Everyday Carry

Yeah, I'm with Mike. Wallet, iPhone, small Gerber folding knife, small LED flashlight in my pockets. The important stuff goes in my "man bag" — a couple of cameras, various lenses, Macbook Air, all the little accessories. Sometimes called a "camera bag," I suppose. Hey, gotta make a living.

“How does nobody carry a bottle opener? If you are going to be prepared for anything, it might as well include beer.”

http://lifehacker.com/243642/video-demonstration–open-a-beer-bottle-with-a-piece-of-paper

I had to use this technique once, well “had to” is maybe strong language… I used this technique once to try to impress a friend when we were having a hell of a time figuring out what to open our beers with.

We later realized they were twist off.

"We later realized they were twist off."

When did you finally realize the condoms weren't?

Any hard edge will do– hook the cap on the edge and give top a good pop with your palm. Not good for furniture.

But who drinks bottled beer in the city or hiking? Tap in town and cans away from home.

I saw a mention of using the plate on a hotel room door security lock. Genius that….. or desperation :)

But this is all what Swiss Army knives are about. You get the bottle opener and the can opener too, not to mention a corkscrew. If it really hits the fan, I want an SAK or my Leatherman Wave.

A can opener is a great urban survival tool. A week after the Big Quake comes, you will be getting good at opening chili cans.

Since Christchurch had our Big Quake, I have amended my EDC to include cash. When the power goes down, the only means of procuring goods is by cash or barter (plus the kindness of strangers and the likes of the Red Cross). I also learned that a cell phone is pretty useless in this situation for communication, as a) the lines are over-loaded, and b) the back-up power on cell towers is only a couple of hours. A landline or sat phone (ham radio/walkie talkie??) are the only things that can keep you in contact with the outside world in such a case. And trust me, being able to contact friends and family who are far away is important. You can hardly imagine how much they fret when they hear a disaster has struck your area and they don't hear from you for days.

Other than that, a flashlight has got a lot of use in the last two years. I have used it many times when the power goes off during aftershocks. I always have a dynamo-solar radio/flashlight/cell phone charger near by too, but not literally on me at all times. It is good to know in advance which radio stations emergency services use to communicate on too. Likely your local stations will be off air, so find out which stations might be used in nearby areas for updated local information. I would say that, in a real disaster situation, keeping yourself informed of things like evacuation centers, sources of food, water, medical treatment etc may be more important than having a knife or e-reader handy.

But I also live in an area of the world where the weather is unpredictable. I always have a raincoat with me! Quite handy when you have a fire alarm at work and it is pouring outside…

But hey, this has nothing to do with backpacking.

T-Funk wrote "Batman! Na na na na na na na na na Batman!"

Interesting. I have one more "na" when I sing the song in my head.

Just kidding and now everyone is singing the Batman song while counting fingers.

Before I scrolled down, I read your first line and wondered….so I started singing Batman and counting fingers. Then I scrolled down, read the last line you wrote, and almost peed my pants.

But you're both wrong, there should be one less 'na.' Really.

"Big Quake, . . . trust me, being able to contact friends and family who are far away is important."

Being a fifth-generation San Franciscan* and now living in Alaska, I get it. And have lived it – 1989 Loma Prieta quake and 1991 East-Bay Hills Fire). Here's the trick:

*California being sort of an upside-down New Zealand, climatically, geologically, and sharing myriad possible disasters.

Leave your list of contacts (who'd "need" to know) with several friends / family members far away. Then with a single message – a tweet, a Facebook post, an email or phone call – you can task someone to tell you mom, kids, whoever, that you are alright.

At least in the USA, after a natural disaster when the phone lines are tied up, they give priority to OUTGOING calls. The logic is that most people calling out with get through (and potentially activate such a calling tree) whereas people calling in repeatedly are less likely to connect (the local may not have power or be otherwise engaged).

My extended family (all Californians) understand this – the last time I used it was not for an earthquake, tsunami or fire; but when our son died. I just wasn't emotionally to make 30 phone calls to convey tragic news so I asked my cousin to help me out in that way.

>"We later realized they were twist off."

>> When did you finally realize the condoms weren't?

Being in a long term committed relationship, I actually don't use condoms; since I don't have sex anymore. She also has me on a raw food diet, so I don't have beer either. Which that seems like an arbitrary restriction, because couldn't an unpasteurized beer be considered "raw"?

I'm going to go chew on a carrot and sulk.

"Leave your list of contacts (who'd "need" to know) with several friends / family members far away. Then with a single message – a tweet, a Facebook post, an email or phone call – you can task someone to tell you mom, kids, whoever, that you are alright."

Agreed. Even so, it was over 4 days before I could get the first message out to my primary family contact in California. So the other change we've made is to get an old fashioned dial phone to plug into our landline. Our remote handset phone was useless when the power went off, even though it theoretically had a battery back-up. the phone was so old that the battery didn't hold a charge :( But the other issue is that emergency services asked us NOT to use our cell phones unless it was actually an emergency. Needed to keep the lines clear for them to use. Contacting family IS important, but not if it means that people who are in dire straits can't get through to emergency services.

"So the other change we've made is to get an old fashioned dial phone to plug into our landline. Our remote handset phone was useless when the power went off, even though it theoretically had a battery back-up."

I have Verizon FIOS for phone and computer. When the power goes out, your phone goes out after the backup battery dies (app. 2-3 hours). So even if you have an old fashioned phone (which I do for power outages), it's useless after a bit because my phone line itself is dead.

Ah, technology.

> Since Christchurch had our Big Quake, I have amended my EDC to include cash

100% agree with that one, during the Loma Prieta earthquake in 89' we had just moved, and our pantry was almost empty… but luckily my father always kept $300 dollars cash for emergencies.

Today the problem I have, is keeping that kind of cash safe from myself. I think I'm going to try that trick where you freeze some bills in a plastic cup, so it isn't as easy to dip into when running a little short on funds.

"she has me on a raw food diet, so I don't have beer either"

No sex and no beer? Sounds like your should every-day-carry on with your life! :P

And as to the cans-at-home and taps-when-out: All my favorite IPAs come in 22oz bottles and nothing else. Total Domination, Pelican, Elysian, Slayer, Hop Stoopid, Indica, Hop Czar, Vertical Epic. Although Brew Free or Die comes in cans.

Cash is so old school. I carry gold brick.

"Today the problem I have, is keeping that kind of cash safe from myself. I think I'm going to try that trick where you freeze some bills in a plastic cup, so it isn't as easy to dip into when running a little short on funds."

Try a piggy bank. Can only access the dosh if you are willing to break the thing :) Makes you think twice.

"Cash is so old school. I carry gold brick."

Ron Paul would be very proud of you.

"Cash is so old school. I carry gold brick."

Hmm, I seem to recall some doomsday preppers like to stockpile booze as a bartering currency. I would rather have that than gold. Relieves pain, disinfects, and helps with sleep, boredom and anxiety.

"And as to the cans-at-home and taps-when-out: All my favorite IPAs come in 22oz bottles and nothing else. Total Domination, Pelican, Elysian, Slayer, Hop Stoopid, Indica, Hop Czar, Vertical Epic. Although Brew Free or Die comes in cans."

Dale actually said taps in town and cans away from home. I concur.

Some of my favorites come in bottles but some in cans. The bottles stay home. But in cans:

Deviant Dale's, Gubna, Modus Hoperandi, Hop Abomination, Happy Camper, Avery's IPA. That's a pretty good variety when you want to take one or two along.

Thanks for the list. I'll look for them and give them a try if I can find them here.

Randy has good taste in beer.

Just tried the Oskar Blues G'knight Imperial Red Ale. That's some serious stuff, and dang good.

I just about spit when I read the "long term relationship" thing. Much truth in the humor.

Deviant Dale's is excellent both on draft and in cans. Mmmmm.

Dales does have an excellent can selection, I don't know about where you guys are, but here they are pretty darn expensive.

The local gear shop, Backcountry Essentials, has a pretty good can line-up of beers. Fremont, Big Swell, Red Head (Super Amazing!), Ranger, Sierra Nevada (including Celebration and Torpedo).

I swear Fat Tire tastes different, even better, out of can…?

Didn't mean to turn this into a beer thread. Energy follows passion, and all that (haha).

Everyday I carry the following:

Swiss Champ (Large swiss army knife in belt sheath with a sharpening steel)
CRKT Doolittle lock blade knife
Streamlight ProTac-2L (double 123 LED light)
Photon light on key chain
Micro firesteel on key chain
3' measuring tape
Handkerchief
Wallet
Iphone 4S/Lifeproof Case (with maps of area in GIGA GPS)
Eye Drops
Chapstick
Watch w/compass
Kimber Combat Carry 1911 in 45ACP (when not at work)
Spare Mag (Wilson combat)

I have really taken the Boy Scout motto of "Be Prepared" to heart. Many of these items (or thier predecessors) have been carried since high school (20+ yrs).

Ron, that's a lot of stuff!

I ask this in all seriousness, and honestly, without snark: do you really use all of that enough to warrant carrying it all?