Questions

[ewt]

1) What do you always carry with you?

2) What things would you carry with you all the time in order to be prepared for all eventualities? Remember you can only bring as much as you can reasonably carry on a daily basis...

Comments

[damncutekitty.livejournal.com]

In addition to usual purse stuff (wallet, lipstick, hairbrush, etc)
I always carry a pad of paper and a pen to write down ideas, and a pair of pliers. You seriously never know when you might need a pliers and it amazes me how often they have come in handy.

[bob]

1) phone, wallet, keys, travel card holder
2) if the above 4 cant fix my problem im probabaly past caring.

[pink-weasel.livejournal.com]

Other than obvious things like keys, purse, mobile, I rarely go anywhere without a sketchbook/notepad & some pens and pencils. Knitting & iPod are optional!

[shermarama]

Keys, phone, cash, cards, in pockets and at all times. The only exception would be going to a club or gig in clothing with pocket limitations, in which case I usually leave the phone and strip down the rest as necessary. I have something that used to be a torch case that holds the bare essentials and fits down inside a boot nicely. It's curiously exciting to go out now and then without any credit cards or ID, just some cash and a keyring-less key.

If I've got any sort of bag or coat with me then I'll have a bunch of random other useful stuff like earplugs, a drum key, headphones, lots of bits of paper, plastic bags, pens, as well as some less useful stuff, like a leaflet about three tourist walks round Thurso which isn't exactly a requirement on the streets of London. I generally find that's all I need, with the addition of a waterproof hat, a map of wherever I'm going and a bottle of water added as necessary.

If I wanted to be prepared for *all* eventualities I still think a credit card would be one of the most useful things... depending on what I thought the eventualities were I might bring some tools (a couple of good solid screwdrivers and the like, I *detest* those fiddly useless multi-tools) but they can get you into trouble in some places - Jon nearly got barred from a gig the other week for daring to have bike repair tools with him.

[phelyan.livejournal.com]

That icon is ever so slightly disturbing...

[phelyan.livejournal.com]

^ That. Minus travel card holder.

[duncanneko.livejournal.com]

Swiss-army knife (unless I'm going somewhere it might get me in trouble), wallet, keys (with an LED torch on one of them), money, phone. If I'm wearing my coat, add gloves, diary, notebook, pen & pencil.

Tbh, that's about all I could comfortably carry that I might need, though a lighter might be handy.

[arosoff.livejournal.com]

Keys, wallet (containing cash, cards, driving licence), phone, watch.

[karen2205]

1. I always carry:
Bottle of water
Pens, pencil
Diary (includes paper list of phone nos + stuff that would work as scrap paper)
Purse
Housekeys (includes penknife + mini maglite)
First aid kit (includes safety pins, condoms, whistle, waterproof matches + a compass)
Paracetamol/Ibuprofen
Lip balm
Packet of tissues
Deodrant
Mobile phone (sometimes deliberately leave this behind, often have it turned to silent)

Other stuff I carry depends on the time of year
Winter - hat, scarf, gloves, possibly a spare scarf, possibly handwarmers, possibly spare socks/indoor shoes
Summer - hat, sunscreen, prescription sunglasses, possibly lightweight scarf to cover my shoulders,
Hayfever season - hayfever meds

Other stuff again depends on where I'm going/what I'm doing:
ie. blister plasters, spare shoes & socks if I'm going somewhere in heels, small make-up bag if going somewhere I 'ought' to wear make-up, map if going somewhere I don't know well, ear plugs for the Tube, emergency snack if I'm travelling any distance etc.

2. This is difficult, given need to weigh up likelihood of eventualities with quantity of equipment one would need to carry to help with them.

There's what would be helpful to me if caught in a terrorist attack + what would be helpful if my train's three hours late & they're different. On an ordinary day when I'm just walking to & from work, there's very little I couldn't get by walking either to work or to home, so my solution to many unusual eventualities would be 'walk home/to work and fix it there'. I keep stuff like spare shoes + a sewing kit at work for that reason.

If travelling somewhere where I wasn't within walking distance of home/work in addition to the stuff in my original list I'd add:
Emergency high energy snack
Spare underwear + socks
Sewing kit
Battery powered/wind up radio
Hairbrush + hairbands
Toothbrush + toothpaste
Jumper/coat (depending on time of year)
Plastic bag
Map of the area
Paperback
Ball of string
Scissors
Iodine tablets

I think it relatively likely that something might happen that would stop me getting home/to where I was trying to get to. I think it highly likely that I'd be delayed at some point hence book + radio for entertainment. A sewing kit stops expensive 'my trousers have split' emergencies.

I think with that lot I'd be reasonably prepared for all eventualities, I probably wouldn't do too well if I got stuck somewhere at night with no access to shelter, but I can't see that as something that's in anyway likely and I can't think of anything I might carry that would be proportionate to the risk (except possibly for a silver space blanket). I also suspect that if I was in that kind of position, it would be because of terrorist attack or major natural disaster and I wouldn't want to stop moving to sleep, I'd want to keep moving to somewhere safe. If I ended up in a situation where I wanted to cover my mouth (ie. chemical leak/fire) I'd have to adapt something. I wonder what eventualities I've not considered/couldn't adapt to?

[crankles.livejournal.com]

"Always" is tough - there are certain occasions in which I'm dressed up or just running across the street and I don't take my whole backpack. But 90% of the time, I have it, so:
1. Normal purse/wallet stuff
2. Leatherman
3. Caribiner with a small keychain bag, flashlight, compass, bottle-opener, and matches
4. Small firstaid kit
5. Inhaler
6. Glasses, in case I have a contact lens issue
7. Pen and small notebook

Usually I have a travel cup, too, though I often forget about it. Sometimes I have punch blades and a marlin spike, too. I have a stun gun for when I'm walking alone in the foothills.

If I were going to get more thorough, which I plan to, I'd probably stash a few safe protein bars, a space blanket, twine, a few more medical necessities, safety pins, light raincoat, and some damned hair ties, which I'm always lacking when I need them.

[yady.livejournal.com]

1.

• Wallet
  
• Phone (which is half a laptop)
  
• Keys
  
• Bottle of water
  
• Drivers license
  
• Ritalin
  
• Flashlight (with leds), with thermometer and compass attached to it
  
• Aloe vera gel
  
• Hairbrush
  
• Hair elastic
  
• Pocket knife
  

2.

• All I carry with me all the time now
  
• One of my Stupidly Big Blue Backpacks
  
• Small backpack (the one my laptop *just* fits in so I can take selected items with me if I *have* to lose some of my stuff
  
• Change of clothes
  
• Two changes of socks and underpants
  
• A week's supply (at least) of my medications
  
• Food for a day or two
  
• Large bottle of water
  
• Passport
  
• Credit card
  
• Towel
  
• Toothbrush & toothpaste
  
• Small bottles of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel
  
• Contact lens things
  
• Glasses and sunglasses
  
• Mug
  
• Cutlery
  
• Pencil bag (containing pens, pencils, scissors)
  
• Needle and thread
  
• Crochet hook
  
• Screwdrivers
  
• Binder full of paper
  
• At least two books
  
• My laptop
  
• Power supply for laptop
  
• Cable that connects laptop to phone
  
• 'Sports' bag containing swimsuit, shorts, sports bra, t-shirt, running shoes
  
• Small bottle of washing-up liquid
  
• Small container of laundry detergent
  
• Lighter
  
• Bowl
  
• Small pan
  

This would be *possible* to carry around all the time, but not very pleasant - I have carried around such amounts of stuff (though a partially different selection) everywhere, and in the end chose to stop doing so for reasons of keeping my shoulders whole. But I could if I have to.

I probably forgot some stuff, too...

[wombat.livejournal.com]

1) what I always carry.
a) book. cannot face public transport (or any other waiting time) without it.
b) wallets, keychains, mobile, pens, lighter (cigarettes are optional).
c) passport (must be able to show an ID when walking down the street).
d) gloves and bicycle lights in winter (even when not traveling by bicycle, because I will forget those if they're not always in my coat).
e) toy of the day - can be anything, just to keep my fingers occupied. Likely don't even know where or when I picked it up, but can guarantee that there's something extra in my pocket that serves no real purpose whatsoever.

2) what I need to be prepared.
See above.

[cabd.livejournal.com]

1. Wallet and wallet contents
Loose change
Keys
String
Safety pin
Rucksack (almost always, little canvas bag, very beaten up)

2. In addition to above, trowel, good knife and dry clothing. Rekon I'm prepared to survive in the English countryside as long as necessary with those.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

1) My keys and my debit card, and 3 pant liners. There is a compass on my keyring which is more useful than I originally thought it would be after getting lost in the part of London that calls itself the City as if the rest of London is just a very large town, yet cannot even build buildings so that you can see the sun in order to figure out where you are on the map when somebody's stolen all the road signs.
2) A book or some sewing, cash, keys, debit card, pant liners, hair ties and a small hairbrush, a jumper, a spare shirt, a nail file, my mobile phone possibly even charged, plasters of foot-blister suitable proportions, either (magnesium in case I end up in a place where all the restaurants serve nothing but poison) or (chocolate to get me to a more reasonable place where I can buy sensible food from people who can actually cook), a bottle of water, moisturiser for acetone/white spirit/whatever happened lately affected hands. If there is a chance of ending up sleeping somewhere that isn't home overnight, also: spare socks, pills, toothbrush. If I'm going to London: A-Z, Oyster card.

[juggzy.livejournal.com]

1. Phone, camera, chequebook, passport, driving license, keys, purse containing credit card and hole-in-the-wall cards, a book of stamps, a notebook and pen, book, hairbrush, glasses, the clothing I am wearing, anti-allergy tablets. Listing that makes me feel like, I dunno, something I don't want to be.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

And like somebody with a waterproof bag! Last time I carried my passport anywhere (to buy a Great Big Knife) it rained on me, deliberately.

[zoeimogen.livejournal.com]

Ditto with the swiss army knife. :-)

[yellowrocket.livejournal.com]

OK let's see. The Rucksack of Holding travels around with me and currently contains:

address book
phone (out of charge again...)
book
notebook
gloves
keys with swiss army knife
deodorant
folding hairbrush with mirror
stationery kit: glue. scissors, stapler, sticky tape, tape measure, paper knife, ruler, rubber, pencil. All very tiny :-)
wallet with usual contents
stamps
biro
glasses
lipsyl
chewing gum
cheque book
driving licences
blood donor card
sewing kit
everyone's library cards!
LETS cheque book
shop keys (work)
hairband

It's missing a basic first aid kit, a pack of tissues and something to eat at the moment, but I find that covers most eventualities.
Sometimes it also contains knitting and frequently the stuff of family members who've forgotten to bring a bag of their own :-)

[vashti.livejournal.com]

1. Purse. 2. Door keys. 3. Cloth shopping bag(s). If going to be travelling, 3. PDA with games and ebooks, or a book. If likely to rain, (4) tiny raincoat and hat.

But then, I'm always, always within walking distance of my home. If home is no longer there on my return, item 1 gets me to my mother's home in the next county. If my home and my mother's home are no longer there, I can't carry my tent with me at all times.

I should probably revise this list a little.

[juggzy.livejournal.com]

Ha! I have a black leather rucksack which is probably The Last Bag I Shall Ever Buy, spurious capitalisation aside. So I carry that, obviously. I bought it in Cape Town about ten years ago, and it is thoroughly sturdy and will never break down. I wish I could do something about the way it currently smells like the inside of a vacuum cleaner, though.

It may be worth a return fare to Cape Town to get a replacement.

[dizze.livejournal.com]

Ditto,

although as for 2) i always felt i would be first up against the wall shoudl the revolution come.

[403.livejournal.com]

1) Always: Waterproof backpack, a book to read, a 1L bottle of water, pens & pencils. Wallet (chained to my jeans 'cause I forget it otherwise) with the usual stuff, including 2 photo IDs. Keys D-clipped to either wallet or jeans.
Usually: Textbooks for one or more classes, a laptop.
Stashed where I'll have access to them most of the time: Tea making stuff, cans of soup.

2) The stuff listed under "Always", plus the lightest of my laptops, a sleeping bag, a change of clothes (doubles as a pillow), a jacket appropriate to climate & time of year. Trail mix and/or jerky. Dental hygene stuff, plus my retainer. Battery-free flashlight (http://www.nightstarflashlight.com/customer/home.php). And my martial arts forms manual, if I expected to be out for any length of time.

..Or did "all eventualities" not include urban campground scenarios?

[403.livejournal.com]

Stuff that I forgot the first time through:

The backpack by default contains random useful stuff like parcetamol, plastic bags, hand moisturiser, etc.

Under 'all eventualities' belongs any medications I might be taking at the time, feminine hygene supplies, a hairbrush, a miniature sewing kit, a notepad, a small sketchpad (notepad-sized but non-ruled paper), an aluminium mess kit (yay for having camping gear lying around), a small bottle of isopropyl, water sterilisation tablets, and a lighter. Maybe a waterproof container of baking soda, depending on how long I expected to be needing stuff under the 'all eventualities' header.

[khalinche.livejournal.com]

I generally have the following: keys (which have a penknife attached), phone, money (not cards), toilet paper (you usually have to bring your own to the toilet in bolivia), my inhaler and a notebook/agenda and a pen. I often carry an umbrella or a jumper/jacket too. If I'm on the road, I generally have a little something to eat.

If I were in London, I'd probably say keys, cash, cards phone and travelcard and probably a book too.

[chenderson.livejournal.com]

1, winter edition: knife, change, itty bitty notepad, pen/pencil/both, debit card, shoppers card, student ID, leather gloves, keys.
Often: hat, laptop, laptop power cord, notebook, black pens, red pens, pencils, erasers, Latin dictionary, textbooks, purse (passport, more pens, more notepaper, driver's licence, health card, photocopies of family passports, epi-pen, ventolin, meds for the crazy, more change, old tests, bus schedule).

1, summer edition: knife, change, itty bitty notepad, pen/pencil/both, debit card, student ID, driver's licence / student ID, keys.
Usually: kitbag (hat, sunscreen, bug spray, flashlight, trowel, reinforced gloves, straws, dental picks, scissors, duct tape, line level, plumbob, fluorescent-coloured string, white string, multitool - affectionately called "gimpy" after my prof bent the saw on a tree; I need a new one, rain pants, rain shell, hair ties, epi pen, ventolin, meds for the crazy, dust pan, paintbrush, little paintbrush, kneeler, brick hammer, bright yellow poncho, measuring tape, spoons, grapefruit knife, file, pencil, pencil leads, assorted granola bars, 2L of water), camera, film, passport, health card. Sometimes laptop + cord. Often a large shovel (of doom).

2) If I cannot reasonably solve a problem with the stuff in my kitbag I am probably screwed. I know I need a first aid kit in there, and I'd like a watch, but other than that, I wouldn't be carrying around anything else. I mean, if I knew the revolution was coming I would perhaps pack differently. But with my kitbag I am confident that I can solve most tricky dirty problems, and if you cannot solve a problem with a passport and a debit card, or a shovel and a brickhammer, this is probably a problem you should not be tackling without a tank or bushplane, and/or a standing army.

[chenderson.livejournal.com]

And of course I forgot the Advil. I am never without the Advil in the summer. Also, hydrocort and a hairbrush.
(And usually rum?)

[pfy.livejournal.com]

1. Dogs for the escalators.
2. High explosives.

[siliconshaman.livejournal.com]

You know... reading these comments have helped me more in deciding what to put in my gorram messenger bag, than me asking did!

Thanks mate!

And to answer;

1] currently limited to coat pockets;
mobile phone, passport, note pad, 'silverpoint' eternal pencil, space pen, wallet with credit cards money etc, multitool, keys with tiny but mighty LED torch keyring.

2] tentative contents of messenger bag;
all of the above, small tool kit, first aid kit, sewing kit, spare batteries, spare bulbs, solar charger with adaptors, wind-up LED lantern, cable saw, spool of strong garden wire, folding saw, decent knife [perhaps, must check laws on that], fire steel & sealed tin of tinder, waterproof matches/striker, turbo butaine lighter [doubles as blowtorch and soldering iron], good compass, signaling mirror, survival mylar blanket, several 1gal ziploc bags, Nalgene water bottle, steri-pen UV water purifier, UV steriliser wand, Waterproof tubes containing common medicines, energy snacks, caffine tablets, ball of string, deodorant [make sure it's the sort that in combination with hydrogen peroxide makes plastic explosive!], small bottle of hydrogen peroxide,
(because there is no problem so large or complex that the suitable application of high explosives won't solve it!)

I'm sure I'll think of other things, and change stuff around as I go along.

[siliconshaman.livejournal.com]

see below... amazing what you can learn on the internet.

[hennes.livejournal.com]

Ditto, minus watch since I can look at the phone for the time,

[mr_magicfingers]

Always with me, generally means in the pockets of my trousers, which generally means my cargos unless I'm out clubbing when there's issues such as doormen and stuff that need thinking about

Left hip pocket: Hankerchief, lipsalve, phone (which means mp3 player, internet connection etc too)
Right hip pocket: Wallet (money, business cards, debit card, credit card, driving license, oyster card, fisher space pen, tube map, stamps, cck loyalty card, couple of peoples business cards), change, key ring with keys and an led light.
left thigh pocket: several 3x5 file cards which are my organiser, clipped together with a Waterman Expert fountain pen. stereo headset for phone.

I used to always have a pouch with a swiss army knife and a micro maglight, but I don't often carry that nowadays.

If I'm going out and need a coat, then that'll generally be my goretex, with a fleece hat in one pocket and probably the ipod too.

Any other time I'll have my small backpack with me. Contents varies but the small pockets always have the following:
toothbrush and toothpaste, cologne, condoms (you never know when you're going to stay out for a night), pen, paper, laser pointer (for cold sore treatment), lipsalve, plasters, poi, mini a-z, pure jojoba for massaging, nurofen, shades, zipties, usb memory stick.

If I'm taking the laptop then the sleeve and laptop going in the back of the backpack, with a small pouch containing psu, spare hard drive, cables, headset.

If I'm going further afield it will depend on where I'm going and I'll custom build my list depending on destination. Given that I've been to some very dubious place in the past, plus I've done offshore sailing, I'm a pilot and have done overwater flights and also used to commute to work by helicopter, my lists have been interesting to say the least.

If you're interested in some good ideas for preparedness lists, there's only one place to go, http://www.equipped.com/ Doug Ritter is the best source of info, check out his lists from day to day to disaster preparation. This guy is the dogs doodahs!

[hairyears.livejournal.com]

Keys, cards, cash, tissues. And I always have a ticket out of wherever I happen to be: a habit that lives on from some very bad times.

I sometimes forget the other stuff: mobile, diary, Swiss Army credit-card toolkit, antihistamines, biro. If I'm carrying a bag there will be a London A-Z and water, mints, lens cleaner, and in summer some UV protection.

[mr_magicfingers]

Oh and the backpack usually has a book and a bottle of water in it too.

As for survival kits, oh my the stuff we used to have packed for offshore emergencies.... But above all is the knowlege of how to use it. Equipment is useless without knowlege. I've been trained in offshore survival, some wilderness survival, helicopter ditching, inflight emergencies, firefighting, cold and hot weather issues plus a bunch of other assorted stuff that comes in handy.

If you're in an emergency, I'm handy to have around.

[mr_magicfingers]

Ticket is good advice. I ended up getting my Amex card because coming back from Nigeria once, we found our tickets at the airport had been booked but not paid for. No phone connection to use, it was a sunday and not much else to do. One of the crew had an Amex card and just put the lot on it. No credit limit you see.

When I got my card and they asked about usage, I said there would be months where it wasnt' used but if they ever got asked to approve a bunch of flight tickets to the UK from somewhere that looked dodgy, it was probably me and my crew trying to get home again.

I cancelled my amex card last week, can't afford to keep it anymore. That little gold piece of plastic was quite the talisman. I miss it already.

[pfy.livejournal.com]

Yup, we were both thinking of the same proverb :-)

I'm a fairy, not a snail, honest...

[pplfichi.livejournal.com]

1)

Um... Stuff that is usually in my rucksack/on me:

ticket, railcard, scarf, gloves, water/windproof coat, keys, multiple mobiles, USB mobile charger cable, mini-SD card adaptor, PDA, keyboard for PDA, pen, chequebook, paying in book, passport, camera, anti-persperent, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, hair brush, camera, batteries, charger for batteries and international adaptors, meds, spare hair tie, [headphones and mp3 player (most of the time)], [torch (missing, needs replacement)], fold up screwdriver set, [leatherman type of pliers/knife set (lost and in need of replacement)], wallet, flip-flops, spare undies, chocolate.

This is classed as an *empty* backpack (:P)

On top of this, a book is usually carried, as is: fleece is carried/worn if it is or is likely to be cold, and a small ultralight sleeping bag if there's a remote chance I'll need it, and a platypus bag if I want water.

2)

Impossible to be covered for all eventualities, but, stuff I could carry:

Current every day list + waterproof trousers. a better rucksack then what I have at present, fleace. First aid kit, silver back type thermal blanket. (mains/car/etc -> )USB -> everything I have power adaptors, If I had a much lighter laptop, I'd like to add that in, but it would start to make weight hard...

A lightweight sleeping bag, bivvy bag and decent carry mat are technically carry aroundable day-to-day (though not in my present rucksack), but the 2.5kg extra, (and substantial extra bulk) are not justifiable for something I'd never use short of a disaster. I live in a city with 24 (very ish) hour transport FFS. Cool from the snails persective though :P

Starting down the "useful stuff to survive" route will quickly end in something I couldn't carry day-to-day.

Re: I'm a fairy, not a snail, honest...

[pplfichi.livejournal.com]

Add a spork and better knife to 2. above. Can't not have a spork!

And other stuff I've forgotten/can't think of right now.

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

*nog* It's no use having a flint and steel if you can't actually light a fire with it... :)

I grew up in a place that is hot in summer and cold in winter, so I can deal with either of those extremes reasonably well; my 'offshore survival' is limited to things like "how to float" (take clothing/bag/whatever, fill with air and knot the ends) and "curl up into a ball to avoid losing body heat", neither of which are great, but probably put me ahead of 60% of the population. Oh, and "no, really, don't drink salt water". I've done some rudimentary wilderness survival stuff, in that I can forage plants reasonably well, build improvised shelters, make fire safely (although I need practise with both the flint adn steel and the magnifying glass, at the moment I can make a fire but I am NOT an expert and if it's cold I might be in a hurry), build a solar still, and so on. I have absolutely no experience of 'proper' firefighting (just lots of prevention, and a scary experience with candles under a vent in my room that ended in a very smoky-smelling room, but the wool blanket I used to put the fire out was fine), or much to do with flying - I've flown a lot but always as a passenger.

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

You know... reading these comments have helped me more in deciding what to put in my gorram messenger bag, than me asking did!

Thanks mate!

Happy to help! It's interesting stuff.

Tell me more about the 'silverpoint' eternal pencil?

Cigar tubes make good waterproof tubes. So do those tubes that the fizzy vitamin C tablets come in.

Can Nalgene bottles be used for heating water, or would you want something like a small kelly kettle or a hexamine stove?

[lethargic-man.livejournal.com]

This thread is surprisingly interesting.

1) I carry the normal—keys, wallet, 'phone—plus my diary, which contains a map of the UK I ripped out of a previous page-a-day diary, and also contains my address book, and a pen. On work days, add my staff card. On cycling days, pump and repair kit (though obviously only when actually on my bike), and frequently cagoule and waterproof leggings, bundled up. On non-cycling days, a book instead (and optional cagoule).

On Shabbos, this gets whittled down to: keys, Halachic Organ Donor Society (http://www.hods.org) donor card, a couple of personal cards just in case, a card with my Hebrew name on it (laminated for wear), book and optional cagoule.

2)I don't. But I thought I'd quote this anyway: "Remember you don't really own anything you can't carry at a dead run."

[siliconshaman.livejournal.com]

Hmm... I've no idea about the Nalgene's response to heat... It's a high density polycarbonate/lexan polymer, also used in bulletproof 'glass'... means the things are bullet proof. But I've no idea what it's thermal properties are. I don't think it'd burn, maybe not melt, but it would probably discolour and distort at high enough temps... weather boiling water is hot enough I don't know.

The definition of silverpoint is here (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverpoint). But the pencil I use is a modern alloy of exotic metals that works on ordinary untreated paper, doesn't decay or tarnish and can be drawn or written just like an ordinary pencil... actually the mark it leaves looks just like pencil, except it doesn't rub out.

Thing is, it'll never need sharpening or wear out. Unlike a normal pencil.
You can find it here (http://www.i-am-bored.com/bored_link.cfm?link_id=21352) [like I did].

[mirrorshard.livejournal.com]

• Wallet with cash, bank cards, membership cards, and Oyster card
  
• phone (mostly for the time, but also as secondary ID in case I get into trouble and am not conscious enough to inform people myself)
  
• loose change for small purchases or buskers
  
• key wallet with a small penknife attached
  
• handkerchief
  
• boiled sweets and/or energy bars for emergency sugar
  
• probably some spare hair ties and some Lush temple balm
  
• a memory stick attached to the key wallet, containing reminders of places on the interweb I have accounts, and login names thereto, but not passwords; some good e-texts so I'm never stuck with someone else's computer and no reading matter; and a useful program or two
  
• Something to write on - my sketchbook if I have a satchel, a small notebook otherwise
  
• A writing implement or several - which reminds me, I must replace the fountain pen I lost the other weekend
  
• A good book
  

For the second option, I'd want my laptop, a warm jumper, my A-Z or local equivalent, a few more good books, more emergency food, and some lightweight tools. If it gets to the tent-and-sleeping-bag point, I'm screwed on my own anyway, and collective kits are a different matter.