WOW! This website and forum are just great!

But way too much for me to digest.

I will tell about myself and ask for your help.

I am a businessman in Chicago.

I want to be PREPARED for everything. I want something to carry but I wear suits. I was thinking of that Kit from Doug.

I want to be equipped for the car. And the house.

I can't digest all these posts. Can someone narrow it down for me?

Thanks
Dave

Greetings, fellow Chicagoan! Glad you made it here. There is a lot to digest, but I'd suggest going to the home page and checking out the Survival Kits and Gear & Equipment sections. They'll give you a good framework. Some of those lists seem overwhelming, but they get you thinking in the right direction.

For urban use, I wouldn't pick up the Pocket Survival Kit first. Don't get me wrong--I have one and it's great. But I'd look at Doug's "Don't Leave Home Without It" equipment first. That's under the Personal/Pocket Size Survival Kit section. You don't need the same models, but these basic items will put you miles ahead of most folks in terms of preparedness. Then start to think about or look into what types of scenarios you might run into and gear your preparedness in those directions. That's where these forums can come in very handy.

What is your current EDC (Every Day Carry, the stuff you do NOT leave home without)?

Currently I have no kit. I carry nothing. Living in the big city, I always think if I ever get pulled over, and have a knife or multi-purpose tool, they will throw me in jail. Cops here are bad.

I think snow and freeze, car breaking down are the things I'm most concerned with. And sadly, living near an airport, I'm concerned with attacks by terrorist of some type.

Okay, first, I wouldn't worry too much about getting caught in a terrorist attack. Not much you can do about that but relocate.

A vehicle is a tool. Maintaining the tools we use and rely on is a survival necessity. Keep your car in good running order, and you minimize the risks.

Urban EDC ought to include the following, though this is by no means a thorough or complete list:

A spare stash of cash
A good multi tool (not considered a weapon unless going through an airport, depot, or other such public transportation portal)
A pocket sized first aid kit
Various small useful items (safety pins, dental floss, duct tape, etc)
flashlight

It takes time to develop the appropriate edc for your needs. Each of us has a unique combination of daily needs, so the list really depends on what you do and your knowledge of what you might need for any given situation you might face vs. what you are willing to pack around with you.

For instance, I pack 40 lbs of body armor daily as part of my EDC, but that is here. I am not likely to tote that around back home much. The bottom line is don't expect any quick and universal answer for what you should carry with you. The best suggestion is to take the time and effort to research it, ask pertinent questions of others (you are already on a good start just by being here in the forum), and then making some important decisions about comfort, budget, and contingency.

Good luck. Feel free to ask all sorts of questions. Lots of product review, Macgyverisms, and just plain good sense amongst this group. We are all in the process of learning how to do it better.

Hey Ben
what are "Macgyverisms" -- being ignorant of that particular show -- I think you refer to "macgyver" -- I never watched it and don't know what the premise of the show was............

field expedient might be a synonym. Basically finding available material from your immediate location and making do. Macgyver had a knack for such things as welding a bike frame with a couple nickels, a set of jumper cables, and a car battery. Well, I think you get the idea.

Welcome from Burbank. We have an REI store in Oak Brook once you get a clear idea of what you'll need.
http://www.rei.com/stores/oakbrookterrace/index.html

Welcome E4C,

A couple of things to consider:

1. Read up. See the book lists elsewhere on this site. That will give you some background and a strting point for what skills to accquire.

2. "What" you are preparing for will determine how you prepare. ( A quick brainstorm on likeliest events for Chi-town: Traffic gridlock*, loss of power, Blizzard/ storm, other)

So start with a flashlight, car tools, bottled water and warm clothes.

TRO

* I don't mean a slowdown -- I mean nothing moves for 6-10 hours

In Detroit my most basic EDC is a Vic Rucksack, a small folding knife, flat pack duct tape (which I use far more than I ever thought I would), a Gerber Infinity Flashlight, a pen, an ACR whistle, a bandana, 20' para cord, two large zip ties, a few first aid items in my wallet, a Zippo and a Hot Spark and some vasoline cotton balls. I also have a neck knife with an LED on a cord. This sounds like a lot - but it all fits in my pockets without much show. I also generally have a Maxpedition Jumbo with a lot of redundancy but other stuff that's usefull daily - not least of which is a Nalegene full of water and a better flash light.

Start carrying some things and see what you use most / least and what you feel may be most helpful in the situations that you feel you're most likely to encounter. I use my lighter, knives, duct tape and flashlights daily.