For those not familiar with the acronym, EDC stands for Everyday Carry. It refers to the gear you keep with you on a regular basis. For some, it consists of items you grab before you head out the door to work or running errands. For others, it’s more along the lines of if you’re awake, you have these things with you.
I consider EDC to have two layers: on–body carry and off–body carry. Some people have a much stricter definition and specify that if it isn’t on your body, it isn’t EDC. To each their own, I suppose. Here’s how I break it down.
On–body carry: These are items that you keep in your pockets, on your belt, or wear on your body.
Off–body carry: Think shoulder bag, backpack, purse, or something else along those lines. Using some sort of conveyance allows you to carry a bit more gear.
An argument could be made that there is a third layer, consisting of what you might carry in your vehicle, but that’s beyond our discussion today. For now, let’s stick with what you keep within arm’s reach.
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The Basics
There are a few things that just about everyone carries daily, even if they aren’t particularly preparedness-minded, right? Cell phones are pretty ubiquitous at this point. For good or ill, pretty much everyone has one close at hand. If you don’t know how to use it effectively, that needs to change. Some of you are rolling your eyes, and some feel attacked. I’m speaking to the latter group right now.
If you’re carrying a cell phone, you should be able to do the following with it, at a bare minimum:
- Call and text 911 (or whatever the equivalent is where you live)
- Call and text a family member or friend.
- Use the mapping app of your choice to plot a route from one place to another.
- Use a search engine or mapping app to find a local restaurant, motel, gas station, and other services.
- Take photos and call them up to either view or send out (this is particularly useful in the event of a traffic accident).
Unfortunately, a high percentage of cell phone owners can’t do a lot of those things. “I can’t get it to unlock most of the time. This is just for emergencies; I never really use it.” If you’re going to carry it, know how to use it.
A wallet of some sort is becoming less common, but most people still have one, even in this age of digital everything. While there’s a school of thought out there that says cash isn’t going to be worth anything in a collapse, remember that cash has value right up until it doesn’t. Not every disaster or emergency is going to be a complete societal breakdown. In most cases, the right amount of cash will get you a meal, a place to stay for the night, and a whole lot more.
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