Everyone has items they bring every day. For preppers, "everyday carry" (EDC) items are especially crucial. Having the right items with you can help you get out of tough and potentially dangerous situations. However, when deciding on your EDC items, there is a thin line between being prepared and overdoing it to the point of compromising yourself. Here are some ways to carry your EDC items more efficiently. (h/t to ModernSurvivalOnline.com)
1. Adjust your clothes
Not all preppers wear a backpack when going out. A typical outfit comprises a shirt, pants, socks, shoes, and underwear. Most of the time, an entire outfit only has two to four pockets where you can put your gear. That may not be enough for all the tools that you have.
Listed below are some ways to address this problem:
- Buy clothes with extra pockets. Start investing in clothes with several pockets, like polo shirts with front pockets or cargo pants. Cargo pants are easily the most convenient ones when talking about storage, but not everyone wears them. A sudden change in your fashion sense may attract unwanted attention, so be creative with what you wear.
- Start wearing outerwear. These clothes include jackets, coats, and vests. They are ideal because they offer another layer of potential storage. You can hide a lot of items in the inside pockets of a coat without making it look too bulky. On a warm day, you can wrap a jacket around your waist while hiding some of your EDC items.
- Be creative. With a little bit of creativity, your attire can hide many things. You can hook a flashlight, a discreet pocketknife, and keys on a lanyard. Behind the ID case, you can stack paper, money, and a steel card. Even your socks and your shoes can be used to hold small items.
2. Update your EDC items
When it comes to survival, mobility is key. It means that you may have to downsize a couple of your EDC items. Some preppers worry that choosing the smaller and lighter version of their tools may compromise their use. In this case, you must find a balance between use and mobility. Here are some things to consider in choosing between the two. (Related: Items that you should carry with you every day… for the ultimate prepper.)
- Weigh the benefits. While it’s smart to be prepared for any situation, ask yourself if you really need to bring some items with you all the time. Tools like a fixed blade knife, a large pair of pliers, and a regular-sized flashlight have smaller, compact versions. If they’re bulky and take up a lot of space, reconsider them.
- Check the market for new gear. Regularly check prepping websites, military shops, or even the local convenient stores for multi-purpose tools. People are always looking for ways to make things more compact, so be on the look out for those.
3. Arrange your luggage
Preppers who always bring a backpack, purse, or briefcase have it easier. They can simply place their EDC items inside their luggage, safely hidden from any prying onlookers. However, those items are useless if you’ve forgotten about them or if you can’t access them immediately. Most of the time, your survival gear mix with your regular items, and they get lost inside your bag. To avoid that, follow the tips below:
- Use a bag with lots of compartments. A bag with a lot of pockets means more items to carry. Several bags on the market offer this advantage. Instead of choosing a fashionable one-pocket bag, consider buying one with more compartments instead. You can always customize it later to suit your taste.
- Arrange your items according to use. Set aside pockets that are meant for your survival gear and regular items. After using an item, make sure to place them back in the proper pocket. This way, you can grab them immediately in case of an emergency.
- Clean out your bag occasionally. People stuff a lot of items in their backpacks. These include candy wrappers, receipts, and even old food packaging. Be a smart prepper by keeping your bag clean. It will also help you make a mental inventory of the items you have in your backpack.
Don't compromise your mobility by efficiently carrying your EDC items. Learn more ways to prepare your EDC for survival scenarios at Survival.news.
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