I got annoyed recently when I wanted to leave the house and noticed my bag was half full just with stuff to deal with weather. In Tokyo, I usually carry an umbrella with me, maybe sunscreen, sunglasses, a mini towel etc. Others have fans, “neck fans” (not sure how they are called). Maybe a water bottle also counts.
All of this is “weather stuff” for me. I asked a friend what she carries around, and we started to think about some other categories as well. So I wondered how much of the stuff we carry around is actually about the thing we want to do wherever we go, and how much is just to cope with the environment? Also, I would be curious how this looks like in other places around the world. Things probably vary by gender, age, season as well.
Some categories are:
- weather stuff
- personal hygiene stuff
- safety stuff
- not being annoyed by others stuff
- infrastructure fail stuff (e.g., preparing for when trains get delayed)
Since I’m in the US where public transportation is next to nonexistent outside of maybe 5 cities, I (and the overwhelming majority of Americans) are cheating since we can EDC a hell of a lot of things in our cars. My pockets have 3-4 items max, but I consider my vehicle my home away from home, and if I’m away from home more than a night I pack her to the gills.
Uhhhhh.
Keys, wallet, and phones. Is all I do. Unless it is actually winter then I have gloves too.
This, except also a quarter for an Aldi shopping cart.
That’s in the wallet.
As an American who drives a truck, this is moot. I have a full set of clothes, winter outer wear, a jug of water, a canister of peanuts, a blanket, a shovel, trauma sheers, a leatherman, a sun hat, to walking poles, a Midwest level scraper/brush, an air pump for my tires that plugs into the lighter, full spare, spark plugs, an extendable magnet, 10k lumen light that plugs into the cigarette lighter to charge if need be, tweezers, nail clipper, eyeglass repair, a paper book of maps for all 50 states, and a spare toothbrush.
Probably forgot some things. My truck is essentially my purse.
That should keep you safe on the way to Walmart.
Bro’s got the whole Walmart in his truck.
Lol, it’s not a dodge RAM. To be fair, I travel for work sometimes. And I do haul in my truck, complete with added trailer which is a piece of rural living. I’ve never rolled coal or gunned it on a residential street.
it’s not a dodge RAM
They said Walmart, not the liquor store.
I also drive a truck with the same stuff as you under the back seat. I use it to haul stuff and work around my buddy’s ranch on occasion. It’s not diesel so I couldn’t roll coal with it if I wanted to (nor do I want to).
I need a trailer rarely enough that I’ll rent one if I’ve gotta haul more than will fit in the bed.
We have all of this in a Honda HRV, the smallest Honda you could buy at the time.
I also haul wood in it with the seats down and hatch tied down.
No qualms if you use your truck, they have a purpose. Just want non-Americans to realize we don’t all go down that road.
This is one thing I miss about having a truck. All the room for bugout equipment. I downsized recently, and had to greatly downsize my kit too.
Keys, right pocket. Wallet and phone, left pocket.
Done.
Correct
As little as possible. The only things I always take with me are my phone and my keys. I generally look at the weather report and only take an umbrella with me if there’s a chance of rain. I only take my wallet if I’m going somewhere where I might buy something etc.
It really depends on mode of transportation, especially if a car is involved or not. I suspect a number of people in this thread are folks who drive most/all places and aren’t including all the stuff they have stashed in their cars, available if needed. Also, driving means minimal exposure to the elements, so even less stuff is needed to stay comfortable/presentable than if you are walking, biking, waiting at transit stations, etc.
As a former Tokyo resident I’ll also add that I used to carry a folding fan around with me in summer when I lived there, but I have no need in the US where air conditioning is so prevalent (to the point of overuse). I also stopped needing a fan so much, regardless of temperature, when living in less humid places.
Also, shocked more people aren’t mentioning a water bottle. I bring a reusable water bottle with me any time I have to leave the house for more than a couple of hours, especially if I’m cycling somewhere but even if I’m driving. How are y’all staying hydrated sans water bottle???
Most of the stuff I carry have already been mentioned so I’ll just add the ones not a lot of people carry:
- hand sanitizer
- a small travel vial of liquid soap
- a couple of squares of toilet paper rolled up
All of those including the standard phone, keys, wallet, etc. all fit in a small handbag that I wear across my chest.
Sometimes if I know I’ll be out in hot weather, I bring water in an insulated container. I also have a small bag that specifically has a pocket for water bottles.
Looking at the majority of the replies I see some meme potential (no offense):
Dude irl: “I only carry the minimal”
Dude in games: “This is my 5000 ton backpack with 50 health potions, a bunch of plant leaves, 2 axes, 3 bows, 4 swords (1 of them cursed), a few scrolls and runestones; some bread, cheese, milk, apples, glasses of beer; and a map”
Spectacles, testicles, wallet, and watch. Well, and a pocket knife. But that’s likely because I drive everywhere, and am currently in America.
To chime in, when I spent a few months in Osaka, I definitely carried more. Backpack, hand towel, change holder, plastic trashbag, pen, paper, deodorant (as to not offend Japanese folk, being a Westerner not used to the humidity), etc.
So maybe it’s very much a locale thing?
I guess it’s local, it only became so apparent to me some time after moving to Japan. It’s also interesting how the types of things to prepare for change. In Japan, I think it’s mostly about weather. No need for safety measures, food and drinks everywhere and cheap, clean and reliable infrastructure (toilets, trains, everything, basically). People are also mindful about the noise they make, so even earplugs are not necessary.
In Germany it’s different. Weather is not so much of a concern, but I used to carry a basic pack of stuff with me in case I crashed at a friend’s place. This doesn’t happen here very often, and cheap hotels or manga cafes often have basics like toothbrushes etc.
In Japan, I think it’s mostly about weather. No need for safety measures, food and drinks everywhere and cheap, clean and reliable infrastructure (toilets, trains, everything, basically). People are also mindful about the noise they make, so even earplugs are not necessary.
Things like this make me really want to move to Japan. But then some basic things like not being able to carry a pocket knife turn me off of the idea.
If you haven’t visited, you definitely should. It’s really an amazing country, and you will hardly miss your pocket knife.
I definitely want to visit! I subscribe to a few Japan travel channels on YouTube and have been itching to go for ages.
Don’t underestimate the weather, though. It’s terrible in summer, unless you’re up on some mountain or at the Russian border. Spring and fall are great, though.
What’s up with the hand towel? Both you and OP had one in Japan.
Public restrooms typically don’t have paper towels or hand dryers.
Wallet, keys, phone, cigarettes, lighter.
Though I do have a multi tool in my wallet and another on my key chain.
I always wonder about the multi tool people. That seems super popular, but I never see a need for it. What do you use it for? Multiple things? 🥁
Personal hygiene is one big reason for me, though obviously there are smaller options than a full multitool like a small Swiss army knife. I just need a small pair of scissors on me 24/7, that’s not negotiable.
Having a basic screwdriver always with me also helps from time to time. Sometimes as a screwdriver, sometimes as a small crowbar.
Ironically, the first thing I would ditch from my multitools and Swiss army knives would be the blade. Scissors do most things I need just as well or better, and the blade is just a liability in lots of jurisdictions.
I have a “mom” sized pocketbook that I carry around and it always has the following:
- Band aids, nail clipper, and aquaphor tube
- Eye drops
- Wallet, phone, keys
- Masks
- Earbuds
- Hand sanitizer
- Sunglasses
- Small fidget toy
- Folding hairbrush
- Hair ties
- Small sunscreen stick, chapstick
- Pen
- Set of plastic cutlery
- Pill case with some commonly needed pills like Tylenol, Claritin, etc
If it’s sunny I’ll bring a sun umbrella and a hat, both of which can fit in the bag in a pinch. If it’s raining, just the umbrella. It’s not a perfect system but some things (especially the band aids and fidget) come in handy pretty often
Phone wallet keys.
There’s an umbrella in my car but I use it like once a year.
Same, but I pared my wallet down to my just DL and one card. I don’t like carrying shit around for no reason anymore.
I bring sunglasses and an occasional sun hat. To protect the rest of my body from sunlight I just wear long sleeves.
I personally like carrying as little as possible
My musts for going to work, which is about the only place I go really…
-Earbuds -contact lens case -glasses in case my contacts have an issue -eyedrops -blood glucose meter (am diabetic) -spare AM medication dose in case I forgot -gum -umbrella -water bottle
I usually have all this in a backpack. Sometimes I’ll have my switch with me, too. Or a book. Depends on my mood.
I don’t have any pockets on most of my outfits, but I have a holster on my left hip that holds my phone, my book reader, my wallet, my keys, and a glasses wipe.
I read a lot. But there’s also Slay the Spire on my phone.
(Also I guess I have bluetooth conductors basically permanently attached to my head so I can have music whenever I want, and a d20 ring on one finger, a wrist watch on a wrist, a pair of glasses to match an outfit, a pendant for the same, a hair tie in my hair, and a meter for a study. This is all automatic stuff though, and I just have this while I’m in my house.)
