In recent years, the phrase “everyday carry” (EDC) has evolved from a simple desire to always have the right tools for the situations that arise in daily life to a favorite hobby of doomsday preppers with a case of gear lust.
Well, it is time to take the term back.
There is no reason why you should not invest a bit of time and money into making sure that you are prepared for anything that may arise. Choosing the right items for your EDC arsenal is not just for people who are convinced that society may collapse at any moment – it is actually a good idea for anyone, because luck favors the prepared.
Not convinced yet? Try adding a few of these items to your everyday kit, and you will wonder how you ever got by without them. These are the EDC essentials that you did not know you needed.
Pocket Flashlight
If the last time that you tried using a pocket flashlight was more than about a decade ago, it is time to give it another shot, because today’s LEDs are not just dramatically brighter than the miniature incandescent bulbs of the past – they also consume significantly less battery power. A pocket LED flashlight that clips to the inside of your pocket and uses a single AAA battery can provide dramatically more illumination than a larger incandescent flashlight.
Why carry a pocket flashlight when you already have one built into your phone? A flashlight is ready to use instantly, and it will be much brighter than your phone’s built-in light. You also can’t use your phone’s flashlight very effectively if you are trying to talk at the same time. Using the built-in light can drain your phone’s battery quickly, which is not what you want in an emergency situation. Finally, if you are the type of person who prefers not to carry a potentially dangerous item like pepper spray for self-defense, a pocket flashlight can be a useful thing to have because it can potentially dazzle a would-be attacker long enough for you to get away.
Vape
If you are a nicotine user, it is time to give up the cigarettes and add a vape to your EDC arsenal. This is not just a matter of doing your body a favor by not inhaling smoke anymore. Vapes are better in every way because they taste much better – and also last longer – than cigarettes. If you want to carry as much useful stuff as possible without weighing yourself down, you will love the fact that a modern high-capacity vape supplies as much nicotine as several packs of cigarettes while being much smaller than a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. When your device starts to blink, all that you need to do is connect it to a power source with a USB-C cable – something that you probably have in your kit already for keeping your phone topped up. Plus, getting rid of the cigarettes and lighter will mean that you will have extra room for carrying other fun gadgets.
Seatbelt Cutter/Glass Breaker
Speaking of gadgets, there is a good chance that you have at least a couple of items in your car that can get you up and running more quickly than a call to AAA if your vehicle is disabled. Some of the common EDC items that people stash in their cars include battery-operated car starters and tire inflaters. There is another essential car item that you might not have already, though, and it just might save your life or someone else’s in the event of an accident. You need to have at least one seatbelt cutter/glass breaker in your car.
A seatbelt cutter has two components. The first is a recessed blade that can quickly cut through a car’s seatbelt, which is useful for freeing you from your seat if you are trapped in your vehicle and cannot reach the seatbelt’s release button. The second component is a pointed hammer that you can use to break your car’s window if you cannot open the door. With luck, you will never need to use it. If you are in a severe accident, though, a seatbelt cutter/glass breaker might be the most valuable EDC tool you could ever own.
Personal First Aid Kit
There is a good chance that you already have a first aid kit in your home. You may have one in your car as well. What would you do, though, if you had an accident but were not near one of your primary first aid kits? You spend a lot of your life in places other than your home or car, and that is why it is a good idea to have a few important medical essentials with you at all times.
Some of the useful items that you may want to carry in your personal first aid kit include bandages, antibacterial gel, over-the-counter pain and allergy meds and a CPR mask – and if you have not taken a CPR class, it is never too late to learn.
Multitool
Even if you are not the type of person who considers yourself handy, you will be surprised by how incredibly useful a good multitool can be. A multitool typically includes things like a screwdriver, pliers, a file and tweezers. In a pinch, you can use a multitool to open or fix just about anything. It is also a great alternative to a pocketknife if you are not comfortable with the idea of carrying a blade everywhere you go.
A Good Bag
Many EDC essentials can fit in your pockets. Once you have experienced what it is like to own a good pocket flashlight, for instance, you will never want to have one far from your hand. Other items, though, definitely are not things that you will feel like stuffing into your pants every day. That is why it is so useful to own a good bag. That way, you can organize your items once and then forget about them until you need them. Just grab your bag on your way out of the house, and you are all set.
Some of the qualities of an ideal EDC bag include:
- Plenty of pockets. You want your items to stay put, and you also want to know exactly where they are when you need them.
- Rip-proof material. Leather and waxed canvas are both ideal.
- Water resistance. If you are caught in heavy rain, you do not want your EDC essentials to get ruined.
