Being prepared.

[Bibliophile]

How many people here have some basic items that they carry every day? Other then keys, phone and wallet. Are they any good in an emergency? What about a self defense situation? What am I talking about you might ask? Well I will give you an idea of what I keep on me most days and what I carry when I am out for an extended period of time. Now note I like cargo pants and often carry a back pack or messanger bag.

Keys with mini multi tool and lighter and button light
Knife
First aid kit
Flash light
Larger multi tool
Bandana
Pepper spray
Cliff bar or any granola type bar.
32 oz water bottle with water.

What I listed there is bare bone what I NEVER will walk out the front door with other then my phone and wallet. I add a second small knife, tiny sewing kit, a tiny bit of duct tape wrapped around an old credit card and a small plastic container with a few other items in it such as a length of paracord from time to time depending on what I am doing and how long I will be out. None of that is hard to carry even with jeans and a light jacket or a waist bag. If I have my cargo pants on I can pretty much carry it all without a bag or jacket. Those items I have mentioned can get me through darn near any situation I find myself in and have proven very useful on many occasion. I find it funny people seem count on the police or other emergency services to get there in time when often when you call them things are already bad. So why not at least have the basics on you to handle things till professionals get there. So what do you think excessive? A good idea? Do you carry a similar load out? Has this made you think of carrying a few things yourself?

That right there is a bare bones t

[BudderMC]

On my person I don't carry anything besides my keys, phone and wallet, but I've usually got my backpack on me too. In there, I've got:

- Tissues
- Moist travel wipes
- Ibuprofen and Day/Nyquil (the Nyquil doesn't usually put me to sleep, so it works in a pinch)
- Flashlight
- USB drives
- Extra set of earphones
- Extra pair of glasses
- Scissors
- Lock

So, not exactly the emergency type things you were describing, but those are the things I keep with me. They usually prove useful at some point or another.

[DJT]

I usually carry:
- Mobile Phone
- Ipod with earphones
- Keys (car, house etc.)
- Knife. (force of habit)
- Wallet (with cash)

I'm more prepare in my car, i have:
- A Map
- Socks
- Gloves
- Water
- Paper and Pen
- Spare tyre (with Jack)
- Lip balm

All the things in the car are just for emergencies though, incase i break down. Alway be PREPARED!

[FleetFish]

"We'll be prepared. For what?"
"For the death of the king."
"Why, is he sick?"
"No, Fool, we're going to kill him. And Simba, too."
"Great idea, who needs a king? No king, no king, lalalalalala!!!"

^ That was my first thought...

As for walking, I generally just carry my phone, so if I get mugged, not much is taken, but I can call for help if I get horribly injured or terribly lost.

My car is well stocked with maps, tool kit, dog food, water, and a pillow.

[Bibliophile]

Originally Posted by FleetFish

"We'll be prepared. For what?"
As for walking, I generally just carry my phone, so if I get mugged, not much is taken, but I can call for help if I get horribly injured or terribly lost.

My car is well stocked with maps, tool kit, dog food, water, and a pillow.

Are you always able to get to your car? Because if not well your idea of just calling for help is a pretty bad plan. What if your phone is dead or gets broken? What if you dont have signal? What if help is taking a long time to arrive or isnt likely to come because of other priorities? I really think you might want to plan a little better then call 911 and hope.

[stsebasTiane]

Originally Posted by DJT

- Lip balm

I'm going to second the lip balm! Along with my phone, wallet, keys, and if I have my bag with me (which depends on where I'm headed), I'll usually have a book and a bottle of water with me.

[FleetFish]

Originally Posted by Bibliophile

Are you always able to get to your car? Because if not well your idea of just calling for help is a pretty bad plan. What if your phone is dead or gets broken? What if you dont have signal? What if help is taking a long time to arrive or isnt likely to come because of other priorities? I really think you might want to plan a little better then call 911 and hope.

I was in a rush and mostly just trying to be silly, but if you want to get all serious and stuff, I guess natural selection will just take its course with me! Shucks!

[Maddy]

I have a backpack on me at any given moment, which generally contains wallet, sunglasses, tissues, lip balm, toothbrush, deodorant, mini charger, pen, hayfever meds and water.

[Black Cat]

I carry an excess of $300 ony person when leaving the house. I usually take my phone too, and headphones. That's it. I hate carrying stuff with me, I feel like it weighs me down. And there isn't much that cash can't get you out of, so I'm not too worried.

I'm a mugger's dream. But I feel a need to keep enough money on myself in case something should arise. It's just a thing I have.

[Aya McCabre]

When I got my lip pierced the ball kept falling off the front of the jewelry. In response to that I started carrying a few spare balls around with me.... and since I had a bag of jewelry living in my wallet it soon expanded to include everything that was removed from my person whilst in town (new piercings are usually changed by a piercer). I pruned it down a while back, but I still have a few spare balls for my lip and a spare barbell (also for my lip, in case my lip swells for any reason and I need a longer bar). I also carry a bit of plastic bag because it's easier to get the balls of jewelry if you have gloves on... or a bit of plastic over the jewelry.

[Friendly ghost]

I think you carry excess compared to most people. But it really isn't. Not many people even think about this stuff. And of course, they are the ones that get into problems. It's never the guy who was prepared for it that you hear about it. It is important to be prepared for things (also reminds me of the lion king). The best thing you can have though is knowledge. Having survival knowledge will always beat whatever else you bring. Though paired you're set. I have a lot in my car, and I always have a book bag with me.

Not to switch in to this mode, but the second part to being prepared is situation awareness. Know what is going on, and you'll have a better idea of what could happen, or what to do after something does.

[Robert]

I like to go out without anything at all. Thats my favourite way to go out. I sometimes take a pen.

[Allegro molto]

Things I usually carry on me when I'm out:

~checkbook/debit card (I don't carry cash on me just in case I'm robbed; if they take my debit card, I can immediately call and cancel it before they charge anything to it.)
~My cellphone (even if it's deactivated and I haven't paid the bill; my contacts will still show up)
~My small notebook with the information of said contacts
~my spare keys (Lord knows that this has prevented me from getting locked out of my car COUNTLESS times due to the silly fact that I sometimes leave my keys in my car...even worse, I sometimes leave them in the car WHILE STILL IN THE IGNITION SLOT.)
~I usually keep an extra bottle of water or 2 in my car

[Z3ni]

Originally Posted by BudderMC

On my person I don't carry anything besides my keys, phone and wallet, but I've usually got my backpack on me too. In there, I've got:

- Tissues
- Moist travel wipes
- Ibuprofen and Day/Nyquil (the Nyquil doesn't usually put me to sleep, so it works in a pinch)
- Flashlight
- USB drives
- Extra set of earphones
- Extra pair of glasses
- Scissors
- Lock

So, not exactly the emergency type things you were describing, but those are the things I keep with me. They usually prove useful at some point or another.

---------- Post added 1st Jan 2012 at 09:48 PM ----------

Buspass
Spare change for the homeless
Keys
Cigarrettes
Lighter

By the way I think lighters are great for defense, especially the wind proof lighters

[Hexagon]

-iPhone
-Earphones
-Keys
-Wallet
-8 GB USB drive
-Watch (sleep, shower and exercise with it on)

When it comes to self defence, I've done it before and I will do again. I can fight pretty well barehanded.

[caughtbywitness]

It's surely not a zombie apocalypse yet guys?

Kinda shocked about the amount of knives, too, isn't that illegal anyway?

Urm. Nothing. Sometimes phone and wallet, and quite often my most cherised item; Camera. Cost me enough, too.

[Owen]

Keys, wallet, iPod, phone. Basic stuff. I don't carry survivalist-type items because I trust civilization to keep me out of situations where I'd need something like that. I don't carry self-defense items because I've never had any issues of that nature. It's probably because I'm a big guy with a relatively imposing figure (six feet tall, 200 pounds), but I've never had issues with someone accosting me on the street for any reason, so carrying self-defense items is something that just doesn't cross my mind.

And honestly, my nervousness that boarders on paranoia has done a damn good job of keeping me out of any situation where I'd need more than a phone or money to get out of my situation (like Black Cat said, there isn't much that cash can't get you out of). My nervousness leads me to have strong situational awareness (I often notice things others don't, even in non-threatening situations), so it does the job.

[Ridiculous]

Originally Posted by caughtbywitness

It's surely not a zombie apocalypse yet guys?

Kinda shocked about the amount of knives, too, isn't that illegal anyway?

Urm. Nothing. Sometimes phone and wallet, and quite often my most cherised item; Camera. Cost me enough, too.

Haha yes. I wonder if there are any stats out there comparing the number of cases where these sorts of things were used, compared to the number of cases where the person has injured themselves by carrying them around everywhere.

I don't go anywhere adventurous so I too only take my phone and wallet (sometimes not even my wallet, most of the time I don't need it and it's just a liability). The inconvenience of having to carry a whole bunch of stuff isn't justified for me because I'm incredibly unlikely to need any of it. Maybe if I hiked up mountains or something it would be different.

[caughtbywitness]

Originally Posted by Ridiculous

Haha yes. I wonder if there are any stats out there comparing the number of cases where these sorts of things were used, compared to the number of cases where the person has injured themselves by carrying them around everywhere.

I think that is exactly the right point. :P

[BudderMC]

Originally Posted by Z3ni

What's wrong with scissors? They're surprisingly useful... you'd be amazed the number of times that using a key or some other relatively sharp object won't suffice for whatever I need scissors for.

Same goes for a gluestick. And tape. A couple elastics too. Those things live in my pencil case. Soooooo useful!

And no, it's not for defense. In fact I guess I'm a pacifist; if you attacked me you'd probably win