small computer with me since much of my work requires special software which can't yet be installed on a pad device; if I don't have work to do that day, I leave it at home and use my cell phone for things I need such as reading documents, checking email, etc)

Most of the smaller items are organized in a LeSportsac bag (lightweight, tough, quality made, the only qualm I have is the colors and patterns of the bags but oh well...) and tossed into whatever bag I am using for the day (briefcase, backpack, messenger bag).

Things that have dropped off this list since the last update:

• Condom.  Have never used it for it's usual use since the last couple re-vampings of the bag, and while it can come in handy in a pinch to carry water, empty water bottles thrown in the trash are practically ubiquitous these days.
• OB tampon.  Don't need this for its usual use either and while it is useful as a compress for bleeding wounds, so is the t shirt I am wearing.
• Business cards. Again, mostly a weight/clutter saving thing as I rarely ever use them any more.  When I meet new people I simply email them a link to my contact info on the spot.
• Spare house key (before, I would often commute by bus, boat, and rail, however these days I drive everywhere so keep a spare key in the car instead of in my Daily Carry Bag)
• Mirror.  Didn't use this item in previous versions of my bag so have dropped it (note: there is a mirror app for smart phones now).

Some things I don't carry but you may want to:

• Prescription meds
• Mints or gum
• Leatherman tool
• Charging cables for cell phone and/or net book

A Note in Response to the 'Updated Carry List' Post

A couple of weeks ago, I posted my Updated Carry List. Reader D.R. had this additional information to add:

"Recently saw your updated daily carry list and have a couple of suggestions:

For the cell phone:

extra SD cards and recharge gear as follows:

Tekkeon TekCharge Mobile Power and Battery Charger

Sanyo Eneloop AA batteries

Goal Zero Nomad 7 solar panel with USB port

Downloaded apps: APP 2 SD or equivalent, U.S. Army Survival Guide, Google Books, WikiPock, MapDroyd, iTriage, KnotsGuide, ElectroDroid, Scanner Radio, Flashlight, Google Translate
backup SD cards, batteries and solar panel

Obviously I wouldn't carry around all that stuff but would have the capability to keep the phone/s charged in the event of a power outage. The apps and extra SD cards would be a potential gold mine of handy info in very portable format.

For the USB thumb drive:

In addition to the personal documents, backup documents, whatever, I like to have Portable Apps, a suite of portable applications that include OpenOffice, web browser, etc.

http://portableapps.com/

I also like to carry a second thumb drive with a full bootable Linux distro image on it, my preference being Linux Mint 10.0, but Knoppix and Puppy Linux are even smaller.

http://www.linuxmint.com/

http://www.knoppix.net/

http://puppylinux.org/main/Download%20Latest%20Release.htm

You can easily and quickly burn any of these Linux distros to a thumb drive using the software package found here:

http://www.pendrivelinux.com/

I like to have the capability of access to an excellent operating system wherever I can plug in a USB stick if needed, and there are also a bunch of computer system repair software tools out there that can be put on USB drives, as you probably know already. It is also possible to have a bootable image of Windows XP or Windows 7 on a thumb drive but the procedure for making that happen is a royal pain in the ass. Not so with Linux.

Hope you find this info useful and thanks a million for your site and keeping it up to date so well; it is definitely a goldmine of extremely useful information."

Thanks DR for this useful information!

25 Things to ALWAYS Carry With You (The Revised List)

Way back in 2008 I posted this list of stuff that I always carried with me. Since it's been a while, I figured I would update the list so here it is...

1. Smart phone with internet and GPS service.


2. $200 in cash.


3. $2 in quarters.


4. A concealable firearm/concealed carry permit (personal choice here, some may choose not to carry).


5. Pocket knife


6. ID of some sort (like a driver's license and/or passport; I often carry both)


7. Condom (for the usual purpose; can be used to carry water in an emergency if it is the unlubed kind)


8. OB tampon (for women, although it is reported to work well for bullet wounds too).


9. Thumb drive with all of my back-up files on it.


10. A debit card attached to a bank account with $2000 +/- in it (I don't use credit cards. Also, I don't want this card attached to my main bank account so I have this separate bank account and debit card for emergency purposes).


11. Laminated list of numbers for people I can count on in an emergency (kept in my wallet in case my cell phone dies).


12. Laminated list of medical info (kept in my wallet and includes allergies, medications, doctor's name, brief health history, etc).


13. Small, flat flashlight found at Walmart for around $2 (hangs on my key chain).


14. Lighter (I don't smoke but this has been useful on many occasions).


15. Pen (Pilot Precise v7 to be exact), paper (Moleskein), and business cards.


16. Aspirin (the kind that comes two to a foil pack which makes them easy to carry).


17. Digital camera (most people use their cell phones for picture taking these days but I often need to take highly detailed photos so I still carry a small digital camera).


18. Floss (Glide in the small flat dispenser; great for its usual purpose but can also be used for a multitude of other things as well).


19. Necessary medication (I don't take medication however this is an excellent reminder for those who do--you may be stranded overnight away from home so if you rely on certain medication, make sure you always carry extra).


20. Spare house key (cheaper than breaking a window if you forget your key and safer than leaving a key under a rock in your front yard).


21. Rubber band and safety pin (these take up very little space and have been useful many times over the years).


22. Bottle of water and food (it is often my habit to carry a bottle of water and Cliff bar in my briefcase/bag if I plan to be gone for the day...I'm not a fan of vending machines or fast food if I am hungry or thirsty).


23. Mirror (I found a tiny, round mirror that I stuck onto the side of my floss dispenser which can be used for signalling in an emergency).


24. Whistle (I have a small, tubular whistle hanging on my keychain along with the flashlight...great for use in an emergency for signalling).


25. Sunglasses (apart from its usual use on a sunny day, can be used to observe others unobtrusively).

For a look at what other people carry with them, click here.

Everyday Carry

I am a big fan of the EDC forums (http://edcforums.com). Being a kind of techno-geek, I like to see what other techno-geeks find new, useful, and interesting. The EDC forums is a good place to do this. One thing I like to do is refine the things I carry with me on a regular basis. My criteria for these items: compactness (I've long since passed the days when I want to lug around a backpack full of junk in the off chance I might need it), usefulness (items should do double or even triple duty and be things that are used almost daily), and quality (I've also long since passed the days when I want to carry around cheap crap that cost very little up front but ends up in the garbage after very little use). Here's what I carry in order of usefulness:

1. Cell phone (this is a basic Nokia cell phone which I can also use to access the internet--with effort. I am tempted to get a new touch screen iPhone type phone with all of the bells and whistles but the monthly cost would be double what I pay now and I'm not sure if it is doubly valuable compared to what I have now. That said, my phone provides a clock, alarm, phone capabilities--obviously, access to the internet and my email/Twitter/news, a camera for stills and videos, and a music player/FM radio.
2. Wallet (with ID, cash, bank cards, concealed carry license, etc).
3. Pocket knife (a Swiss Army knife that is so old I don't even know what model it is. It is sharp enough to perform surgery but quite basic with a couple of blades, a bottle opener and Phillips and flat screwdrivers).
4. Small nylon pouch (which contains a packet of two aspirin, a couple of bandaids, a alcohol prep pad, a Handi wipe, a jump drive with all of my important files, a mini lighter, flat roll of floss, tiny flashlight, a Fischer tekker space pen, and a few quarters).
5. A digital camera (an 8 mg Canon Power shot which has been used for everything from documenting accident scenes to photographing documents that I need to save).
6. An aluminum water bottle.
7. A Nike windbreaker that folds up ultra small.
8. A granola bar, raisins, or other portable snack food.
9. A small Moleskine notebook.
10. A KelTec .380 with spare magazine (depending on where I will be for the day--courts, airports, and military basis frown on such an item and going out of my way to secure the firearm at these types of facilities is a huge hassle).
11. Occasionally I carry an Asus netbook, but even though it is really small it is still a bit heavier than I like for everyday carry.

My work can take me from downtown in a large city, to an airplane, to mountain biking, to hiking down a wilderness trail sometimes all in the same day so I carry these items in a Timbuk2 messenger bag that blends into almost any environment.

25 Things Updated

You may have read this post http://codenameinsight.blogspot.com/2008/05/dpt-25-things-to-always-have-with-you.html where I outlined the 25 things you should always carry with you. While I was revamping my go bag, I took a look at the contents of my smaller daily carry pouch and added a few things. Here's an explanation:

30 Things You Should Always Have With You (and a couple other items):

1. A pouch to put everything I (I use a LeSportsac lightweight nylon pouch)


2. $100 in cash (depending on where you are you may want to carry five $20s)


3. $2 in quarters (quarters always seem to come in handy)


4. Pocket knife (I've had this knife for about thirty years and use it all the time)


5. Laminated list of people I can call on in an emergency (this list contains about eight phone numbers of people I can count on for anything; if my cell phone dies I can at least have these numbers available)


6. Cell phone (this is a must have)


7. Credit/debit card with at least $1,000 on it (you never know when an emergency will happen and you need to pay for something that costs more than $100 immediately)


8. Small flashlight (I have used this to find my way out of dark buildings, look at people's swollen throats, etc)


9. Lighter or matches (while I don't smoke, a lighter is useful for melting ends of nylon cord, etc)


10. Pen and paper (to take a note or leave a note)


11. Mirror (this is a tiny mirror found at WalMart; can be used for signalling or getting the spinach out of your teeth after a business lunch)


12. Aspirin (people always seem to need aspirin for headaches, etc)


13. Firearm and ammo (one of the best life insurance policies you can have)


14. Calling card (If my cell dies I can still call from a payphone although they are getting harder to find; can also be used to call long distance from a friends house; sometimes calling cards work during a disaster when cells don't)


15. Passport (I use this for definitive ID; my driver's license has my address on in which I don't want people to know and my military ID has my social security number on it which I also don't want people to know)


16. Digital camera (a digital camera is included in my cell phone, above)


17. Necessary medications (I don't take any medications, however for those who do, having a spare nitro or diabetes medications with you, should you be away from home unexpectedly is good insurance)


18. Medical info--allergies, medical history, current medications, doctor's name and phone number (this info was included on the phone number list above, printed out in 9 point font and laminated to the back of the copy of my ID below)


19. USB drive (this is a micro thumb drive which I use often to transfer files from place to place; also includes files with my most important information--copy of passport, copy of birth certificate, passwords, etc)


20. Spare house key (if I ever lose my keys at lease I can get into my home without breaking a window or setting off the alarm)


21. Rubber band (this item comes in handy for various things from time to time)


22. Safety pin (ditto)


23. ID of some sort (I made a copy of my drivers license--reduced to 70%--and laminated it to the back of my emergency phone number list. It's also good for the paramedics/police to be able to identify you in an emergency)


24. Floss (for obvious purposes, also can be used in place of string)


25. Food (a granola bar of some sort comes in handy when I'm away from home for a period of time, am hungry, and don't want to go to a restaurant)


26. Bandana (surprisingly I use this for everything from wiping sweat off my brow in locations where it is hot to a head covering to a washcloth. It's a good idea to keep this in a ziploc bag so you can easily store it when it is wet).


27. Ziploc bag (see above)


28. Wet wipe (good for a quick wash up; change this out often as they deteriorate quickly)


29. OB (the feminine hygiene kind. Is an excellent wound compress)


30. Condom (aside from the obvious purpose, can be used to carry water or as a tourniquet. Get the unlubricated kind)


31. Bandaids (a couple of small bandaids can be useful for a variety of things)


32. Alcohol wipe (to disinfect the needle, below, and wounds. Is also a good fire starter)
    
33. Needle (can be used to sew--use the floss above or reuse thread from the garment you are working on; also to take out splinters, pop blisters, etc)


34. Bottle of water (it's too big to carry in an emergency pack but if you have room in your go bag it's good to have on hand)

All of the items above, except for the cell phone and gun, fit into the pouch which measures 3" x 4" x 1". This pouch can be carried in your go bag, in your briefcase, or in a large pocket.

DPT--25 Things to Always Have With You

Here are 25 things that you should always have with you:

1. $100 in cash
2. $2 in quarters
3. Pocketknife
4. Laminated list of phone numbers of people you can count on in an emergency
5. Cell phone
6. Credit/debit card with at least $1000 available on it
7. Small flashlight
8. Lighter or matches
9. Pen and paper
10. Mirror
11. Aspirin
12. Firearm and ammo
13. Calling card
14. Passport
15. Digital camera (or camera on cell phone)
16. Necessary medications
17. Medical info (allergies, med history, med list, doctor's name and number, etc)
18. USB drive
19. Spare house key
20. Rubber band
21. Safety pin
22. ID of some sort
23. Floss (Glide in a tiny, flat dispenser)
24. Food (like a Cliff bar)
25. Bandana