What is EDC and How Does it Fit Into Your Bug-Out Plan?

Written by on in Bugging Out, Preparing Our Strategy

Last week, we experienced the polar vortex.  Temperatures dropped incredibly low, even for Central Illinois.  The way it worked out, my husband and I had to exchange cars.  I put more miles on my husband’s car then he usually does in a couple of days.  As a result I needed to fill up his car with gas.

I went to a nearby gas station to fill his car up.  I popped the gas tank open using the lever inside the car.  It didn’t open.  I tried it again, and it didn’t open.  I pulled out my pocket knife and pried it open.

A pocket knife is a part of my EDC.

What is EDC?

EDC stands for Every Day Carry.  What items do we carry on our person EVERY-SINGLE-DAY?

Someone could be prepared for TEOTWAWKI and not be prepared to for today’s small emergencies.  One way that we can be prepared for every day emergencies is by creating an Every Day Carry list for ourselves.

What Should I Carry My What Is an EDC and How Does It Fit Into Your Bug Out Plan?EDC Kit In?

Before we get to talking about what to include in your EDC, let’s talk about WHAT you should carry your items in.   I know some guys who think they’ll carry their EDC in their pockets because macho men only need pocket knives, multi-tools, their concealed carry weapon and MAYBE an Altoids tin survival kit.  Right?   Wrong.

While what you keep your EDC in is up to you, I find that the best thing for me as a mom is to use what I use as a diaper bag – a trusty backpack.  Now, I personally have chosen to invest in a GOOD backpack.  When Land’s End had backpacks on sale during last year’s back-to-school season.  It was $50 on sale, but Land’s End has an amazing return policy for the life of the backpack.  Prior to that I had gone through three different backpacks or large purses in the course of a year.

I purchased a men’s backpack, and they really do look pretty gender neutral, but if you are a guy reading this post, Land’s End does have messenger style and duffel bags.

All that being said, no one should run out and buy anything until you go through the exercise I’ll take you through in a moment.

How Should I Organize My EDC Items?

I carry my EDC items, grouped by function, in small bags – like cosmetic bags.  The vast majority of my first aid items are in one bag.  My safety items are mostly what I carry in my pockets.  My personal care items are in another bag as are my preparedness items.

You can use Ziploc baggies  – if that’s what you have now.  The dollar store carries cosmetic bags. That’s where I got almost all of mine.

What Should I Carry in My EDC?  What Is an EDC and How Does It Fit Into Your Bug Out Plan?

While I will put a printable checklist of items that I keep or that I suggest carrying with you in the printable library, I want you to think through things for yourself and develop your own list for you specific to your family.

When we think about EDC, we should think in categories and then personalize those categories for your family.   Grab a piece of paper and divide it off into 6 sections.  Write each of these at the top of one section:  Safety, first-aid, preparedness, food & hydration, personal hygiene, family specific.

Category I – Personal Safety

Ask yourself what types of things do you need to ensure your safety?    Write out your own list BEFORE you go through these suggestions of mine.  You may think of things that are great for your family that you won’t if you simply go off my list.

If I am trying to provide myself and the family that are with me with the ability to remain safe these are the things that I would (do) carry with me.

What Is an EDC and How Does It Fit Into Your Bug Out Plan?Cell Phone

Start with your cell phone.  Having a way to contact people who can come to your aid is probably the easiest way of keeping yourself safe.

Pepper Spray

This is a way to protect yourself in a non-lethal way.   This could have taken care of a dangerous situation I was in that ended up in one person getting injured, one person arrested, and the rest of us very blessed because of someone else’s bravery.

Flashlight

If you are out and about at night and something happens to your tire, you’re going to need to see what’s going on.   If you’re out grocery shopping and you drop something and it rolls under your car, you’ll need a flashlight.  There’s a myriad of reasons that you might need a flashlight.  You can even use it to shine in an attackers eyes giving you a moment to get away.

Pocket Knife

I would never survive a knife fight with what I currently know – this is a problem, but a pocket knife is useful for so much more than just a knife fight.  Whether it’s cutting cordage, opening a box, prying open a gas hatch, or cutting a stalk off of a peppermint plant.

Concealed Carry / Open Carry

Each state has different laws when it comes to open carry or concealed carry.  Carrying a firearm is a way to protect your family.  Just remember what Caleb wrote about in Monday’s blog post, there are always consequences even when you use your firearm in self-defense.

Category 2 – First AidWhat Is an EDC and How Does It Fit Into Your Bug Out Plan?

Ask yourself what does your family need in a first aid kit?  What kinds of scrapes (pardon the pun) does your family get into?  Do you go fishing a lot and someones someone gets caught on a fishing hook from time to time?  You might need wire cutters in your kit.  I’m guessing most of us won’t need wire cutters.  What will your family need though?

Here are some items that we keep:

  • Band-aids
  • Neosporin
  • Advil
  • Tylenol
  • Lavender essential oil for burns
  •  Peppermint essential oil for upset stomachs
  • Arnica Montana – for my daughter’s headaches
  • Ace wrap
  • 2-2×2 sterile cotton pads
  • First-aid tape
  • Bandana
  • Benedryl Spray
  • Aspirin
  • WoundSeal
  • Steri Strips
  • Superglue

What Is an EDC and How Does It Fit Into Your Bug Out Plan?Category 3 – Food and Hydration

I don’t carry 3 days of food with me, but I do carry protein bars with me.  Because I keep a stash of food in my vehicle, I don’t carry enough food for my entire family in my EDC.  Even three bars split between each of us gives us each half a bar (if only six of us are together).

For hydration, carrying a stainless steel water bottle is the way to go.  If you fill it at the beginning of the day and carry it with you, everyone will at least have a little bit of water if you are out and a about.

Another option is to carry a Berkey water bottle with you.  You can drink any water that is not cloudy or doesn’t have other particulate in it.  I personally carry my 3 cup stainless steel water bottle with me because I carry three Berkey water bottles in my vehicle.

Category 4 – Personal What Is an EDC and How Does It Fit Into Your Bug Out Plan?Hygiene

This is the kit that I use the most.  I get into ALL-THE-TIME.  Here are the things that I keep in my personal hygiene bag.

  • Hand lotion
  • lip balm
  • travel baby powder
  • floss
  • nail clipper kit
  • small sewing kit
  • Comb
  • Sunscreen
  • Hair clips
  • Scissors
  • Tape Measure
  • Eyeglass repair kit
  • Hand Sanitizer
  • Pads
  • Tampons

What Is an EDC and How Does It Fit Into Your Bug Out Plan?Category 5 – Preparedness

Cigarette lighter with duct tape wrapped around it

Even in my EDC I want to have more than one way to light a fire.  This cigarette lighter is one way.  I like wrapping duct tape around it in case I need some.  I certainly don’t want to carry a whole thing of duct tape in my backpack, so this is how I do it.

Stormproof Matches

This is my other method of starting fires.  These are windproof and waterproof.  They will serve if I need to start a fire on a windy or rainy day. Whistle

This is more of a way for someone to find you if you are trapped, and while this is not something that you’ll use often, I never imagined that I would get caught in a riot or get attacked by a man with two knives or get hit by a tornado either.  What if the tornado had collapsed the house on us.  Having a whistle could potentially have saved our lives if we had been trapped beneath rubble of the tornado that hit our house.

Mirror

A mirror is another way to signal someone if we are lost.  If you see a plane or see someone on an adjacent ridge or hill or if you need to signal to someone who is far away to communicate something to them.

Magnifying Glass

This is mostly another way to start a fire.  But the magnifying glass is so small that it doesn’t take up much weight or space, and I felt it was worth the spot.

Compass

Should I ever get lost, I’m rather handy with a compass and a map.  A compass is something that could be helpful on an overcast day or at night if I need to get somewhere.  Do I think I’m going to need it often?  No, but I want to have it in case I ever do need it.

Shoelaces

This could be a small amount of cordage if needed, but it is honestly in case someones laces break and we need to walk a ways.  I carry leather shoelaces with me.  They may not match the shoes, but at the same time, they won’t break further on me.

Category 6 – Family Specific

Does your family have a specific need for which you need to have a kit.  Moms of type 1 diabetes carry tools to help them with their child.  Is there a medical condition that your child has and it would be helpful for you to keep 24 hours worth of items on hand in your EDC?  Do you regularly have to wait for someone?  Should you keep a deck of cards in your bag?  What is specific to YOUR family that you need to prepare for?  This is where you fill in those blanks.

So How Does EDC Fit Into Your Bug-Out Plan?

When we are talking about our Bug-Out plans and next week when we talk about our Bug-Out-Bags, we will again be talking about a list because we need to know what items that we need to bring with us.  Everything fits together.  If you don’t have an EDC then you have to put more things in your BOB (Bug-Out-Bag).  If you don’t know what you already have in your car, then you don’t know what you will need in your BOB.  Preparedness is, in its simplest form, planning.

So today, I’m talking about putting together your EDC.  Work through the principles that I set above.  Start putting your EDC together.  I’m betting you that most of these things can already be found in your house.  Make a short list of the other things that you need and pick them up on your next grocery/Wal-mart (or Target) trip.  EDC is so simple, but it plays an important part of your greater Bug-Out Plan.

What About You?

What items are you carrying with you that aren’t mentioned here.  Would you share those in the comments so that we can all be better prepared?

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