I knew from the start that I would be taking tools. While I would love to have my 4-inch angle grinder on my person at all times, in the interest of traveling light some compromises had to be made.

So here it is, my compact, lightweight, and damn useful travel toolkit.

If you want to follow along, click on the image it will take you to the annotated version on Flickr.

1. Document pouch. I really could not have asked for a better bag to hold this kit. It’s just the right size and tough enough to protect the other stuff in my bag from my tools.
2. Sandpaper. When it comes to bang for your buck weight-wise it’s hard to beat sandpaper. I have some great metal files, but would not get enough use out of them to justify the weight. Various grits ranging from 100 to 400.
3. Hacksaw blade. This was the last thing I added after realizing I had no way of cutting wood or metal. Hopefully airport security won’t mind (and if they do I’ll only be out about 20 cents). Broken in half to fit better in the bag.
4. Crescent (adjustable) wrench. Again, I love my socket set, but would not have loved lugging it across East Africa. For turning bolts the Crescent wrench is the lightweight winner.
5, 6. Driver bits and 6-in-1 screwdriver. Basically the heaviest thing I’m bringing, so I hope it’s worth it. Gives me the power to open almost anything.
7. 16-in-1 micro screwdriver. Small, light, versatile.
8. Needle-nose pliers. When pliers are combined with some stiff wire one can fix almost anything. These ones were small but solid.
9. Electrical tape. My tape of choice for insulating wires, covering wounds, and taping shut the mouths of angry crocodiles.
10, 11. Wire. Copper for electrical fixes. Steel for mechanical. Wire has a unique ability to stand in for both rigid and flexible parts.
12. Zip-ties. Like wire, but quicker to deploy and lighter weight.
13. A ruler.

What I will be buying the second I get there:
A knife! Hopefully one with replaceable blades, but I’ll see what I can find. Useful for so many things, but not TSA approved.

What almost made the cut:
Vice-Grips. Soooo useful, but also pretty heavy. If I come across a small pair I might throw them in last minute.
Wire strippers. Also a great tool, but not necessary when you have a knife.