Thanks for presenting a different perspective, Harry... I was starting to wonder if I needed more magical props in my car's glove compartment.

Harry knows the true meaning of impromptu.
I would second everything Harry said. However, I always carry a TT. My reasoning is this, many people who have seen me before request that I make a lit cigarette
disappear for a friend of theirs. IMO as old as this trick is, it is still one of the visually strongest tricks to someone who is unaware of the TT. Rather than diverting to another trick I oblige, making it appear I can perform this trick at anytime without any setup.

I always carry several decks of cards, some are gaffed, others are not, rubber bands (around the deck) sponge balls, coin gimmicks (dime and penny folding coin, etc.).

I always have at least one of my decks prepared for two card monte, another for the three aces.

bubba

Just walking around, I tend to carry exactly one TT and a couple of silks. Now, this is really more for *my* amusement than anything else, as I've been working on the TT 'color changing silks' from one of Gary Darwin's books.

Just recently, I've started wearing a length of silk rat tail cord with two big 'tube' beads as a bracelet, wrapped around three times. I'll admit up-front, this is inspired by McBride's 'Ritual of Liberation' trick, tho' I got big wrists so I can't wear *his* rat tail cord. Ack.

The logic behind wearing it is that I can riff off, say, 10 different effects just using that one bit of cord (several 'rope' tricks, a couple of penetrations, even a pendulum divination), and when it comes to 'impromptu' stuff, when you're a hack like me, nothing beats a TT for utility. Best reaction I've ever gotten was for Darwin's 'balancing business card'. Then people do indeed spend 10 minutes trying to make it stand up on its own.

I always have a deck or 2 of cards, 2 quarters (testacroce), an English Penny, Irish Punt, German five Mark and a Kennedy Half.

I always have a TT loaded with a mismade bill on me. I keep it in the that tiny pocket in my jeans so I can dip right in and get it on.

I like to look unprepared and my magic impromptu, so anything I carry will just be either regular gimmicked items like a e*****d 10p s***l that I could sneak in and out of a borrowed coin routine or an I.T.T.

An I.T.R is also useful.

John.

Harry's point is a good one, but if you have a favorite trick, there is also nothing wrong with carrying it with you. I almost always have rubber bands, ring and string, and a TT with me. CMH is one of my favorite tricks.

I also have Stealth by Peter Nardi and color monte with me.

Coins; in addition to cards, carry the odd regular coin.

If asked, just perform a few sleights or something like that. Learn some good visual stuff, and you can just borrow a coin from a spectator.

Cards are what I mainly carry.

halcon

I think 2 spongeballs are great to have. You can do many effects and combine them into a nice routine. I think more people should use the electronic rating pen, it is inexpensive, looks impromptu and I get great reactions with it. I really have a hard time follow such a visual effect with anything else.

Blank Business cards
Deluxe Pen thru anything
The Bat

And Sometimes a deck of cards + and Invisible Deck

A deck of cards
The Raven
Misled
TT
Rubberbands(for CMH)
and some sponge balls

that's about all

Is the deluxe pen thru anyything good??
Better than the regular pen thru everything?

All I need are my hands and my imagination and I can work wonders.

Take it easy

Socrates

'Simplify' - Henry David Thoreau

Color Monte and half dollars

It is clear that most magicians do not understand what impromptu magic is or they do and are not willing to give up the gaffs.

Harry does have his finger on it gang.
It is magic done on the spur of the moment with BORROWED items.
In a dictionary "Impromptu" is defined as:
Prompted by the occasion rather than being planned in advance.

You don't have to carry anything with you if you know your stuff.
Good luck all

The most important equipment: Business cards!!! After that, a simple deck of cards, thumb tip and a silk... I figure that if I'm not out to do a show, or "walk around", I don't actually need to lug around all my equipment.

Louis

A deck of cards set up for Color Changing Deck and Chicago Opener (then I can do card tricks FASDIU).

Sometimes a rope for Colombini's Professor's Math (maybe starting with rope through neck or a few false knots).

Thinking of carrying an eclipse tip or sanada (sp?) gimmick.

I have started 2 or 3 cards ready to do star warp with. It really blows people away too!