Always prepared? Somewhat prepared? Quickly postpared?

[Vidar]

I gave up on the always prepared concept long time ago. There are just too many variables and too much to always carry.

So my lowered ambition is to just be prepared for the most common tasks a small tool(set) can handle. Say the usual expected tasks - anything unexpected, rare or needing big tools will possibly be unsolvable on the spot. That is a trade off I'm ok usually ok with.

If I'm far away from the workshop then my carry will include more, and be more task specific. Near home it is more about the convenience of not having to go get a (better) specialized tool. Which brings me to being postpared (?) rather than prepared: When specialized or heavier tools do need to get involved I've come appreciate having things fairly organized so I can actually find the needed tools quickly. Overall that has saved me lots of time, and likely equally or more important than the convenience of having a tool in the pocket. (I know because when I can't find something the hours tend to fly by looking).

I might have lost the plot here somewhere, but well, I'm posting anyway! 

[dmattaponi]

Over the years I’ve gone from carrying everything but the kitchen sink to a SAK, single cell AA flashlight, and a pen.

[AzteCypher]

I'd say I'm postpared around the house but I'd say very lightly prepared when I leave the house. 

[Vidar]

Over the years I’ve gone from carrying everything but the kitchen sink to a SAK, single cell AA flashlight, and a pen.

I'm just hopeless with pens. I keep leaving and loosing them everywhere. On the flip side I have picked up some random ones too.. Despite my best intentions pens are not around when needed, or with the twist of being there but not actually writing. (Pencils help). Then there is the common issue of having something to write or scribble notes on... Weirdly I clearly need detailed planning ahead when intending to write with a pen. This is one area where cell phone notes helps at times. (I have been known for sending SMS or emails to my future self. Doctor, is that normal?) Cell phone is useless though for actually writing on packages or objects of course.


Sounds like we are similar that way AzteCypher. With the car often being somewhere in the middle.

[dmattaponi]

I'm just hopeless with pens. I keep leaving and loosing them everywhere…

Yeah, I’ve lost count of how many Fisher Bullet Space Pens I’ve lost through the years.  Mostly because I leave them behind on a desk I’ve been working at, or because someone asks to borrow my pen, I then get distracted and they carry it off when they leave.  Interesting, the ones I’ve left behind always get picked up and carried off quickly before I can get back to the room, while junkers that get left behind will sit there for months until someone throws them away.

[IMR4198]

   Before MTo, I would carry one pocketknife.  Almost always a 108mm SAK.  GAK actually.  No pens, lighters, notepads, or flashlights.  After MTo, I often carry whatever is appropriate for a challenge (if I am in one).  Otherwise, it is always just one SAK or maybe an Opinel or something.  Still no pens, lighters, notepads, or flashlights. 
   I do carry a phone and keys, etc.  I have tools in the vehicle and tools at home.  If I am out walking around, I carry some things in a belt pack.  That stays at home if I am in public.  I wear a watch when I am not at home.  G
 

[Alan K.]

I am always prepared, except when I'm not.  I've proven over the years that the odds I will need a multitool increase exponentially when I don't have one with me.
   

[nate j]

Being prepared for anything/everything all the time is impractical at best, impossible at worst.


What I carry mostly falls into at least one of three categories:

1.  Pareto Principle Gear - This is the small amount of stuff that I count on to help me solve a majority of problems.

2.  High Severity, Low Probability Gear - This is stuff I have low odds of needing, but the consequences of needing and not having are severe enough that it’s worth carrying anyway.

3.  Mission Specific Gear - Pretty self-explanatory, but making sure I take along anything that I don’t already normally carry but might be needed for the day’s planned activities.

[ThundahBeagle]

I carry a Leatherman Rebar daily, everywhere I can.  That's more than 95% of people are prepared with.

Pen, yep.  Carrying my own sure came in handy during COVID,  whether a Parker Jotter or Fisher Bullet Space Pen, I dont lend them out.

Spyderco Native 5, where allowed.

Tinker Deluxe or Huntsman.

My truck can carry untold treasure that is usually dormant.  But that time "x" is needed, I often have it.  Water.  3 days of food.  Space blanket (the original), change of clothes, old 100 piece Craftsman tool set, axe, hatchet, Mexican horse blanket, ryobi air compressor, chainsaw, ryobi drill and bits, NOCO  lithium jump pack. Rope, ratchet straps...
- - and that's just every day.

I know what I was missing when I was stuck trying to get home during the floods and I'm trying to make sure I keep at least those things in the truck.

Theres also the time a coworker came to me and said "everyone I asked for help told me to come to you.  Can you help me? My car wont start."

Got the car started and gave some sage advice.  And I gotta say it was nice the younger generation saw what can be done, and was nice to be thought of in that way

[Vidar]

2.  High Severity, Low Probability Gear - This is stuff I have low odds of needing, but the consequences of needing and not having are severe enough that it’s worth carrying anyway.

I found these to be very hard to predict as there is often an entire chain of things that can go wrong. But I do try too.

Somewhat related the high severity with low probability logic is also why I've spent more for higher end power tools. The cost of a needed tool not missing but failing, and possibly messing up an entire task and overall time schedules, could easily cost more than the price difference of the tools. (At home that is less critical so I do have my cheap branded ones there

[Vidar]

My truck can carry untold treasure that is usually dormant.  But that time "x" is needed, I often have it.  Water.  3 days of food.  Space blanket (the original), change of clothes, old 100 piece Craftsman tool set, axe, hatchet, Mexican horse blanket, ryobi air compressor, chainsaw, ryobi drill and bits, NOCO  lithium jump pack. Rope, ratchet straps...
- - and that's just every day.

The space for such is one of the reasons why I'd one day like a pickup - or one of those compact campervans. If I try to put all that into our car I fairly sure my wife would somehow find that unacceptable. Like her passengers don't enjoy sitting between axes and chainsaws!  In winter though I have a fairly decent pack in the back of the car, and that has been used a few times. Usually to drag someone else back on the road again, or extra warm clothes and supplies if having to wait out a closed road or storm.

I once helped a fellow student having a flat battery. It was a gasoline car with manual gearbox, as most where those days, and he happened to be parked so he pointed downhill. Somehow he had missed the concept of downhill starting. He was very sceptical about the concept, but not much too loose, so he rolled downhill and released the clutch. After getting his car going he looked at me like some mystical car whisperer. That felt very wrong indeed.

[nate j]

I found these to be very hard to predict as there is often an entire chain of things that can go wrong. But I do try too.

Somewhat related the high severity with low probability logic is also why I've spent more for higher end power tools. The cost of a needed tool not missing but failing, and possibly messing up an entire task and overall time schedules, could easily cost more than the price difference of the tools. (At home that is less critical so I do have my cheap branded ones there

For me, high severity low probability gear that I carry or may carry on my person includes a pistol, tick key, bear spray (in grizzly country; I don’t bother in black bear territory).

I think your example of being prepared to spend a winter night in your car is a good one for this category.  I try to do the same.
 

[ThundahBeagle]

The space for such is one of the reasons why I'd one day like a pickup - or one of those compact campervans. If I try to put all that into our car I fairly sure my wife would somehow find that unacceptable. Like her passengers don't enjoy sitting between axes and chainsaws!  In winter though I have a fairly decent pack in the back of the car, and that has been used a few times. Usually to drag someone else back on the road again, or extra warm clothes and supplies if having to wait out a closed road or storm.

I once helped a fellow student having a flat battery. It was a gasoline car with manual gearbox, as most where those days, and he happened to be parked so he pointed downhill. Somehow he had missed the concept of downhill starting. He was very sceptical about the concept, but not much too loose, so he rolled downhill and released the clutch. After getting his car going he looked at me like some mystical car whisperer. That felt very wrong indeed.

Car Whisperer

Not your fault they dont know.  Should feel good to dispense know-how.

Truth: I dont NEED a full size GMC Sierra K1500 for my commute but living in a log cabin, it comes in handy transporting lumber cord wood or brick for whatever home projects.

When in Laugavartn Iceland last December at restaurant Lindin, across the lake from Hekla volcano, the owner had an old Landrover at the roadside with signage on it, but was driving a VW Anarok, akin to Chevy Colorado,  Ford Ranger,  Toyota Tacoma. It was small enough, nimble for city driving, had 4 doors for passengers and a back bed for transportation of materials and tools  Oh, and a multi-link rear suspension. Nice choice, methinks.

And after coming out of the frigid, rugged, Thingviller continental rift national park, and taking a subsequent drive, that was the best dang tomato soup I've ever had!

[Vidar]

Most students at the time, me included, were close to dead broke. Thus any car at all would usually be technically challenged in various ways. I remember a particular one where the cooling system had failed. Still worked in winter though - every few kilometres I would just have to stop, open the bonnet, shovel in some snow on top of the engine and keep driving. Repeat until arrival.

Or the manual rain wiper for lack of working wiper motor: A string through a slightly open side window connected to the end of both vipers and then to an elastic rubber attached to the other side window. Pull to wipe, release to return - on a positive note I've never had such total control of the actual wiping action. Worked, but with a stick drive you could do steering, gearing and wiping at the same time..

We think of the VW Anarok as decently sizeable pickup around here. Icelanders have a thing for upgrading their pickups and 4x4 into terrain monsters with personal touches. Nice country, nice people, and a language that a Norwegian can still understand some of. I believe Icelanders understand much more the other way around though - and that the same goes for Swedish and Danish. (You might get a lot of Scandinavian languages for free learning Icelandic?).

[ThundahBeagle]

Most students at the time, me included, were close to dead broke. Thus any car at all would usually be technically challenged in various ways. I remember a particular one where the cooling system had failed. Still worked in winter though - every few kilometres I would just have to stop, open the bonnet, shovel in some snow on top of the engine and keep driving. Repeat until arrival.

Or the manual rain wiper for lack of working wiper motor: A string through a slightly open side window connected to the end of both vipers and then to an elastic rubber attached to the other side window. Pull to wipe, release to return - on a positive note I've never had such total control of the actual wiping action. Worked, but with a stick drive you could do steering, gearing and wiping at the same time..

We think of the VW Anarok as decently sizeable pickup around here. Icelanders have a thing for upgrading their pickups and 4x4 into terrain monsters with personal touches. Nice country, nice people, and a language that a Norwegian can still understand some of. I believe Icelanders understand much more the other way around though - and that the same goes for Swedish and Danish. (You might get a lot of Scandinavian languages for free learning Icelandic?).

Yes sir. I remember being younger and having to put my head out the side window like an old time train conductor during a snowstorm because my windshield defroster conked out, ha ha.

I love your windshield wiper hack!

While I have always liked the small to midsize pickup trucks, they are like Subaru to me - something I admire and love but so far have not actually owned.  Uncanny.  Someday...to both of those things.

Iceland was one of the most magical places I have been.  Similar to parts of Yellowstone in Montana and Wyoming.  But fewer trees.  Of course, it is European and an island, so the vehicles tend to be smaller -except those giant glacier-roaming monsters!

I was surprised how many Toyota Land Cruisers I saw vs how few Toyota 4Runners.  The 4Runners are smaller and theoretically more efficient.  I was also completely taken aback at how many GMC Sierra k1500's I saw.  True, not many, but enough where I was scratching my head as to who had convinced the right person that some license for those vehicles was absolutely needed, and who the importer was.

Like Prince Edward Island, the people of Iceland were some of the nicest people I have ever met in my life.  And the adventures and sights - magnificent.

To top is all off, our last day there we were in a little courtyard getting ready to leave when Lady Beagle wanted a picture, and a selfie would not do.  She asked a man a little older than ourselves who was passing by if he could take the picture.  He was well dressed and very polite, and was happy to oblige.  He took our picture then we asked if we could take one with him, and he also obliged.  As is my custom, I ask a friendly person thier name and he said "Hebbie."

Yes, THAT Hebbie.

[LoopCutter]

What a great read!  This made my Sunday morning!

For my adult life, “being prepared”, is my style.

Since college my career has been field service and repair of electronic equipment.
Started with the 2nd largest computer firm at the time, and just found a knack being the guy to receive the call to repair and maintain equipment.   Car was outfitted with a general tool grip, but then added tool kits for specific gear; printers, disk drives, tape stands. Each requiring different tool sets…

Then one day, I outgrew that world, actually that world faded away.  I moved into construction, parking control equipment, garages (car parks), controlled parking lots. Maintenance, and installation.  Thus LOOPCutter name.

That was when I discovered a LM SUPERTool 300, at Lowe’s, half price. $40. A tool I did not know I needed but felt drawn to buy it.   Best gut decision for new career.

The ST300 was fitted to my belt every day, not my main tool, yet it saved me so many steps to my truck to gather up specific tools.

I often had walking meetings with property managers, taking notes of issues they experienced,  as gates not closing, counts being incorrect, comm fault with a gate, entrance ticket dispenser (spitter), etc.   when we were done, they would leave me, because they were where they needed to be, and I was 4 or 500 hundreds from my truck and needed to follow the path I just walk.

With the ST300 and my access keys on my belt, I could inspect and quite often repair many items discussed on the return trip.  Loose wire connections (hot/cold) causes issues, an adjustment to a micro switch against a follower cam, a jammed ticket in a spitter throat, or clear dust from photo sensors.   Many times 70 to 80% of the issues called out were fixed on the return walk.

Then I discovered the REBAR, a smaller identical little brother to the ST300, and it became my home front companion.

My work at that time required typically 5 days a week travel, leave home Monday morning at 7AM, returned home Friday night between 6 - 9 PM.   Then retrieve my pickup and arrive home after parking work truck in the shop after run through the car wash.  Ready for new week where ever I was sent.

[Dutch_Tooler]

Nice to see different takes on the question. I'll throw in my mix.

Spoiler: it depends. More specifically, on what I'm planning to do and where I intend to travel, the latter point having become ever more relevant in recent years.

Examples: I was happy I brought a SwissChamp (just about the largest item allowed) as checked baggage on my current trip, which includes a cruise between two North American countries. My wife's eyeglasses fell apart as one stem screw came loose. Lucky to find it on the floor (it is really really tiny, M0.4 I guess), I then proceeded to whip out the SwissChamp, extract the micro screwdriver and refasten the screw, saving us a trip to an optician and, incidentally, impressing the wife. Also comes in handy when you want to cut off the 7 excess washing labels from a shirt. I don't bring any of the more exotic MTs or modded tools on trips involving flights and cruising, lest they be lost or impounded.

At home, I don't carry as such anymore, but I tend to have various tools in strategic locations around the house - most likely to be used at the moment is a Swisstool X (upstairs - with pocket clip, from before Vic started offering one - some of you may know this one ) and a combo between my Alox Cobalt Constructor and an Arc downstairs. There is also an old Roxon in the motorcycle bag, and I usually put a Swisstool in the glove box of the car. When cycling, I have a dedicated no-name cycling multitool. When walking the streets, I don't usually carry any MTs or SAKs any more - for lack of necessity, and also lately because some city zones and most public transport hubs have become off-limits to any knives.

The rest of my modest hoard sees little use at the moment. I may need to find better uses for these.

[BPRoberts]

Day to day, a lot of it depends on the challenge I'm on. It's a lot easier to be prepared for 99% of stuff if I'm carrying a Rebar than a Buck 110. I do keep a small multi on my keys and a few gadgets in my wallet, and I'd say I'm "mostly prepared" with that. I have a full size multi (Gerber MP600 Bladeless to avoid issues) in my work desk, and several stashed at home, in the cars, etc. which allow me to be "quickly postpared" by walking down the hall.

[Antti Lammi]

When im not on challenge i tend carry PST2 or Spirit also i have micra and rambler on my keychain just in case i need them but those rarely see action on outside.