With regards to Ian whose idea this is….

If you do a sizeable amount of security/penetration testing, build a “hack bag”.  It’s suspiciously similar to what you would take to a LAN party.  Leave it on your shelf and when you need to go on a top-secret mission, take it along.

Mandatory contents of a hack bag:

• Extension cable and power strip
• SoHo switch/hub (hub is better) and power supply
• Various cat-5 cables (at least one 20-footer or longer)
• Crossover adapter
• Live linux pen-testing CDs (backtrack, knoppix-std, etc)
• USB drive
• Spare notebook and pens
• Multi-pliers

Optional contents:

• Headphones
• MP3 (*cough* ogg) player
• Music CDs
• Blank CDs
• Extra laptop and/or phone power supply
• Digital camera
• Headache pills
• Drinks
• Spare USB cables and/or hub
• Locksmith tools
• Network tap
• Toolkit
• Ethernet tap
• Serial console cable
• Other tools disks

• Internet in the Remote Desert
• NIST and SCAP; SCAP @ Large Part 2
• Backtrack 3 USB Slides
• Digital Forensics: Who should make the keys?
• Hack Disaster Relief