Today I will talk about Every Day Carry Bags, but first, I just want to talk a bit about the process of preparing for SHTF/emergency situations…When I first started looking at our preparations for potential SHTF situations, I felt quite comfortable with the process, thinking we were pretty prepared, but the more that I think about it, the more I think that there is still some definite room for improvement. I do acknowledge, however, that there is a fine line between being prepared for potential situations and going a bit overboard (or my definition of overboard) because there are so many opinions and tools out there to pull information from! I am trying to find a balance.
Anyhow, now that I’m in this process, I am feeling very grateful for the process because we are really not as prepared as I thought we might be. It’s amazing how, when you pull everything apart, you start to see all the holes in what you thought was a good system!
I digress…
What is an Every Day Carry Bag?
An Every Day Carry Bag (EDC Bag) is the bag you carry with you everyday, everywhere you go. It will contain a variety of things you need in everyday situations as well as items that may be helpful in an emergency situation.
Just like an EDC, the contents of your EDC Bag will vary greatly depending on the level of prep you are wanting to undertake as well as where you live and what potential threats you are thinking about. The contents of this bag should also be looked at as an extension of your EDC.
Most EDC Bags I have seen are either backpacks or mail carrier bags and the possibilities are pretty endless. My EDC Bag is a CamelBak I originally purchased for hikes but it quickly became the bag I carry everywhere. I have never been a purse-carrying-kind-of-girl, so this little backpack works well for me. Because it is a CamelBak, I can fill the bladder up with water if we are going on a short road trip, etc. in addition to carrying a water bottle. This is the bag I carry with me to work every day. It gets stashed under my desk so it’s hidden away and yet easy to grab if necessary.
What do I currently have in my bag?
- A water bottle
- Sunscreen
- Deodorant
- Twine (this was used to wrap a gift and never made it’s way out of my bag)
- Pain medication (ibuprofen, excedrine migraine, tension headache, antihistamine, P5P)*
- Liquid silver (good in moderation to use against infections, this is usually kept at home)
- iPod (Incredibly helpful, right? Yep! It’s a comfort item!)
- Pads & tampons (feminine hygiene plus first aid and survival magic)
- A deck of playing cards (another comfort item)
- Rain jacket
- An extra pair of socks (these get swapped out for wool socks in the winter)**
- A small notebook
- My wallet (when it’s not in my back pocket, it’s in my bag)
- A small mirror for signaling (or looking into)
- Barrettes
- Chapstick (yep, extra)
- An altoids tin with a lighter inside as the beginning of this kit
- Toothpaste (but no toothbrush)
- A small amount of cash
- A couple of bandaides
- A knife
- A small flashlight
- Leatherman Blast multi-tool
- Pack of gum
- Comb
How can I improve my Every Day Carry Bag?
- Duct tape
- Food (protein bars, trail mix, etc)
- A First Aid Kit including my Epi-Pen***
- Hair fasteners (hair ties, barrettes, etc…if the SHTF, my hair will not be pretty like the ladies you see in all the Zombie movies…that shit drives me crazy.)
- A bandanna or hat
- A small toothbrush
- A pen & pencil (to go with my notebook) and a Sharpie
- Containers of some sort to help consolidate all of the little miscellaneous items
- Safety pins
- Tissue/Kleenex
- A whistle
- Nail clippers or small scissors
- Cord (Paracord to replace the random twine)
- Swap out my tiny flashlight for a headlamp (this will enable me to be hands-free and will also give me a light source to have as part of my EDC)
- Phone charger
Notes:
* I am prone to migraines. Though they are mostly under control now, I am pretty conditioned to always have some pain relievers with me just in case I feel one building. Catching them early is key to being able to function in any situation, let alone an emergency situation. Additionally, the P5P (an activated B-6 supplement), helps me to avoid them in the first place, so I keep a few extra with me in case I forget to take one in the morning before I leave the house.
** In addition to swapping out my socks when the weather cools, I always have a pair of gloves, a scarf and a hat in my bag if I don’t have it on my person when I leave the house since the weather can change pretty quickly here.
*** Do you remember my run-in with a bee a couple of years ago? Well, I don’t worry about it often (actually I almost never worry about it), but if I were thinking about an emergency situation, an Epi-Pen would be good to have around.
Remember…
…an Every Day Carry Bag is supposed to be convenient to carry, hold every day items and hold a few items to help you through an emergency. Think compact, organized, easy and functional.
You can find some more ideas for EDC Bags (and everything preparedness related) here.
What’s in your EDC? What else do you think I should add to mine? Please share your thoughts in the comments below!
xoxo,
M
So are the barrettes only for your hair or do they have other purposes?
Know Prepare Survive recently posted…Knife Hunting: How to Hunt with Just a Knife
Depending on the barrettes you carried, they could be used for things other than to hold your hair back. However, the ones I carry in my bag are just for my hair. If the SHTF I don’t want my hair in my face.
Wow! There is not much you would not be prepared for from your backpack alone-impressive.
Velva
Thanks, Velva! It’s definitely a work in progress but it’s been fun to go through it all and fill in some gaps!
When we travel, we make sure to have one bag with one extra pair of underwear and socks for all members of the family (when they were babies, we made sure there were diapers/wipes). Our MAG light plus a pack of extra batteries. We have a couple of books in the go-bag: North American Edible Plants. and a North American exhaustive Map. We keep our ENO hammocks in the go-bag, in case of an emergency overnight where we would need to find a place to camp. This is easier than packing a tent and a bunch of gear. We keep our sleeping bags packed in the car for such an emergency.
Each member of my family has an emergency whistle – which also has a twist-off compass. The whistle is so they won’t get exhausted yelling for us if we get separated. It won’t be much help in a zombie apocalypse because we don’t want to be making a lot of noise. LOL.
We keep a med-kit with us when we travel too. I need to consolidate that into my go-bag.
I also have flint for making a fire in case my matches are wet. 🙂
I purchased a “diva-cup”, which is my go-to in case I am ever without tampons. It is $45 but totally worth it for the assurance.
I love your other ideas: notebook, writing utensil, tissues and cash. Good things to have!
Thanks for the challenge to be prepared! LOVE IT!!
I like the idea of carrying the books you mentioned! So simple, but they could be incredibly important in an emergency situation! Also, the hammock idea is absolutely perfect! I always think about the prospect of lugging around a big ol’ tent and it just sounds ridiculous…but hammocks, now that’s right up my lane! OH! Also, the Diva Cup…I haven’t gone there yet, but I should…I really should…for many reasons…but that’s another post 😉
I wrapped some duct tape around the pencil I carry, so it takes up only slightly more room than just the pencil by itself. I also always have tweezers with me. Before I started carrying them everywhere, I had several times where one of the people in our party got a splinter. Much better to be able to just pull it out.
I also keep quite a few bandaids of various sizes and have needed them several times, either for my own family or for someone with us.
You might think about a Swiss army knife with the attachments that work for you. I love having mine. Often it’s just used to open boxes or take those plastic things off of sunglasses, but it’s always useful for me.
Tweezers! Of course! How could I forget those? I’m still trying to find something to wrap my duct tape around so your pencil idea is absolutely brilliant! Thanks, Cristy!
thanks for sharing! i have similar things in my bug out bag. don’t carry it everywhere but probably should. i do keep provisions in my everyday handbag with similar things you have, plus batteries and wipes. sometimes i think i would have made a good contestant on let’s make a deal!
part of me wants to prep big time, another part wants me to go with the flow and trust. like you, i am also finding a balance.
It *is* such a balance, isn’t it! I guess we all just do what feels right and trust that it *is* what’s right for the situations we may (or may not) encounter! I do like that you carry wipes with you! I’ll add those to my list 🙂 Thanks, Kelli!