Should We Carry EDC Gear, and What?

Do you carry EDC gear? "What is that?" you may ask. EDC stands for every day carry gear. We do train in self protection afterall. Some martial artists will say they are the weapon and don't need anything. While there is some truth to this, not everything we carry is a weapon. We do train in self protection, afterall. Is there an echo in here? Our enemy is not always other people. It can be environmental, like natural disasters, or catastrophes that are man caused, or medical, to name a few. Maybe you are with someone who cannot defend themselves. And also, its not just about "self" defence. It could be defending your family and loved ones. So, I often teach a few EDC items that are commonplace, wise, and were taught to me that just make sense. Look at what we have on this and maybe you can gleam some good ideas for yourself.  Click the titles for more.

Tactical Pen

A titanium, non magnetic (ie. goes through metal detectors) pen that is solid, pointed on one end for use as a weapon, and does actually write.  In most cases, it is allowed on aircraft also, though Air Canada has been cracking down on them.  Put this in your pocket in the same location every time you leave your home so you can quickly grab it without fumbling for it.  There are several styles to choose from.

Credit Card Lock Pick Kit

Stuck outside your house?  No problem.  It's very thin and light.  Works on most any style of lock from house locks, padlocks, filing cabinets...but won't usually work on vehicles.  Better to have it and not need it, then need it and not have it.

Credit Card Knife

Very sharp and fits right in your wallet too.  It would be too slow to open for self defence, but stranded in the woods or your car breaks down on a lonely highway with no one in sight, this would be great for survival fire starting or wood whittling to make a spear or other tool.  And it's unseen if you are frisked and de-armed.

RFID Blocker

Put this in your wallet to foil all attempts by digital thieves to walk by and scan your wallet for credit card numbers or ID information.  It is basically an electronic jammer.  It doesn't use batteries.  RFID stands for radio frequency identification.

Bobby Pin

Yes, you should carry a bobby pin on you.  No, not for your hair.  These are great for picking handcuffs or using as a shim for other things like zip ties.  If you are a man and someone asks why you have a bobby pin clipped to your whatever, it's your daughters and it reminds you of them.

Hair Barrette

This is your backup lockpicking and handcuff picking method.  A regular hair barrette will do, but this one in particular has a bunch of useful survival bonuses such as a mini saw, screwdriver, ruler, and wrench.

Handcuff Key

Tucked away on your shoelace or in your belt, this handcuff key fits the most common handcuffs in the world:  the Smith & Wesson model 100.  It has been known to fit other models too as most of them use the same design.

Escape & Evasion Gun Belt

This nifty belt has many zippered pouches to put important gadgets.  It's made of very tough English saddle leather that can tow a car, and the belt buckle is strong enough to smash through car windows.  It's stitched together with waterproof thread to maintain its integrity if you sweat or get wet, especially since the edges are coated with beeswax.

Paracord

Replace your shoelaces with paracord.  Makes sure it's 550 paracord, which means it can handle a tensile load of 550 pounds before breaking.  Paracord is so named because it's primary use is in parachutes for the military.  You could use this as a cutter to get through zip ties, duct tape, or ropes if you are bound against your wishes.  The inner strands could also be taken out and used as fishing line, or medical sutures, building a survival shelter or numerous other things.

Bump Key

While this specialized key may take a little training to use, it's really not that hard.  It fits most house doors and you simply slide it most of the way in and then with a bump on the end with an object, it pops open doors effortlessly.

Knife

A knife is a given.  No tool may ever be more necessary than a knife.  It's needed for defence, survival, hunting, repairing machinery and electrical systems, weapon making, you name it.  If you had to pick only one, a knife would be it.

Jiggler Keys

Jiggler Keys are used to open car doors.  Any car door, but they do work best with pre-2000 models.  The newer the car, the more complicated the locking mechanism, but, as I was taught, there are plenty of cars out there that are pre-2000 and these ones are also the easiest to hot wire, and in an emergency or survival situation, that's all that you need.  A report by NBC showed that there are still 53.3 million pre-1999 cars in use in the USA.

These are just basic items that you should never leave your front door without.  Do you carry something else?  Can you think of something that should be added to your personal EDC list?  Don't think too big.  Having a bug out bag with additional items is a whole other deal.  And even a vehicle bug out bag that never leaves your car.  But what you carry on your person, may one day save your life.