Here is the last of a five part series concerning every day carry kits and how we might use a structured decision-making process to put them together. The first part of this series introduced the idea of deliberate and structured planning for reasonably foreseeable contingencies.
The second installment focused on conducting a security threat assessment (in the form of a limited example), so we’d have a basis for making decisions about what to carry. The third offering expanded on the example by discussing planned responses in light of the threats previously identified.
The fourth article in the series took the limited example a step farther by suggesting tools, resources and supplies needed in order to implement the planned responses. As we’ve seen in some of the comments, EDC is something different for everyone since the threats we perceive, and how we choose to respond to them will be different based on our particular situation, knowledge, training and personal preference.
Now, it’s time to speak to assembling kits. Using the items from the limited example constructed in the previous articles, I’d like to show how our every day carry kits can be kept in different locations, and how they can take different forms. Sometimes it’s as simple as putting items in your pocket, and other times we’ll need a bag, box, shelf or container of some sort to help us keep our necessities close at hand when we need them. [Read More…]
Welcome to the fourth installment of a five part Every Day Carry series that shows how to use a structured thought process to create EDC kits for the home, vehicle, place of employment, and on our person. This article is where “the rubber meets the road” as it identifies the content of various kits using information from previous steps in the process.
In the last installment, planned responses were proposed for a list of twenty-eight security threats associated with the general areas of: crime; vehicle breakdown; and, severe weather. The threats were those that I perceive as reasonably likely to occur in my lifetime, associated with my lifestyle, and threatening my security, safety and health.
For the sake of brevity, this article will focus on planned responses for six selected security threats. This abbreviated list should give us plenty to look at, and still allow us to get through this portion of the analysis in short order. [Read More…]
Today we’re going to get into the third installment of our five part Every Day Carry series that suggests a structured approach to creating EDC kits for the home, our vehicle, our place of employment and to be carried on our person.
In the previous installment, a security threat assessment was conducted for three limited areas of interest: crime; vehicle breakdown; and severe weather. Using my lifestyle as an example, these three “vertical slices” were examined in detail to show how the process I’m suggesting can help create kits that are useful to respond to what we reasonably believe to be serious threats to our well being – matters that threaten our security, safety and health. (For an overview of the suggested analytical process, see the first installment in this series.)
In this article, I’ll take each threat element and create what I consider to be reasonable responses. The purpose of knowing the likely responses is to help us determine what tools, resources and supplies will be needed to effectively respond to the threats. This will form the basis for selecting candidate tools, resources and supplies for inclusion in our every day carry kits. [Read More…]
This is the second in a five part Every Day Carry series to help show how careful and reasonable planning will promote better selection of tools, resources and supplies for EDC kits. The first article in this series presented an overview of the analytical process for deciding on the composition of our kits. In a nutshell, the process involves the following four steps:
- Security Threat Assessment
- Articulate Reasonable Threat Responses
- Identify Necessary Tools, Resources and Supplies
- Allocate Items Among EDC kits kept at Home, Work, in your Vehicle(s) and on your Person
This article addresses the first step in the process, conducting a security threat assessment to identify the scope of events we’d like to be better prepared for with our every day carry kits.
Since this is a structured thought process, we need to look at it one piece at a time for better understanding and to see how one portion of the analysis relates to others. If done correctly, we’ll have a complement of items that are essential for our EDC kits. In addition, the same process conducted in reverse will allow us to validate the content of kits we’ve already assembled. [Read More…]
The term “every day carry” or EDC is something that we’ve all heard about, seen and talked about. It’s a collection of tools, resources and supplies, kept readily available in the form of a kit, to help us better cope with emergencies and unforeseen circumstances that we might find ourselves swept up in.
The idea is a good one, with as many variations of EDC kits as there are individuals carrying them. Among all the discussion about what one might carry every day, there’s limited discussion regarding the reasoning behind each of the items in a kit, and even less discussion about a structured decision making process that should go into creating it. [Read More…]
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