Nice multitool.. I somehow prefer my victorinox cyberTool (http://www.victorinox.ch/index.cfm?page=350&lang=E), which is a bit heavier I guess..

A link to a paghe describing in detail what your multitool does would be nice (not just the link to the Amazon page). I know, I know, Google is just a shortcut away, but still ...

I myself am too antiquated to compete. I still carry a normal sized screwdriver in my pocket, and when I need some light, I take out my 1-way-gas-lighter. And no, I've never set a computer on fire.

J., good point-- I should provide direct links to all the Squirt "flavors". Updated. I just noticed there's a new E variant which has a wire stripper, too!

I no longer carry a multi-tool, because I know I'd forget to take it out of my pocket/ bag when flying, and I'd then probably be arrested as a terrorist and waterboarded until I confessed to assassinating the princes in the tower in 1483. Pity though - I "miss" it five or six times a month. Are you allowed to carry these things on planes in the US? Or do you have to remember too?

I carry a very similar set of tools in my pocket, but I prefer a Swiss Army Knife over your Leatherman: although the size factor matters, the lack of a corkscrew is a critical flaw, in my opinion.

Wire strippers would be my choice, I can do it with my teeth, a knife or scissors, but it never comes out quite right, especially on those very thin ones.

I carry keys...

As Syd mentioned multi-tools, such a pain at airports now, would hate to lose one cause I forgot to check it.

My wonderful wife got me a Skeletool CX for Christmas, Amazon isn't delivering it until the beginning of February though.

i love the look of that leatherman tool, but here in the UK at lest you are going to run into a few issues cos of the size of that blade,

I need something just like that but without the knife.

On my keychain, I have keys, and a chain.

I don't get why you would need anything else. How many times a year do you need to strip a wire while out of the house and not in a place already equiped for wire stripping?

Yeah, on my keychain, I also have keys & a chain...

All I have on there is a bottle opener opener and a Piglet hanger.

Don't think i've ever needed a flashlight but on the off occasion I might have use for one the display on my phone lights up enough ground to keep me from tripping over overy other obstacle.

I do have a fast 8GB usb stick but no means (other than ductape) to connect it to the keychain coz its design is basically pretty crappy. It's in the same pocket, but not attached.

Also I question why I'd want some micro sized multitool that's basically not gonna feel as good in the hand as a proper tool however good it gets when if i have proper speciliazed tools at close range when working on something?

Kris

Victorinox 'Climber': http://www.victorinox.ch/index.cfm?site=victorinox.ch&page=160&lang=D

Shopping trolley pound token: http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A21178974

Photon Freedom Micro: http://www.photonlight.com/Photon-Freedom-Micro-Keychain-LED-Flashlights-p/fm-led-keychain-flashlight.htm

Lots of clips so I can remove bunches of keys I don't need. I don't need the keys to get into work when I'm going for a run, for example.

Tiny robot (from Muji).

Since I always carry a bag to go to college I do not have a key chain, only a external hard drive case with a 7200 rpm hdd. It's a pain in the ass having to connect it in the power supply, when will power usb be usable?

The only problem I've found with the Flash Voyagers is the USB connector breaks off easily. I've seen it happen 3 times over the last few months - so be gentle with it.

Three keys and a flashlight.

I've always wondered why people carry USB drives. I mean, I used to tote floppies around back in high school, but now there's the internet.

Forgot to mention:

I don't carry a 'thumb drive' but I have my mobile 'phone, which has a memory card in it, in case I need to transfer something and don't have an Internet connection. This is an extremely rare occurrence.

I have:

- keys

- a collection of those little identity-sucking passcards that get you 10 cents off an item in exchange for data on all your shopping habits

- a couple of soft plastic advertising thingies so I can hold the keychain with my teeth when my hands are full.

Bad Mother Fscker. Nice.

Myself:
Brookstone LED flashlight.
Sandisk Cruzer 2gb
Standard Bottle Opener.

Thanks for the post.. I think my keychain might get heavier....

- A 4GB memorystick with the full PortableApps suite from http://portableapps.com/ + the JungleDisk usb-client
- Leatherman Charge Ti on my belt
- Fenix L1D on my belt

oh, and my keys too.

Keys and a small LED light I got for free.

I don't get the 4-8GB USB drives. How often do you stick 4GB onto it? How often do you transfer more than 256-512MB from one place to another? I'd really like to know what you drag around that is that big.

Obviously there's the geek factor in going for newer & bigger, but do you actually stick that much data on there that you use?

Regards
Fake

- I have a Buffalo 4 gig memory stick with the same as Shrike, Portableapps, Jungledisk client and an assortment of other useful tools. Anti virus, anti spyware etc etc.

- A Swiss+Tech "Utili-Key". Handy little tool, not as many built in tools as a Leatherman, but looks enough like a key that I can get into clubs without a second thought.

- A Traser Glowring. This is very handy if like me, you have a very dark flat or apartment.

- A pound coin thing for shopping.

I surprised myself and found this article very interesting, especially the Fenix LED vs Maglite. I'm now going to investigate purchasing a Fenix flashlight, even though I don't bloody need one. Curse my easily-led nature!!!

The only thing annoying about my keyring set is the size of my car key. It's massive, just so the key can operates like a flick-knife. Actually, there's probably enough room to integrate a super bright LED + AAA battery. That'd be cool (well as keyrings can be I suppose...)!

I hope you're encrypting anything you put on that USB drive. I'd hate to read a news item about how some guy with a blog lost 8GB of proprietary data (or maybe some SSNs!) when he forgot his keys somewhere. [g]

There's a couple of secure flash drives on this page:

http://www.everythingusb.com/hardware/Storage/USB_Flash_Drives.htm

I have an SD-with-integrated-USB card on my keychain. It actually comes with a neat keychain hanger. It's pretty tiny and plugs into any machine with an SD or USB slot (basically, every machine ;).

http://www.sandisk.com/Products/Catalog(1096)-SanDisk_Ultra_II_SD_Plus_Cards.aspx

It contains a bunch of utilities and a few scripts so I can take my favorite tools with me wherever I go. Very useful when I get called to family because their computer's stuffed with malware again.

Um.. car fob (w/integrated key), house key, work fob. I have a tendency to carry a small Swiss Army knife (as in, about 1.25 inches folded) which was a freebie from Newbridge back in the day. If I need more than that, it's time to get the toolbag.

I don't like a bunch of stuff bulging out the side of my pants (or do I?) So I can't keep that much crap on my keychain. I have a leatherman micra as mentioned in the post, I love it although wouldn't mind upgrading to the squirt at some point. Other than that it's just 3 keys (house, truck, work). I got remote start on my truck and the remote drives me nuts, I had to put it on a seperate keychain so i could leave it behind in my jacket pocket.

So I understand about it being a battle trying to choose what gets the privilege of riding in your pocket :)

You are using a lithium battery in the flashlight, right? In addition to longer battery life, you'll notice that the lithium battery is significantly lighter than it's alkaline equivalent.

Poor me... I don't have a keychain

A lot of people seem to wonder why you'd carry a USB thumb drive. I use one for backups of certain data. (Essentially everything except my media files because they are too big.) I use TrueCrypt to keep it secure. It has come in handy a number of times. USB drives aren't just for moving files between two machines...

As martinD said, the http://images.google.com.au/images?q=utilikey Utili-Key is a damn fine addition.
I don't know why you wouldn't add one on there, 2 (flat-head) screwdrivers, a serrated/flat blade, bottle opener & philips head screwdriver - and it looks just like any of your other keys!

I've just got 3 keys and a utili-ley, and that does the job for me.

Although I'm seriously considering grabbing one of those LED-lights.

I notice you lost your lid for your USB drive...
Make your own! See: http://ultra-dionysus.blogspot.com/2007/05/usb-memory-drive-lid-diy.html

What's the point of having a 8/16GB memory stick - well, encrypt it (TrueCrypt) and you can have it as a backed up 'central' store of all your data/MyDocuments etc. ALWAYS with you (OK, maybe not your complete MP3,DivX collection but everything else).

I've written a small program to access the data that takes my password and kicks off a few RoboCopy scripts to back itself up to the host PC (if its my home PC/work PC). - I can't access my data until it starts the backup script!!

The home pc and work pc are then both separate mirrors of my data in case I lose my USB drive.

just an electronic key for my prius. not even a key chain on my key chain, actually. everything else, including house key, is in my laptop bag.

I have a Leatherman tool as well, one of the double-folding ones, but I carry it in a holster. How many people would rather carry it in the holster vs on the keychain? (It just "drives" me crazy to hear the keys jingling and swinging when driving.) The only key I carry is for my car. I use a keypad to get into my house and other buildings. All hail Simplex keypads!

What a surprise... my keychain comprises of keys... but I will add that I D-link my keys to my wallet which all fits nicely into one pocket. Nice to have them attached as they can often be of equal importance.

Seven keys--one of which is the big-car-key-with-buttons--on a plain metal ring.

hahah, uncanny, thats almost exactly what i have on my chain. different brands of course, but the combination is there!.
Also a word of warning, i attribute the recent failure of my Cars ingnition lock to the weight of the dangling keychain - its quite heavy and i imagine the stress of it swinging around in my car eventually took its toll on the locking mechanism. :( beware of keychain overload!

I'm kinda minimalist on my keychain - only keys, no fob or other miscellany. I just don't like the added bulk in my pocket.

But I do always carry my beloved & trusty Squirt P4 in my left front pocket. And I have a tiny, tiny, little OCZ Mini Kart 1GB flash drive loaded with PortableApps that I keep in my wallet. (The pressure and/or heat have never seemed to bother it and I've carried it this way for nearly 2 years.)

I don't usually carry a flashlight, but now that you've turned us on to the Fenix LED, I'm awfully tempted to start doing so...

"the Squirt is a far more versatile multitool in almost the same form factor and weight. "
Hmm... According to Amazon from the link you provided, the Squirt is 2 pounds.
Bad Motherf#$%er, indeed.

"So what's on your keychain?"

Err... Keys?

"and why?"

So I can lock and unlock my appartment door?

Sometimes you people really scare me.

On my keychain: two keys, a St. Christopher medal and an elastic band for tying my hair back in windy conditions. USB drive is in my work bag. I used to carry a smallish Swiss Army knife in my pocket, but lately I've found little use for it, and I don't want to have problems when I visit client offices with metal detectors (some NYC financial firms).

All I have on my key chain is a bottle opener (and some keys, obviously).

Thank you, you opened my eyes.

I have 2 keychains. This was my current solution to the key chain problem.

I'm sure nobody will take the time to read this, but here's my comments: http://mkenyon2.blogspot.com/2008/01/keychains.html

A few people mentioned not using multi-tools because of airline stuff. My girlfriend had this thing on her last key chain where she could press a button and take the car keys off of the rest of the chain. It was great for when she wanted to loan me the car. Anyway, if anyone knows where someone could get one of those, or even what they are called, that might fix that situation rather nicely.

I can't live without a full size Leatherman though some of those little ones look cool. Beyond a few keys, I swap gear out so much there isn't anything I'd call my "everyday" items.

"As Syd mentioned multi-tools, such a pain at airports now, would hate to lose one cause I forgot to check it."

That happened to me once. I basically had to check my carry on bag.

"I don't get the 4-8GB USB drives. How often do you stick 4GB onto it?"

Well, 8GB = 8 billion bytes or 7629 mega-binary bytes, minus space for the file system and random crap the OS puts on there, and minus that 100 MB of crap you're not sure what it is but you'd rather not delete it just now... so, yeah, I'd rather have an 8 GB stick and *know* I've got enough space than a 512 MB stick and *hope* I've got enough.

I'm sorry, but I can't stand all that stuff hanging off my keychain. I'm pretty aggressive when it comes to culling things out of the wallet as well. My solution is a man-purse. 8*) Call it a messenger bag if you like. My current bag is the JanSport Paris Messenger:
http://www.amazon.com/JanSport-Paris-Messenger-Backpack/dp/B000FOOX9U
which I picked up for about $30 from eBags.com. Unfortunately it appears they no longer carry it.

Just something worth noting:

Keep your car keys and your house keys/everything else separate. Either that, or make it so they can be easily disconnected from one another so a) when you take your car in to the repair shop, you're not spending 10 minutes separating them, but more importantly, b) so you're not putting all that weight on the ignition column of your car, having it bang around while you drive, scratching/scuffing things up, and having it still be of (easy) use to you should you need to use something IN your car while it's on (usually the flashlight).

Along with my comment about encrypting the contents of these USB drives, this whole blog and comments must drive corporate security people nuts. Personally, if I owned a company that did any kind of software development, I'd treat that source code like De Beers treats their diamonds: anyone entering an area where source code is accessible would strip out of their street stuff, be x-rayed and weighed, put on internally provided clothes and then enter the area. Do it in reverse for leaving. Heck, if someone smuggles a diamond out of a De Beers area, it's a loss of a couple of hundred or thousand dollars. If someone smuggles an 8GB flash drive out with a good chunk of their source code, it could be a loss on the order of millions of dollars. And, I don't even want to talk about bringing in a USB drive that contains malware because someone doesn't believe in anti-virus software.

Note: I don't think I read it from this blog, but there was an article somewhere saying that one of the easiest way to infiltrate a system was to drop flash drives carrying trojan/virus/etc in a public area outside the target company. Employees pick them up, jump up and down exclaiming "yippee!", run into the office and stick the thing into their computer to see what's on it. Ugh. Forget "Coding Horror." We're talking "Security Horror," here.

My EDC items currently include my obsolete cell phone, new 80GB iPod Classic, wallet containing more receipts than money, and my keychain. And what's on my keychain? Why, keys, of course.

Lots of mentions of using TrueCrypt, but I don't people should think encrypting data makes it safe to lose....

I think this commenter said it all: How many times a year do you need to strip a wire while out of the house and not in a place already equipped for wire stripping?

On my keychain, I just noticed, I have a Kroger plus card, despite the fact that I shop at Kroger maybe once a year. If I had some kind of toolkit on my keychain, odds are high I'd completely forget it was there and even if there was some kind of once-in-a-lifetime bizarre emergency that involved required I strip a wire without the aid of my toolbox, I'd end up using my teeth.

USB stick
led torch
Victorinox Climber (used to be a Squirt - until I lost the second one :-( )

To whoever asked "Why a USB stick when we have the internet", check out http://portableapps.com/ - you won't get frustrated using someone else's Windows PC again...

A very similar grouping, but I've gone the budget/size route at the moment. I carry a 4GB Sony mini thumbdrive, a CGAST micro-pliers, and a generic thumb led flashlight.

The reason for the generic all-in-one tool is my forgetful nature. I'm prone to getting to the security check at airports where it's too late to store them in my checked baggage, and throwing away a $7 tool isn't as big a deal to me as a much higher priced (albeit better) tool.

In the same pocket I carry a zippo lighter and a pocket knife, so space is a consideration for me as well.

I've gone a "1up" on ya in that I have a small leatherman that actually has an LED flashlight attached to it. Saves a bit of space, but it is some generic brand I got as a "promo" for subscribing to a handyman type magazine, so I have no clue what to reference it to.

But is anybody else carrying this with them?

Duncan Butterfly Keychain YoYo - http://www.yoyostore.com/dunbutyoykey.html

For some reason, when I'm really trying to figure things out, a few flicks, rocking the baby, and the like seems to help the brain juices. 8^D

Hmmm - maybe because I live in suburbia:

house key
super mail box key
access key fob for work/machine room
Esso/Exxon speed pass
car fob (doors, remote start etc)
car key
2 rsa secureID random number generators

Hey Now Jeff,
You are a 'Bad Mutha'. On my keychain keys & a lucky charm to protect me.
Coding Horror Fan,
Catto

my 'Bad Mutha' references http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000608.html

I've also stopped carrying a keychain knife as I've had 2 confiscated at the airport. Since they're "ecd" I forget it's there before it's too late :(

On my keychain:
house key
work key
car key
Esso Speedpass fob (with a 4.5% discount on gas)
"shock warning" key fob

I my belt pouch:
Fluke LVD1 LED flashlight / voltage detector
Swiss Army Knife ("Mechanic")
some thin line (for tying things up)

A Leatherman that is beautiful? Weak.

I carry a real Leatherman(PSTII), and that has already begun to show its age. I've gone through 2 flash thumb drives, and gave up. 2.5inch external drives work well and fit in my briefcase, where all my other work (digital or analog) belongs.

As for the light... It's nice because it is powerful. Thats the one advantage you have on your keychain which I don't. I opted for the spark plug light found on think geek a while back (http://www.sjdiscounttools.com/stl-61201.html) It contains eyeglass screwdrivers as well. Not as bright as yours, but definitely more geeky. So I just eat more carrots :)

The 8 GB step in flash drives is important to me... Now I can carry a DVD image in my pocket!

Keys and those little store membership cards. Anything more would be too much weight or size to put in my pocket.

My EDC include:
2GB memory stick (Verbatim) - not on key chain
Small pocket knife (Victornix) with scissors, nail file/screw driver & knife blade - not on key chain
House keys with LED flash light, thumb squeeze to operate.

I will look into the Fenix LOD-CE. I have several Leatherman tools, from larger to the Micra, but carry the Victornix daily.

A bottle opener hangs on the camera bag I almost always carry when I'm not on work related outings. which also contains the larger Leatherman, larger Swiss Army knife and the AA Mag lite, oh and the camera, spare batteries, cable release and PDA (iPAQ).

A Superman plastic logo, and... well... keys :-)

Wish I could carry a multitool. But too many places I go won't let you in if you have anything on you that even remotely resembles a blade. So keeping it on my keychain is out of the question.

Which keychain is the question, since I have multiples... The daily driver car one only has the car keys. The weekend car one has a screwdriver (because the coolant hose clamps keep backing off, so I have to regularly retighten them) as well as the car key. The house keyring has a Leatherman Micra plus the house key. I don't use it too terribly often otherwise I'd check into upgrading. :) The airplane keyring just has the airplane key. My work keyring has the work door key and one of those bargain basement LED flashlights...

EDC (during the workweek obviously, since weekends are pretty random) is the daily driver car keyring, the work keyring, and the house keyring.

The Leatherman Skeletool looks awesome,i don't have many keys so a keychain is not really needed now.

Oh wow...my keychain. My keychain is a monstrosity. I have small carabiner that keeps groups of keys together. I have 3 groups: work keys, home keys, car keys.

Each group has it's own "fob" of sorts so when they are removed from the whole they still have an identifiable keychain.

Other than keys and handful of the memberships cards, there aren't many useful things on my keychain. In fact, looking at them now, there is nothing useful on my keychain except keys. And I only have two keychain fobs: A Mojo-jojo figure and a Guitar Hero keychain.

I guess I don't view my keychain as a utility belt. I'm rarely in need of utility, I guess. And I'm not very mobile, so my keys stay in my pocket 99% of the time.

Very cool! But my car keys fill up my pocket! After them, little room is left for the building access token i need for work... i carry a 15 year old swiss army knife (in my other pocket) for tools and such...

(1) Brass flag clip, swiveled
(2) Rings containing: (13) keys, (1) set of fingernail clippers, (1) "rewards" aka "identity-sucking" passcard for a retailer I don't frequent (hmmm... why is it there then? clip! all gone!)

Jeff, check out this post I did on drive performance:

http://bigjimindc.blogspot.com/2007/12/hdd-and-thumb-drive-performance.html

It includes the 16GB thumb drive that I've had for months now. It's the PNY one and it easily hangs with the performance characteristics you've got on your Corsair. And why I ultimately bought it, it's a smaller form factor than the Corsairs, so it can get into some of those smaller, finicky USB ports you run into from time to time.

Just wondering how much you got paid to hock all this crap on your blog.

My keychain has always just been to hold my keys.

It has my stable Canadian-flag-wrapped-in-plastic thing which I won at a carnival when I was probably 12 or 13 from one of those crappy coin pushing games. I've never been to Canada and have no desire to go there, heh.

I used to have a multitool I carried around, some form of Leatherman I was given at Christmas. I've long since lost it, but maybe it's time to buy another one and put this chain to good use.

What's on my keychain? A Find-One-Find-All (http://www.findonefindall.com/) whose mate is attached to my wife's keychain.

The last time my wife lost her keys, we searched for over two hours before we finally found them in a camera bag. How we avoided divorce that evening is beyond my comprehension.

As a result, I got her a set of the aforementioned FOFAs for Christmas in the hopes of averting such drama in the future. Of course, the act of spending the money on the device alone will guarantee we never need it.

I recently got annoyed at having this loud, clanking, sometimes sharp thing jabbing me in my leg all day. ...so I got a divorce.

But that didn't alleviate the problem with all the noisy keys I had in my pocket. So, taking inspiration from my grandfather, I switched to one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Leather-Chain-Holder-Wallet/dp/B0007IQF68 but wound up not liking it all that much. Using it was too cumbersome. So then I switched to what I'm currently using which is this: http://www.amazon.com/Zippered-Italian-Leather-Case-Black/dp/B000FZU5TG I've been using it for about two weeks now and so far I am quite pleased.

I don't see any car key/fob on that fancy keychain of yours. Are you driving a hotwired Chevy Nova, like Jules would, or just walking the earth getting into crazy adventures like the guy in Kung Fu? :)

Still carrying a USB stick... how quaint. :) I've long since shed it and replaced it with a combination of just e-mailing to myself on a desktop, and using e-mail, bluetooth, and SD/Memory stick cards on my mobile phone.

Alas, the swiss army knife is gone (I liked the classics). Same airport problems. Oh well. Flashlight is still there. I still prefer the thin round LEDs as they are small, cheap, and easily replacable.

Nice to start a Monday with some fun!

'MacGyver' Swiss Knife, small button battery powered LED light and Corsair 4GB USB key.
Almost the same configuration as yours. For over 4 years already.

This is my separate keychain, all keys are on another keychain.

The last time I carried my keychain in the pockets in my trousers, I managed to puncture the cloth. I can't imagine what would happen if I had something that actually *is* sharp...

> too many places I go won't let you in if you have anything on you that even remotely resembles a blade

Interesting-- where are you going? Definitely an issue when you're flying, of course. I have to always remember to put the Squirt in my checked luggage or leave it at home. I have lost two this way, and now I'm very careful.

> You are using a lithium battery in the flashlight, right?

Good idea, I should pick one up. The run time difference for battery type is pretty dramatic as you can see in the graph from the review I linked:

http://www.flashlightreviews.com/reviews/img/fenix_l0dce/Fenix%20L0D%20CE%20-%20medium-a.png

> As martinD said, the http://images.google.com.au/images?q=utilikey Utili-Key is a damn fine addition.

I actually have a Utili-key on my auto keyring, but honestly I rarely use it. It's neat, but kind of awkward and impractical in real use.

> Just wondering how much you got paid to hock all this crap on your blog.

I affiliate link most of the items I talk about, but they are all items I have personally used and recommend. I talk about this stuff because I use it and I find it useful, I'm not "hocking" anything.

> I notice you lost your lid for your USB drive...

I removed it intentionally. I don't like caps, just another thing to lose, and another thing standing between me and my data when I want to get to it.

I like this post what do I need on my keychin; keys, knife, scissors, nailfile, light, pen, and of corse a USB drive
I need scissors that can cut like real scissors,
I need a light so I can see the key hole (so it doesnt need to be bright just bright enought to see the key hole or other small thing I am not walking though the forest)
I need a USB drive at least 1GB and fast enought to move data
and just sometimes I need a pen to sign my name or fill out a survey

BUT I DONT WANT 3 THINGS ON MY KEY RING um what to do I know I'll use a Swissbit best dam thing I ever used

scissors are very sharp
pen and light
oh and a USB Drive that is very fast ya

I have been using a swissbit for 2 year now and I use it almost everyday (scissors) I like and even love leathman mulitool but they're bigger and I cant have so much in my pocket it can hurt when walking and sitting down

but the swissbit it the one thing I take everywhere is invaluble to me

http://www.victorinox.com/index.cfm?site=victorinox.ch&page=157&lang=E
and ther is a flight model safe for those trips no scissor or knife still has a pen light and drive
http://www.victorinox.com/index.cfm?site=victorinox.ch&page=233&lang=E

Apart from keys and a maglite, only one essential: a little lego man (a StarWars storm trooper). Why? You never know when you'll need some lego.

To Hoffman: Laptop harddrives will run off of usb power. Get a smaller HDD enclosure :)

I'm opposed to this thing of extreme consumerism: I only buy something when I need it or when it's VERY obsolete. Thus I only got a 2GB pen drive, and I would still have the 128MB one if I hadn't lost it.

I used to carry a Micra but then as others have noted I ran into too much trouble. Other places besides airports that don't like sharp objects: courthouses, lost a nice pocket knife that I owned for 16 years when I forgot to leave it at home before jury duty; theme parks...they usually just tag it and store it for you, still a pain; and schools.

Coincidently, after two years of not carrying the micra, I just put it back on my keychain last night. I'm tired of bowing to the security obsessed.

On my keyring:
1. Car Key for the Daily Driver
2. Car Key for wife's car, that monstrous thing she carries may or may not A) Be Findable, B) Have her car key on it.
3. House Key

I keep my keys in my back pocket, left, so need to keep it small, not sharp, and did I mention small? I am pretty obsessive about stuff I carry everyday so cut down on the keys a bunch when I found 4 keys on it that I had no idea what they unlocked. The three USB drives I carry all 1G, one for school work, one for personal programs I wrote for friends, one just because I got it free. reside in the backpack I tote with me nearly everywhere I go.

I carry my reference books and a select amount of software with me in that. Yeah I know, how often do you need to reload Visual Studio? Well if I do I can. But I also carry Grady Booch's Object Oriented Analysis and Design with Applications for light reading. I guess I should choose soft cover books for my EDC. A couple of other reference books on CD, a few blank DVD's, pens, pencils, a removable floppy drive, spare battery, wireless mouse, coffee thermos, a 12 volt power converter and my laptop. I can set up and office anywhere there is a flat spot.

OK I guess this post wasn't about what is in your backpack...

I am the type that keeps their key chain light. I have my Car key my house and mailbox key and a clip that attaches to my bag. However my laptop case is a mess. Currently in my laptop I have a broken 160Gb HD (don't ask me why lol) a DVD Drive some 512mb of laptop DDR2, a CPU fan??, Cell Phone I use the LCD Screen as a flash light when looking into PC Cases etc..

This could be a new article "whats in your laptop case/bag" lol

Hey Jeff,

Great as ever. Just wondered which of the Squirts you use yourself ? I've had a swiss card before and found the scissors the most useful...

Looks like you upgraded your desk also. Got rid of the overstock table and bought yourself an ikea desk did you?

Gee, would have been nice to have known about the Skeletool BEFORE CHRISTMAS!

Amazing similarities here, scary even.

Took this today: http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/7540/edcez2.jpg

Leatherman Squirt S4 although mine is silver.
Solitaire by Mag Light
Silverado Keys
Building Access Pass (the teardrop shapped black thing)
Men's Warehouse perfect fit card. Yes, a nerd with style.

Also included in my EDC is
My 8 Gig USB is hanging around my neck. I've been hesitant to move it to he key chain because I'm scared of losing sensitive data. Of course come to think of it I'm more worried about losing my Truck. Maybe I'll just move it.

The other EDC is my T-Mobile Dash, which I can't take a picture of at the moment since it's what I'm using to take pictures.

I currently have a single LED light for use on my bicycle. It uses 4 AA batteries. For travelling in the pitch black it works great. It isn't quite bright enough though when I there are cars regularly coming past with their headlights at full beam and then plunging me into darkness again.

Funny Jeff, I've been coming here for sometime now. I have been getting heavily into the EDC scene lately, pretty funny you posted this! My girlfriend thinks I am insane to worry over "I think this paracord lanyard is 5mm too long".

I am surprised no one (especially YOU!) mentioned Peter Atwood, the premiere internet EDC keychain toolmaker. His unique, handmade tools fetch twice their selling price on eBay and he is having a lot of trouble keeping up with demand. Go look at them, as an engineer I think you'll drool a little. http://www.atwoodknives.com/

EDCForums already has a 9 page "show off your keychain" thread with pics. http://edcforums.com/index.php?topic=511.0

I got a San Disk 2GB Cruzer not long ago at Radioshack for like $15. Pretty good for the price. What I like about it is that the USB socket totally retracts into the casing; a lot less chance of it getting too scuffed up or losing a top cover. It's also extremely small.

I don't put a lot of faith in USB drives; I use them mostly to just move things from what machine to the next. So buying a cheap and small one works out well, since I don't expect them to last too long being carried around all the time.

The only downside is that it was a little hellish getting rid of the bundled software which was kept on some sort of separate partition (I know some people like this kind of crap -- I don't). In the end it worked out though, just took a bit of reformatting.

Hmm...keys...but to keep things in perspective, at home I love having all my computer, tv and home theatre etc integrated into furniture so I cant see it and when I trun it off I cant see any glowing lights or dials. Thats why I only have keys on my key ring......I love clean design ...did I mention I own a subaru turbo?

Nice one. Just bought a Leatherman Squirt P4 on the back of this.
You would think data centre operators would have a such a thing as a screwdriver onsite, but no. Not in my experience anyway.

I will never again have to use a PCI blanking plate as a screwdriver. Sun rack kits will be no match for my keyring-attached pliers. Hazah!

Long time reader, first time writer (I might be a geek, but a geek with a finance degree working with mutual funds so very little to contribute to masters such as yourself)

Great article, I think I will get one of these multi-tools. That other reader is right I almost lost a small screwdriver that I used to open up laptops that was left in my bag on the way back from Toronto, lets just say it was fun at security (they did let me keep it thought).

Thanks for your great Blog, I find it very interesting and enjoyable.

Hmmm, let me see what's all on the keychains.

My truck keys have only the key/fob (One peice) attached to an N connector Dust cap.

The 'real keys' have:
USB Drive (2gb, brand is warn off, couple of years old)
16 keys
small swiss army knife
precision screw driver (about half an inch long...very handy for the glasses!)
used to have a flashlight, left it somewhere once upon a time, never replaced it.

Me, its keys, P38 can opener (a great sub for a screwdriver) and a 1GB Sony Vault that still hasn't made it onto the key chain.

What's on my keychain? Certainly not a leatherman anymore.
http://flickr.com/photos/skoon/379427166/

I picked up a Gerber Clutch a while back and I haven't looked back.
http://www.gerbergear.com/product.php?model=1507

The Gerber Shortcut is a close copy of the Squirt S4
http://www.gerbergear.com/product.php?model=1505

I have a Victorinox knife that's about 25 years old. It's still in great shape and it's been abused. i've been looking at their Swiss memory products, but the $/MB ratio is still too high for me. If they made a pocket tool like the Clutch and that wasn't 2 foot wide, I'd consider buying it.

Holy cow, if you guys think *I* have too much stuff on my keyring, I encourage you to page through the picture thread sawzy linked.

http://edcforums.com/index.php?topic=511.0

Seriously, how do some of those even fit in a pocket? It's like a dude charm bracelet. This one is funny, though:

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l63/Goldtanker/saw.jpg

I wish I was a girl. Then I could put everything in my purse!

I have two keys and a Homestarrunner fob on my everday keyring. I'll definitely consider the torch, but while I like the idea of a micro-tool and USB drive, I know I'd hardly ever use them.

Oh my word. Talking about what you keep on your keychain is possibly the lamest thing I've ever read in my life. :-|

Many of you chaps are one step away from a bat utility bet with bat shark repellant spray.

Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid.

> Since I always carry a bag to go to college I do not have a key chain,
> only a external hard drive case with a 7200 rpm hdd. It's a pain in
> the ass having to connect it in the power supply, when will power usb
> be usable?

When you buy a 2.5 inch HD.

> Oh my word. Talking about what you keep on your keychain is possibly
> the lamest thing I've ever read in my life. :-|

Surely you were impressed with the Pulp Fiction joke that not everyone gets?

In left pocket on a carabiner (each item can be taken off easily):

I have an old 256 MB USB drive (I don't need to carry much data - I keep important data/files in my Gmail account). For a multi-tool, I have a SOG Crosscut. It has scissors instead of pliers, which I find very handy, is light, and very small. I also carry a small LED flashlight with my keys.

In my right pocket:

Kahr K9 9mm (I have a handgun carry permit) in a Nemesis holster.

Luckily, my job doesn't involve much walking.

jeff, wouldn't your keychain considered as "feature rich?" :)

http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/archives/000980.html

i'm a minimalist when it comes to keychain. it has 5 keys, 1 for house, 1 for my car, and 1 for wife's car.. the other 2 keys are mystery keys.. i have no idea what they're for..

i want to see how your wallet looks like. don't tell me it looks something like george costanza's!

> i want to see how your wallet looks like

http://blogs.vertigosoftware.com/jatwood/archive/2007/01/12/Optimizing_Your_Wallet.aspx

I use the all-ett which is made of sailcloth and very thin.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B000E1GRIO/codinghorror-20

I carried the wallet pen for a while, but I never really used it, and it definitely made the very thin all-ett a bit of a burden. So I dropped it.

While I'd love to keep a USB key on my keyring, unfortunately I have to carry 14 keys on my keyring for work-related reasons. So I have 14 keys + my drum key (I'm a percussionist as well as a geek, and am always needing this). If I ever got a new job, my older Sandisk Micro 1gb would be going right on there.

I've always remembered to take my swiss army knife (which I've had since my boy scout days) out of any carry ons when flying, but I recently had to surrender it on a visit to the Vatican... Thanks to this post, I've wasted almost my whole morning at work checking out the Leatherman line up. ;) I think I've settled on the Leatherman Wave. Its got all of the tools my old swiss army had, plus some a couple of new cool ones. Thanks Jeff =)

I notice that assuming you want to buy one, your Amazon links to the flashlight are all worthless. Does anyone know of a place to get them for less than the retail of $47 (https://www.fenix-store.com/product_info.php?cPath=22_55&products_id=191)?

No problems with you making a buck for referrals, but at least pick a site that has them in stock! :)

Not to babble on, but I thought I'd mention I have the same USB drive and also like it. My only complaint is that the body is rubber and the loop for attaching it to your keyring is just asking to get ripped apart. I wish they would make the bodies for USB drives out of aluminium or something similar. Rubber also makes it hard to put in and out of your pocket since it kind of grabs onto the fabric (and pulls out all the lint).

I don't have a keychain.

I just have a wallet, and few enough keys to just keep them inside.
If I need some sort of tool, I can often use a key or a pulled off soda can top.

Only thing a carry is the 4th from the left http://www.lockpicktools.com/images/LP-8-15.jpg

...works everywhere

> If I need some sort of tool, I can often use a key or a pulled off soda can top.

This is called "bricolage" and it's a perfectly honorable technique! I often use my car keys to open simple packages because it's faster than opening the knife.

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/bricolage

Nice toys.

I just carry keys with a nice plastic band. The band came from a car keys set... and the car was from a car-rental company... But it was long time ago :-)

So, I am the (illegal) plastic band owner now !

I carry a my house key and a minimalist wallet
- http://www.wishlist.com.au/Product/ProductDetail.asp?SKUID=119842

I'm thinking about a RFID door lock do I can do away with the key (with the tag glued to the wallet maybe - no implants for me!).

People at work see me leaving without a bag and ask why. I reply somewhat immodestly with Oscar Wilde's famous line: "I have nothing to declare but my genius"(!)

About ten keys , one nail clipper. It's so heavy.

I wanna have a tnili key...

When people gather all kinds of stuff into their key ring, then the ring doesn't fit into their pockets anymore. So they hang the ring from their neck with a string, and all the stuff starts to create all kinds of noises while they walk. The noise can be quite loud, because already with a few keys hanging create sounds. Others try to concentrate into some programming task. So my opinion is that you should not create too much noise with your key ring in places where noise doesn't belong to. When you have a fully matured toolbox hanging from your neck, its a bit absurd too.

I carry keys only.

Then again, where I work all flash drives, cell phones, cameras, MP3 players, external hard disks, CDRW's and the like... have all been banned and if you're found with one, it would be immediately confiscated.

That "flashlight" looks suspiciously close to a safety whistle.

I carry a house and sometimes a car, but only for short periods of time.

My fave keychain item is a tape measure. Mine is a 3' blade model made by Stanley Tools (I don't see a 3' model on the company web site, but there is a 6' pocket model: http://www.stanleytools.com/default.asp?CATEGORY=HT%5FTAPES%5FSTANLEY&TYPE=PRODUCT&PARTNUMBER=30-506&SDesc=6%26%2339%3B+x+1%2F2%26%2334%3B+STANLEY%26%23174%3B+Pocket+Tape+Rule). I was surprised how often I needed once I started carrying it.

I also started carrying (in my pocket, not on keychain) a pen (http://www.penagain.com/) and a cigarrete lighter, even though I don't smoke. Besides their obvious utility, I've found them quite useful to a) respond affirmatively when a girl asks me for a light, and to b) write down her phone number!

On my keychain:
car keys (1 for each car)
car remote
house key
Peak LED flashlight

Used to have:
USB drive (work banned carrying in of USB drives)
Lego man (fell off)

Also carry:
Wallet, lightweight pocket knife, CCM coin, cell phone (except at work, same reason as USB drive).

Key chain is carried from belt loop with carabiner. Don't have to worry so much about fitting everything into my pocket that way.

Wish I could carry a multitoll like this. I have only eight keys, and always carry them with a bag.

I have keys to my office, my apartment, and my mailbox.

With these I can enter my office, enter my apartment, and check my mail.

>> As martinD said, the http://images.google.com.au/images?q=utilikey Utili-Key is a damn fine addition.

>I actually have a Utili-key on my auto keyring, but honestly I rarely use it. It's neat, but kind of awkward and impractical in real use.

I use the utilikey almost everyday, opening plastic blister packs and the torque on the mini philips when opened at 90 degrees beats most other proffesional screwdrivers.

My problem with my keyring is that I have too many keys. I have a small carabiner so I can split it in two parts (to still be able to ride my bicicle while unlocking the door to the garage).

On my keyring are:
-Front door key
-Appartment key
-Front door electronic key (a whopping 7 mm thick :-( )
-Bicicle key
-Bicicle extra lock key
-Bicicle shed key
-Parent's house door key
-Small floppy box key - good for prying open any cheap lock.

I'm occasionally called a packrat - if I have more things in my pocket, they'll bulge too much.

However, I do have my wallet. In my wallet I have an 8GB Lacie Carte Orange (http://images.google.com/images?q=lacie+carte%20orange)
8 GB now is not very much, but I bought it when 8GB USB drives weren't available.

Also, I have a SwissCard Classic (http://images.google.com/images?q=Swiss+card+classic). OI got it only 3 weeks ago, but I used 9 of the 11 functions it has on a 2-week trip to Thailand. I suppose I'll use this more often.

Hi Jeff,

I've enjoyed reading your blog for a couple of years now, and I like the variety of subjects you write about. This EDC entry really hit home for me. While I only have a Victorinox pocketknife on my keychain, I have an LED flashlight and a tiny container of hand cleaner in my inside jacket pockets. I feel one can never have too many pockets in one's pants or jackets.

Thanks for pointing us to the EDC forums. Excellent.

I also like your entry about wallets, since I like a really thin wallet that can carry a bunch of stuff.

Now for something completely different...I'm working my way through Code Complete 2, and am very impressed so far.

I just listened to you on Scott Hanselman's podcast where you guys talk about putting together an ideal developer computer. Very interesting.

Keep up the good writing.

JimGf

Thanks for sharing.

From your info I just bought a Cree XR-E LED from Ebay for ~$25AU to replace my current light. Shell wasn't Fenix and AA instead of AAA, but they were triple the price, and although I'm sure they're good, I couldn't see the value in paying that much :)

sorry, make that double, not triple the price. Still...I'm a tightarse ;-)

Hey Jeff,

Nice post. You've officially gotten me hooked on high-output led flashlights now, so thanks a lot :)

I'm curious about the durability of the L0D-CE. I know it's hard anodized, but how does it hold up for you against the Leatherman and keys? Any scratches or dings?

We bought cgast knife, China where have already maintained a point?