EDC - Don't Leave Home Without It

Ok, I just couldn't let the new blog sit here without any actual articles on it. So, for my first article, I'll discuss EDC. For those that don't know, EDC stands for Every Day Carry. In other words, when you are getting dressed in the morning and heading out the door, the stuff you grab and stick in your pocket (or purse for the female readers). Now, I will assume for the sake of this article that you all carry a wallet, keys, mobile phone and maybe a watch. I'll also assume you know why you carry these things and I don't need to waste bandwidth telling you. What I want to talk about is the other stuff.

Many of us get caught up in a routine. It is easy to do. You get up at the same time every morning. You get dressed in the same style clothes (hopefully not the same clothes or you will have some serious B.O. issues). You get in the same car and drive the same boring commute to the same job. What could go wrong? Well, most of the time... nothing. And for those days, your wallet, keys and cell phone are more than what you need to survive the big bad world. The problem is that sometimes, things do go wrong and since we can't tell the future we have to be prepared for those things every day. If we knew ahead of time that next Thursday we would be run off the road and attacked by a mad man with a tire iron suffering road rage, we wouldn't need to be prepared. We'd just call in sick and not be there. Since we don't have a crystal ball, what can we do to be prepared?

Here are the things I try never to leave home without...

1. A pen. What?! What the hell is a pen going to do for you in an emergency? Well, not all things we run into are emergencies, but it is still nice to be prepared. Say your car runs out of gas and you need to leave a note for the highway patrol before you walk to the nearest gas station. Say it's something as simple as you are paying for a soda with your debit card and the cashier lost his pen. It can be anything minor or major but they always come in handy. Personally, I love the Fisher Space Pen just because it is small, writes well and can write upside down.

2. A flashlight. Now, I'm not suggesting that everyone walk around with a 4 D Cell Mag-Lite strapped to their hip. However, a small flashlight that fits in your pocket can come in handy. Just think... half the hours in a day are spent in darkness. Ever had to look under your seat for something you dropped? Ever had to read a map in the passenger seat while someone else drove? I never realized how useful they were until I started carrying one. Then, I realized I used it at least once per week. You can get some very small ones. I carry a Streamlight Microstream. It runs off a single AAA battery and is barely bigger than my Space Pen. Also, it costs less than $20.

3. A good knife. Now, check your local laws before you choose a carry knife. Some states, counties or cities have stricter laws than others and the type and size knife you can carry may vary. However, almost everywhere will allow some type of knife carry (in the U.S. anyway) and they come in handy for all sorts of things. I have quite a few I rotate between. I have a small Spyderco Ladybug 3 that I keep on my keychain so I always have some type of knife even if I forget my bigger one. For a larger knife, I alternate between a Kershaw Blur, Benchmade Griptilian and a Spyderco Rookie. Just be sure to get a good, quality folder that you can operate one handed. Then, put it in your weak hand pocket (front or back is your choice). This way, if you find yourself in a defensive situation and your strong hand (which was probably holding your gun) gets injured or disabled, you can grab the knife with your weak hand and hopefully create enough seperation to escape.

4. A reliable gun that you have practiced with and you know you can shoot well. This is the Watch Your Six blog after all. You didn't think I was going to go through all this and not mention a gun did you? Again, like the knife, know your local laws. In NC you can carry a handgun concealed if you have a concealed handgun license, but there are certain buildings and events that still prohibit it. Know where you can go and where you can't. That being said, carry as much as you legally can. Not only is it a good idea that could save your life, but it is a right and if you don't exercise your rights, you will lose them. I have a Ruger LCP (.380 ACP pocket pistol) that I carry when I can't carry anything else. Most of the time, I carry a S&W 642 which is a snub-nosed .38 Special +P revolver. I do plan down the road to buy something a bit larger for when I am dressed in a way that I can conceal larger guns. I'm leaning toward either a Glock 26 or a Kahr P9.

5. Cash. I keep at least $20 in cash on me at all times. More is better. You just never know when an unforseen event will happen and you don't want to get stuck in a situation where you can't use your debit card or credit card and you have no cash. I keep this "emergency money" folded up and hidden, not with my normal cash so that it won't get spent.

6. A credit card with at least a few hundred dollars of available credit. Why? Because that hidden $20 might not always be enough to bail you out of what ever mess you found yourself in.

I have yet to come up with an emergency situation that one of these six items, combined with a mobile phone couldn't bail me out of. If you can't carry a gun where you live carry pepper foam, but don't be a vicitim. I don't claim that my knife and my gun are the best choice for everyone. Guns and knives are like golf putters. They are a very individual choice. Find what works for you and get some training with it.

Just remember that 90% of the people you meet are sheep, 5% are wolves and the rest of us are sheep dogs. When the wolves come calling, do you want to be a sheep or a sheep dog? Stay safe out there... and watch your six.