Atypical EDC

If you are a follower of my Facebook page and read this blog I can only assume that you are fairly well versed in EDC and various other self-sufficient things. It would honestly shock me if any of you weren't carrying a firearm or bare minimum some kind of blade around during your every day lives. I mean let us be honest for a moment, "Modernity" has affected our friends, loved ones and coworkers to the point that merely having a bag in your car full of items to survive being stranded on a cold night is looked upon as "DOOMSDAY PREPPING" which is absolutely pathetic no matter which way you turn it. But I'm not here to talk about BOB's or what to ruck with you on a long hike or some other outing. I'm merely here to discuss a few ideas that one might not consider to stuff in your pockets or wear while out and about in your daily lives. Like sure a tourniquet and firearm are great (don't you fucking judge me) but what about smaller items more likely to be used in your day to day? Things like blades are a given but what about fire, first aid or sewing supplies? You would be amazed at how cheaply and effectively you can fulfill these needs. While I am not by any means an expert I would like to share some things with you that while hardly original, might be useful to you assuming you haven't already thought of them.

First thing's first. Fire. We owe our entire position at the top of the food chain to our ability to control and use fire as a tool. In the modern age it has never been easier or cheaper to utilize our oldest ally. You can get a five pack of cheap butane lighters from any dollar store in the USA and I can only assume this is just as easy anywhere else on the globe. This doesn't mean you shouldn't know alternatives in firecraft but with lighters being so cheap it is absolutely insane for anyone not to carry one even if they are not a smoker. I carry a neon orange BIC lighter and a cheap slip joint knife I bought at a local hardware store around my neck whenever possible. Not only has this come in clutch for me in certain scenarios it frees up pocket space for other day to day items I might need.

I used the pinkie from an old work glove to hold the lighter, and the knife came with a nice little spring clip I used to attach it to the necklace.

Another item one might require is cordage. I myself have replaced my boot laces with extra long pieces of inexpensive paracord that I could if the situation warranted slice a bit off to use if I might need some line to tie something down. Another inexpensive alternative to carrying around an entire roll of paracord is some cheap bank line. Now I dip (not a great habit if you value your teeth trust me) but all these small containers I end up with had me thinking about ways I could reuse them. A great way to recycle and save some plastics from the landfill is to make a spool using cut lids, some dowel and glue to hold a few dozen feet of tarred bankline. It fits in your pocket, doesn't tangle and is easy to reload when used up.

A spool made from such cans is very easy. Especially if they have the flimsy plastic lids like this brand has. Labels can be removed with Mineral Oil or Acetone.

Another thing a lot of people don't really consider are sewing supplies. If you work in a warehouse, construction, or other manual labor job I'm sure you've had an instance where you have had an item of clothing rip at an inopportune moment. Usually in my experience, your boss doesn't give a mutie rat's ass if your butt is hanging out of your pants and will force you to either continue working or take some kind of point due to policy just to run home and change your pants/shirt/jacket so you're not hanging out for the world (and more importantly your coworkers) to see. For this I suggest the humble cheapo dental floss. Yes I know this seems kind of wild. Why would you ever use dental floss when cotton and nylon thread is so inexpensive? Well I am glad you asked because I would love to sing it's praises. Floss is cheap for one (often under $1 if you get it at certain places) and it is waxed (which helps prevent fraying and aids in feeding it through the eye of a needle). Another bonus is that it comes prebuilt with it's own container and cutting tool. No need to bust out a knife to cut it if for whatever reason you don't have a blade (which you absolutely should have at all times) and they usually come in lengths of 100 yards. This is absolutely awesome especially if you don't have cordage. This isn't necessarily a replacement for good cordage but can be used for lighter jobs on top of being used for sewing up damaged articles of clothing. Just scotch tape a needle into the lid and away you go.

I picked this up for 89 cents plus tax. Add in the needle from a $5 sewing kit and some scotch tape and I have a solid clothing repair kit for under $2. Is it pretty? No but it works a damn sight better than most setups and is self contained.

Another thing one should have are lockpicks and some kind of can opener. Now I know most folks don't know how to pick a lock but most locks one finds in this day and age can be picked with a rake pick made from a paper clip. You can find all sorts of pick sets out there but for expediency I will tell you the only 3 picks you need are a short hook, half diamond and snake rake along with a tension wrench. Tack on a P38 can opener or one of those wallet tools and you are good to go.

From top to bottom, Tension Wrench, City Rake, Half Diamond, Snake Rake, Short Hook, wallet multitool. With these few picks and practice you can pick pretty much pick any lock that uses pins. As far as the wallet tool goes, I only use the can opener and bottle opener but it does have other uses.

Another simple addition to your EDC is a basic $1 Cotton Bandanna. Not only can this be used as a handkerchief, mask, emergency bandage, bindle and wrap, it can also be used to prevent items (such as pocket knives that lack a clip) from falling out of your pockets. It is such a ubiquitous cheap piece of kit that many people fail to recognize it's usefulness. Trust me I have lost many a good stockman knife merely from sitting in a weird position that a bandanna could have prevented. Next time you are out at a local store or walmart, snag one. They are insanely useful.

Like I said before, these ideas are hardly original but are so simplistic one may not think about them. I only just recently considered the floss thing within the last three years so I hope these little tidbits were of some help to you the reader. If you, or someone you know, have any other creative ideas in the realm of EDC and it's ilk, please send me an email. I would love to compile a list of ideas from you all to make an updated log for others to read about. Remember, Luck favors the prepared. Thank you for your time, and have a good day.

Edit, a new edc item I picked up and I think is worth mentioning is a set of 5 inch vise grips. So far they've been more use to me than my old multitool.