EDC (Every Day Carry) is a popular topic. Survivalists, sheepdogs and other “Be Prepared” individuals like to post pictures of the items they carry every day, all neatly arranged and posed for a portrait. In fact, the popularity of this past time is not limited to just us survivalist “crazy folks.” The phenomenon is truly becoming mainstream.
I also have an EDC “load-out” (though I have never posted vanity pictures of my kit). I probably carry more than I need to, and there are some days, depending on the fashion requirements, where I carry less. But, here is a list of the basic core items that I always try to keep with me (not including obvious things like car keys, cell phone, or wallet).
- Handgun – I usually carry IWB at 3:00-ish.
- Folding knife – right-side pocket
- Flashlight – left-side pocket
- Spare magazine – left-side cargo pocket
- Multi-tool – right-side cargo pocket
Other additional items that I will often be carrying (again dependent upon fashion limitations) include:
- Straight-blade rescue knife – left-side cargo pocket
- EMT rescue shears – right-side cargo pocket
- “Altoids”-type tin with mini survival kit – left-side calf pocket
- 6-foot paracord – right-side calf pocket
- Little Ouchies med kit – left back pocket
- Backup pistol – left-side ankle holster
- Covert trauma kit – right-side in a specially designed ankle holster
Some items may need a little explaining:
- The “Altoids”-type survival kit contains a few items just in case I get caught alone and without transportation, and I have to make-do for a time. It contains things like a small butane lighter, fire starter, signal-mirror/Fresnel lens, and wire saw
- Little Ouchies is my own pet name for a small wallet that contains small bandages, small packets of anti-bacterial ointment, medical tape, and moleskin. It is designed to be super thin, but contains some essentials in case of a minor injury
- The ankle trauma kit contains a SWAT tourniquet, which can double as a compression bandage, some bleed-stop (Celox) z-fold gauze, rolled gauze, duct-tape, and chest-seal
Is this enough to handle most emergencies? I hope so. It is so easy to go overboard, and it quickly becomes a trade-off between every day preparedness and every day convenience. And I’m not even listing what is in my car kit, either! I sincerely hope I never will have to actually use most of these items (actually, I have used the knife, flashlight, and Little Ouchies quite a bit). But, should the moment come when I need them, I would surely rue the day that I failed to pack them with me!
Your EDC choices are personal, and depend on a lot of factors, convenience not being the least of them. Whatever your choices are, make sure that they are A) things that you will actually carry every day, and B) are things that you can actually use and are within the scope of your training.
