Originally Posted by
tjspiel
The problem with this forum is that it's filled with people who've made commuting into a hobby as opposed to just a way to get to work. To the outsider commuting would appear to be way more complicated than it is.
You have everything you need. You may or may not want some other stuff as you get into it. For now just do it.
And here is a second opinion like mine. The other posters in this thread are trying to help but are only reinforcing your fear that it is harder than it is. The only "essential" you really need to carry is a cell phone. That and have someone you can call. Everything else is merely to decrease the probability that you need the cell phone, and increase your ability to handle adversity independently.