Saturday, June 13, 2015

My EDC

Thanks to the smartphone app "Stumbleupon"  I now know all about "Every Day Carry", or as the cool kids call it, EDC.  

There is even a website dedicated to what people carry with them on an every day basis.  Who knew?  Most of those who post are super geeks who pack gobs of electronic things with them where ever they go, usually filling up a small suitcase in the process.  Personally I've always subscribed to "travel light, freeze at night".  If it wouldn't fit in my pants pockets, I wouldn't carry it.



Up until now, this ^ is what I carried on a daily basis:  a cap (technically "worn"), because my dermatologist said it was either wear one or slather up with sun block (ewww)....a watch, this one a simple, cheap plastic Casio that is solar powered and updated by an atomic clock, which means it should never (theoretically) need maintenance....residence keys and garage gate and car key FOBs....a small pill holder, 'cause my doc says I must now take 'em or I'll seize up....my wallet....a pocket knife....and an iPhone.  Oh, and usually something that many would consider un-PC, which will therefore remain unnamed and unseen.

But according to the EDC folks, there are times and circumstances when it might be wise to have a few more simple necessities at hand than I had previously considered.  Times such as when earthquakes hit the west coast, hurricanes blast the east and gulf coasts, blizzards bury the northeast, and tornadoes (and now floods) overwhelm us here in the south and midwest.

After several minutes of thoughtful consideration I have given in and put together a few more "essentials", at least enough to keep me going until they send a helicopter to fetch me from my tree:



For starters, a Gerber multi-tool (pliers, screwdriver tips, bottle opener, etc)....several carabiners that I found in a drawer and thought they looked cool....one of those pens that will write upside down in a vacuum, 'cause you never know when you'll find yourself upside down in a vacuum....another (redundant) screwdriver....some of those pre-loaded toothbrushes....some deodorant, 'cause trust me, you do NOT want me walking around stinking up the place!....some bug repellant....Tylenol, Tums, and Imodium, since sometimes gas station sushi can bite....an LED flashlight....a tiny "space blanket", because K said, "here, put this space blanket in there"....my iPad, so I can keep up with the news and call for HELP in a blood curdling bold font, along with a spare charger....an Israeli Defense Forces emergency knife....and a spare magazine (oops, spoiler alert), 'cause not everyone appreciates my humorous sarcasm.  ;)   

On further reflection I'm thinking I might should throw in some band aids and some beer



All this new stuff can be packed into a small bag the size of a kids lunchbox and kept in the back of my car.  I'm still not going to physically carry it with me as....well....I'm lazy, but at least it will be close at hand.

So, enough stuff?  Too much stuff?  Outside of those of you living in the frozen north who commonly carry blizzard kits, does anyone else do this?  Talk to me.  :)

S

14 comments:

  1. You're far more prepared for a calamitous situation than I am.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Nice purse at the bottom. I've seen ones that have a built-in holster.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I always carry some spare cash in my car storage area. That and a screw driver, a flashlight and some duck tape.

    ReplyDelete
  4. You should have seen all the stuff I carried with me in my car for 6 months.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Greetings from South Carolina.
    It is always good to be prepared and you can never have enough bullets…oops. Sorry.
    I used to have a "go-pack" but I have gotten lazy….now I settle for 15+1, a really good knife and the hope that I can remember what I learned over the years.
    I just came accross your blog and think I'll hang around a bit…..RJV

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi villageundertaker....glad you stopped in. Please don't be a stranger. The more the merrier. :)

      Delete
  6. Um, where's the TP? At the very least you should have some of that camper's TP that comes in a tiny little package :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. I have to tell you that I'm fascinated by those photos that people take of their EDCs. And Flickr has tons of pictures tagged "what's in my bag" - and you are right, usually it's geeks carrying all their nerdy stuff around.

    I usually carry everything in my (large and heavy) purse. I'm too scared to leave my iPad in the hot car (won't the extreme heat ruin it?). And I always carry a camera with me - I don't want to have to rely on the cell phone camera if I see Elvis in the grocery store or an alien space ship landing in the field next to work.

    In addition to my purse I have a bag with my gym clothes, sun screen, arm band (for the iPod), ear buds, a lock for the locker, and a small towel. But I only take this bag with me when I expect to go for a walk or run or to the gym after work.

    Secretly I'm jealous of all the people who manage to walk through their entire day with just the stuff in their pockets.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And wait a minute...you have pens, but no note paper???

      Delete
    2. Yes, women have more choices than men do as how/what to carry with them. And as they commonly carry kid(s) around, they're used to dragging around an additional 20 pounds+ of dead weight. :) Just yesterday I refined my kit a bit more by adding a Moleskin note pad and a better knife. I agree it was a mistake to include the iPad, so it stays with me outside the box.

      The whole idea here isn't to have enough stuff within reach to enable you to survive indefinitely after the Apocalypse, but enough to survive a few days after being stranded in gridlock traffic (as in Atlanta after last year's snow/ice or after road outages in Dallas and Houston due to flooding) or maybe after a natural disaster until the cavalry arrives with the emergency beer/wine and munchies. (That is how it works, right? :)

      Delete
    3. You bought a Moleskin note pad???

      You just went upward a thousand steps in my opinion of you! (And my opinion of you was really decent before that!)

      Delete
  8. I was going to suggest toilet paper but The Bug beat me to it.

    ReplyDelete