Lots of good stuff. I haven't been keeping track of this thread much, don't mess with forums much. Too much to do, not enough time to spend reading threads... anywho..
zepper, nice suggestions on the tools. I go simple myself, but it's never bad to have tools you won't ever need, because you may need them!
Keymaker, thanks for all the additions. Many good ones. Quite a few are repeats of other tools in my list or tools that do stuph that can be done just as easily with notepad, but they can be used in lieu of or in tandem with the other tools. Some of the tools are in the USB Pen Drive Kit I referenced somewheres in there (filemon, for example), or the Ultimate Boot CD (memtest, Darik's).
Secondly, yeah, you could get a cable tester on ebay, but I hate ebay by default. Personal preference. Get em wherever you want.
Besides, if you are really good, you don't need a tester. (I'm not willing to take my chances, though.)
excuzzzeme, one can make a cross-over cable with the equipment listed in the kit. Since they are rarely used anymore, especially with all the "auto-sensing" equipment in use today, I just don't keep one around. I make it if I need it. You could certainly make one and keep it around if you want. Saves you time later down the road. Also, I prefer not to carry around hardware with me (since I work in a shop, I have access to this stuff quickly, so I don't need it on me unless I am going on an appointment somewhere in Zanzibar) but one can certainly keep that too.
'
Ooh, and about the compressed air . .. something bothers me about having a battery operated blower/vacuum device around. It just reeks to me of "EMI radiation". Besides, I have easy access to CHEAP compressed air cans, so that's what I use and when It runs out I just get a new one. Cheaper than buying batteries.