You don’t have to be an out and out, fully signed up Prepper to be reasonably prepared for the unexpected setback or emergency in your daily routine. The expected can happen at any time, from being stuck on a broken down train or being unable to get home from work due to a disaster.
Spend a moment or two thinking about your Every Day Carry (or EDC as it is commonly known in prepping circles) and you might soon realise how being prepared is as easy a habit to get into as the things you carry around with you on a daily basis.
Your EDC – the principles
They are the potentially life-saving items – from purpose-made gadgets to simple bits and bobs – which you can draw on at a moment’s notice, whether some emergency crops up at home, work, while travelling, or even under dire circumstances that are testing your very survival.
Of course, no one EDC list fits all. Different people may need different things. Different people may feel more comfortable carrying some items than others or consider that others will prove more useful and some.
EDC basics
Let’s take a look at one or two specifics:
- wallet – you’ve almost certainly got one already but if not, then your everyday carry needs something made to contain essential ID (such as your driving licence), debit and credit cards, and cash. Never leave home without them;
- mobile phone – there are few emergencies or crises when the signal on your mobile phone is likely to go down for very long so make a habit of carrying your (fully charged) mobile at all times. It can be a valuable source of essential documents if you take and keep pictures or PDF files of critical personal documents as well as a torch and for navigation;
- a mobile battery pack – you can buy mini versions that are the pocket-sized (note: these mini versions tend not to be solar powered but will keep you going for several hours if your ‘phone battery runs out);
- a swiss army knife or similar – these are so compact but have a number of useful tools from a wood saw to scissors to a bottle opener;
- a water filtration bottle that is refillable and automatically filters out 99% of bacteria etc;
- a few days’ supply of any medication (if you are on any);
- safety pins, tissues and a few plasters;
- a bottle of hand sanitiser (which can double up as an antiseptic in case you get a small cut);
- a pen – but not any old pen. The (name of pen and link) can be used to break a car window and has a DNA catcher at the end in case you are attacked;
- sustenance, such as a small bag of buts or dried fruit, or a protein bar.
Even the skimpiest of Everyday Carry (EDC) pockets, pouches, or bags can contain potentially life-saving bits of equipment. Think now about what these might be so that you can add them to your list of essentials and not be caught out when and if that emergency catches up with you.
