An informal survey of what men carry when they leave their homes in the morning

Another Shepherd

Another Shepherd

Joined
Aug 9, 2021
Messages
1,439
Seen again on Facebook:
dre
@gothshakira
every day men leave their homes with no bag, no water bottle, no lip balm, no hand sanitizer, no extra layer in case they get cold, just keys and a wallet shoved into their pocket. chaotic and reckless [sic}

When I first saw this meme, I did an informal survey while doing errands out and about of men I encountered. Out of 23 respondents:
- 22 carried at least one knife. The one guy who did not said he was underage. But two other guys who were underage said they carried a knife.
- 19 carried a phone and basic accessories such as earbuds.
- 15 carried various other tools - pliers, screwdrivers, wrenches, multitools, etc.
- 9 carried tobacco and matches or a lighter.
- 8 carried a firearm and a concealed carry permit.
- 5 carried various other weapons.
- 4 carried pens or pencils
- 4 carried a laptop, tablet, or other computing device.
- 3 carried a flashlight.
- 3 carried a backpack
- 2 carried bottled water and snacks in their backpack.
- 1 carried a bluetooth speaker.
 
At a minimum - a watch, two flashlight (they are on different key rings, I was testing and never noticed the extra bulk), and a Victorinox money clip (think Alox Classic that is flattened and stretched out with a clip) and pry tool.
The rest has to do with the rest of my day. Sometimes plier based MT, different knives, etc.
 
Keys
Phone
Wallet
Clipped Folding knife (bugout)
Keychain AAA flashlight
Atwood keychain wrench/mini-pry/screwdriver
Pen
Ti Comb
Lighter
Tobacco
 
On my person I'll have my wallet, phone and a pocket knife or two. I have health troubles so I carry a bag with me, don't carry it into stores but other places where I will be staying a bit. It is filled with varying medicines, electronics chargers, my tablet, ink pens, sunglasses, headphones, nail clippers, spare change, etc. Depending on where I'm going I'll either have on me or in the bag my Glock 42. Not going out into the wilds, that would mean toting around other stuff specific for the intent.
 
Too much crap. IFAK, flashlight, fixed blade, folder, Knipex pliers, Fixit Sticks, tourniquet, two freakin' wallets (one has key fobs and cards, other has ID stuff and cash), pen, tire gauge, nail clippers, tweezers, Aquaphor lip balm, pocket mask for CPR and a small, elastomeric respirator. Firearm is slightly more situation dependent, but usually comes with.
 
In what setting did you conduct these interviews? More people carrying a knife then a phone seems wrong to me for the average guy. If this was at a blade show, a construction site, industrial setting, camping, outdoor event etc. it would make more sense.

When I head out, I will usually carry my big leather messenger bag, which holds mainly my various tools + a few documents. It also holds many other miscellaneous things; Water bottle(s), tissues, wet wipes, disinfectant, masks (still), hand lotion, power bank, cables, batteries, chapstick, pen & pencil cases, flashlights, nasal spray, headache medication, shopping bags, automatic umbrella and a (paper) notebook. Yeah, its a heavy bag.

I carry the usual stuff on my person. Wallet, phone, key pouch with nail clippers & whistle, knife, flashlight, pen & a matchbook. I still find masks in the pockets of most of my trousers.
 
Weekdays:

Amazfit T-Rex 2 Smartwatch
Nottingham Tactical Ti pen
Keys
Vape and extra pod
Willow Swaddle wallet
iPhone
Traditional - lately the bunny knife or Otter 3 rivet
Modern - lately a V-Toku 2 Endura or Bugout


Weekends:

All the same stuff, plus a fixed blade. Lately a Swamp Rat M6 or Busse BG ASH.
 
I'm nobody and I don't know crap from shinola, but one small piece of advice I offer to anyone in this thread is to take a Stop the Bleed course and add an IFAK or, at minimum, a good tourniquet to your carry. You probably won't ever use it, but if you do you can save a life.
 
I don't have claws or fangs like a wolf, so I carry a knife. (varies from day to day, usually BM Bugout)

I can't see in the dark like a cat, so I carry a flashlight. (Again, varies day to day, today a ThruNite T1)

Fire is a great thing to be able to make, so I carry a fire maker (Yes, varies... usually a Bic lighter)

Always need cash and card, so front pocket wallet. (This leather sumbitch made by Horsewright Horsewright completely RULES)

In dangerous territory, I carry a handgun. (Yes, I know... it varies but lately it's a Kimber Micro 9 in a Horsewright Horsewright holster... yes the holster RULES)

There's a pile of stuff in my B.O.B that is in the car, but I don't carry it outside the car so I won't bore you with all of that crap.

Horsewright Water Buffalo Leather Card Wallet (you'll thank me later) https://www.horsewright.com/Water-Buffalo-Card-Wallet-Slot_p_288.html

Horsewright Gun Leather (And then you'll thank me again later) https://www.horsewright.com/Gun-Leather_c_51.html
 
I carry my car/house keys and my work keys on different keychains. My phone,wallet, flashlight, and Blistex. I carry several knives because I can. If not at work, I carry my EDC pistol appendix carry inside waistband.
 
Another Shepherd said:
of men I encountered. Out of 23 respondents:
- 22 carried at least one knife. The one guy who did not said he was underage. But two other guys who were underage said they carried a knife.
- 19 carried a phone and basic accessories such as earbuds.
- 15 carried various other tools - pliers, screwdrivers, wrenches, multitools, etc.
- 9 carried tobacco and matches or a lighter.
- 8 carried a firearm and a concealed carry permit.
- 5 carried various other weapons.
- 4 carried pens or pencils
- 4 carried a laptop, tablet, or other computing device.
- 3 carried a flashlight.
- 3 carried a backpack
- 2 carried bottled water and snacks in their backpack.
- 1 carried a bluetooth speaker.
Click to expand...
Very interesting, I wonder where this was. 22 of 23 carrying a knife is very high, higher than I would expect for about anywhere in the country. I'm surprised that the knife percentage is higher than the cellphone percentage, unless this is a very rural area and/or the person was surveying relatively older people.

When I leave I am carrying car keys, a folding knife, a cellphone, an ink pen, a small flashlight, a wallet, a wristwatch, and maybe sunglasses. There are few exceptions although I might chose which knife and which flashlight to carry depending on what I'm doing and where I'm going. One of the few exceptions is I may sometimes carry a multitool.
 
As I carry on myself when I leave my house, I have a large folding knife like a Buck 110 or a large vantage, a small folder, microstream flashlight, keys, wallet, personal phone, company phone, hearing aids, spare batteries, all in pocket, a cup of coffee and lunch bucket that has an extra fold knife, hobo spoon-fork set, eye glass wipes and spare hearing aid batteries. Then when I get to my work pickup I have more items like a backup 110, 5 inch knipex plies, Leatherman Wave, edc case with extra tools, first aid kit, blood born pathogen kit, extra PPE gear, a couple more flashlights one is a haz-lo explosion proof, and two side boxes full of many hand tools. Plus our company provided emergency response duffel bag that has much of the same safety gear and first aid kit in it to grab and go with extra clean clothes.
and jacket . Oh and a blanket.
 
When I'm not at work.
Hat
Sunglasses
Boots
Belt
Watch
Wallet
Phone
Keys
Handkerchief
Often a fixed blade
Flashlight
Yellow birch pocket pico organizer containing my slipjoint of the week, sebertool or 4" slipjoint pliers, Fisher bullet pen , 4" adjustable wrench, mini notebook, 24" tape measure, 58mm Victorinox, some band-aids, and my mayhew mini handle pry bar .

at work I add in addition to what I'm already carrying
Belt pouch containing my leatherman bond, bit ratchet, work specific 4" adjustable, Eze-lap diamond rod, 4" countycomm pry bar, and my work flashlight.
Work specific keys
Utility knife
Black marker
Safety glasses
And my bluetooth ear buds
 
bdmicarta said:
Very interesting, I wonder where this was. 22 of 23 carrying a knife is very high, higher than I would expect for about anywhere in the country. I'm surprised that the knife percentage is higher than the cellphone percentage, unless this is a very rural area and/or the person was surveying relatively older people.
Click to expand...
Rural Florida, age range roughly 17 to 70.
 
Velitrius said:
I don't have claws or fangs like a wolf, so I carry a knife. (varies from day to day, usually BM Bugout)

I can't see in the dark like a cat, so I carry a flashlight. (Again, varies day to day, today a ThruNite T1)

Fire is a great thing to be able to make, so I carry a fire maker (Yes, varies... usually a Bic lighter)

Always need cash and card, so front pocket wallet. (This leather sumbitch made by Horsewright Horsewright completely RULES)

In dangerous territory, I carry a handgun. (Yes, I know... it varies but lately it's a Kimber Micro 9 in a Horsewright Horsewright holster... yes the holster RULES)

There's a pile of stuff in my B.O.B that is in the car, but I don't carry it outside the car so I won't bore you with all of that crap.

Horsewright Water Buffalo Leather Card Wallet (you'll thank me later) https://www.horsewright.com/Water-Buffalo-Card-Wallet-Slot_p_288.html

Horsewright Gun Leather (And then you'll thank me again later) https://www.horsewright.com/Gun-Leather_c_51.html
Click to expand...
Wow thank you sir for the shoutouts!!

Interestingly I was wearing a Kimber Micro 9 when I was reading this.
 
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