The Things I Carry

The Things I Carry
Originally uploaded by Snak Shak

Photo documentation of the everyday things I carry in my messenger bag or briefcase.

From left to right:

- Dale Earnhardt signature disposal lighter that I found at the airport . I don't smoke, but it's good to have the capability to burn stuff now and then.

- Cheap mechanical pencil from the office. I accidentally bring about 3 of these home a week. Periodically my wife rounds them up from around the house, puts a rubber band around them, and tucks them in my bag to send them back to their native habitat. This one escaped that fate - at least thus far.

- Sharpening steel - this is really nice. I have no idea where I got this, but it's the best knife sharpener in our house. I hope I never lose this thing.

- Titanium spork. Titanium!!

- A nice waterproof ink pen (also from the office, but this one was given to me, so it's not really misappropriation of office supplies).

- A really big USB jump drive with a rubber armoured case. These are handy as hell if you blog or swap photos and files with people. I have two of these, one in my bag and the other at the office.

- Tactical flashlight. This is from Cabella's and it's blindingly bright. It shines white or blue. Why blue? Blue is useful for following blood trails. I have never gotten to use that feature, but it's there just in case I feel like doing that at some point in the future. Good to be prepared.

- A wireless internet USB device. My brother gave this to me for Christmas and I love it. Never to be stranded without the internet again. Virgin wireless, pay-as-you-go, no contract. Freedom, sweet freedom.

- Memory card USB device. This enables me to snarf photos from my camera's memory card on to a PC without a cable and without using the camera's battery. Very handy.

- Lens pen for cleaning binoculars, spotting scopes and sometimes computer keyboards.

- Not visible but very much present is a lens cloth for cleaning my glasses. That's tucked in one of the pockets, behind the flashlight.

All of this fits in a Maxpedition pocket pack, which fits neatly in BDU cargo pockets, messenger bags, etc. I use at least one thing from this pack just about every day of the week.