# Useful things to have on you every day **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 26, 2008, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-things-to-have-on-you-every-day/474512 "2008-11-26T01:48:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-things-to-have-on-you-every-day/474512/41 "2008-11-27T21:19:43Z")
> [@Runs\_With\_Scissors](#): > > Guitar pick. > > You’d be surprised. Ditto… ---
**Author:** ![atomicbadgerrace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@atomicbadgerrace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/atomicbadgerrace)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-things-to-have-on-you-every-day/474512/42 "2008-11-27T21:23:39Z")
> [@Lo-Slung\_Denim](#): > > Tampons. You can also make friends by being the person with the tampons. The same is true of cigarettes, now that I think about it. ---
**Author:** ![Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dread_pirate_jimbo/32/3897_2.png) [@Dread\_Pirate\_Jimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dread_Pirate_Jimbo)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-things-to-have-on-you-every-day/474512/43 "2008-11-27T21:34:09Z")
On me, I have a little flashlight and a bottle opener on my keyring. And in my change purse, I carry a pocket knife and, in case of first aid emergencies, a pair of surgical gloves and a CPR one-way barrier. Never had to use the first aid gear yet (thankfully), but I use the rest of the stuff all the time. ---
**Author:** ![teela\_brown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d9b06d/32.png) [@teela\_brown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/teela_brown)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-things-to-have-on-you-every-day/474512/44 "2008-11-27T22:46:03Z")
Dental floss. Have you ever had an apple or barbecued ribs or corn on the cob at lunch and then been driven insane all afternoon because you were unable to remove fibers from between your teeth? Dental floss. ---
**Author:** ![Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8edcca/32.png) [@Superfluous\_Parentheses](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superfluous_Parentheses)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-things-to-have-on-you-every-day/474512/45 "2008-11-27T22:56:24Z")
Cell phone Wallet w/ ATM cards Keys Small pocket knife Handkerchief Lighter Bag of tobacco Rolling papers - When commuting: Folding bike Backpack containing: Macbook One or more paperbacks Pen Some paper Bottle of water USB thumb drive Tooth brush Woolly cap Pair of clean socks edit: and sunglasses! useful even in wintertimes when the sun is low and shining in your eyes ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-things-to-have-on-you-every-day/474512/46 "2008-11-27T22:57:06Z")
I always carry a pen and notepad to write down ideas as they occur to me. I also have a pocket-sized video camera that actually films a rather high quality picture in HD, considering it’s size (it’s called the RCA Small Wonder). Never know when something’s gonna bust out that I want to film. Other than that just the standard stuff: wallet, keys, cell phone, and (sometimes) mp3 player. That stuff is enough to fill up my pockets already, and I usually wear _cargo pants_, fer chrissake. I’d like to carry other stuff, like a utility knife or PDA, but I don’t have room, and I’m not about to buy a purse. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-things-to-have-on-you-every-day/474512/47 "2008-11-28T00:14:12Z")
> [@Electric\_Warrior](#): > > The bag I carry every day is full of all sorts of useful things. > > -\ > -Two copies of the US Constitution (it’s a long story…) > -A pirate eyepatch I don’t want to hear the story about the Constitution. I want to hear the one about the eyepatch. ARRGH! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![phil417](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/6bbea6/32.png) [@phil417](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phil417)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-things-to-have-on-you-every-day/474512/48 "2008-11-28T00:32:43Z")
As an associate at Wally world, I carry these in my pockets while on the clock (note: I’m right handed): in left pocket, chapstick, a pen, a quarter (the first day I worked, a teen asked to bum a quarter in the bathroom. I’ve kept at least one quarter ever since). In my right pocket, a baggie w/some trail mix (it keeps me from dragging). Love, Phil ---
**Author:** ![JollyGoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/dec6dc/32.png) [@JollyGoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JollyGoon)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-things-to-have-on-you-every-day/474512/49 "2008-11-28T05:04:07Z")
Roofies and condoms… 😃 (just kidding. Although to be honest condoms do come in useful sometimes and not always for you know what) But seriously, rubber bands, a swiss army knife, my ipod (coz it doubles as a 30gb portable hardisk) a lighter and a pdf reader on my phone to read my favourite e-books. Ooh, and spare change. Always useful. ---
**Author:** ![Mumio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@Mumio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mumio)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-things-to-have-on-you-every-day/474512/50 "2008-11-28T05:08:33Z")
Mini spools of white and black thread along with a couple of needles. ---
**Author:** ![Malienation](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Malienation](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malienation)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-things-to-have-on-you-every-day/474512/51 "2008-11-28T07:16:39Z")
Slight hijack, but how come you can’t get all of the Swiss Army Knife doodads separately, so you could make your own custom knife? I mean, ever look at the huge knives they sell? Always lots of stuff you don’t need, but then again the smaller knives are always missing something that looks handy. Victorinox, I beseech you! Heed my call!🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-things-to-have-on-you-every-day/474512/52 "2008-11-28T07:27:39Z")
They have several models. Choose the one that has the doodads you want. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 11:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-things-to-have-on-you-every-day/474512/53 "2008-11-28T11:33:10Z")
Because if you made one yourself you know you’d end up with [this](http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/tools/8b97/). (ohh… well I might need this… and if this happened I might need that… and that would be pretty cool…) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/useful-things-to-have-on-you-every-day/474512.md?page=2)