I’d like to start something new here on ITS today and start sharing all the EDC (Every Day Carry) photos we receive in our Forum here on ITS. We’re also going to turn it into a contest every few weeks and give away a $25 gift certificate to the ITS Store!
We’ll select an EDC based on only one criteria… Rule number one, always look good! Just kidding, we’ll pick it based on being a functional and realistic EDC. This means it actually has to be what you carry in your pockets, not in a bag (as much as we want to see photos of your Discreet Messenger Bag.) Of course this is totally left open to our interpretation and why we’d like a brief description of what you’re carrying too.
To enter, simply join our Forum (if you’re not a member already) and post up your photo in this topic with a brief description of your EDC. We’ll look in on the submissions and pick someone every few weeks to win. The winner’s photo will be posted on the homepage of ITS Tactical along with the announcement. I’ll start things off this week and show everyone what’s in my pockets today. And yes, all this is really all in my pockets. [Read More…]
We’re excited to release our Every Day Carry Trauma Kit today and feel it’s truly something you’ll never leave home without. No longer will you have the excuse of not being able to carry lifesaving equipment with you wherever you go!
We wanted to design a minimum bare-bones trauma kit, smaller than our ETA Trauma Kits, that would not only be comfortable enough to throw in a back pocket, but also be capable of treating the number one preventable cause of death in the field according to the TCCC; extremity hemorrhage AKA bleeding out.
The EDC Trauma Kit is literally the size of an average wallet and even smaller in some instances, especially if you carry a Costanza. It can be stuffed in a back pocket and only weights 6 ounces with the included pouch! [Read More…]
We’ve had our new EDC Trauma Kit in development for quite awhile now and we thought it was time to unveil what we’ve been working on.
The EDC Trauma Kit is a vacuum sealed trauma kit with the essentials to stop life threatening injuries. We wanted to develop a smaller version of our ETA Trauma Kits that would still contain the essentials, yet fit just about anywhere.
It’s literally the size of a wallet, can be stuffed in a back pocket and only weights 5 ounces! [Read More…]
The straps on G-Shocks can sometimes be a bit too long for the average person. That’s especially true of my GW-5600J, to the point where they stick out and catch on the cuff’s of my shirts and long sleeves.
I posted a question on a popular watch forum to ask if anyone ever trimmed their straps, partly because I was curious to know how many other pencil-wristed G-Shock wearers were having the same problem and partly to see how many people were willing to take a knife to their beloved Gs. [Read More…]
I’ve always believed that having tools close at hand is essential to being a highly effective, prepared human being. Because of that philosophy, I usually carry quite a bit of stuff with me — 12 different items distributed between five pockets!
While I love having good kit close at hand, I don’t always have the time or luxury for a full EDC loadout and sometimes this stuff just gets left at home. However, the one constant, regardless of time or clothing, are my keys. Unless I’ve locked myself out of the house, I will always have my keys with me.
Most people I know don’t carry nearly as much stuff as I do, but they all carry a set of keys. Because everyone always carries keys, it’s my opinion that keychain based tools are the most universal and logical foundation for any EDC loadout.
While this advice is useful for gear heads like us, it’s especially relevant when it comes to equipping our friends and family members who are currently not interested in preparedness. In my experience, adding a few small, well-chosen items to someone’s keychain is the most reliable and effective way to ensure they will have the right tools when they need them, without pushing them beyond their comfort limits. [Read More…]
The mini survival kit is often misunderstood. I’ve seen some information put forth that might lead people to believe that a mini kit is useless. Yet people like Ron Hood, Doug Ritter and myself, among many others, have recommended them for years — and for good reason.
When utilized properly, they can be a valuable addition to one’s gear. [Read More…]
Duct tape is one of the most useful things on the planet. It can be used to secure, repair, or build in ways that other materials such as rope, glue, or conventional tape cannot.
Because of the hundreds of applications for this miracle material, I have always loved duct tape. I’m especially fond of Gorilla brand duct tape, which has 50% more glue than conventional silver duct tape and adheres to damn near anything.
Unfortunately, while convenient to use, duct tape is very inconvenient to carry around. It comes in these large, 20-yard rolls with a big hole in the center, which makes the tape take up far more space than it should. When you’re carrying a full bag, that extra space could be crucial.
I have found three different ways to easily carry around duct tape: in a mini-roll, a collapsed roll, or on a keychain. [Read More…]
The Ten Essentials is a tried and true list of should-have items for outdoorsmen. It was developed in the 1930s by the Mountaineers, a climbing group in the United States of America’s Pacific Northwest region.
Most of us spend more time daydreaming of granite spires and alpine lakes than traveling in those areas. In reality, we spend our days in cubicles, patrol cars, or running errands around town.
Today we’ll look at how to adapt the time-tested Ten Essentials to our every day urban context. [Read More…]
We’re excited to announce the release of the 2nd Generation ITS Tactical Discreet Messenger Bag! We’ve listened to suggestions from our end users and worked hard with Zulu Nylon Gear to integrate some awesome new features!
The Discreet Messenger Bag represents features unseen in other bombproof tactical messenger bags; A bag laden with tactical features that doesn’t look tactical! With no exposed MOLLE/PALS or visible velcro, this bag is sure to blend right into any urban environment as your everyday carry or bug out / bail out bag.
Today we’ll go through all the upgrades we’ve made to increase its versatility and inherent discreet nature! [Read More…]
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…]
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