10 essential Items for Businessman to carry

Tim-Gabz

Tim-Gabz

Joined
Nov 24, 2003
Messages
5,337
I am battling with space in my briefcase and also getting the office to subsidise me. In short I am looking for a list of essential briefcase items, nothing on the internet, for a guy who travels. Then shove it to our pencil pusher.

Cell Phone- Roaming. (covered)
Watch.
Calculator.
Business cards. (covered)
SAK
Mini Mag.
Diary.
Notebook.
1st Aid kit.

Ta!
 
Hi Tim-

Do a search on these specific terms and you'll be reading BladeForums for hours:
  • BOB
  • EDC
  • Bugout Bag
  • Bag
Regards,

~ Blue Jays ~
 
Hey good topic, as much as I delude myself that I'm a bush adventurer I'm 10 times more of a road warrior. My choices would be:

1) G-shock with multiple zones and alarms. Even though I wear a dress watch this is an essential multi use item. Alarm clock, workout watch, watch you wear when you don't want to be seen in a nice watch etc

2) Filofax - yeah I know very 1980's. But it still beats a digital version. Serves as a notebook, diary, receipt storage, passport holder, biz card storage and has maps of all the cities and towns I visit. I print out my outlook adress book onto comptatible paper once every six months or so.

3) Multi-tool. SAK Spirit is my choice. Slips into baggage for flights obviously.

4) Spyderco Calypso Jr - again with the non-cabin baggage obviousness. It's a good travel knife because I regularly need something that is scalpel sharp and is not aggressively tactical looking if baggage is searched for offshore flights.

5) Ipod equivalent. Mine is an I-River 5gb model. Multitide of uses besides music listening - mainly data backup.

6) Noise cancelling headphones. For plane, train, automobile and hotel room. Honeymooners shagging in the next room is a drag (unless they invite you in.:eek: :p).

7) Phone adapters. I even include a phone plug with bare wires in this in case I have to hack into a hotels system to get a dial up connection. Becoming less necessary with wireless broadband, although this is not as prevalent in oz as it is stateside.

8) LED head torch. Folds up to the same size as a regular flashlight but more usefull in case of an emergency evac (do you do a walk-through of the evacuation route of your hotel after you check in? - you should, it could save your life) or needing to squeeze in some late night exercise.

Can't think of 8) and 9) right now - will edit and update when I do.

ok thought of one more.

9) Moleskine notebook - I believe in honouring my own written word and have a beautifully crafted notebook for that purpose. Writing is as good a time passer for me as reading and it's cheaper than therapy...

ok last one

10) Fisher Millenium Space pen because I'm a gear freak and carrying a cheap plastic, non lifetime lasting, pen is beneath me.
 
Thanks Guys
I probably need a bugout bag where I am headed (southern Nigeria) so I will continue on that line.

The filofax is so obvious and I certainly shouldn't have missed it. Electronic versions walk fast there and the power issues are a regular problem reminding me about the necessity of the LED. My boss is nervous about the SOG (green field site is more jungle) but I will prevail upon him for a spyderco. Pens I will hunt down a space pen as the others have a habit of dying in isolated areas or the fountain pens leaking in unpressurised aircraft, nearly did that again.

Thanks, keep it coming.

Tim
 
Ditch the Minimag for a real flashlight. A Fenix L2P or Nuwaii ALX-251 are far, far better lights.
 
Planterz said:
Ditch the Minimag for a real flashlight. A Fenix L2P or Nuwaii ALX-251 are far, far better lights.
Click to expand...

Ditto. You'll be glad to have a light better than the Maglight. Yeah, Maglights used to be the top of the line flashlights, but they're not anymore. Get something better.
 
Tim-Gabz said:
Cell Phone- Roaming. (covered)
Watch.
Calculator.
Business cards. (covered)
Diary.
Notebook.
Click to expand...
My Verizon Treo 700W does all this in one package. Since you already have the cell phone, a PDA or Pocket PC will handle the rest. Except for the business cards. I still carry a few paper cards if the person I'm dealing with can't accept my e-card.
 
tonyccw said:
My Verizon Treo 700W does all this in one package. Since you already have the cell phone, a PDA or Pocket PC will handle the rest. Except for the business cards. I still carry a few paper cards if the person I'm dealing with can't accept my e-card.
Click to expand...
You beat me to it. I was going to say almost the same thing.
 
I had a good make of lithium torch, it failed first day, the cost of fixing was ruinous in South Africa, failed again and as parts are not available in other parts of Africa I tossed it. Batteries, 3v lithium, are nigh impossible to find outside major cities in Africa.

I recently boosted my one mini mag with lithiums and a 3v lithium bulb, works a treat. The problem with where I go is that mag parts are available and the batteries very standard. When my boosted option fails a quick conversion and it is back to standard.
 
Consider a flame source of some kind, matches or a lighter always come in handy.
 
There are good LED flashlights that take AA or AAA batteries, and with a good LED flashlight you're not going to need any parts but batteries.

If I were to carry only one flashlight it would currently be the River Rock .5w 2AAA, which is only $10 at Target. If it had knurling it would be just about perfect. You can probably do better by spending more money; there are a lot of flashlights I haven't tried....
 
Shiny things.

coins, lapels pins, key chains, etc. with your company logo on it as giveaways. I have gotten bumped up to business class on an smile, a nice thank you and a lapel pin. Pin collecting at the Olympics reminded me of this. If you deal with miliatry types at all, they will like challege coins. I always have something like this handy. Be imaginative.
 
Not to get OT here but at first glance I thought this thread said

" 10 essential Items for Bushman to carry "

Thought that was pretty funny.:D

My excuse: Molar removed and Vicodin.:p
 
Tim-Gabz said:
I am battling with space in my briefcase and also getting the office to subsidise me. In short I am looking for a list of essential briefcase items, nothing on the internet, for a guy who travels. Then shove it to our pencil pusher.

Cell Phone- Roaming. (covered)
Watch.
Calculator.
Business cards. (covered)
SAK
Mini Mag.
Diary.
Notebook.
1st Aid kit.

Ta!
Click to expand...

The Cell Phone, Watch and Calculator can all be had with a cell phone alone, I see no reason to have 3 items on you when you can have one. Unless ofcourse you like watches, I don't wear a watch so my cell phone is my primary sourse of time keeping.
If ya get a PDA then the watch, Calculator, and Notebook can all be had in one package. You'd even have a calendar in there to keep track of meetings and the like. I think some PDAs can be used as cell phones too, so that'd be a 5 in 1.

I too would go with a small LED flashlight over the mag light.
 
Rotring Quattro Pen. Black, red and Blue ink, and a mechanical pencil all in one (or swap out one of the colors for a stylus for the PDA). Makes a great writing instrunment and could also work as a last-ditch stabbing weapon.
 
Ming65 said:
Hey good topic, as much as I delude myself that I'm a bush adventurer I'm 10 times more of a road warrior. My choices would be:

1) G-shock with multiple zones and alarms. Even though I wear a dress watch this is an essential multi use item. Alarm clock, workout watch, watch you wear when you don't want to be seen in a nice watch etc

2) Filofax - yeah I know very 1980's. But it still beats a digital version. Serves as a notebook, diary, receipt storage, passport holder, biz card storage and has maps of all the cities and towns I visit. I print out my outlook adress book onto comptatible paper once every six months or so.

3) Multi-tool. SAK Spirit is my choice. Slips into baggage for flights obviously.

4) Spyderco Calypso Jr - again with the non-cabin baggage obviousness. It's a good travel knife because I regularly need something that is scalpel sharp and is not aggressively tactical looking if baggage is searched for offshore flights.

5) Ipod equivalent. Mine is an I-River 5gb model. Multitide of uses besides music listening - mainly data backup.

6) Noise cancelling headphones. For plane, train, automobile and hotel room. Honeymooners shagging in the next room is a drag (unless they invite you in.:eek: :p).

7) Phone adapters. I even include a phone plug with bare wires in this in case I have to hack into a hotels system to get a dial up connection. Becoming less necessary with wireless broadband, although this is not as prevalent in oz as it is stateside.

8) LED head torch. Folds up to the same size as a regular flashlight but more usefull in case of an emergency evac (do you do a walk-through of the evacuation route of your hotel after you check in? - you should, it could save your life) or needing to squeeze in some late night exercise.

Can't think of 8) and 9) right now - will edit and update when I do.

ok thought of one more.

9) Moleskine notebook - I believe in honouring my own written word and have a beautifully crafted notebook for that purpose. Writing is as good a time passer for me as reading and it's cheaper than therapy...

ok last one

10) Fisher Millenium Space pen because I'm a gear freak and carrying a cheap plastic, non lifetime lasting, pen is beneath me.
Click to expand...
Hey nice choices, I am on a plane internationally quite often so much of what I carry has to be in checked baggage...such as my EDC'S... A kershaw blackout and a SOG blink...both awsome IMO...I also carry a Palm Tungston T and a SAT phone..$$$$ but worth every penny when in other countries and in the field...also a small modified first responder kit for emergancies...and a small high power TAC light...in my kit I also carry a magnesium firestarter and a Blastmatch...ya never know!...I have never had any trouble with the airlines..accept when I was taking some pepper spray to a friend as a gift in Mexico city...They overlooked the SOG twitch11"s and a KA-BAR warthog I was giving too the inlaws..but freaked on the pepper spray! go figure..Had any such problems yourself?
 
Oh by the way...know how you feel about the pen...I carry a new micro collapsable Cross pen EVERYWHERE!....I'm glad someone else understands other than my wife...a $40.00 pen is worth every penny!
 
set said:
.....Had any such problems yourself?
Click to expand...

Hey Set - no problems yet. Bags are searched very thoroughly for offshore work installations and they are getting picky about anything that looks like a weapon so a little folder and elegant looking multi sneak under the radar there.

The magnesium firestarter is a good idea. I'm always imagining scenarios where, assuming I make the one in a squillion odds of surviving the impact with the water at 600kph, I'm forced into a survival situation with what I've got on my person. Does yours make it past x-ray or do you stow it?

The other gadjets I never seem to do without when travelling are the digital camera and mini binocs. The camera is obvious but the binocs get used more than you would think.
 
I will look around for a performance LED in J'burg this week as it appears to address most flashlight problems.

With my trip being delayed due to various sects in Nigeria still fighting over cartoons and other people abducting foreigners over oil. My boss has intimated for me to revisit my Zimbabwe passport as no one would bother over a Zimbabwean. Thanks.

I know where to get a magnesium starter, good thinking as they loath matches and fuel lighters on aircraft.

Camera, secured but no binocs. Weight is always a concern.

Thanks guys
 
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