I’ve picked up “urban prepping” as something of a hobby the last year or so. And I specify “urban” because my current goal of my prepping is basically getting back home from, say, an earthquake. Or, to help get myself to another location should home become unsafe. But mostly, just being prepared in general for everyday challenges. My prepping isn’t barrels of water and boxes of rations . . . although, I do have ample water purification and first aid supplies for in case of said earthquake, or something else that might compromise safe, easy water.

So the first level of prepping is my everyday carry, or EDC. I have a backpack I take most places that I keep some supplies in, that I’ll go through later. First, what’s on my belt.

One is a generic flip-phone holster with an Altoids-like tin, and a Fisher “Bullet Space Pen” in a side tab. (It really is an incredibly smooth, write-anywhere and any-condition pen!) The other, a OneTigris holster with a Gerber multitool, and a bright, versatile flashlight on the side.

Inside the tin, is a collection of various tools and useful bits and bobs that are handy to have in a pinch. This isn’t a camping kit by any means . . . this is a getting through the work day and Oh! I have this thing that is handy in this situation! kind of kit.

Taped with cloth bandage tape to the lid are a couple waterproof band-aids, and it just so happens my handy little USB drive likes to stick there on the lid as well, which puts it in a nice place to close the lid just fine. The drive is double-ended! Standard USB (3) on one end, micro-USB on the other, accessing the same 32GB storage. So I can easily move data to/from phone and PC. But I also have it loaded as a boot drive with Tail Linux. It’s a fast, secure distro of Linux that lets me control what access it has to LAN or WiFi, and has built-in TOR private services.

I’ll pause here to say that much of this kit’s ideas came from The Urban Prepper’s Altoids Survival Kit v4. In fact, whatever I have here that’s the same kind of item he has in his, mine is the same brand of thing. But I have some differences. For one, mine is not quite as stuffed full and Tetris’ed in. He assures in his video it’s no big deal once you’re used to where everything goes, but I have basically made mine so that at most you only need to remove or move 2 items to get to anything, and that’s already too much. I’m the kind of person where if I can’t get to the right too quickly, I’ll just use my teeth, fingernail, or ballpoint pen to do whatever I need doing.

So on the bottom (and set in place with tiny, strong magnets, are two small tins. One with various useful bits for the ratchet/driver, and the other containing: paperclip, safety pins, nails with white and black thread wrapped around them, needles, thumbtack, a couple buttons, foil-wrapped Aleve and Tylenol, and a couple Immodium. These two tins are the hardest to get to, requiring moving a couple of item that rest atop them. Everything else, though, can be gotten without moving anything else! These include:

A mini-Bic lighter, a Gerber Dime multi-tool with the pliers, a Gerber “Mullet” keychain multitool thingie (huh, that’s 3 Gerber items, and I also wear a Gerber paraframe lockblade on me . . . I swear Gerber does not sponsor my blog — but I wouldn’t say “No” if they wanted to 🙂 Then there’s the really cool and handy direction-locking ratchet and driver handle! There’s a flat roll of Gorilla Tape (although I think I might go with Urban Prepper’s suggestion to use gaffer’s tape and a coil of high-strength cord. And finally, a little eyeglass screwdriver with slot and phillips on either end.

Oh! I almost forgot, the three things I carry on me all the time, never fail, because I just pop them on my wrist or in my pocket. (Well, my wallet and smartphone, of course.) A Gerber Paraframe II (seriously, Gerber, call me *eg*), a “tactical” pen with a Fisher write-anywhere ink cartridge (I’m not kidding those things are never-fail. Write on wet paper upside down, no problem!) and window-breaker end, and a paracord bracelet with a compass, whistle, and flint/steel firestarter. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking. But it actually works! You have to scrape the coating off the flint, but once you do, it produces sparks perfectly well!

And that’s it, my EDC. Won’t help me kill bears or post-apocalypse motorcycle gangs, but it gets me though any reasonable daily need! And really, isn’t that all we can really hope for?

(Gerber, I’m waiting.)