Self-Reliance #4: Urban Every Day Carry (EDC)

A little late with this one but here it is as promised. There’s plenty of information out there on how to survive when you’re way out in the middle of nowhere, and while the last self-reliance article laid out a kit that was half mini med bag, the other half is designed for situations when you’re nowhere near an urban setting.

But it’s like I said in the last self-reliance article, I fully recognize that cities are densely populated. So, what about those everyday situations where you find yourself needing something but you don’t have it on you? This is where you can put together an urban every day carry kit, or urban EDC kit – stuff you need often and that’s taken with you wherever you go.

You want a bag that’s small enough to carry (so not the size of a full backpack, think more along the lines of a shoulder sling) but organized and spacious enough to fit everything. I’ve had a few bags over the years but this is probably the most functional one. It’s also easy to stuff into checked luggage so you can have things with you even when you travel, but that aren’t allowed in the cabin space of a plane.

Now for the stuff that goes in it. I’ve provided links to some stuff for visual reference – I don’t make any money off of the links, they’re purely there so you know what to look for.

You may not understand why I’ve suggested some of these items – if you don’t it’s time to learn what they’re useful for. Other seem obvious – band-aids, a power bank, etc being a few.

Pencil and paper are still handy these days for if your phone battery dies or you prefer not to have your phone out in public in case of theft.

Paper road maps are useful for the same reason – GPS on a phone can drain the battery quickly, even when using a power bank. Why deplete the charge on two things which can be very useful in emergency?

If your phone battery is low, the maps app you use decides to not work properly, or you have no signal, a paper map works wonders when you’re driving in an unfamiliar area and still need to get your bearings.

Superglue is handy for when things unexpectedly break.

Paracord, duct tape, and scissors are handy for when you need to tie something to another thing or make something stick. Learn how to tie knots and your world will open up as to just how handy paracord is.

Hand sanitizer is an easy way to clean your hands if you’ve had to pop the hood of your truck or feel around on your tires to check something.

Keeping a small keychain torch or Victorinox Rally SAK on your keys is also handy, like I mentioned in the other article.

You would be surprised how often this stuff comes in handy, or you have those ‘if only I had…’ moments.

The basics are often taken for granted, but they can and do help in a pinch.

Interested in sharing a self-reliance article as a member of SUPP UP. Social? Let me know and I’ll consider it for publishing! Contact me on Moderator@supp-up.social.

Until next time…

- Sol

Stop doing guesswork, start making self-reliance easier.

Self-Reliance #4: Urban Every Day Carry (EDC) is an article from SUPP UP. Social.

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