This is part 2 of my summer EDC kit.
The backpack has moved up from my previous EDC iteration, from tier 4 to tier 2. It’s still between 10-15 pounds, which is not too heavy, but can get uncomfortable at times. I’ve condensed the items contained within it to eliminate redundancy, and added a few more that are specific to the urban environment that I live in. There isn’t as much room to expand since I got a new, smaller backpack, but I’ve found the need to put things I haven’t planned on carrying in my pack to be minimal, and I have a shopping bag if the need arises. So without further ado, let’s take a look at what I carry in my backpack.
BACKPACK (Swiss Gear CityPack)
- Outside
- Pepper Spray (Sabre Red, Held in a Leatherman case by Velcro) (It’s attached to the strap for quick access in an emergency.)
- Paracord Zipper Pull (In a helix shape, it really serves no function, I guess it could be an emergency paracord supply, but there’s hardly any there.)
- Water Bottle (Sometimes)
- Glasses Pocket
- Tide-to-go pen
- Hand Sanitizer (Germ-x) (Really good to have around, especially when getting fast food in a car, or eating appetizers when stuck back in a booth.)
- Pain and Itch Relief Liquid (This stuff really helps with sunburns and mosquito bites that can ruin your day.)
- Lighter (Bic full size)
- Lip Balm (Chapstick)
- Multitool (Leatherman Juice CS4) (A bit more bulky than the S2, with a few tools I don’t think I’ll ever use. But it’s still compact and well built.)
- WD-40 No Mess Pen (You can never go wrong with some WD-40.)
- Main Pocket
- Bag (HEB {Texas Grocery Store Chain} Cloth Shopping Bag) (The thin disposable shopping bags are illegal in my city, and I find the cloth bag far superior to reusable plastic or paper bags. It’s almost a “must carry”.)
- Device Pocket
- Bandanna
- iPod (Sometimes)
- Toiletry/Hygiene Bag (Case Logic TBC403)
- Outside Pocket
- Floss Picks (Dentek with carrying case) (Tooth care is pretty important and I have just enough stuff to get me by for a few days at an unexpected stop or something similar.)
- Travel Toothbrush
- Main Pocket
- Medicine Bottles (Fortunately I don’t have many prescriptions, so I can carry supplies of what I need with me at all times.)
- Pain Meds
- Sleep Meds
- Med Bag
- Migraine Meds
- Pill Container (Altoids tin wrapped with Electrical Tape) (Some spare over-the-counter medicines that most people can use are helpful. Not that I’d just be giving them out: I use them mainly for myself, but still…)
- Diphenhydramine
- Acetaminophen
- Tryptophan
- Meclizine
- 2 Packets of single-use toothpaste (Freshmint) (These things are surprisingly cheap and easily have enough gel to last 3 or 4 brushes!)
- Tweezers (Uncle Bill’s Sliver Grippers) (An EDC standby for many people, I don’t have to explain how well they work, but I’ve never really had to use them.)
- Folding Nail Clippers (Bluecell) (The construction might not be as sturdy as it is in some other brands, but it’s good, and I don’t see them breaking any time soon.)
- Medicine Bottles (Fortunately I don’t have many prescriptions, so I can carry supplies of what I need with me at all times.)
- Outside Pocket
- Mini Kleenex package
- Change Purse (Don’t want that change banging around!)
- Change
- Onn Emergency Charging Kit (Modified) (All of this stuff can be summed up pretty simply as phone protection. I have a few extra items in here for other devices, if anyone I’m with has problems. Keeping electronics charged in this day and age is very important, though I’ve never “had” to use the kit. An additional piece of the kit is stored in the pack organizer pocket.)
- Dry Bag (For restoring Electronic Devices that got wet.)
- Emergency USB charger (2AA)
- USB to Wall Adapter
- USB to Car Adapter
- Mini USB to USB
- iPod to USB
- iPhone to USB
- Samsung Phone Charger
- Samsung Phone Adapter for Car Charger
- Glasses Case (Self-explanatory)
- Glasses
- Cleaning Cloth
- Paracord (40ft Bright Orange) (I don’t know how to tie many knots now, but I’m learning, and having it around is better than not. Though I don’t expect to be in any “survival” situations where it would be necessary, it’s a backup to the cheap twine that is in the organizer pocket.)
- First Aid Kit (CVS All-purpose Kit with Modifications) (This is a particularly stuffed kit that I’m contemplating taking some of the bandages out of. It’s made to not need restocking for some time, it would appear, but I don’t need as many bandages as it comes with. I have rearranged this bag into Ziploc bags instead of the 5-pocket container it came with to slim it down a bit. I also feel the kit is pretty self explanatory, so I won’t go into too much detail except about the items I added.)
- Quick Access
- 2 Tampons (For impromptu bandages, nosebleeds, and potentially deep puncture wounds. I wouldn’t recommend it for that last purpose and don’t go taking medical advice from an idiot on the internet, but I’d say it’s better than dying if it does indeed inhibit death.)
- Israeli Bandage (I’m not comfortable using a tourniquet, and while this is much larger and not as good at stopping blood, I feel much more able to use one of these.)
- Snake Bite Kit (Coghlans) (These have been proven many times to not be effective. But the main killer in snake bites is not remaining calm and allowing the venom to spread more easily. This kit acts as a placebo to keep calm, for both me and the people I’m with. It also has a few other useful items like a scalpel and disinfectant.)
- 2 Large Suction Cups
- Small Suction Cup
- Lymph Constrictor
- Snake Bite Instructions
- Glass Iodine Vial
- Scalpel Blade
- CPR Breathing Barrier (I have an idea of how CPR works, but I am by no mean qualified to administer it. If someone else has to {or the situation is bad enough that I have to} this is a nice thing to have at hand quickly to protect the administerer.)
- Triangular Bandage
- Bandanna
- Red Cross First Aid Guide
- Tools Bag
- Vinyl Gloves
- Plastic Tweezers
- Bent Scissors
- Flat Thermometer
- Safety Pins
- Paper Tape
- Tongue Depressors
- Cotton Swabs
- “Pre-Treat” Bag
- Instant Cold Pack
- Chloride Wipes
- Electrolyte Tablets
- Alcohol Wipes
- Ibuprofen
- Aspirin
- Acetaminophen
- Pill Fob
- More Acetaminophen
- Migraine Medication
- “Treatment/Bandage” Bag
- Gauze Bandages (2 Sizes)
- Gauze Pads (2×2 to 5×9)
- Finger Tip Bandages
- Knuckle Bandages
- Circle Bandages
- Spot Bandages
- Butterfly Closures
- Elbow Bandage
- Knee Bandage
- Eye Pads
- Standard Size bandages (Plastic and Woven)
- Mini Size Bandages (Plastic)
- “Post/In Addition to Bandages” Bag
- Neosporin Tube
- Die cut Moleskin
- Space Blanket
- Insect Bite Relief wipes (Maybe these two {this and the one after)should go in the Pre-Treat Bag?)
- After Burn Gel
- Single-Use Triple Antibiotic ointment
- Quick Access
- Back Pocket
- Poncho
- Guest parking pass
- Gloves (In Ziplock Bag, Wells Lamont Suede Cowhide 1012) (I’ve forgotten gloves so many times when I needed them, and just bought another pair. Now I have so many pairs I find them popping up everywhere. I guess I reached my saturation point.)
- Organization Pocket
- Cash Wallet (Flex By Filofax) (This can be used in so many different ways, and I love the versatility and high-quality construction)
- Cash (However much I want that day)
- Business Cards
- Pen Loop
- Pen (Monteverde Poquito Stylus) (Combo phone and paper use is very handy in a backup pen)
- Flex by Filofax notebooks
- Notebook
- Jot Pad
- Key Chain Dangle
- Knife (Pittsburg Mini Utility Knife) (Not the best quality, but much better than nothing, the mini utility blades are super sharp, and it’s attached to the pack to prevent it from being lost)
- Flashlight (Maglite Solitaire) (Strategically placed to allow for easy viewing of the Organization pocket when turned on)
- Maps Bag (For some emergency navigation and making notes on said navigation)
- Paper Map of City
- Plastic Map of City
- Pencil (Paper:mate Sharpwriter)
- Dry Erase Marker (Expo Ultra Fine Black)
- Water Filtration Straw (A present from my brother. I never intend to use it, but it doesn’t take up much space and could be very handy.)
- Checkbook
- Earplugs (I was reminded of how noisy things can get when I went to an Independence Day festival. I was never uncomfortable, but I realized it could quickly escalate to that.)
- Flat Sewing Kit (This is super handy and the size of a credit card, but a bit thicker. I have a few hotel sewing kits that I ordered to refill it with, just in case.)
- Hand Warmers (It’s not winter, but they take up almost no space, and will be there when the cold jumps on me.)
- Cheap Plastic Twine Wrapped around Gift Card (If I need to tie some things together, I’ve got something, and it’s cheap and easy to use.)
- Pen (Bic Tech) (Like the Monteverde, but larger, and not as well constructed.)
- 3 Small Zip-Ties (Another form of lashing things together.)
- Business Card Holder
- Notebook (Moleskine Volant)
- Car Charger Adapter (For use with Emergency Charging Kit)
- Red Electrical Tape (The red color has no real purpose, it’s just what I had.)
- Battery Cases (These cases link together and hold 4 of either type of battery, or 5 batteries if you stuff it. All of my flashlights use the AAA, and the emergency charger uses AA.)
- 5 AA
- 4 AAA
- 2 Small Ponchos (Can’t have enough rain protection!)
- 2 Bandannas
- Strap For Belt Pouch (for over the shoulder carry.)
- Cash Wallet (Flex By Filofax) (This can be used in so many different ways, and I love the versatility and high-quality construction)
- Small Back Pocket
- Bicycle Cards (Games are important for eliminating boredom when something is delayed, or just when you’re around people who like to play games. Everyone knows card games, and Love Letter is simple to teach and only has 16 cards.)
- Love Letter Card Game (minus the Bag)
And that’s the second, and by far the most expansive tier of my EDC. Next, I’ll be looking at the “Other” and “Travel” sections, which are not strictly “EDC”, but I feel like they fit into the system well enough to be included.
