top ten useful low-tech items to have on hand at all times

[JimmyJames]

I don't think this is totally apropos, but I got to think this is of
some interest as I sit in my hotel room trying to repair my
briefcase...if only I had a twist tie! I found one and then I told
myself, I think I'll always keep one of these in a small ziplock. Two
days ago, it was a safety pin.

So upon further reflection, maybe it is apropos to develop a short list
of simple, tiny items to ALWAYS have handy. This is a group about time
management, and part of the efficient use of time is being able to deal
with the little emergencies of day-to-day life. So, what are YOUR top
ten indispensable items to have with you at all times. Would they fit
in a single small ziplock, or better yet the hipster PDA? here goes
nothing:

1. Safety pin
2. Twist tie
3. Small emery board
4. ???

Oh, and here is some obvious criteria

1. Must be really small
2. Not electric
3. Must past TSA security screen

[Norm]

criterion number 3 put the kibosh on my #1 recommendation: a quality pocket knife.

--
                   :: Norm ::
bringing you uninspired signatures since 1995

[S. William Schulz]

On 9/13/05, Norm <norm...@gmail.com> wrote:

criterion number 3 put the kibosh on my #1 recommendation: a quality pocket knife.

Yeah, I was going to mention a Leatherman Squirt, which is carried in my Mission wallet alongside a flashlight, but that might fall short of rule 2.

S

[Justin Lilly]

7 necessities for college life:
1. cellphone
primary tool for maintaining social relationships. This is a
must have for any college go-er.
2. gum/mint
always nice to have after a meal or before going out. I
personally recommend mints as it looks better to suck on candy than be
constantly chewing.
3. asprin
hangover prevention #1
4. condom
Its better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
5. bottle opener
for when your beer drinking spans farther than paying $5 for 24 beers
6. lighter/matches
never know when you'll see a lady who needs a light. Its an
excellent conversation starter.
7. 3 quarters
for calling a friend to pick you up when the cellphone dies
and you don't know where you are


This actually turned into a spiffy list. I may post that to my blog later today.

-justin

(cellphone doesn't meet the non-electric criterion, nor does lighter
match the TSA test. You can, however, carry matches onboard.)

--
Justin Lilly
University of South Carolina
http://www.justinlilly.com

[Mike Brown]

I like my micro photon light (http://www.photonlight.com/) on my keychain. Very handy when you're stumbling in the dark.

Ziploc bags, of course. 4 AA and 2 AAA batteries. I like keeping a nail clipper in my desk drawer for when I get a hangnail. Pad of small Post-its (useful for making quick notes or disposing of flavorless chewing gum). Splenda packets. In my wallet, I always keep a strip of those address labels (imprinted with my name and address, of course) that the charities send to me by way of moral blackmail; useful when I don't want to fill in forms.

[Craig Maloney]

A stapler would be handy (one of those hand-held jobbies), but I'm not sure if TSA would approve.

[Michael Langford]

Things to Carry:
1.Altoids
2.Asprin (In packets, or ingraved)
3.Pocket Knife (not tsa-able, but you know...)
4.Antacid
5.Emergency $21
6.Safty Pin x2 (2 can hold together ripped pants)
7.Twist Tie
8. Zip Tie
9. Pen
10. Paper (Did you know a pocket mod fits in a all-ett walet.....:o) )

You can't carry a condom at all times, the heat fluctuations will make
it extremely likely to break; it would be smarter to not carry one and
abstain until next you meet. What the morning after pill does to a
woman is not pretty, not to mention the risk of disease.

Instead I would suggest putting them with the cologne and nice watch:
you'll take 2-4 with you when you take those.

--Michael


--
Michael Langford --- 404-386-0495
The demon that you can swallow gives
you its power, and the greater life's pain,
the greater life's reply --Joeseph Campbe

[Mike Barretta]

- lighter
- handkerchief

[Steve Holden]

I have carried the following small stapler from Swingline:

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1265309

In my backpack through TSA since 9-11 with no problems.

Steve

------------------------

Steve Holden

Email: sho...@pobox.com

Blog:  sholden.typepad.com

Podcast: www.technewsradio.com

Cellphone: 619-885-1578

[Christine]

Don't forget a bandaid.

Mine worked for emergency shoe holder-together on a trip in Thailand.

[Jeff Kenton]

I apologize in advance for my Douglas Adams reference:

A towel belongs there....

--
A human being has a natural desire to have more of a good thing than he needs.
-- Mark Twain

[dsl]

my list:

1. pocket knife
2. handkerchief
3. chapstick
4. pen
5. planner [moleskine/hpda/whatever you use]
6. asprin
7. antacid
8. altoids

david

[Jorah]

Sewing needle with 8 feet or so of strong thread wrapped around it
(I've sealed this on with a bit of wax in the past). I've used mine
several times while traveling. I haven't been on a plane since '98, so
I don't worry much about TSA...

[Samuel DeVore]

Best thread for heavy duty emergency repairs... Dental floss bar none, saved my bacon a number of times on month long backcounty hiking trips.  Great for fixing paniers for a bike as well.

[Xian Pitt]

things in the momma bag:
1)dental floss- too many times have i wished i could get something out from between my teeth
2)i found these little soap films in a tiny thin container- we once found a dead bat at the park
3)bandaid- always need
4)pamprin- helps all- migraines, bloating, nerves, headache...
5)antihistimine- childrens and adult- allergies abound
6)antibacterial handiwipe- again with the dead bat
7)bug repellant wipe- mosquito-ville
8)bobbie pin- can do anything with this
9)hair tie- and this
10)little foil thing of sunscreen- seriously helpful
11)3x5 card folded- always have a capturing device
12)tiny bull clip- holds it all together
13)short pencil- can't give a 2 year old a pen
14)little foldy scissors i found in the sewing section at the drug store
15)change for the gumball machine
16)antibiotic ointment in a little flat foil thing
17)safety pin
i s'pose all this could fit in a ziplock together. i carry a little suitcase type plastic box that's 2"x4"x2" that opens up in half and reveals other little opening compartments- it is water resistant and all of the tiny stuff goes in there. you can keep all of the medicines seperate and label it with a sharpie- wouldn't be good for a back pocket but would be good for a bag or carry on- and the scissors have made it on the plane to new york and back a few times, and even recently.

[Joe Ganley]

"Mission wallet"?

Great thread!

[Max Smith]

1. guitar picks (2)
2. blank business cards (capture)
3. telescopic ball point pen
4. tylenol
5. antacid
6. $20 in cash
7. $1 in change
8. gum/mint
9. a book (can't count the times I've ended up hung up somewhere and
wished I had something to read)
10. pen or mechanical pencil with a sturdy metal barrel (can be used
quite effectively for self-defense - if you know where to stick it -
and won't be confiscated at the airport)

Max S.

[Justin Lilly]

> 10. pen or mechanical pencil with a sturdy metal barrel (can be used
> quite effectively for self-defense - if you know where to stick it -
> and won't be confiscated at the airport)

behind the trigger of the assailent's gun?

-justin

[Max Smith]

No, in that case I think I would just hand over my ten items and feel
lucky to get away unharmed - but not everybody who means to do you harm
uses a gun.

Max S.

[Soulhuntre]

Heya :)

> -----Original Message-----
> From: 43Fo...@googlegroups.com
> [mailto:43Fo...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Justin Lilly
> Sent: Friday, September 16, 2005 11:20 AM
> To: 43Fo...@googlegroups.com
> Subject: [43F Group] Re: top ten useful low-tech items to
> have on hand at all times
>
> behind the trigger of the assailent's gun?

In my experience (bouncer, police tactis trainer and so on) someoen who
means you harm having a gun in their hands is pretty rare.

In all the other situations, a nice pointy metal stick is a nice thing.



Soulhuntre
----------

http://www.girl2.com - my girls
http://www.the-estate.com - my legacy
http://wiki.thegreybook.com - my project
http://weblog.soulhuntre.com - my thoughts

[Justin Lilly]

well, I didn't mean to be serious. I was actually refrencing a
saturday night live (SNL) episode. Transcript:
http://snltranscripts.jt.org/02/02bsafety.phtml

its towards the end.

-justin

[Edward Vielmetti]

Great thread.

I have a heavy duty waterproof luggage
insert (originally intended for wet swimsuits)
that I've been packing in my backpack
to corral misc. cords and cables. Looks
like I need to pack up a few more things
in it, these are great suggestions,.

(does this all have a place in the 43f
wiki?)

--
Edward Vielmetti in Ann Arbor, MI 48104
+1 734 276 5910
http://beta.plazes.com/whereis/edwardvielmetti

edward.v...@gmail.com
http://vielmetti.typepad.com

[Joe Ganley]

I also keep a few cable ties with me - they're useful for all sorts of
tasks. Just be sure, before you put them on something from which
you'll need to remove them, that you have something with you that will
cut a cable tie!

[Konrad Neuwirth]

Hi everyone,
there's a few non-electronic things (not necessarily low-tech) that
I carry around daily.

1.) small but not tiny Maglite flashlight
2.) my trusted fountain pen (currently, a Lamy Persona that I've been
using for a few years already)
3.) "Fadenzähler" -- still don't know what the english word for that
is. It's a small but strong magnifying glass on a foldout stand with
a metric scale etched in. Good for looking at tiny things, especially
popular amongst typography geeks.
4.) Pocket knife with a few tools
5.) breath mints and caffeine candy
6.) A few coins for supermarket carts
7.) A small set of pills for minor ailments.

The contents of my bagpack can be seen in the "whatsinyourbag" meme on
Flickr, or just glancing through what is at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/konrad/

[Brian Short]

On 9/16/05, Konrad Neuwirth <k.neu...@gmail.com> wrote:
> 3.) "Fadenzähler" -- still don't know what the english word for that
> is. It's a small but strong magnifying glass on a foldout stand with
> a metric scale etched in. Good for looking at tiny things, especially
> popular amongst typography geeks.

In English it's referred to as a "thread counter" or sometimes as a
"linen tester".

--
-Brian

--------------------
Photos - http://www.bshort.org
Blog - http://www.bshort.com

[LeslieH]

Pritt. You will use pritt more than you ever know once you start
carrying it around. From tape type fucntionality to emergency hem
repair, stamps or envelopes gone bad, using it to keep errant necklines
in place (ladies thing, I know but a good thing!) I have a really odd
but specific and super helpful system for keeping all my receipts
together in a non damaging taxman friendly way so they don't float
around my purse, gluing stuff people write on pieces of paper (like
contact info) and hand me into my moleskine, if I have tags that keep
popping up on a new shirt I pritt them down till I can *safely* cut the
stitches at home, (pritt doesn't stain and washes out in regular
laundry so it causes no harm) I can use magazine pages and newsprint as
emergency giftwrap, I can glue artcles or photos I want to save into my
moleskine - and if I intend to have another use for them I just leave a
little "tear" space on them an extra quarter inch i can leave glued to
the page that doesn't affect the part I am saving, and many more things
as well.

[blindmississippi]

Backpackers often reference the "10 Essentials"
Here's REI's list:
The 10-Plus Essentials
Map (in a watertight case)
Compass (plus an optional GPS receiver)
Extra clothing (men's, women's, kids')
Extra food and water
First-aid kit
Headlamp or flashlight (with extra batteries)
Matches (storm proof, or in a watertight container)
Fire starter
Knife (or multi-use camp tool)
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Water filter (or other method of water treatment)
Whistle
Food storage device

A little off topic but this is a fun thread

[Harvey Simmons]

In the side pockets on my backpack, I keep the following:

a few cable ties
electical scissors
a small roll of electical tape
a couple of sandwich-sized Ziploc freezer bags
a black fine-point Sharpie
a decoy wallet (it has pieces of newsprint cut to the size of currency)
a Gerber multitool
a Streamlight LED flashlight
a tiny composition notebook from Walmart
a mechanical pencil
a couple of 6 to 8 inch velcro strips
a 6-foot ethernet cable
2 spare floppy disks
and two small binder clips hooked together

and (occasionally) a couple pairs of extra-large nitrile gloves

I know, I know, the streamlight is not exactly low-tech, but it's too cool to leave behind. Besides, it has come in quite handy when the power has gone out at work and at school.

[Hanky]

You got me on this one - great thread!

Cheap:
1. A few feet of 550 Cord
2. Bandana in neutral gang color
3. Survival Straw (portable water filter device)
4. Folded square of aluminum foil
5. 2" candle stub to go with your matches

AND what I tell my boys ALL the time (if they read this they will roll
their eyes and parrot my words)

1. Gold Coin of choice (Kuggerand, Maple Leaf, etc.) on chain around
neck.
2. Real Rolex watch.

With these two items you can trade your way to some food and a quick
getaway from *any* country - I have the scars to prove it.

Wow this brings back memories!!

[Hanky]

It is late and I forgot the KING of all items - forgive me.

Wrap about 24 inches of duct (duck if you prefer) around your short
pencil - you will NEVER forget it...

I've got a great story of what to do when stuck in the WC without the
requisite papier' --

[Joe Ganley]

A couple more things, now that I actually looked: A magnifying glass
the size of a business card ("Itoya Pocketlens") and a few Oral-B
Brush-Ups (these are emergency toothbrushes: little fabric sleeves that
fit on a finger, with built-in toothpaste on one side).

I keep a lot of this stuff in a zipper pouch in my planner, which
imposes the additional restriction that it be pretty flat. A friend's
dentist gave her some dental floss in a container like a thick business
card, but I haven't been able to buy such a thing for purchase.

[kjelleman]

Max Smith wrote:
> 1. guitar picks (2)
> 2. blank business cards (capture)

In what kind of shop do you find blank business cards? I've been
looking just about everywhere!

(I write "what kind of shop" as we might live in the different
countries and so probably I don't have access to the same shops you
have.)

/Kjell

[Emily Mann]

if you do a search for "flosscard" you will find several purveyors

[Nansense]

Without thinking in terms of true survival situations, here are my
handbag necessities:
kleenex (travel pack)
bandaids (also in a commericial travel pack; you can fit lengths of
dental floss and other small items in the pack)
lip balm with sunscreen
couple paper-wrapped throat drops
wallet containing driver's licence, insurance info, small bills and
coins (a given)
Swiss Army pen (company that makes the knives now puts one on the
barrel of a pen. Haven't tried it through TSA, but it's passed several
"venue" searches); contains flashlight
spare pair of prescription glasses, with magnetic sunglass attachment
(*cringe* but thankful to have it)
mirrored contact-lens case filled with solution
eye drops
small pillbox with one day's worth of vitamins/prescriptions
travel-size comb
OB tampons
3 x 5 circa (rollabind) notebook. I slip tax-deductable and other
"keeper" receipts into this notebook, and use it to "beam" info to
non-Palm people like an HPDA.

optional but currently carrying:
a lipstick
a card case containing various museum/bookstore/retail "membership"
cards

[Nansense]

Hanky -- I really like your list, especially the Rolex and the gold
coin. But you must tell us the WC story now! Are you saying I should
carry duct tape instead of kleenex?

[kjelleman]

Joe Ganley wrote:

> I keep a lot of this stuff in a zipper pouch in my planner, which
> imposes the additional restriction that it be pretty flat. A friend's
> dentist gave her some dental floss in a container like a thick business
> card, but I haven't been able to buy such a thing for purchase.

For dental purposes, I find Plackers to be a thousand times better than
the regular stuff, and I tried them all. Very easy to bring along too
and would certainly go into your planner.

http://www.plackers.com/

(They should pay me for this commercial! :-))

/Kjell

[kjelleman]

Nansense wrote:

> lip balm with sunscreen

I'm a male, but I must say that the best lip balm in existence, at
least to my knowledge (and lips) is Elizabet Arden's "8 Hour". Its
case (? what do you call the "pack" the stick is contained in?) is
clinically white, which is quite unisex.

And it has a sunscreen.

/Kjell

[Soulhuntre]

So I have been thinking about it... And here are mine, not in specific
order.

1) "leatherman" supertool - an AMAZINGLY useful tool
2) Kershaw serrated edge knife (about 4 inches, folder, lockback)
3) A good watch with strong illumination (I have a G-Shock)
4) wallet : I.D. / credit/ money (including my badge, I train police tactics
and I find it helps in some situations)
5) My cell phone
6) My glasses

Those I >always< have with me (except the knives on an airplane)

My other 4 when I can?

7) My iPaq
8) Cell phoen headset
9) Digital camera
10) USB Flash disk

[Morgan Young]

This list of 10, is my min to carry with me.

-----Original Message-----
From: 43Fo...@googlegroups.com [mailto:43Fo...@googlegroups.com]On
Behalf Of Soulhuntre
Sent: Sunday, September 18, 2005 8:30 PM
To: 43Fo...@googlegroups.com
Subject: [43F Group] Re: top ten useful low-tech items to have on hand
at all times

[Hanky]

If you intend on using the duct tape for *other* purposes you might
want to watch the trailers for "40 Year Old Virgin" as he is having the
hair removed from his chest - same technique....ouchn !! Kleenex -
Schmeenex...

[Nansense]

Kjell - The cylindrical container of a lip balm or lipstick is called a
"tube." But if you apply it with your fingers, it comes in a "pot."

After I posted, I realized I forgot to mention that the size of the
tube is important too. I always look for the smallest ones.

Ah, good old Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream. If I had dry skin, I'd carry
the cream as an all-purpose skin lubricant. It's great for calluses and
cracked skin. And you can use it on your lips, too.

You can see both the cream and the lip balms at drugstore.com by
searching for Elizabeth Arden.