Over the past few years, we have heard many new terms, one of these terms being EDC and I know what you are saying “uhh… but only those far-right doomsday prepper people use that term,” while I’ll admit that preppers did popularize the term is used more freely now in conversations with most right leaning types. EDC stands for “everyday carry” aka what we have with us every day for some people that may be nothing more than keys, phone, wallet but for some of us it ends up being a lot more than that.

I will start by letting you know that in my professional life I am a photographer and in my hobby life I do a lot of motorcycling now to let you in on what I have in my EDC I personally have a small pouch that has this stuff in it that I keep in my truck or on my motorcycle when I ride. LifeStraw, Lighter, Knife, Pen, Notepad, Glucose tablets, Leatherman, Flashlight, Emergency poncho, $100 cash.

Then on my person I have an M&P shield 9mm that I keep loaded with hollow points just to be safe without extra penetration. I also keep my phone keys and ridge type wallet in my pocket.

Given that many of you may be new to this EDC world I’m going to give a break down on why I keep each item with me every day so when you are choosing to build your own EDC you can know what to think about as well.

LifeStraw- This is a bit bulky, and I hang it off my bag but as a photographer I have had more than one situation where I was out in the woods and had no bottle of water, so I was just able to drink from a stream without worry of getting sick. The LifeStraw Removes 99.9999% of bacteria including Escherichia coli (e-coli), campylobacter, vibrio cholera, pseudomonas aeruginosa, shigella, salmonella and protozoa including giardia lamblia (beaver fever), cryptosporidium parvum, entamoeba histolytica.

Lighter- Start fire for warmth or to cook.

Paracord- Cordage is needed for a million things even if you just keep a paracord bracelet its extremely important to keep some on hand at all times. The last random situation I found myself needing to use some was during a meeting when a very old belt I was using snapped, and I needed to tie my belt loops together to act as a makeshift belt. Broke my bracelet to get some cordage and no embarrassing pants falling down.

Knife- Way too many uses to attempt to list but I’m sure you get the jist.

Pen- I carry a tactical pen that I can use to write with but also can use to smash out a window if needed.

Notepad- You never know when you may need to jot down a license plate or something.

Glucose tablets- I’ve got the betus.

Leatherman- Another tool with a million uses.

Flashlight- Just two weeks ago i had to use my flashlight because i needed to switch my sunglasses lens to my yellow night driving lens after a meeting, flashlights are just super important to have just in case.

Emergency poncho- I have used and replaced mine at least 20 times in the last 2 years.

$100 cash- You never know when the card reader may be down.

M&P shield plus 9mm- Compact and reliable.

I spoke with a local auto parts store worker about what his EDC was to give another list from a different viewpoint. The man I spoke too said his EDC was his compact carry pistol, a knife, a pen, and a small flashlight Plus, the normal keys, and also a ridge type wallet. He stressed to me that he does not leave his house without these things because except for the firearm that he hopes to never have to use he uses every other piece of his EDC every day.

The next person I spoke too was Amanda Hollins owner of Hollins Transport LLC who keeps their EDC kit in the truck their kit consists of a portable jump pack, a bag of tools, a lock out kit and, a clipboard with all of their business receipts waivers, and important paperwork. Multiple pens and safety vests are also kept in various locations in the trucks to make sure they always have at least one. Given the line of work they are in they said it’s important to always be prepared as you never know what may happen at this call or the next one. This business is on call 24/7 so there is no time to find stuff before getting out the door during a 3am call.

T-Bone Jankowski, another Bastion contributor, states that his everyday carry is light. Keys, Wallet are a must. Folding pocketknife and Sig P320 Compact. “I generally work from home, so I’m able to keep it to a minimum. That’s no reason to go unprotected, however, and I believe in home carry.” When formerly working out of an office in a bigger city, one in which he wasn’t expressly allowed to carry on his person, he opted to use a Maxpedition bag, with its very cool conceal carry pocket. Though, this man purse has to be kept close at all times, or locked away when left by itself. Ultimately, the best option is still to carry on person. When out and about, T-Bone says that he’s got himself a leatherman, which takes care of the needs of many issues he could run into. “When I was carrying my maxpedition bag, I was able to carry a whole assortment of necessities throughout the city from a first aid kit to water bottle. Plus my backup knife and my sunglasses. Stuff that would get too bulky on my person. I’m not afraid to have a man-purse. For a while I was able to mask this with a diaper bag.”

What are your items you leave with everyday? How do you easily store them so you don’t forget them? We’d love to hear from you and hear what you have to carry each day. Send your thoughts along to us at reporter.bastion@gmail.com

Ronnie Abbott
_{^{Ronnie Abbott is a local photographer and founder of FYP Media – facebook.com/fypmedianh}}