What did you carry when it mattered?

[GearedForwards]

This question is aimed at those that have:

- Served in some form of military and been deployed

- Served in some form of responder role (police, paramedic, firefighter)

- Work in a job that naturally takes them to very remote areas (for some reason I keep thinking of Oz with this  )

- Have been away from a place where you can easily and readily accessible tool vendors for an extended period e.g. backpacking trip, missionary work etc.

The question is this: what gear did you carry, why, and what were your thoughts on it? Too much, not enough?

Please include all EDC style gear (knife, MT, SAK, pen, light etc.) that you may have carried/do carry. If this is a retrospective answer, please include the years it was applicable so that we know what was on offer at the time 

[Tasky]

I mainly alternated between an Imperial Ireland half-serrated lock knife (pic below), and a knock-off SAK that had a logo shaped like a Q with a cross. Both were pretty much all that was available in the NAAFI at the time (mid-90s), and I also had a small 1" lock knife that I believe was meant to be the little keychain brother of the larger Imperial one. The SAK died quite quickly, though I still have both the knives. I always wanted the issue Clasp Knife but, like the G10 watches, they were rarely actually in stock to be given out.
In all cases, it was cheap kit, with no other option.

Torch of the day was the Mini Maglite AA, which I still have, but wouldn't ever dream of carrying ever again.
Pen was whatever we could lay hands on, usually a cheap biro, or just pencils sharpened at both ends.

[Farmer X]

I deployed twice during my service, in 2003-2004 and 2006. Being in the Navy is a little different, as you're constrained mostly by the space allocated to you; weight doesn't play a role to the extent it would for a soldier or a Marine. Inability to replace lost or broken equipment is still an issue, as the ship's store carries a limited stock (if any at all), and you have to be very lucky to get gear issued to you anymore.

That said, I kept it simple back then: a knife and/or a multi (Mr. Pinchy or a close relative of his was popular at that time), paired with a pen and a 2-AA MagLite. The MagLite never let me down. The multis did pretty well for themselves as well. Two knives jump out at me: a Case rigger's knife and a Kershaw Chive. The latter is the only knife or multi I've lost while carrying; the little smurfbird wriggled out of my coveralls pocket not long after I got it and was claimed by USS Peleliu.

As far as pens go, tactical pens weren't a big thing back then (at least not that I can recall), and I wasn't about to shell out for a fancy pen. Whatever was cheap worked well for me. These days, I think I'd favor a Zebra pen.

[kkokkolis]

I had my Swisschamp during serving in the army (Army Air Wing and Special Forces, as a Physician though, not a commando) and during my one year of rural medical service on a remote village on the Helmos mountain.
I only knew Victorinox then (1993 to 1998) and Leatherman was just a listing in U. S. Cavalry Catalog for me (my cousin from Virginia was serving in Germany during the final days of the Cold War).


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[Farmer X]

I only knew Victorinox then (1993 to 1998) and Leatherman was just a listing in U. S. Cavalry Catalog for me.

I used to like browsing their catalogs when I was a kid. I wonder what ever became of them?

[kkokkolis]

I used to like browsing their catalogs when I was a kid. I wonder what ever became of them?

Me too.
I was salivating over Buck, Gerber, Aitor, Ka-bar and other brands (the PST did not appeal much to me) that were unavailable then here. Remember, no internet, no e-shops and the dollar was very heavy compared to the local currency. In 1985 I only remember Victorinox and Opinel in our local vendors, and some crude, cheap and awful Chinese monstrosities.

[Fireman]

Firefighter/paramedic from the early 1980s-mid 2000s. These were in my fire coat: Korean side cutting pliers (with snazzy replacement Plasti-dip on one side) and a Craftsman knife that I found in a parking lot.  I had a PST or Paratool on my belt, but that was for everyday stuff in the station.  I have no great rescue stories involving MTs or pocket knives.  Dedicated tools worked better and faster.