pocket problems

I mentioned in a recent post that maybe I should keep an emergency whistle in my pocket. However, my pockets are fairly limited in real estate. So what did I usually have in my pockets when I was out in the field?

1. personal cell phone
2. work cell phone or radio
3. well/gate keys
4. at least 1 regular pen and 1 big sharpie
5. car keys
6. hotel card
7. a replacement hair elastic
8. a ratty old tissue or shop towel
9. a couple of business cards
10. digital camera
11. spare change
12. an extra nitrile glove or two

I was also required to have a logbook, but no matter how compact it was, it was always way too big for a pocket. So it got carried around (and frequently misplaced).

Some of this stuff doesn’t take much room (hair elastic, well keys, spare change, tissues), but it’s still a lot to drag around. It’s ok in the winter, when I have a coat of many pockets in addition to oversized pants (to fit over long underwear). But in the summer, I run into serious space limitations. I’ve considered something like this:

or these (all from Ben Meadows, www.benmeadows.com), but I don’t ordinarily wear belts. Maybe I should reconsider, though…digital cameras don’t play well with keys and other sharp objects, and I’m carrying around a lot of gear that probably shouldn’t be sat on as often as it is.