My urban EDC

I just thought I'd give a list of the stuff I carry, to give others ideas, or for you to give me suggestions of other things to carry. I don't get out of the city much, so this is more of an urban survival kit than any sort of wilderness survival gear.

On belt:
Leatherman wave w/ nylon sheath and attached lanyard
Leatherman wave tool adapter
Cell Phone (& fully charged spare battery in pocket)
Nite-Ize Mini Pock-Its holster (see below for contents)

In Nite-Ize holster:
AA Mini Maglite & spare batteries, with attached lanyard
Laser Pointer
Small ratchet & set of Allen wrenches (also works with bits in Leatherman tool adapter kit)
Small bubble level
Small tube of Krazy glue

In wallet (rear pocket):
~6 ft. of duct tape affixed to strips of transparency sheets
Small strip cut from a rubber jar opener
Small pad of Post-It notes
(All large bills, credit and ATM cards stored in a separate second wallet deep in the front pocket)

Classic Fox-40 whistle (with superfluous side pieces filed down) around neck

On keychain:
AAA Maglite Solitaire (& spare AAA battery)
Beer bottle opener
P-38 GI can opener
Small pill container with aspirin, motrin and aleve
Nail clipper
Small spare pen

Elsewhere in pockets:
Change purse
~5 ft of extension cord, bare ends
ToolLogic Lite credit card knife
Ultimate Survival Signal Mirror
FAK fashioned from an Altoids tin (see below for contents)
Cigarette lighter or matches (I don't smoke)

In Altoids FAK:
Pills: Immodium A-D, Benadryl, No-Doz, NyQuil Day tablets
Small sewing kit + extra needles + safety pins
Assorted Band-Aids
Moist towelettes
Insect Sting relief pads
Bacitracin in foil pack
Cuticle scissor
Razor blade
tweezers
toothpick
small straw
tick remover
book of matches

Consider a small pocket radio.

Grad Student,

It looks like you have some detailed plans. But, I think I would also add the following (after you have checked to make sure they are legal where you go):

A dedicated knife;

Additional fire starting devices such as a ferrocerium rod and good tinder/accelerator (cotton balls saturated with petroleum jelly work great);

A compass and local map;

Some water containers, even if they are as primitive as Ziplock (tm) bags. Be sure to check Doug's recommendations on these containers, as well as all other survival items. Also some water purifiers: e.g., Potable Aqua, water purifying devices, and others;

Cordage such as 550 paracord;

Potential sheltering devices such as 55 gal. garbage bags (the thicker, the better), tarps, or other,

Good luck,

John

Thanks for the suggestions!

I ordered a small AM/FM pocket radio, which I should have by next week - I had been thinking about picking one up, but never bit the bullet.

I used to carry a compass but it broke a few months ago, so I should try to find one when I get a chance. I should get some paracord too - I would replace the extension cord I carry now (selected basically because it was laying around).

Back when I had a car, I kept maps of the entire northeast, plus various state, county and local maps. I got rid of the car a few months ago (financial reasons), so the road maps now stay at home, although I carry a small credit card-size NYC subway map and commuter rail schedules with me, along with a spare metrocard (for NYC bus/subway fare) and plenty of pocket change. I also carried road flares, a can of fix-a-flat, lots of oil (my car was 13 years old and burned oil like mad), antifreeze and washer fluid, a container of water, a full toolbox plus the usual car tools (jack, etc.), jumper cables and a Jump Start battery, a full change of clothes plus extra socks and an old pair of work boots, a heavy blanket, a tarp (actually an old pool cover), a transistor radio, a reflective orange vest (now hanging prominently in my closet), a tent, folding chair, sleeping bag and air mattress, and probably a few other things I'm forgetting to mention. And a AAA card.

I usually carry a Hefty garbage bag in a coat pocket during the winter, but perhaps I should "promote" it to EDC. I also carry a Storm whistle in my coat pocket (not sure if I included that before)...

Being in the city, I worry a bit about carrying a dedicated knife. I kept one in the car, and I have a few good ones (incl. an old Puma) at home, but I worry about being harassed by the police. At least I can say that I use the leatherman for work, what with the screwdrivers and all, and the blades are pretty small, but a more substantial knife (while strictly speaking legal according to the letter of the law) could get me in some hot water with the police if for whatever reason they decide they don't like me. I usually carry the Puma if I'm going on a camping trip or something of that nature, but other than that I leave it at home.

Since I'm usually in the city, I haven't really had the need for water purification or more sophisticated firestarting than a plain old bic lighter, but I should get something along those lines just to have them at home (even if I don't carry them every day). Depending on what kind of firestarting equipment I were to carry, I could see how it could be suspected as some sort of bomb-related hardware (i.e. my next post on the forum will be from Guantanamo.) The same goes for the FAK - for anything more serious than a trivial injury or sickness 911 or my regular doctor, and professional help is only a short time away (and I'd be more than stupid to fail to fully avail myself of that option), and if I'm away from civilization for any time I supplement the EDC FAK with a more comprehensive kit (large bandages, larger stock of OTC medications, bottles of disinfecting solutions, etc.).

I carry a pocket AM/FM/SW radio. The problem is that after my leather shoulder bag (spouse approved for evenings on the town) is loaded with the pocket radio, my Wave (dress trousers really don't support beltwear), my FAK, and my other stuff, that bag was so heavy it killed my shoulder. I had to carry it in my hand by its strap.

I agree with concept of carrying a pocket radio and a multitool, but what about the weight factor?

Consider [this radio] . You get AM/FM/TV/WX in a package that is literally the size of a pack of cigarettes and weighs only a few ounces. You give up SW, but perhaps that's the price of being able to keep the unit on your person without undue weight or hassle. It works with stereo headphones, but the external speaker allows you to share the broadcasts and eliminates the need to carry headphones.

Sangean has some similar offerings [here] .

Look for decent alternative carry methods.

If you wear pleated pants you can mount the multitool discreetly on the inside of the front pocket without much showing. Same for altoids fak and psk. If you wear something like dockers mobile pant you can fit quite a bit discreetly in the internal cargo pocket.

Look for smaller alternatives. There is the sinclair x10 ear-bud radio that will fit in just about anyplace.

Look for lighter alternatives. If you are carrying a bag you might lose the altoids tins which weigh a bit and replace them with ziplocks.

If you are truely stylin you might have decent internal pockets on the jacket or vest or both that could hold any items that could fold mostly flat - a small urban FAK can easily be made to do this. The trick here is to have the cargo distributed evenly so you don't have bulges but rather are just a bit thicker overall. If you arrange the components so that they can be easily distributed throughout your high-style wardrobe pockets in small containers from zip-locks to breath-strip boxes (I use them for a sewing kit) then when you are able to put on the dungarees and fanny-pack or sholder bag you can just throw everything in the larger sack.


FWIW, If I don't have it after standing up and running out of the building, I don't consider it EDC - so anything that is in a seperate sack doesn't count for me. My belly pack works if I am in a situation where it is acceptable dress and I don't take it off. Briefcase, planner, shoulder bag, etc don't count as I could be in a meeting on the otherside of the building when the evacuation is called and thereby be separated from them. If it isn't in my pocket it isn't EDC it is another layer of kit and may be very useful but it can't be counted on being with me.

Agreed. However, I take great pains to make sure I take my shoulder bag WITH ME. I have been asked what in the world am I carrying. My reply is something like, just a first aid kit and stuff like that. The people I work with are familiar with my preparedness habits, so that answer has always been accepted. My habits have NOT rubbed off, I'm sorry to say.

pocket radio with weather band

Thanks dude.

I looked, and the radio I carry is a Grundig Mini World 100 PE, so it is small already.

I know a radio is supposed to be a part of a good kit. Recommended by FEMA and the Red Cross. But, could somebody please tell me why? Bulk is bulk and so is weight even if it is "small and light." I recently posted about this earlier with hurricane Isabel as seen in this link I took my AM/FM radio out and put in a wide range receiver I recently obtained. It is better listening to the police bands.

Like everything good information can be gold....but evaluating the quality of that information is everything.

A couple of years ago we had a moderate earthquake here and looking back on it I would rate my information gathering quality like this...best to worst.

HAM radio emergency net, AM/FM radio, then nothing, then TV. TV was complete and total garbage and served no useful purpose during or after the quake. AM and FM radio was decent, and the HAM's were giving first eye accounts only, no speculation...superb.

Information during a disaster is good to have so a radio is one more piece of the puzzle...figuring out if the info is good is the reason for HAM radio in my view.

I participate in two local emergency communications groups, getting to know the operators, practicing in drills, is the best way I know of to make sure the information quality is valuable.

I just bought new HAM radios for myself and recently licensed wife that have wide frequency receive, this way I can hear NOAA weather, local AM and FM radio, and TV in addition to the various volunteer HAM operators and emergency response systems we have in place.

I rank communication in an urban setting up with shelter in my priority list.

I'm a fan of the Sangean DT300VW. Never without it when traveling: http://www.sangean.com/pocket.html

I am assuming you carry all of this equipment in a bag and not just your pockets?? Thats a lot of stuff to carry in your pockets. But maybe I am not visualizing correctly.

Just wondering,

garrett

Schwert: which wide-receive/narrow transmit radio did you buy? How happy have you been with it?

I'm a "low skill" ham myself (no code). A transceiver that receives police/ham/AM/FM/WX and transmits 2m would be great.

Great kit!

Re: Maglights.

You may want to investigate replacing one or both of your maglites with LED-based lights (eg. ARC AAA, CMG Sonic for the solitaire)

You'll get longer battery life along with losing the worry of blown/broken bulbs.

kf

I think that it's also good to have a radio that has shortwave to listen to the BBC world & VOA for information.

I know I'm going to sound like a broken record (anyone else remember those?) but that's not a FAK in your Altoids tin, IMNSHO. <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

What is the purpose of your FAK? Is it to treat yourself, to treat friends and family, or to handle any accident you come across? I would certainly recommend at least one pair of protective gloves, preferably vinyl, some sterile gauze, and some tape. If you have to give CPR or mouth-to-mouth, you'll probably wish you had a pocket mask, although even the smallest of those likely won't fit in an Altoids tin. (I carry one on my keyring, tho.)

Personally, I don't carry sterile gauze pads or triangular bandages in my EDC, but if you're going to carry that much stuff anyway, a couple of 4" x 4" sterile gauze pads and a pair of vinyl surgical gloves isn't likely to overload you. <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

All good points - I suppose it's more of a "convenience kit." Basically, if myself or someone else gets some minor injury or isn't feeling well I take a pill or a band-aid, or hand them one to use. As for strangers, well, no matter how sick I'm feeling I don't think I'd take a pill some strange guy just pulled out of his pocket, anyway. But that's just me.

Most of the "tools" are mostly for convenience/hygiene - cuticle scissor, nail clipper, eyeglass screwdriver, toothpick, sewing kit, dental floss, tweezers, insect sting relief pads.

Anything more serious and I get on the horn and call in the pros.

The gloves are a good idea, and so is the CPR mask (though I must get the required training first).

So I guess you're right in that it's not a traditional FAK, just a collection of some stuff that might be useful without trying to be comprehensive. If I go away from civilization, I supplement all of this of course with a more comprehensive kit (obviously much larger than can be fit in a pocket).

Nope - all in pockets or on my best - I wear jeans so I have more room.


The rundown is something like:

Front L pocket: Keys, Altoids FAK, most of the smaller tools and gadgets on a separate keychain (solitaire, nail clipper, spare pen, bottle opener, P-38)

Front R pocket: 2nd wallet (the one with the credit cards and large bills), signal mirror, pen, cell phone spare battery, cig lighter

Rear L pocket: 1st wallet

Rear R pocket: change purse, extension cord, eye drops (if I'm wearing contacts that day)

On belt: cell phone, leatherman w/tool adapter, Nite-Ize holster with the rest of the stuff (maglite, laser pointer, and the rest of the tools)

Fox-40 around neck

If I'm carrying anything else, it'll usually be in a bag or in my coat pockets.

>>Anything more serious and I get on the horn and call in the pros.

Well, the point of First Aid training is to make sure that when the pros get there, they have a live body to work with and not a dead one. <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Basically, after 4 minutes without oxygen, irreversible brain damage sets in. After 10 minutes without oxygen, death sets in, and that's also irreversible. What's the average response time for an ambulance in your neck of the woods? Even if the ambulance averages 5 minutes, that's long enough for you to end up with a loved one who sits in a wheelchair and babbles. (Sorry to be crude, but that's essentially how my dad spent the last five years of his life after his stroke.) <img src="images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Another advantage of a FA course is that people who've taken them tend to have fewer accidents, and when they do have an accident, it's on the average less serious.

And it's a bargain - you could take 5 First Aid courses for the price of a personalised Sebenza. <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

GAR

I just bought two Icom T90a HT's (only one here now). These are 6m, 2m, and 70cm transmit, with wide receive from .5Mhz to 999MHz with cell frequencies blocked.

It literally just arrived 3 days ago so I cannot give much of a report on it. I was running a 2m Icom 2GAT for the last 12 years and was more than satisfied with that, but my new radio with spare battery is smaller and lighter than one of my batteries for the old one!

I will give some sort of report later on about this radio, but like all new things it is vastly more complex than my old one. Audio of TV, AM, FM commercial radio is very good in such a small package, programming is fairly intuitive after a couple of tricks and the software for programming on the computer is decent, and I would recommend it.

I have ordered but not yet received 2 additional antennas for these, one a gain antenna the other a decent stubby. The supplied one seems much better than I expected.

I also took the opportunity to buy a decent car antenna and Mirage amplifier, both still in their boxes.

Around here both my emergency groups use 70cm and 2m frequencies for all work with some 6m, so this looked ideal to replace my 2m only radio.

If you are thinking of serving in a local group, you may want to check with them about their common use frequencies before you buy anything, but 2m served me very well around here and I am only moving my old HT to the car not retiring it.

I would definately consider a dual bander with wide receive instead of 2m only. The price differential is not too bad.

BTW I do not consider a no-code HAM a low skill HAM. I just barely passed the 5WPM and instantly forgot it. Now 5WPM is all that is needed all the way to Extra class. I considered upgrading to General while my wife was working on Tech, but did not do it. Some of my Seattle ACS work uses 80m where I do not have rights.

I also carry my wallets in my two front trouser pockets. Yes, two wallets. One for ID, credit cards, and some money, the other for money only. My wallets can't possibly fall out of my front pockets. I like that. Anyone else carry their wallets up front rather than in their back pocket?

My chiropractor banned the use of my back pockets for anything! But I cheat. I carry a balanced load now with wallet on one side and flat spool of twine same deminsions on the other side. So far the chiro hasn't noticed any damage due to that.

Yep. I have for many years.
Stay safe,
J.T.

i have always carried mine wallet in front, mine backpockets get rarly used, feels kinda weird wenn your sitting.

In my left back pocket, I have my comb, SwissTech MicroPlus, and a packet of Pocket Duct duct tape.

In my right back pocket, I have my "official" Start Trek black matte bullet space pen, my Retro51 Tornado Elite pen (both pens are quite small), and my Arc AAA LED (clipped to the pocket's edge).

Is your wallet by itself or do you stuff in other gear next to it?

Balance is important -- in some cases, critical -- regarding back pockets as well as life in general.

Wallet Up front? Yep, since I was a kid

Yep I to carry my wallet in my front pocket, or should I say carried. Guess what? It fell out. On the pulblic bus <img src="images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> on Tuesday. After much ringing around to every bus company and lost propety place within a 30 mile radius, I still didn't find it. It contains my college ID with my name so i thought someone might hand it in, but no joy. It contained my cards, which I cancelled, my bus pass and the receipt that I needed to get my next 2 bus passes (worth £150) and various survival items. <img src="images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" /> Slightly irritating.

I keep two wallets - one in the back pocket with a little money and some stuff I wouldn't mind losing, and a separate one in the front pocket which I take great care to be sure it folds flat (so no bulge due to wallet).

This way, if some geek runs up to me with a knife demanding my money (urban survival...) I have something to hand him/her. Usually they just want to get away in a hurry, so they'll take off with that. And if he/she makes me start turning my pockets out you can bet I'll keep him busy handing him useless (from his perspective) stuff <img src="images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

What kind of trousers were you wearing? Jeans? Dockers? I could see that happening if the trousers had the kind of front pockets where the opening travels vertically down the leg, following and sometimes right on top of the outer seam of the leg.

They were loose corduroy trousers. the opening of the pocket follows the line of the seam down the side. This way anything in the pocket is pretty vunrable to falling out.

That explains it.