EDC kits: do you have one and what is in it?

I have a two week "bug out bag" but I have recently been considering putting together an EDC kit. I already carry a sidearm, a knife and two mutlitools with me every day. After about 3 weeks of looking, I've decided on the 5.11 Tactical Rush MOAB 10 bag.

I got my hands on it about a week ago at a local retailer and fell in even more love with it. I took it over to another aisle and loaded it down with 30-40 pounds of ammo and it was comfortable. The single strap design lets you sling the bag around in front of you and use it as a "workstation" without taking it off. It also has a compartment you can easily access when the bag is slung around to hold a firearm. I'll end up buying this bag this weekend and start the fun part of building my kit!

A few basics I know I will want are:

- A first aid kit, something small but comprehensive
- Move a knife and multitools into the bag, keeping one blade in my pocket.
- A pair of sturdy work gloves
- An extra pair of glasses, glasses wipes
- Snacks, jerky, granola bars, caffeine pills
- Already have a 3-liter hydration bladder

My question to everyone is, what (if anything) do you keep in your EDC kit? I need ideas to make this new kit as useful as possible.

Not a fan of that single strap. Being comfortable in the store aisle for a few minutes is fine, but loaded and carrying that much weight 20 miles will be a whole different story. I'd want 2 straps and a waist belt to spread the weight as evenly as possible. Other than that, it looks good.

a reply to: Excallibacca

Might I suggest (and what I have in mine) Yarrow (achillea millefolium) leaves and fowers and ground into a fine powder in a morter and pestal. This is the perfect time of the year to harvest said plant as the constituents are highest at this time of year. I prefer gathering all flowers in the early morning for highest efficassy, dry in shade before powdering.

Yarrow has the Latin Genus name of Achillea after the legendary Achilles. It has been used for millenia as a styptic to stop bleeding rapidly, a salycilate based pain reliever and diaphoretic (causes sweating to break a fever).

Also the military did some studies showing the macerated alcohol extract of yarrow to be 4x effective then DEET for mosquitos etc...

It has also been used in many Appalachian flu recipes, and as a clinician I have seen it work resoundingly well

a reply to: Excallibacca

Also familiarize yourself with Plantain/plantago laceolata, ovatum and majoris. The fresh plant grows all over the world, has vitamins ace and k a bunch of minerals but is also a literal cure for poisonous bites like rattlesnake etc... its also a drawing agent and is used to pull slivers, glass and even bullets over time to the surface for extraction. (pine resin is better for bullets in my experience)

a reply to: DAVID64

This bag is going to be more of a take it to the truck, drive to work, take it into work and set it down, take it back home sort of bag. Just loaded up with stuff I might find use for every day. Not so much a "get home" bag.

a reply to: Excallibacca

more to the point of the OP I carry a Hazard 4 single strap in my car when I travel (alot) in order to make it the 100+ miles home to the wife and daughter if something goes down. I keep Garden of Life Raw Meal packets, jerky, a bladder, some bars, first Aid kit, a small variety of herbs (Im an herbalist), a couple boxes of .40 hollow, a 100 ct box of .22 LR a ruger 10/22 takedown stainless. 9 inch Damascus Bowie, Pocket Bushman, can opener full size philips head full size flat head, 9 inch crecent.

The 10/22 has its own extra small bag I have a number of mags, but keep 1 10 round revolving and 1 25 rd revelving ruger mags in the bag.

My bag contains the following and has served me well for many years. A compass, my side arm and ammo, large swiss army knife, one rescue flare, a small emergence sleeping bag, power bars, plastic pouch canteen rolled up, fishing gear packed in a medicine bottle with duck tape wrapped around the bottle, a large black trash bag, 2 cigaret lighters, a snake bite kit, a small high quality first aid kit complete with meds, para cord, an LED flashlight, and last but not lest two condoms.

The total weight is about 18 lbs. but each item has many uses.

I keep EDC materials in my laptop bag.
Great, because it looks perfectly innocent, is functional, always with me, and has what I need without screaming Rambo.

Has:
__________________________

Slender metal Water Bottle with carabiner (actually fits inside the case, doesn't hold much, but can boil in it)

Nice, reliable metal Lighter

Dehydrated meal (Beef Stew)

(3) Mainstay Ration Bars (in a small Rubbermaid container (sandwich box), so they don't crumble)

Slim Jims (beef sticks)

Leatherman Multi-Tool

Small LED Flashlight

Small First Aid Kit (Band-Aids, AB Ointment, OTC Meds (assortment), AB Wipes) - in a small Rubbermaid container (sandwich box), so with the ration bars, just looks like I have lunch.

Extendable Camping Fork (makes it easy to cook on the go)

Paracord (Bracelet, flat in the bottom of a compartment)

Felt Tip Pen, Sharpie

5 in One Survival Whistle (has compass, matches, signal mirror, flint)

Credit Card Tools (shaped, sized like a credit card, but wrenches, etc.)

Map (to get near home, not showing all the way to home)

Cell Phone Charger Cord (with home and car adaptor)

Emergency Cell Phone Battery (takes regular AA batteries)

Current Photos of Loved Ones (makes it easier to ask, "Have you seen this person?")

Small amount of Cash

Pack of Cigarettes (for trade)

___________________

Of course, my actual GHB is in the truck, and there's other stuff in the truck too, so a bit overkill, but eh...sue me. All of the above is, individually, pretty small and insignificant. I can't really bring a firearm or large knife into work without risk, but I at least have my trusty pocket knife on me. (and I'm pretty quick at improvising weapons in a heartbeat...don't ask how I know this, hehe...). Once at my truck, then I have my pistol and full GHB equipment, but the above would easily enable me to make the same trek home (nearly 50 miles), if I couldn't reach my truck for some reason....just with a bit less protection and comforts.

I can't really see a fishing kit or snake bit kit being needed as EDC, and a firearm is pretty much off the table for most of us not in a gun-toting line of work.

Hi,
You may find it helpful to look at an army navy surplus store. I saw one of these, (except they had green,orange and black), for about $20/$25 cheaper. I really liked it, so much in fact I asked for it for Christmas.

a reply to: Excallibacca

i work on the axiom :

" every day is different "

thus do not have any religiously carried " EDC kit " - i do however have a couple of file cabinets full of usefull kit - that i mix // match . but my own brain is the most important item i carry every day

lastly - just to be rude - its my experience that people with huge " EDC kits " are walts - attempting to compensate fore penile inadequacy

I've definitely used many things from my EDC kit at work...whether a tool, my lighter, flashlight, etc. So there are some pretty good everyday applications sometimes.

(and if I didn't have what I needed in my laptop bag, just a short trip to the truck and I've got most anything else).

The Cell Charger of course, gets regular usage, and a couple of times, I've eaten the dehydrated meal (and replaced it), but at $5 a pop, I only do this when really hungry and I forgot lunch, and can't think of anything else.

Sometimes use the OTC meds too, and then have to replace them from the travel size sections.

a reply to: ignorant_ape

LOL must suffer from it yourself. I have a 4 year old daughter that depends on me...I will do what ever it takes to get home to my wife and daughter if something goes wrong.

With everything going on lately Im not sure why you choose to be inflammatory towards people, some of which love their family more than themselves.

Penis jokes...nice adults dont think to go there.

I keep a gas mask, filters and an NBC suit in my bug out bag, along with a roll of duct tape to seal it up. You never know...

originally posted by: Nickn3
My bag contains the following and has served me well for many years. A compass, my side arm and ammo, large swiss army knife, one rescue flare, a small emergence sleeping bag, power bars, plastic pouch canteen rolled up, fishing gear packed in a medicine bottle with duck tape wrapped around the bottle, a large black trash bag, 2 cigaret lighters, a snake bite kit, a small high quality first aid kit complete with meds, para cord, an LED flashlight, and last but not lest two condoms.

The total weight is about 18 lbs. but each item has many uses.

Yes. I forgot to add my Zippo and duct tape to the list.

originally posted by: BlueJacket
a reply to: Excallibacca

more to the point of the OP I carry a Hazard 4 single strap in my car when I travel (alot) in order to make it the 100+ miles home to the wife and daughter if something goes down. I keep Garden of Life Raw Meal packets, jerky, a bladder, some bars, first Aid kit, a small variety of herbs (Im an herbalist), a couple boxes of .40 hollow, a 100 ct box of .22 LR a ruger 10/22 takedown stainless. 9 inch Damascus Bowie, Pocket Bushman, can opener full size philips head full size flat head, 9 inch crecent.

The 10/22 has its own extra small bag I have a number of mags, but keep 1 10 round revolving and 1 25 rd revelving ruger mags in the bag.

Excellent ideas, I've never looked into herbs or plant life much.

a reply to: ignorant_ape

Hahaha, well played. I definitely know the type you're talking about! In the end, I carry a firearm every day and it would be nice to not have to leave it in the truck at work or stuff it somewhere a customer won't see it. I also help customers do some odd things so I've found my mutlitool comes in extra handy. I work for a dog grooming business but we have a lot of elderly clientele that I've known since I was 10 years old, so I help them a lot.

Just last week, I helped one lady change the hydraulic(?) cylinders on her SUV's lift gate. I have broken into a customer's car before when their dog hit the lock, broke into the neighboring building when the owner locked himself out, had to doctor up dog bites on myself and others....the list of what my job entails is endless. I love being prepared.

a reply to: Gazrok

Excellent points... there is nothing wrong with being prepared for the inevitable circumstances that can occur to a human being. I too use alot of my kit items frequently due to the amount of travel I am subjected to.

a reply to: Gazrok

I do have a 3500mAh rechargeable battery for a cellphone, I should add that to the kit!

a reply to: MystikMushroom

One of these days I am going to remember to get a mask...sigh thanks for the reminder ( and I hope the other thread disagreement doesnt detract from our opinions of each other...youre a great contributor, we have differences of opinion occasionally)

I live in Tokyo. If SHTF, I'd be dead before I got anywhere. I don't own a car, and rail systems would likely be inoperable in a true SHTF scenario.

That said, I DO keep some essentials in my home with me.

Small multitool knife
Larger self-defense knife (They don't allow firearms here)
Medium sized first aid kit
Several large "water-cooler" containers of water (I have a water cooler, and this is just extra water for it. Maybe 5 or so. Haven't counted)
Lots of extra rice, beans, etc.
Coleman stove with several bottles of LPG

Basically, I know if SHTF I won't be going anywhere, so I prepared for a long stay in my apartment without power.

a reply to: ScientificRailgun

I lived in Tokyo twice and Osaka once...I feel you. Being water locked with a population like Japan's...yeah...hunkering down in your apartment with a sword, water beans and rice is pretty much all you have. My thoughts are with you. On an up side...I miss Yo Yogi on Saturdays!

a reply to: BlueJacket

I Still watch Pythagoras Switch!

Yeah it's a kid's show, I don't care!