If you’ve just started prepping or researching prepping, you might be hearing an awful lot about everyday carry or an EDC kit.
Everyday carry items are designed to help you survive not just life’s everyday emergencies but a potentially life-threatening situation as well. Some preppers will describe EDC by giving you a list of items that you must carry with you at all times.
For most people a minimal EDC kit includes their wallet or purse, a cell phone, keychain, as well as these other places you can keep your EDC items. You can add items to all of these three main devices and your clothing to enhance your ability to handle whatever emergency situations may come your way.
Other preppers will add that everyday carry is more of a strategy for how to handle life’s little emergencies, make life easier, and to survive when needed. Regardless of how someone describes EDC to you, know that an EDC must be personalized to fit your own situation and your needs. EDC is typically fluid and dynamic and the items you carry everyday may change as your knowledge, skill level, and other factors change.
Some items to consider for your EDC kit include:
- Firearm
- Pocket Knife
- Paracord Bracelet
- Item of Silver
- Cell Phone
- Wallet or Purse
- Multi-tool
- Mini kits
- Lighter
- Warm weather clothing
- Duct Tape
- Personal Water Filter
- Mini First Aid Kit
- Flashlight
Situations Where Your Everyday Carry Kit Could Save Your Life Include:
#1. To get out of a sinking car…
…you can use your knife or a seatbelt cutter, and a window punch to get yourself and anyone else free as well. Having the right tools to break free of a submerged car and knowing how to act quickly can be a critical factor to preventing hypothermia and even drowning.
#2. To blind an attacker…
who ambushes you in the darkness, a flashlight of any kind will come in handy. Keep in mind there are many situations where you could be attacked including as you walk through the parking lot to your car, walk to the sidewalk to take out the garbage at night, or even walking home from visiting a neighbor. If you carry a tactical flashlight as part of your EDC, you can also use it to strike your attacker during a daylight ambush situation.
#3. To filter water from a pond, stream, or other water source…
…a Sawyer Mini is a valuable EDC item that could save your life. The average human can only survive for three days without water and many water sources could be contaminated in an outdoor survival situation or in a post-SHTF situation.
#4. To inflict pain and distract an attacker…
a tactical pen can be used to poke the eyes of your aggressor or inflict pain in other vulnerable places. While it’s not a lethal weapon, it can distract the attacker long enough for you to get to safety or call for help.
#5. To start a fire for cooking…
…matches or a magnesium fire starter are good things to have in your EDC. You may need to use a fire to cook in an outdoor survival situation or during a power outage.
#6. To stave off hypothermia in any outdoor situation…
…your fire striker and char cloth, and warm weather accessories like a hat, gloves, and scarf, are critical EDC items to have on hand.
#7. To signal rescuers…
…from the ground if lost in the woods a signal mirror is an EDC item that can save your life.
#8.To attract attention of a passerby…
…when you are being attacked on the street or in an alley, or if you fall from a boat into cold water at night, a high quality whistle and signal mirror are helpful items to include in your EDC.
#9. To protect your nose and mouth from smoke…
…if you are trapped in a fire or in a riot, an N-99 mask is an invaluable EDC item that could save your life.
Additional Situations Where Your Everyday Carry Kit Could Save Your Life include:
#10. To barter for an item that you desperately need…
…that someone else has in a post-SHTF situation, a ring or coins made from silver and kept in your wallet can mean the difference between life and death.
#11. To close a bleeding wound…
…in an emergency situation and prevent potential infection or loss of too much blood, tuck a small tube of super glue into your wallet or pants pocket. Whenever possible, seek professional medical attention as soon as it’s feasible, even if the bleeding has stopped.
#12. To shoot back in self-defense…
…carrying a firearm as part of your EDC could save your life if you are confronted by an intruder, a car hijacker, mugger, or wild/rabid animal. If you are going to carry a firearm as part of your EDC, always follow proper training and concealed carry procedures so that you know how to properly use your gun and keep it from being used against you by an attacker.
#13. To distract a growling dog or potential rapist…
…add pepper spray or another personal defense device to your everyday carry kit and give yourself time to get away from danger.
#14. To carry at least 24 hours worth of personal medications…
…include a small cache cylinder on a lanyard around your neck so you can avoid life threatening medical issues if you are stranded away from home unexpectedly without your medication.
#15. To identify edible or medicinal plants…
…downloading an app such as Wild Edibles by WinterRoot or a wild edibles ebook to your cell phone can save your life in a post-SHTF situation where you need to forage for food.
#16. To navigate your way through the wilderness…
…a compass is part of your everyday carry kit which can save your life if you find yourself lost during a hike or while hunting. In extreme weather or if you are injured, getting back to the road or to town quickly instead of wandering aimlessly will be critical.
#17. To make a sling for an injured arm…
…a bandana or even your t-shirt can be used until help arrives or you can get to a medical professional. Although a broken arm may not seem like a life-threatening situation, it can become one if you aren’t able to immobilize it and continue to complete tasks needed to get to safety.
#18. To help prevent hypothermia…
…an emergency space blanket is a great item to include as part of your EDC kit. Keep in mind that hypothermia can set in even during routine activities if someone falls into water, gets drenched in a rainstorm, or is stranded without shelter in a windy or cold area for too long.
Final Words
The list of situations your everyday carry kit could save your life is really limitless. It depends largely on where you live and the types of daily interactions you have with people around you.
Many life threatening situations are just simply unpredictable and are a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. The best you can do to prepare is take time to create an EDC strategy and and EDC kit that will enable you to respond quickly to a wide variety of situations.
Have you had the occasion to use your everyday carry kit in a life threatening or potentially life threatening situation? Share your experience in the comments below.
