You want to be organized and prepared when you're walking around, but you don't want to lug around 10 pounds of gear and ruin your back with a mega-wallet. These essential carry-around tools are discrete, super-handy, and oh so brag-worthy.


Photo by joelogon.

We've previously covered the gear our editors and readers find handy to carry in their "Go bags" and laptop bags, and some of those tools (like a certain USB key) cross into the pocket-worthy realm. Otherwise, we tried to stick to very small tools and printables that do a really good job for this roundup.


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10. Foldable Organizer

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The PocketMod webapp is more than a simple printout maker. It's an expandable, customizable system for creating an 8-page, super-slim booklet with anything you want on any side. You can track your business mileage on one side while keeping your calendar and important contacts on another, or print out an entirely new pocket stuffed with travel maps and local attractions. Cool stuff, and definitely worth the wallet space. (Original post).



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9. Compact keychain


If you've only got a few keys, and an eye for something different, you don't have to go with the typical ring-shaped chain. You really only need washers and a rivet to create a minimalist, quiet keychain. You can take it further by shaping those keys into a mini-Leatherman with a few tools kept in, attaching the rivets onto a money clip, or crafting your own compact key device. (Original posts: compact keychain, mini-Leatherman)




8. Universal club card


Some stores require them, some stores provide discounts with them, and others offer passive rewards and points for using club/membership cards and bar codes. Combine all of your codes onto a single card with Just One Club Card, or choose between a card and keyring tab at KeyRingThing. Actually, the two sites seem to have gotten together, and now offer combination cards with a nice laminate finish and firm back, so you won't have to worry about wear, tear, and faint barcodes. We love it when great webapps find each other. (Original post: Just One Club Card, KeyRingThing)




7. Indestructible, keychain-friendly USB drive


Maybe you don't need this exact model, but having a nearly-indestructible USB drive that fits on your keychain is convenient in ways you can't quite fathom until you've added it. You're almost never without a bit of storage for transferring or grabbing files. If you're the PortableApps type, you've always got a working Firefox/Pidgin/Thunderbird setup handy for being productive on someone else's system. At the moment, the 4 GB IamaKey sells for $22 directly, so it—or something like it—might make a great recommendation as a last-minute stocking stuffer. (Original post)




6. Compact calendar


Designer David Seah has been making "candy bar calendars" for some time now, and his 2010 compact calendar is just as beautifully efficient as ever. His are monthly calendars you line up and customize in Excel. If you're looking for more of an all-in-one solution, try The Small Calendar 2010 from Grafish Designs, or the Thumb Calendar 2010 design, both of which offer clever ways of peeking at today, tomorrow, and the future from a wallet-sized slip of paper. (Original posts: The Small Calendar, Thumb Calendar).




5. A baby (or really cute pet) photo


Wallets get lost, left behind, and lifted more often than you'd like to think. If your wallet is more misplaced than stolen, having a very cute baby photo in your wallet, even if it's not necessarily yours, seems to seriously boost your chances of getting it back. A not-too-close backup is having a cute pet picture. As they say in journalism school, every story (and wallet, maybe) needs a dog—or at least a really interesting human. Photo by °Eli. (Original post).




4. Earbud de-tangler


Ever pull out your tangled, knotted headphones and wonder if they're secretly holding gymnastics practice when they're tucked away? Keep your earbuds, cords, and plugs in place with a de-tangling tool. Our inner stylist loves this laser-cut earbud owl and its old-time-y wooden look, but you can also cut something similar from plastic. In fact, you can fashion an earbud holder out of a junk or expired credit card. If you've got no room for a single-purpose flat piece, at least train yourself in manual de-tangling methods like the devil horn wrap, the around-the-player wrap, or get fancy with a daisy chain or chain sinnet style. (Original earbud owl post)



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3. A darned good pen


Yeah, you still need to write now and again. Whether it's a credit card receipt scrawl or a note you really want to be able to read later, having a pen that actually makes you want to write is always worth the price. We asked our script-friendly readers what pens they liked, and they came back with impressive results. In describing his trusted PenAgain, for example, Cowboy Bill wrote: "Helps my horrible handwriting. Busted knuckles from nuns' rulers." That's an endorsement from the heart, or at least the memory of hands.




2. Multi-tool, credit-card or standard


We agree with Steve Sussex's assessment of the Leatherman Micra—it's just as useful to computer geeks as to outdoor types. If carrying an actual knife on your keychain won't fly with security at work, or you don't want to clutter it, consider the 11-function, credit-card-sized survival tool, also recommended by Cool Tools. You get a ruler, a knife and screwdriver plane that can work in a pinch, and, perhaps most helpfully, a bottle opener you never forget at home. Even if you forget to pull it from your wallet before a flight, it's only around $5, and a fairly clever conversation starter. (Original posts: Leatherman Micra, credit card tool).




1. A backup system


The wallet is where you should keep all your essential IDs and cards, but it's good to have a fallback plan for when you leave it at home, or in the cab. Inspired by a Real Simple article (now dead-linked) on using clear pockets and cords to separate ID badges, Gina wrote up a diet plan and backup system for your wallet, based on her own use of a Slimmy minimalist wallet and just the bare essentials. If you find yourself holding up the line to dig through a virtual filing cabinet of receipts and cards, consider putting your own money holder through boot camp.




What's the most essential item on your own keychain, in your wallet, or loose in your jacket pocket these days? Share your stuff in the comments.