The Importance Of Everyday Carry

It’s one of the easiest, most fundamental ways a person can become better prepared, so the more people utilize EDC, the more prepped we are as a society.

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In the modern world, where resources are readily available on demand, it’s easy to get around empty-handed, aside from your wallet and phone. In the old days, this wasn’t the case; when you left home, you had to bring necessary items with you to get through the day. In reality, this fundamental fact of life never changed, only the availability of necessary items did, along with what precisely was needed to be carried.

As American life becomes more chaotic, as the availability of resources on-demand begins to change, the importance of having necessary items on you will become more apparent. In much of the world, including developed societies, EDC is more of an ingrained practice, while Americans, women excepted, are still catching on. It’s one of the easiest, most fundamental ways a person can become better prepared, so the more people utilize EDC, the more prepped we are as a society.

Before discussing what to put into your bag, let’s first go over some basic guidelines regarding EDC.

Daily Usage > Emergency

It’s called “everyday carry” for a reason. The items you put into your EDC should be things you will use on a regular basis. As you’ll see when we begin discussing specific items, a lot of what you’ll end up carrying is the “boring” stuff. But the mundane is what makes up the vast majority of our day-to-day living. When you need it most is when you realize just how important the mundane things truly are.

It’s easy to get carried away and begin identifying all sorts of items you think you ought to carry. You can dream up a scenario for just about anything, but as in self-defense, don’t allow yourself to become consumed by “what-ifs?”. You need to hew to reality, what real-world experience has taught you is necessary. Critical thinking and risk assessment is absolutely involved, but the objective is to decide what you actually need as opposed to finding reasons to carry around something.

Lastly, the fact that these are intended to be daily-use items suggests you shouldn’t be spending a lot of money putting your EDC together. You’re not putting together a “bug out” bag or a medical kit, you’re putting together a bag full of items you use in the normal course of life, even if they can be useful in an emergency. I can’t stress this enough; don’t go overboard with the funky gadgets. You’ll run out of room for the more relevant stuff.

Keep It Comfortable

EDC isn’t meant to be burdensome. If you find it difficult to walk long distances, up and down a flight of steps with it, that’s not an EDC. Even “bug out” bags shouldn’t weigh you down significantly. Remember: EDC is meant to go with you almost everywhere, every time you head out the door. Yes, take what you need, but if it gets uncomfortable to carry around, re-assess how badly you actually need it or if a suitable alternative exists.

Remember: even for 100 percent necessary items, there may exist smaller versions of it. EDC isn’t a tool bag; if you can find a miniature or scaled-down version of the same thing, that may be preferable over purchasing the full-sized version. It’ll save you space and weight.

Create Your Own Kit; Don’t Just Copy Others

Let’s hear it from prepper-extraordinaire and Bosnian War survivor Selco Begovic on this:

In the survival-prepper world, it is very important what you carry with you and just as much so, how you carry it. But it is a giant myth that there is just one right way to do this. Despite what many people want to say, there is no perfect and universal everyday carry, perfect and universal bug out bag, car kit, or other gear.

There might be some items or universal rules that every kit should have, but everything else is based on the specific situation.

It is often misunderstood, You can see that actually when someone post his EDC for example on a social media post that you are gonna have probably many comments with specific suggestions what is right or wrong in that kit. But the problem is that lot of those suggestions (or objections) are based on the specific needs or scenarios of the commenter. The suggestions may not work for the person who has that EDC.

As a general rule, we can say that you may take advice about some item in your kit, but you should always keep in mind that you are building kit based on YOUR settings and needs.

On that last point, I’ll add that there are certain things you absolutely need in one setting that you absolutely don’t need in another. For example, out in the country, having water purifying tablets might be useful. But in urban areas? Leave that stuff at home and just stop by a 7/11 if you’re thirsty.

If you live near water and you can swim, it might make sense to keep swimming goggles on you. Otherwise, it’s not really necessary. If you rely on your automobile to get around or work from a fixed location, you should have medical equipment in your vehicle or at your worksite, so it may be superfluous to carry it in your EDC. Adjust your kit to the realities of your environment.

Two Is One, One Is None

Don’t get carried away with this. Some things are too cumbersome to carry in twos, others are too expensive to justify purchasing more than one at a time. Two is one, one is none is simply a general guideline for how much of something you ought to have.

For example, having two pens is ideal: they’re cheap and easily lost. Two flashlights? Maybe, though carrying around two expensive “tactical” lights is overdoing it. Have one “luxury” flashlight, but also have a “dollar store” flashlight as a spare.

How about a power bank? Does it make sense to carry around two of them? No, because though they may be lightweight, they’re still heavier than most items, take up space, and you shouldn’t need to use a power bank regularly. It just doesn’t make sense to have two in your EDC, though it might make more sense to have one in your EDC and another in your vehicle, workplace, etc.

What Does Max Carry Every Day?

This isn’t meant to be a prescription nor an all-inclusive list. As stated before, don’t merely copy what others have. Aside from a few no-brainers, some of this may not be appropriate for you or you may prefer an alternative which manages to fulfill a similar purpose. What follows is simply what I carry on a daily basis. If you decide I’m doing it right and choose to follow my lead, great, but don’t feel like you need to. I’m sure there are things others carry which I’ve ruled completely out of my EDC or I haven’t even thought of.

First, let’s discuss the EDC bag itself. Most women carry around a handbag; it works great for EDC, with a caveat we’ll discuss in a second. For men, a smaller-sized backpack or a larger-sized fanny pack will probably suffice. As usual, don’t overthink it; your EDC bag should have plenty of storage space, but it should also be something you can easily grab with one hand, throw over your shoulder, and not something you need to exert any real effort to carry around, like luggage. A good rule of thumb: EDC bags should be small enough to fit easily inside a cubby-hole or under the seat in front of you on an airplane. Otherwise, it’s too big.

Whatever you opt for, being able to wear it across your body is as important a consideration as storage space. Having both hands free makes you less vulnerable, more able to protect yourself from potential threats or other hazards, plus it’s just not convenient to have something in one hand at all times. It’s also far more difficult to lose something you wear across your body. This rules out the traditional handbag for women, but comfort is also a consideration. Some women find it more comfortable to carry something as opposed to wearing it across their body. If that describes you, then at least understand the risks entailed in having to hold something constantly. Know this, however: throughout much of the world, you won’t see women carrying handbags exclusively in their hands as much as they do here in the United States. Most of them carry bags with a strap across their body or over their shoulder, even in much safer societies. There’s a reason.

That’s not to say you can’t have a strapped bag, backpack, or fanny pack snatched from you. It happens all the time. But it is more difficult and a thief will have to fight much harder for it. Alternately, for someone who isn’t able-bodied, it may actually make more sense to not wear your EDC across your body. An old lady isn’t going to be able to put up much of a fight against a thief; it may be better just to have it taken out of her hands as opposed to being dragged in the process. It sounds obscene, but sometimes giving up your property may be the better option. As always, conduct an honest personal risk assessment: if you aren’t confident in your ability to fight off an attacker, then you may need to be willing to lose your belongings in exchange for not losing your life. It’s an ugly exchange, but the world is full of trade-offs.

Finally, style matters. Some of us prefer bright colors and flashy designs. I personally ascribe to “grey man” principle - stand out at little as possible. That means your EDC bag ought to be a subdued color, like black, brown, gray, or dark green. Bright colors and flashy designs draw more attention. That may be the point, but we’re trying not be targeted by bad guys.

I personally utilize a black Meprona Tactical Fanny Pack. Made out of a strong nylon fabric, the bag is sturdy and water-resistant to a point. It has a zippered main compartment that can fit most everything listed below, plus a front compartment with a velcro flap, behind it a small zippered compartment, and an easy-access, exposed slot between the two front compartments. There’s also a side compartment, along with an “auxiliary” pouch which can be separated from the unit.

Finally, there’s a “hidden” zippered pocket in the back which can be used to store one’s most valuable belongings - phone, money, passport, etc. I wear the pack across my body, as I find it both uncomfortable and unattractive to wear it on the waist. It’s also easier to maintain positive control over a bag worn across your body than anywhere else. How ever you choose to wear it, the Meprona Tactical Fanny is comfortable, spacious, and compact - everything you’d want in an EDC, whether you’re male or female.

Here’s a look at the inside of my fanny pack:

Source: Author

As you can see, there’s plenty of space for everything plus snacks.

With our bag selected, let’s begin filling it up, shall we? Here’s what I carry in my EDC:

• Flashlight: A flashlight is undoubtedly the most basic of basic prepper tools, but everyone, prepper or not, should carry a flashlight and not rely on the light built into their smartphones. I carry two flashlights - one is the Streamlight 88033 ProTac 2AA Professional Tactical Flashlight. It has three settings - high, strobe (flashing), and low. I primarily use the low setting to save battery power and the strobe setting can be useful in a self-defense encounter.
  
  The other is a Streamlight 65020 Green LED Pen Light. I use this less for illumination and more for signalling other drivers when driving at night or in low-light conditions. The green is easily noticed and, combined with motion, can more clearly convey my intentions, specifically that it’s fine for them to proceed ahead of me.

• Knife/Multitool: Some kind of cutting tool or tool in general is a must for every EDC. It should be a folding knife, since a fixed-blade would pose a safety hazard when carried inside a bag. I personally don’t recommend you go overboard and buy some pricey “tactical” knife manufactured by Gerber or Smith & Wesson, though they certainly offer cheaper, lower-end options. As long as it folds and can cut open boxes, slice easily through plastic, or robust material like rubber, it’ll do the job. That said, like most things in life, you get what you pay for. The more you spend, the superior the quality. However, if you pay more than $40 on a knife, you’re spending too much.
  
  The knife I carry was generously gifted to me years ago by a co-worker. It was produced by K. Hansotia & Co.; I cannot find much about this manufacturer, oddly enough. They must produce superb knives, however, as I’ve been using this for several years and it still works as advertised, not to mention it’s made out of an attractive gunmetal finish that hasn’t faded a single bit. The blade, which is 3.5 inches long for an overall extended length of 7 inches, folds and locks in place. It lacks an assist, however, which is a feature I personally prefer, but be careful: some jurisdictions may consider it a switchblade and henceforce illegal to carry.
  
  It’s been years since I’ve carried a multitool, though I’m looking back into owning one. You can never go wrong with the Leatherman Wave (now available in the Wave+ variant); it has 18 different tools built in, including pliers, both a straight-edge and serrated-edge knife, screwdriver, and even a bottle-opener. I can’t tell you how useful the Leatherman Wave was on the job in my earlier life and you can see, just based on how many components it has, how useful it can be in any setting. It’s downside is its price, so if its too expensive, consider cheaper alternatives and the consequent trade-offs. At half a pound, the Wave is also heavy by multitool standards. As stated earlier, we want to keep our EDC as light as possible.
  
  And yes: knives and even multitools can serve as self-defense tools. Hopefully, you’ll use them primarily for purposes other than fighting off an attacker. If the moment ever comes, however, you’ll have a force multiplier. Just remember: a knife is a lethal weapon. So is a multitool - not only does it have knives built in, people are stabbed with screwdrivers all the time. Some people seem to believe knives incur less legal liability than a gun. While guns are certainly more heavily regulated and their usage more strongly scrutinized, lethal force is lethal force, regardless of which tool you employ. Understand that knives and guns have the same legal strings attached when used in defense of self or others.

• Power bank: This has pretty much eliminated the need to carry a cable and wall plug everywhere I go (though I do carry both separately in my work bag). I utilize the VEEKTOMX Portable Charger - it has 10,000 milliamp hours of battery capacity (whatever that means), built-in iPhone, USB-C, and USB-Micro cables, a USB-A and a Type-C port, and is slim with a built-in carrying strap. On the higher end of power banks, it’s more expensive, but it’s worth the $30 to have integrated cables.
  
  Theoretically, the VEEKTOMX power bank can charge five devices at once, though I’d imagine you’d drain the battery rather quickly. Personally, I’ve never found these devices useful for charging; power banks serve more as back-up power when a device’s internal battery has been depleted. It’s compatible with just about any handheld device imaginable, whether it be iPhone, Android, or even iPads and tablets. Even if you never have to use it yourself, you can certainly be of assistance to others even if they possess different devices from you.
  
  I can’t stress this enough: when buying a power bank, buy one with built-in cables. I once attended an event beyond walking distance from my hotel in a foreign country and brought a power bank that didn’t have built-in cables, only to discover, upon arrival, that I’d brought the wrong type of external cable. It made for a hairy evening, as I had difficulty calling an Uber to pick me up at the end of the night and my battery was by then below 50 percent. If you buy a power bank with an assortment of built-in cables, it’ll give you one less thing to worry about.

• Hand sanitizer: It’s unfortunate it took the COVID pandemic for people to recall the importance of keeping your hands clean. Now that everyone’s aware, everyone should walk around with hand sanitizer on them. A mini-bottle or a spray is most ideal.

• Pens: When you really need one, it’s never around. So carry a few. Even in this age where so much of writing is done via the keyboard or touchscreen, you’ll still need to write with your hand at times and sign documents.

• Cash: We don’t live in a cash-less society. Yet. There are still many businesses out there that accept cash only and the reliability of electronic transactions depends on the reliability of the Internet, the electrical grid, things beyond your control. You should always have cash on you and cheap purchases should be paid for in cash. $100 is enough; anything beyond a couple hundred is unnecessary, unless you’re buying narcotics.

• CPR Mask: If you’re certified in CPR, this is a must. You’re exposing yourself to risk any time you go mouth-to-mouth with someone, so having a barrier is critical for your own safety.

• Eyeglasses/Contact Lenses: If you, like me, wear corrective lens, having an extra pair of glasses and a set of unsealed contact lenses is a must. I wear contacts, so I carry both my glasses and an extra pair of unopened contacts. Having unopened contacts will lessen, if not eliminate, the need to carry around solution. I do carry around eye drops, however.

• Lighter/Matches: I’m not a smoker, but lighters and matches can be useful when you least expect it and I’m not talking about for malicious purposes. Fire is, in many ways, the foundation of civilization and having a flame on you is never a bad idea. There’s no need to spend big on a Zippo; a disposable BIC lighter or a small box of matches will do.

• Earbuds: Used for hands-free, mostly-private phone conversations.

• Sunglasses: Not only should everyone protect their eyes from the sun’s rays, we should all carry around a form of eye protection. This is especially important if you work some place where the risk of eye injury is high, like a construction site, or work with chemicals or any kind of tools.

• Pepper spray: A knife is a lethal weapon, pepper spray is a less-lethal weapon. It’s worth having something that isn’t likely to cause great bodily harm or death, if only to avoid legal fallout. That said, pepper spray can be an effective defensive measure if employed properly. I’m going to go into more detail on pepper spray in the future, but I’ll say now that it’s better to have on your person than inside your EDC. However, depending on the setting, having pepper spray clipped to your waist may not be ideal, so like the knife, we’ll consider it part of the EDC.

What Max Doesn’t Carry In His EDC

I don’t carry my phone nor wallet in my EDC. Everything I have on me is valuable, but my phone and wallet are arguably the two most valuable items I have on me when out and about. Everything in my EDC is easily replaced, the phone and the contents of my wallet less so. Generally, the more valuable something is, the closer it ought to be to your person. This includes your keys as well. I don’t carry this in my EDC.

Women are different and often carry their money, credit cards, keys, and phone all in their handbag. However, I advise against this practice. If someone snatches your handbag or purse and you had everything in there, then what are you going to do? Where possible, compartmentalize.

Max might carry a knife and pepper spray, but he doesn’t carry a gun. There are many reasons for this, but the biggest one is that it’s a big responsibility I cannot commit myself to. I despise the flippancy with which so many who support gun rights will reflexively state, “YOU NEED TO CARRY!” No, you don’t. Unless you’re willing to train consistently (think at least once a week), observe all laws concerning concealed or open carry, and are willing to build your life around having a loaded firearm on you at all times, it’s not for you. I’m not telling anyone they shouldn’t carry, but I’m saying that not everyone should. It’s just not a responsibility most of us are up to.

If you do carry, having an gun in your EDC is sub-optimal, even as there exist EDC bags designed to conceal a handgun. Like your phone and wallet, a gun is much too valuable to keep inside a bag that can be snatched or otherwise separated from you. Something that’s meant to save your life and carries tremendous liability ought to be on your person at all times. Apply this principle to all “can’t-afford-to-lose” items.

Lastly, some of you may notice I don’t carry medical supplies in my EDC. The main reason for this is because I carry medical supplies separately, namely in my car, which has its own first aid kit, along with my “bug out” bag. The other reason is that I work in a place where there’s first aid readily available, along with quick emergency response. I also don’t get sick often and have no health problems or allergies, so I could carry around ibuprofen and not take a single dose for years on end. I generally stay away from taking medications; if I need to, I’ll probably go home instead or to an urgent care for more critical conditions.

So… What’s In Your Bag?

What I hope you notice is that many of the items I carry every day are versatile. For example, a knife, at best, can be used to open a package; at worst, it can be used to save my own life. The power bank has one purpose, yes, but it can not only charge many different types of devices, it could charge multiple devices at once. Even the sunglasses I own can serve as decent eye protection.

Meanwhile, the single-use items are utterly indispensible: flashlights, hand sanitizer, pens. We should all have a good idea of what’s really important and what’s really useful to have. If you need guidance, just remember that time you asked someone for something very basic you thought a random person might have, but didn’t.

Final note: everything in my EDC is easily replaced, relatively speaking. By that, I mean I don’t need to spend too much to replace any one item, or the whole entire kit, if needed. Again, don’t carry super-valuable items - cash excepted - in your EDC. If you ever needed to replace the EDC bag and its contents, you shouldn’t exceed $100 to $150 in doing so.

In future discussions related to this topic, we’ll discuss what to carry in your personal vehicle, when traveling overseas, even what you should have at your workplace. However, EDC is arguably one of the easiest ways anyone can prep, no matter one’s level of competency or interest. If you’re someone who’s already accustomed to carrying a bag to work or around town, it’s time to empty its contents and re-assess whether you’re carrying what you really need to carry.

What about you? How many of you carry an EDC? What items do you put in it? What things do you think are necessary for any EDC in today’s world?

Max Remington writes about armed conflict and prepping. Follow him on Twitter at @AgentMax90.

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