# Something everyone should carry...... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 23, 2008, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393 "2008-05-23T18:22:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Pixilated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/aeb1de/32.png) [@Pixilated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pixilated)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2008, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/21 "2008-05-24T17:11:16Z")
gads! I cant say _everyone_ should carry these things in their purse/packpack, but here it goes: eyeliner foundation mascara lipgloss credit/debit card Tylenol pepto allergy meds pen & paper lighter & matches hard candy/gum nail clippers ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2008, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/22 "2008-05-24T17:34:37Z")
[QUOTE=Pixilated] gads! I cant say _everyone_ should carry these things in their purse/packpack, but here it goes: eyeliner foundation mascara lipgloss credit/debit card Tylenol pepto allergy meds pen & paper lighter & matches hard candy/gum nail clippers [/QUOTE] You forgot “taser”. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2008, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/23 "2008-05-24T17:53:43Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] I always have a Victorinox Swiss Army knife on me. I lose them sometimes and go right back out and buy another one. I carefully study the models for features. I use one most days. They aren’t toys and can do real work. I have put furniture together with one ans changed a car battery in an emergency along with an infinite amount of cutting tasks. I have a Leatheman but I like the the Swiss Army knives better because they just drop in your pocket smoothly and you barely notice it. [/QUOTE] I hope you don’t think I’m your new best friend, but I carry one as well. I don’t carry it in my pocket though, rather my bag as I don’t like a bunch of junk in my pockets. But what you say about them is true. The one I carry every day has a magniying glass as I remember what a bitch it is to start a fire from scratch. I have extra toothpicks and change them as they get used. Who in the hell carrys one of those 30 dollar toothpick cases everyday? ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2008, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/24 "2008-05-24T17:57:53Z")
[QUOTE=Silver Tyger Girl] As long as I have my purse on me I’ve got a knife, a multi-tool with pliers and four screwdrivers, Benadryl, and painkillers. I don’t bother with a flashlight because I’m quite good at walking around in the dark (seriously, every time I go camping I forget a flashlight. I manage without ever injuring myself) [/QUOTE] My heart goes out to you. I carry 3 strong painkillers just in case I twist my knee. Anf flashlights are to heavy to carry. There’s a 3 dcell maglight in my car. There sure are some odd people around here, huh? Probably nut cases every one. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2008, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/25 "2008-05-24T18:19:08Z")
[QUOTE=Omegaman] My heart goes out to you. I carry 3 strong painkillers just in case I twist my knee. Anf flashlights are to heavy to carry. There’s a 3 dcell maglight in my car. There sure are some odd people around here, huh? Probably nut cases every one. 😃 [/QUOTE] Yes, yes we are. There’s a flashlight in my car, but it’s probably dead. I’ve got a really light weight crank flashlight that’d be perfect but I never bring it camping. And I wander around Faire, go to the privies, etc just fine. No offense to flashlight fans, but I don’t understand the need for superbright lights. Don’t you have night vision? Don’t you get really bad glare and spots in your eyes from it? If I do carry a flashlight I want one that’s just bright enough so I can keep from tripping. I don’t want daylight in my pocket. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/26 "2008-05-24T18:25:57Z")
I have a bit of a flashlight addiction myself. I bought one of [these](http://cgi.ebay.com/RECHARGEABLE-SEOUL-SSC-P4-LED-Z-POWER-FLASHLIGHT-TORCH_W0QQitemZ220237430065QQihZ012QQcategoryZ106987QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) for myself, and liked it so much that I bought a few more for presents. It’s WAY brighter than my 3-D MagLite, even with a 3W Luxeon replacement lamp. Seems to last forever. I use it as my dog-walking flashlight, and charge it once every other week or so. I’m very happy with it. I also keep [these](http://cgi.ebay.com/Mini-Luxeon-3-WATT-3Watt-LED-Flashlight-Torch-CR123A_W0QQitemZ140234872449QQihZ004QQcategoryZ106987QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) all over the place - in my computer bag, in each car, in my office. They are amazingly bright for their size, and I use CR123A rechargeables with them, so there is no disposable battery cost. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2008, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/27 "2008-05-24T18:41:33Z")
I have a small LED flashlight on my keyring. I don’t know what brand it is or anything, as it was a company gift from a couple of jobs ago. It’s quit bright and has come in handy more than once. I also have a tiny toy Coleman lantern on my keyring, but it isn’t even bright enough to read by. It’s cute, though! One of our home flashlights is actually a magnetic coil one. It’s not the brightest, but it’s more than enough to get around the house or read if we need to, and we never have to worry about finding batteries for it! In fact, we have used it camping while trying to find where we packed the batteries for our larger Coleman area lamp! I like shaking it up and seeing the light intensity change. I don’t know the brand either, but I bought it at Canadian Tire. ---
**Author:** ![shijinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@shijinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shijinn)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2008, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/28 "2008-05-24T18:49:11Z")
i wanted to say towel too but the local equivalent here are tissue papers. it’s even more ubiquitous than the handphone. i’m amazed we’re not drowned in tissue papers already. it’s so bad that dustbins catching on fire is not an uncommon occurrence here. we are probably responsible for the extinction of some unknown species in a lumber forest somewhere. if someone were to claim that the country’s monthly consumption of tissue paper is enough to circle around the world twice or something i’ll believe them. even if you deign not to carry them with you, there’s an army of old aunties patrolling the country making sure that one is always within reach if you’d only be so kind as to buy one. i’m beginning to think the country will not function without them. we use a lot of tissue papers. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2008, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/29 "2008-05-24T18:55:24Z")
[QUOTE=Silver Tyger Girl] Yes, yes we are. There’s a flashlight in my car, but it’s probably dead. I’ve got a really light weight crank flashlight that’d be perfect but I never bring it camping. And I wander around Faire, go to the privies, etc just fine. No offense to flashlight fans, but I don’t understand the need for superbright lights. Don’t you have night vision? Don’t you get really bad glare and spots in your eyes from it? If I do carry a flashlight I want one that’s just bright enough so I can keep from tripping. I don’t want daylight in my pocket. [/QUOTE] Now that you mention it I probably do have something wrong with my eyes. When I was a kid we were too poor to afford sunglasses and we played in the desert all the time. Come to think of it one time in junior high I went well, snow blind, for lack of a better description. I wear sunglasses almost always now but I can go without them. Just takes time to adapt. At night it’s a little rough without light of some kind. I really prefer red light to see when I’m trying to be stealthy. You know, cats in the garbage, ooooo scary, huh! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/30 "2008-05-28T16:34:47Z")
Hmm, my EO1s have shipped apparently. I ordered the gold ones, but from what info I could find, they wern’t even available yet. 😕 I was expecting a few months. Oh well, let’s see what I get 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Vorpal\_Blade](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/9de0a6/32.png) [@Vorpal\_Blade](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vorpal_Blade)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2008, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/31 "2008-05-28T18:06:33Z")
[QUOTE=MacTech] … o, what tiny, helpful tools do you carry, and reccomend everyone to carry at all times? … [/QUOTE] I try never to forget to put on my pants. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 11:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/32 "2008-05-29T11:17:12Z")
[QUOTE=MacTech] Another manufacturer, Fenix, based in Shenzen, China, has released a similar light, the E01, it’s slightly larger than the Arc, about the length and diameter of a AA battery, puts out 10 lumens, but it has a much longer runtime on alkies, 20 hours total, 10 hours of ruler-flat regulation, and 10 hours of reduced light, it’s build quality isn’t as polished as the Arc, it’s not bad, but there is a noticeable difference in fit-and-finish [/QUOTE] Damn. I was all set to order up a $15 E01, but then I saw the $46 [Fenix L0D](https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_69_49&products_id=191). 11 lumens for 8.5 hours, 30 lumens for 3.5 hours, or **75 lumens** for an hour! :eek: Now I’m not getting either because, while I can’t justify $46 for a light, I also don’t want to get the cheaper one knowing that there’s something out there that can blow it out of the water! Hmm. Looks like it uses a CREE 7090 XR-E LED. I think I’ll just buy a couple of those ($5 each) and play around with them instead. ---
**Author:** ![Omegaman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e480ec/32.png) [@Omegaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omegaman)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 12:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/33 "2008-05-29T12:03:41Z")
[QUOTE=neutron star] Damn. I was all set to order up a $15 E01, but then I saw the $46 [Fenix L0D](https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_69_49&products_id=191). 11 lumens for 8.5 hours, 30 lumens for 3.5 hours, or **75 lumens** for an hour! :eek: Now I’m not getting either because, while I can’t justify $46 for a light, I also don’t want to get the cheaper one knowing that there’s something out there that can blow it out of the water! Hmm. Looks like it uses a CREE 7090 XR-E LED. I think I’ll just buy a couple of those ($5 each) and play around with them instead. [/QUOTE] Yeah, that’s kind of the way I feel too. I cheaped out on all except the one on my shotgun. It may sound odd, but as it’s a short barrel we all know what it’s used for hunting, but I wanted to make sure in the middle of the night I have the best tools available. Making someones wife or family experience grief isn’t something I take lightly. Well that one and the one that you can shine on billboards. Showed it to the kids this weekend. They were jumping up and down. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/34 "2008-05-29T13:05:05Z")
Some of this is in my pockets, some of it is in a satchel: 1. Vintage [Large Case Sodbuster](http://www.rod-neep.co.uk/rod/knives/reviews/case-cv/sodl-vert.jpg). Mine is about 35 years old and has the brass liner lock which they discontinued in the mid-70’s. Even without the lock, the Sodbuster has a stiff backspring and you’d have to work at closing it on your fingers. This particular design of knife is one of the best general purpose folders out there. 2. [Victorinox Hercules](http://www.rajsportu.cz/outdoor/_pics/d_0_9043_Hercules_kopie.jpeg). I added the little jeweler’s screwdriver that fits into the corkscrew. 3. [Cold Steel Tanto](http://www.knifeshoponline.com/images/products/007540_p_01.jpg). Generally speaking, Cold Steel’s stuff is overpriced and overhyped; but their tanto is a good example of the sharpened prybar school of knives. It’s pretty well indestructable and I got it for a song off Ebay. 4. [Krill Light.](http://www.ukfssartdogteams.org.uk/Canine%20Equipment/Images/h3-krill-lamp.jpg) Hundreds of hours of illumination off a couple AA’s. These put out about the same amount of light as a chemical light stick and are useful for all the same things with the advantage that you can turn them on and off and re-use them. 5. An LED flashlight whose brand I can’t remember. I got it at a True Value hardware store. It has about a million white LED’s and it’s painfully bright. In general layout it’s similar to “tactical” flashlights. 6. [Keltec PF-9](http://farm1.static.flickr.com/55/152566859_3fa58540f5.jpg). An extremely thin, flat pocket-sized 9mm! I’ve modded mine by replacing a couple of the polymer parts with steel parts. There are other guns in the PF-9’s class, but they are all substantially more spendy. It’s in a DeSantis pocket holster. 7. [Springfield Armory Mil-Spec 1911.](http://i.pbase.com/u45/spirit03/small/29488771.parkerizedMilSpec1911A1.jpg) Mine’s had a trigger job and the arched mainspring housing (with it’s goofy lock) replaced with a flat housing. I replaced the stock plastic grips with some beautiful custom ones. It’s in a holster with an extra magazine of cartridges. 8. A box containing an assortment of pills\_ pain killers, stimulants, sleeping pills, anti-hystamines. 9. A flask of brandy. 10. An [iPod Touch](http://www.letsgodigital.org/images/artikelen/64/ipod-touch-review.jpg) with about 4 days of music on it. Heavy on classical and 80’s. 11. A cell phone. 12. Two fountain pens. 13. A pair of prescription sunglasses and an extra pair of clear glasses. 14. A ceramic sharpening stick. 15. A dayplanner. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/35 "2008-05-29T13:20:54Z")
Forgot a couple things: 1. A Zippo lighter. Even though I don’t smoke anymore, you never know when you might want to set some shit on fire. 2. 12 feet of paracord braided into a bracelet. ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/36 "2008-05-29T16:37:13Z")
Well, I can understand why you’d need, say, two fountain pens or two flashlights, but isn’t two handguns kind of overkill (no pun intended)? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/37 "2008-05-29T16:47:49Z")
The Keltec is a smallish pocket gun with a DAO trigger. It’s basically a “get off me right now” gun. The 1911 is a full-size, more accurate, more powerful service pistol and it (along with the holster and spare ammo) are in the satchel for use when there is a bit of advance warning that things are turning to shit. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/38 "2008-05-29T17:07:28Z")
I guess you guys have heard of [The LED Museum](http://www.ledmuseum.org/)? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/39 "2008-05-29T17:26:16Z")
Been going there for years. Not only does that guy have a great collection of LEDs, but he’s truly at the forefront of modern web design. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2008, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393/40 "2008-05-29T17:46:48Z")
I’ve got a little of the flashlight bug myself. OK, I’m a full-blown addict. I’m always on the lookout for the newest, latest and greatest in illumination technology. I’m hoping at some point in the future to add this to my now mag-light free collection… [The Torch.](http://www.wickedlasers.com/lasers/Wicked_Lights-74-0.html) It’s 4100 lumens, yes kids, that’s right, four thousand one hundred lumens of night-into-day power that you hold in your hand and that can fit in a glove compartment. The thing is so powerful it can be used to cook an egg or start a campfire. I want it. On to the OP… I carry: Glock 29 with Crimson Trace laser grips. (the Barettas are mothballed) Leatherman Wave Surefire E2D Fisher Space Pen (hasn’t failed to write. ever) Cold Steel 5" CounterTac FB Benchmade Pardue Auto Dia-Sharp diamond Card sharpener in my wallet with one side machined to an edge Multiple handcuff keys (more helpful that I ever realized) I like the power of the LED’s, but I don’t like the kind of light it produces. It’s more of a projected beam that causes extreme shadows and in so doing more places that I can’t see. The xenon/halogen bulbs tend to fill in a little better. Also, I found a 500 lumen unit from Cabelas, which is ok until the lamp craps out. Locals don’t order them, you have to get em from the catalog at $36 bucks, which is roughly 1/3rd the cost of the light. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/something-everyone-should-carry/450393.md?page=3)