Trade Show Guru

Every blogger should have a “random stuff” category. I know I am the Trade Show Guru, and you expect to read about trade show marketing here, but sometimes I get brain freeze on the subject of trade show marketing, and need to write about something else (actually, regular readers will know that this happens more often than just “sometimes”). Anyway, this is one of those times, and this is one of those list posts that bloggers love to write and people love to read, or so it is said.

I was working on the zip line out back that I built for my kids and needed a tool out of my tool box. Every good tool box has the basic tools: a hammer, a big screw driver, an adjustable wrench, vice grips, etc, plus enough other tools to make the tool box extremely heavy and difficult to move. But as I was rummaging through my tool box I realized that in addition to the many tools in it, there was also a blog post in it as well, figuratively speaking of course… Looking at the contents of my toolbox, I realized, as any Mr. Fix-It will know, a good toolbox will also have some very important “non-tools”. Here’s my list of the Top Ten Non-Tools for a Tool Box.

The Trade Show Guru’s
Top Ten “Non-Tools” for a Tool Box

1. A roll of duct tape. Duct tape is the ultimate McGyver tool, or non-tool. Very few things can not be fixed if you have a big enough roll of duct tape.

2. Bailing wire. If there is a runner-up for the ultimate McGyver tool, it would have to be a roll of bailing wire. Of course you want to make sure your tool box has a pair of wire cutters also.

3. A can of WD-40 (that isn’t empty).

4. A pocket knife. Preferably an old folding buck knife, passed down thorough at least two generations, with a story behind it. Of course, you also need to carry a pocket knife in your pants, and have one in your junk drawer in the kitchen. You can basically never have too many pocket knives.

5. Superglue. There is a reason it has the word “super” in it. Just be careful not to glue your fingers together.

6. Bandaids. In the event you do glue your fingers together, and then have to cut them apart with your pocket knife (see #4). In the event you run out of bandaids, you can always use a little bit of duct tape (see #1).

7. Cable ties. Nylon cable ties, not the cheap plastic ones.

8. A small bottle of Tri-Flow Superior Lubricant with Teflon. Amazing for fixing squeaky hinges, as well as oiling bicycle chains.

9. A pencil. Preferably the style that can be sharpened with a knife, such as the buck knife (see #5).

10. Several pieces of scrap paper (see #9). Useful for jotting down notes and measurements, as well as that brilliant widget idea that is destined to make you a millionaire.

Four additional bonus “runner up” non-tools:

11. Four or more random keys on a keychain (such as a house key, car key, or bike lock key). It is critical that you have no memory of what any of the keys are for. One day, one of the keys may prove to be critical! Never throw away anything!

12. A combination bottle opener/cork screw… in anticipation of a job well done, or to help you think about how to do a job, it’s important to have the means to open a bottle.

13. Chuck Norris – for those jobs that nothing else can take care of…

14. Condoms -Before you start thinking the condoms are for that, click the link. You learn something new every day.

A big thanks to the good people at the MultiTool Forum that provided suggestions and inspiration for this post, and especially to the Duct Tape Hero there for enlightening me on alternative uses for condoms.

So is there a non-tool that you think should have made my Top Ten Non-Tools for a Tool Box list but didn’t? Leave me comment and let me know.