EDC: What's in your pocket?

   A term you will hear on a regular basis when around preppers is "EDC", which stands for "everyday carry". EDC, as the name suggests, is a collection of items that you have on you at all times. Generally these items are carried to make ones life easier when dealing with regularly occurring situations, or items that will be immediately useful in the event of an emergency.
   The most common items you will find shared among preppers are a knife of some sort, flashlight, keys to all important locks (house, car, firearms locker, etc.), cash, and communication device (generally a cellphone). Other items that are included are normally occupation and situation specific.
   I'll use myself as a case study for EDC. Since I commute mostly by city transit and I spend a large majority of my day and week away from my home, my EDC is a little bit more hefty than most. On my person my gear is pretty standard: wallet, narrow blade folding knife, keys, Zippo lighter, and cellphone. I also carry an additional Bic lighter in all my coats (you can never have too many ways to start a fire). Where my gear starts to get more in-depth is in my day pack.
   If you're like me and sport a backpack everywhere you go, I can't stress the importance of comfort. I've used numerous different packs over the years, and my current kits use three different bags (I'll talk about the other two in different posts). As I've evolved through my outdoors and prepping activities I've come to fully understand and appreciate the comfort factors of a pack. When you start carrying around a medium to heavy load for several hours a day, most days of the week, in a backpack that's not designed for comfort you will truly start to hate being prepared.
   My current EDC pack, the bag I take everywhere, is the SOG Ninja Daypack in coyote tan. With a large main pocket and multiple smaller pockets and compartments it's great for keeping all my gear organized. It also has padded straps with sternum strap and a padded back. The pockets are arranged so that even the heaviest loads are comfortably distributed through the shoulder straps.

Here's a quick rundown of what my EDC pack contains:

Light/Warmth/Fire

• Flashlights: I carry a minimum of two flashlights in my pack at all times.
• Matches: A container with waterproof matches and a striking strip is a must.
• Lighters: Like I said earlier, you can never have too many ways to start a fire. I usually have between three and four Bic lighters in my bag at all times.
• Hand/Foot Warmers: This item is a rotating seasonal item. I keep a set in my pack from late fall to early spring.
• Emergency Blanket: Sometimes called a "space blanket" or "survival blanket" is a sheet of Mylar which is a very lightweight and insulating sheet for conserving body heat in an emergency.
• Clothing: Rotating seasonal items such as heavy toques, gloves, rain coat, extra socks, etc. Layering clothing is important, having the appropriate layers packed is essential.
• Poncho: Having a backup poncho is good to have. If you already have a rain coat with you it can be used as a rain cover for your bag.

Tools

• Knives: A good quality folding knife is within short reach in my bag. I sometimes also carry a fixed blade, but that normally lives in my wilderness kit.
• Multi-tool: Keeping a multi-tool (Leatherman as most people know them) in your kit is invaluable. having pliers and screwdrivers without carrying a toolbox is great.
• Screwdrivers: I keep a really handy precision screwdriver set in my bag. The drivers are interchangeable, but the whole set is only the size of a thick pen.
• Crazy Glue: You'd be crazy not to have a few tubes of this with you. I can't even count the amount of things I've fixed with it.
• Duct Tape: Much like crazy glue, it's invaluable. It also makes a decent fire starter.
• Glasses Repair Kit: If you wear glasses this is a great, small item you can throw in your pack.
• Cordage: I keep a few feet of safety yellow cord in my bag. Who knows when you may need to tie something back together, or replace a broken shoelace.
• Sewing Kit: Tear the ass out of your pants? That's an embarrassing trip home if you can't patch them up.
• Sharpening Stone: I keep a fine stone in my kit for any emergency knife maintenance.

Health/Hygiene

• First Aid Kit: So important. I wont go in to detail about my kits here, but we will cover it in later posts.
• Med-Kit: I keep my medications separate from, but together with, my first aid kit. It makes inventorying and resupplying a lot easier.
• Toiletries Kit: Since I'm not at home much I keep a small toiletries kit in my bag with small amount of all the essentials.

Power/Technology

• Batteries: If you have something that runs off batteries, always carry a spare set.
• Portable Charger: I carry a very slim, lightweight, portable charger that can give my phone a full charge plus a little extra power left over.
• USB Cord & Charging Block: Not only can I charge my phone from a wall outlet, I can use the USB cord with the portable charger or to plug in to a computer.
• Memory Devices: Having a USB stick and a MicroSD card with SD card adapter is useful if you need to share files with people.
• Two-way Radio: A good set of two way radios is a great addition to your pack. It allows communication when cellphones don't work, and you can also monitor weather and emergency channels.

Miscellaneous

• Water Bottle: Always have some drinking water, it can save you a ton of hassle.
• Glasses: Breaking a pair of glasses when you're nowhere near a spare is incredibly inconvenient. I always keep a backup pair in my pack.
• Notepad/Pens: Something to write on, and with, is great when you need to take quick notes or the likes.
• Cards: A deck of playing cards is a fantastic morale booster when you're stuck somewhere for long periods of time. Not an essential item, but I find it very useful.

   This is a quick rundown of my everyday carry. If you're starting out with prepping please don't take this as scripture, it's only meant as an example of what we do and what you should consider carrying. This works for me, but you will have to figure out the best gear for yourself. It takes a lot of trial and error to develop a pack, and mine is always evolving, so this may be updated in the future. I hope you find this a usable reference material and a good insight into the beginnings or prepping.

   As always, thanks for reading, and until next time. Be Prepared. Be Safe. Have Fun.