If you were waiting to pick up a G-Shock like we recently reviewed, now is the time. Tactical Distributors is giving 25% off watches.

They’re also throwing in free overnight shipping on all orders over $25. The discount on watches is only running through Monday but the free shipping is through December 22nd so get on it.

Promo Code: TIME

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.

To my surprise, the resounding response was “yes”, followed by “just go ahead and cut it already”. There were varying methods and tools recommended for doing it, ranging from razor blades to scissors. The problem was, I didn’t just want to hack off the end of my watch strap and have it look all gnarly or rough, I wanted to shorten it but make it look like it was bought that way.

With my mind made up, I set the wheel in motion. Enough talk, on with the cutting…

Victim: Atomic Solar Mudman

The strap is just a little too long and would be much better if I trimmed off about one inch (2.5cm). No jokes about trimming my hairy arms please :-)

I’m going to use a straight edge safety razor. I’m using the rounded edge of my kitchen cutting surface for this in order to keep the cut open as I slice into it, it will help stop the razor blade getting pinched. Decide where to make the cut… commit to it… cut!

The first cut is made and it has the classic shiny edge that none of us wants to end up with, but we’ll fix that later.

I’m going to use the safety razor again to make two smaller cuts on the corners to trim off some of the excess and save myself some filing time with the emery board.

Now that the heavy work has been done, it’s time to shape the corners. I’m going to use an emery board to round the corners into the desired shape.

Ok, I’ve got the two corners nicely rounded – the emery board worked great!

Now I want to add a small bevel all the way around the end of the strap to try and make it blend in with the rest of the strap.

The end of the strap is now nicely rounded and beveled to match the rest of the strap – I could stop here and it would be just fine – but you know I can’t do that.

I need to polish/smooth off the slight roughness left behind by the emery board. In the past I’ve found that a pair of jeans can buff things up pretty well, so I’m going to see if my jeans will do the trick.

Well what do you know, the jeans worked great! The end is polished just to the point where it matches the non-shiny surface of the rest of the strap. I think the end result is awesome, I’m definitely happy with it.

That’s it! I think you’ll all agree that this is a great way to avoid having a nasty, shiny end to a trimmed resin strap – it was easy to do as well. It probably took me a whole lot longer to take these photos and write this up than it would to just cut the strap and clean it up – but I thought it would be fun for you all to see the steps. Hope you enjoyed it, now go fix those long straps on all your G-Shocks!

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.

Foundations of Every Day Carry

Every person has different needs, so there is no absolute formula for what should be included on an EDC keychain. In general, I like to select a few useful items that suit the person’s individual style, rather than simply tossing on all the cool gear I can fit onto their keys.

Remember, just because it fits on a keychain doesn’t mean that it should be included — as anyone who has seen a forum pocket dump thread can attest to! Hint: if the keychain looks more like an aviation survival kit then a set of house keys, chances are too much has been added.

Illumination

Regardless of personal style, the one tool every single person on the planet will benefit from having is a flashlight. Whether it is finding something dropped under the seat in the movie theater, illuminating a dark alley, or navigating a stairwell after a power outage, a small LED flashlight is incredibly useful, and should be included on everyone’s keys.

There are a variety of wonderful keychain based flashlights on the market today, but my personal preference is for the simple high performance of the Photon II microlight.

I’ve been carrying a Photon II for the better part of a decade, and I make a point of giving them to the people I care about. In addition to its convenient size, the Photon II features made in the USA reliability, a 30-foot range with a 12-hour runtime, and can be operated with one hand. Make sure to buy the authentic Photon brand; there are many imitators for less money but, having tried most of them, I believe that the Photon cannot be beat in terms of both brightness and runtime.

Tailored Equipment

So, everyone should have a Photon II microlight or other quality LED on their keys. But from there, the gear selection must be tailored to the end user. Some things to keep in mind when building an EDC keychain:

Is it for a man or woman?

Men generally keep their keys in their pants, while women’s clothing often lacks functional pockets, which relegates the keys to purse carry. Keep this in mind, so you can make sure they will be able to carry the EDC keychain you build, and access it comfortably.

What is their technical proficiency?

Give them gear they will actually use. Some people will get use out of duct tape and a multitool, while others will be better off with a small knife and a lighter.

What do they need? What do they frequently do?

A college student will enjoy a lighter on their keys, while a soccer mom will have more use for a keychain hand sanitizer. Knowing your audience will help you select the most useful items for them.

What kind of clothing do they wear, particularly at work?

If they wear silk slacks, the keychain will have to be significantly lighter and slimmer than if they wear jeans.

What are their favorite colors?

Matching gear to people’s favorite colors will make them enjoy it even more, and will let them know your thinking of them. Just don’t sacrifice function for form (more on this later).

Examples

To help illustrate these concepts, and give you some ideas about what types of keychain tools I recommend, consider the following keychains, and the reasoning behind them.

Personal EDC Keychain

My keychain is designed to offer me as wide a range of options as possible, without being too bulky, because I like to wear slim fitting, 5 pocket jeans. The goal is to offer a comprehensive backup to my normal EDC gear, while also being capable enough to serve as my primary EDC if all I’m carrying is my keys (the gym, the beach, etc).

The Photon is a backup light to the larger flashlight in my EDC. The Leatherman Squirt PS4 serves as my “public knife,” for when I need to cut something in public, and as my primary multitool. For those who are unfamiliar with it, the Squirt is a little beast, and can easily handle 99% of the tasks one would need a multitool for; I’ve used the Squirt at least once a week for the last 5 years, while I’ve used my massive Leatherman Surge all of 4 times. I will be doing a comprehensive review of the Squirt PS4 later, but just know that I consider it the best keychain tool on the market.

The EDC Duct Tape Roll is for repairing, building, and obscuring, depending on the need, and has proven very handy in the last few months. The Safety pin is for repairing clothing, and for popping out the SIM card of my iPhone. The handcuff key is in case I get handcuffed to a sinking ship in the north Atlantic, and so far has only been used as a conversation starter.

My most recent, and revolutionary keychain acquisition is the McGizmo key dangler pocket clip, which was given to me by an awesome USN member. Before, my keys sat in a jumble of uncomfortable steel at the bottom of my pocket, but now, with the addition of the dangler, I simply clip my keys to the top of my pocket like I would my knife, and they dangle in a neat, smooth row. The increase in comfort, as well as the ease of accessing my keys, cannot be overstated.

In general, most men will enjoy a keychain fairly similar to mine, provided it has a pocket clip to make carrying it hassle free; this much stuff is a pain in the ass without a clip for most folks. The Mcgizmo clips are hard to find, so a great off the shelf solution is the Tec Accessories P-7 Suspension Clip, which can be had for around $15 online. I’ve own both and they’re wonderful.

However, keys for women will be inherently different, because most women do not wear pants with functional pockets, and will instead require a purse based keychain.

Mom’s EDC Keychain

My Mom’s purse must have five pounds of various knick-knacks, wallets, receipts, and cigarettes inside, so in order to find her keys, she has a neon purple and yellow “Bad Boys Bail Bonds” lanyard, which she loves. I wish I could take the credit, but that’s all her style.

The gear I’ve added to my Mom’s keychain is very much based on her unique personality, and is tailored more toward her daily convenience rather than emergency preparedness. I began with a Purple Photon Freedom, because purple is her favorite color, and they don’t make a purple Photon II. This was a bit of a mistake though, because she complains the flashlight is hard for her to squeeze and confusing to operate, so I will replace it with a standard Photon II.

However, she loves her Orange Spyderco Ladybug, which is her second favorite color. My mom is a huge Ebay fan, so I wanted her to have a sturdy, reliable knife for opening her many boxes; meanwhile, she lacks the technical interest to get much use out of the tools on a Leatherman Squirt. With its VG10 blade and ergonomic handle, the Spyderco Ladybug is the best keychain based folding knife around, with more than enough cutting power for most urban tasks.

Because my mom is constantly scouring the house for a Sharpie to write on boxes, I recently added a mini-Sharpie to her keys so she will always have one handy. Since she’s a smoker, I have included a DIY keychain mini-Bic lighter, which is attached to the opposite end of her lanyard so she can use the lighter while driving. The whistle came for free and takes very little space, so I just hooked it too her keys for good measure.

Friend’s EDC Keychain

My most recent keychain build, and the inspiration for writing this article, is a keychain I just built for a friend of mine. Her primary keychain consists of the Photon II, the Leatherman Squirt, and the Alpha Innovations Stylus Kubaton. The Photon II was an obvious choice, and I included the Leatherman Squirt instead of a Spyderco Ladybug because my friend is a scientist, so I knew she would get a lot of use out of the various tools.

The most important thing on her keys though is the kubaton. I included it because she is very attractive and petit, and recently got beat up by a very ugly, much less petit girl while waiting for a bus. The kubaton is there so she can offer a “kinetic etiquette lesson” to any miscreants in the future. Because a weapon is useless without training, I sent her a kubaton training DVD, and will try and work in some practice next time I see her.

I picked a Kubaton for her self-defense item instead of other options because I like its brutal simplicity, the fact that she can carry it in her hand without drawing suspicion, and because it can allow her to escape from chokes and holds. I chose the Alpha Innovations Aluminum stylus kubaton because it looks like a pen, and not like a weapon or sex toy the way most kubatons do. I hit myself with it prior to sending and the aluminum hits much harder and is far more secure in the hand then the polymer stylus. The shiny aluminum also has the benefit of making her keys easier to finding her purse.

Because she has a purse, and is not limited by pants pockets, I included a bunch of other gear as part of a “tier 2” keychain that she can include at her discretion. She rides mass transportation, so I figured hand sanitizer was a must. Then, I tossed on some keychain duct tape, a mini-bic lighter, and a fox 40 whistle for good measure. Between the two EDC keychains and her sharp mind, I think she’ll be ready for pretty much anything.

Conclusion

A tool carried all the time is always preferable to a tool carried some of the time. Hopefully by now you understand why the keychain tools are the most reliable for every day carry, and have some good ideas as to which tools are optimal.

I have had great success with my EDC keychain, and those close to me have greatly enjoyed theirs. If you’re looking for a fun and reliable way to increase someone’s preparedness, an EDC keychain is a pretty good place to start.

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.

Purpose

Let’s examine what a mini kit is not. It is not a kit that will take you into the wilderness in a survival situation and allow you to live off the land forever. It wasn’t meant to be. It does not contain the largest, best, most exotic devices money can buy. Because of its size, it’s limited and is not meant to replace a larger survival kit or a well thought out pack. Neither is it meant to replace your EDC, but to supplement it. It was also not meant to replace skills.

A mini survival kit, like those sometimes built in small tins, is meant to be a first line of defense in a survival situation, especially if your larger kit is lost, or didn’t make it with you. It will not support you forever and was not meant to. It should supply you with the basic needs for a day or two, so you can either get back to civilization on your own, or be rescued.

It’s something that is on you and should provide you with the basics for fire, navigation, signaling, building shelter, obtaining and purifying water, and providing for minor first aid. I’ll be the first to admit that shelter has always been lacking in most mini kits, but it doesn’t negate the usefulness of the other items. To remedy this situation, I have always recommended that you carry a survival blanket, an emergency poncho, or several contractor bags as part of your EDC.

Survival Priorities

For an overnighter, or even a few days, your priorities will probably be shelter and fire, to avoid hypothermia; water collection and purification, to avoid dehydration; signaling, to help searchers to find you; and navigation, to find your way back (a button compass will never replace an orienteering compass, but something is better than nothing). Although many mini kits have basic fishing items, food is not a priority at this point! The small amount of wire that is often included in these kits has many more uses than just making snares. It can be used to make repairs, build shelter, or to make a bail. The wire was not meant to set up a trap line.

There are many people who EDC enough survival gear that a mini kit is almost a moot point. There are also many people who don’t. A well thought out mini kit can provide these people with the essentials for surviving a night lost in the woods. It will not replace skills.

A Supplement to Preparedness

A mini kit by itself, although providing basic tools, is of no use if a person doesn’t know how to use those tools. I, among others, have always highly recommended practicing with the components so that when they are needed they may be used proficiently. A survival situation is not the time to learn how to use your tools.

Don’t let the size of a mini kit deter you from carrying one. It is not a kit meant to allow you to live in the wilderness for the long term. It will never replace skills or a full-blown survival kit. What it will do is help you to stay alive in a survival situation, if you know how to use it. I’ve seen people with full-blown kits and packs whom lack basic skills and carry equipment that is still in the bubble wrapped packages. If you are serious about survival, a mini kit can help. If you are not — well, no kit, no matter the size, will help you. It is a piece of the puzzle, just like your EDC items and skills.

If you carry a mini kit, know its components and how to use them. Know its capabilities and limitations. Supplement it with other necessary items, like shelter, but don’t disregard it. It has its place. I hope you enjoyed this tip and, as always, Be Prepared To Survive!

Editor-in-Chief’s Note: Please join us in welcoming John D. McCann as a contributor on ITS Tactical! I’ve been a longtime reader of John’s work and his first book, Build the Perfect Survival Kit helped me design the kit I EDC. John is also the owner of Survival Resources, a company that specializes in survival kits, survival kit components, and outdoor skills courses. He’s just released a new book too that I’m currently reading, called Stay Alive! Survival Skills You Need.

Here is a very simple, stealthing project for your Casio G-Shock watches. I am planning to do a lot more to my little DW-5600 like reverse the display, stealth the faceplate (if possible), but for now I wanted to stealth the bezel (aka: remove the white paint).

The first step is to gather all the necessary equipment. For this project you’ll need some Goof Off (not Goo Gone or any similar sounding products), a small ceramic bowl/dish (plastic ones may melt with the Goof Off inside it) this is one I made myself, a small pair of tweezers, and an old toothbrush or scrubbing brush.

I removed the bezel from my DW-5600 by unscrewing all four of the tiny retaining screws and taking off the two wrist straps. Then I poured just enough of the Goof Off into the ceramic bowl to cover the bottom, no point in wasting it.

I placed the bezel in the bowl face down so that the lettering was completely submerged. Doing it this way saves using a lot of unnecessary Goof Off. I set my count down timer (CDT) for 20 minutes and stuck the bowl outside to avoid the nasty smell/fumes.

Beep, beep! Ok 20 minutes is up and I lifted out the bezel using the tweezers. I dipped the toothbrush into the Goof Off and ‘gently’ scrubbed at the lettering on the bezel.

The paint just washed right off after being losen by the chemicals and didn’t take very much effort with the toothbrush. Then I washed the bezel in some warm soapy water to remove any left over chemicals and dried it off. After a quick reassembly the bezel is looking nice and stealthy.

Next will be for me to work on changing the polarizing film to make the display negative  (see my earlier post on how to convert your watch to a negative display). Then I am going to look at ways of blacking out all of the faceplate lettering… should be fun and games. This same process can be used for removing lettering or paint on resin straps. Happy stealthing!

Like most of us, I am constantly on the hunt for the “best” gear. Recently I’ve been going down that road in search of a good holster for every day concealed carry. I started with an outside-the-waistband (OWB) Phantom holster from Raven Concealment Holsters and carried it for years.

It’s a fabulous OWB holster, but, once I ordered the tuckable soft loops to convert it to an inside-the-waistband (IWB) holster, I found it less than satisfying. The rigid, all kydex, holster was fairly uncomfortable to carry IWB, especially when sitting for long periods of time, such as driving. I needed something different.

The next stop on my holster journey was the Crossbreed SuperTuck Deluxe. The SuperTuck is a dedicated IWB holster. It is a hybrid (or crossbeed) holster, consisting of a kydex holster shell attached to a large leather backer with two spring steel belt clips.

Options

The holsters are offered in both a black cowhide and a natural horsehide. The horsehide is more moisture resistant, which makes it better for humid climates and folks who sweat a lot — like me. As of this writing it looks like they can make these holsters for around 100 different handguns.

The other major option they offer is what they call the Combat Cut. This option is a cut down version of the leather backer. It can possibly increase the speed of your draw, at the cost of sacrificing some comfort.

Ordering

After some research I decided to go ahead and order a SuperTuck for my Glock 19. I ordered mine with the horsehide backer because I tend to sweat a little more than the average person. I elected not to get the Combat Cut, figuring that I could trim the leather later if I decided it needed it.

One of the bonuses of ordering it for the Glock 19 is that the kydex holster section is open on the bottom. This allows the holster to work with any of the 9mm or 40 caliber Glock frames, from the little 26/27 all the way up to the large 34/35.

When I ordered my holster there was a four to six week wait. Crossbreed is a small shop and each holster is custom made by hand.

Evaluation

My first thought when I got the holster in the mail was “Man, this is an ugly holster.” It really is just half a kydex holster attached to a big freaking slab of leather with some belt clips on it.

At first it just felt different. Not bad, not good, just different. Over the next several days I kept wearing the holster to give it a fair shake. It began to break in and mold itself to my body. Finally, after about a week of wear, the holster became exceptionally comfortable. I also found it to be excellent at concealing the firearm. During my all too brief time enjoying the Alaskan summer I spent several weeks in shorts and a t-shirt. My wife usually could not tell that I was carrying until she bumped into me just right and felt the gun.

Obviously, walking around with the holster was comfortable but I figured I would try the holster in a few other situations to see how it fared. I spend a lot of time with my family riding our bikes around town and figured this would be another good test of the SuperTuck. I also spent a lot of time driving around with the holster on.

The only issue I noticed was that occasionally when my torso was bent over (such as when getting in and out of the car, or riding the bike) the back clip would slip off of my belt. This isn’t catastrophic; the holster has always stayed in place. I just had to reach back and give it a small push back down onto my belt. Part of this could be caused by me wearing a fairly thick 1 1/2” riggers belt. When I wear it with a leather belt I never have this issue.

Tuckable

The Crossbreed Supertuck is also a tuckable holster, as indicated by its name. What this means is that you can actually tuck a shirt in around the holster. I regularly wear it with a tucked-in button-up shirt and it is nearly invisible. You do have to blouse you shirt just a little extra around the gun, but not enough to look unnatural.

Remember that tucking your shirt in over the holster will slow your draw down by a good bit and is going to take a little extra dry fire practice to get used to grabbing your shirt and pulling it up enough to untuck it from around your gun.

Comfort

The only thing I would change about my holster is that I might trim some of the excess leather off of the backer. The way it comes from the factory it holds the gun so close to your body that it can be slightly difficult to get your hand in between the leather backer and the gun to establish your grip. If I was to order another one I might go ahead and order it that way with the Combat Cut. As it stands, I do feel like mine has a little too much leather.

I think my trim job will be somewhere between the standard holster and the Combat Cut. One of the best features about the holster is the comfort, which allows it to be worn every day. I want to trim as much of the leather as possible without sacrificing any of this comfort I’ve grown accustom to.

Overall I’m very happy with my holster. I’m still wearing it every day, except for the occasional days when I feel like wearing my cowboy boots and my 1911. If you’re looking for a very comfortable, very concealable holster for your carry gun take a look at the Crossbreed SuperTuck Deluxe.

Editor’s Note: Rob is Active-Duty Air Force stationed in Alaska, a fellow Texan and ITS Plank Owner. Be sure to check out his blog at tacticaltexan.wordpress.com

I first heard about Liberty Bottles by chance a few months back and had been searching for a good metal bottle to see how they compared to the Nalgenes I’ve been using for over 10 years now.

I’d been through the changeover when the BPA debacle happened and have been using the BPA Free Nalgenes for a few years now. However, Nalgenes have always left me desiring more. I’d always looked at the various metal bottles on the market, but never found one that I liked more than a Nalgene.

When I found out that Liberty Bottles were the only American made metal bottle on the market, I decided to order the 32 oz. and 24oz. sizes and give them a try. I’ve really been trying to buy American lately in not only my personal purchases, but also with what we carry in the store at ITS Tactical as well.

Nalgene Bottles, Metal Bottles and Liberty Bottles

I’d like to compare and contrast what I feel are the current options out on the market for drinking bottles and what features set Liberty Bottles apart from the others, even my coveted Nalgenes that I’ve been attached to for so long.

Other than Nalgene, I’ll be discussing SIGG and Klean Kanteen, both of which I own as well.

Nalgene

Let’s start with the pros and cons of Nalgenes. Like I said, I’ve been using Nalgenes for as long as I can remember. I’ve got more spare caps and drinking inserts than I care to count and they’ve always been ultra-dependable.

They handle boiling hot liquid without melting and you can even hold them above a flame to boil water directly in them. I’ve done both, however the lid has to be removed, as it will melt quickly. Ask me how I know that… I’ve dropped Nalgenes from great heights and even had a good friend think he was Ethan Hunt rappelling down a 60 ft. cliff and wound up inverted on the rock. As I quickly reached out to try to do what I could to correct his stupidity, I watched the two Nalgenes he had in his backpack hit the ground without breaking.

They’re strong, no doubt, but I finally saw one cracked at a Boy Scout Summer Camp I attended with my son a few months back. I don’t know exactly what happened, but I was walking out of the pool when I saw the cracked Nalgene lying broken near the bathroom. If you need something broken, definitely give it to a group of Scouts. I really wish I could have seen what happened, but I digress.

A few things I dislike about Nalgenes are the plastic lids, screw-off feature on the lids, wide mouth and the fact they can be awkward to hold at times. I’ve had a plastic lid break on me before, but mainly because I carry Nalgenes by the loop created in the lid. Despite one breaking on me in the 10 + years I’ve owned them, I’d say that makes them pretty tough.

I’ve also hooked them onto carabiners with that lid loop and never had a problem, but it’s always concerned me, considering it’s just plastic holding it on there. As far as the wide mouth, I’ve always used a Guyot Designs Splashguard insert which makes it easier to drink from on the move. Nalgenes are also made in the USA.

SIGG and Klean Kanteen

While I’ve lumped these two bottles together, I feel like their are definitely things that set them apart. Klean Kanteens are nice and I like the fact that they’re made from stainless steel, which is naturally BPA free and also free of any metal taste. I’m just not a big fan of the screw-off lids, despite them now offering a sports bottle type lid. I just see those as being prone to an ND (negligent discharge) and they’re made in China. Like I said, I’ve really been trying to buy American, but it’s been extremely hard.

The Swiss made SIGG bottles are probably my least favorite of all the bottles mentioned here. They’re made from aluminum and now feature a BPA-free epoxy lining inside called EcoCare. I had one of the BPA lined bottles that I threw away after SIGG had been denying BPA was in their liner for the longest time. When they finally came out with the news that it did in fact have BPA, I appreciated the fact they came up with an exchange program, something Nalgene never did when it was revealed that they contained BPA.

The other thing that I never liked about the screw-off lid on the SIGGs was the fact that it was easy to cross-thread and happened to me too many times. I haven’t experienced any cross threading with Klean Kanteen.

Liberty Bottles

First off let me say that it took me a long time to even start searching for a metal bottle and had been through many when I stumbled across Liberty Bottles two months back. What immediately caught my eye was that they were the only American made metal bottle on the market, produced by American workers in Yakima, Washington.

That was great, but as I started reading more about them, I grew to like them more and more. The feature that I really like is the simple 1/4 turn on, 1/4 turn off way that the cap attaches. No turning and turning like with the Nalgene, Klean Kanteen and SIGG. They’re also BPA Free, non-toxic, non-leaching and made from recycled aluminum; while they say they have a wide mouth design, it’s just wide enough to be able to put ice in it and not wide enough to slosh all over you while you take a drink on the move.

Liberty states that the flexible food grade coatings they use ensure no chips or flakes end up in your water and unlike uncoated metal bottles, their coating insures no heavy metal leaching or porous surface for bacteria build up. I forgot to mention this earlier, but plastic Nalgenes harbor bacteria (even after washing) and the Klean Kanteen’s stainless steel is naturally bacteria resistant. SIGG states that “due to the finish of the liner, there is much less chance for bacteria build-up with a SIGG as opposed to plastic containers.”

Thoughts

The 1/4 turn design makes it a snap to still leave your bottle carabinered onto your pack and simply twist it to take a drink. This leaves the cap attached to your carabiner and leaves you without the worry of losing it.

You’d either have to take the bottle off the pack with the other three bottles, or unscrew the bottle itself while holding the lid. This can be challenging while on the move and especially challenging to get the bottle screwed back in when you’re done taking a drink. I also really like the fact that these things are strong! I’ve been tossing mine around everywhere and all it’s gotten are scratches.

I’ve also grown quite fond of the 32 oz. size of my Nalgenes and was glad to learn that Liberty Bottles had a 32 oz. as well. It makes an easy measurement to down a gallon of water a day by knowing I just have to drink a 32 oz. sized bottle four times.

I’d like to invite you to hear my further thoughts on Liberty Bottles by watching the video below, there’s also a sneak peak at the ITS Tactical Liberty Bottle hitting the store soon! I think you’re going to like it!

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.

Structural and Practical EDC

The Ten Essentials may overlap heavily with our everyday carry (EDC) items. So why would we temper our EDC with the Ten? Many of our individual EDC lists are haphazard and unstructured.

By adapting our EDC to the Ten Essentials and committing the list to memory, we can go down the list by the numbers and lessen our chances of forgetting an important item. How many times have I forgotten to take my first aid kit out of my climbing pack and put it back into my laptop bag before leaving for work Monday morning, or left my lighter and energy bar in my suit jacket while hastily going out the door for dinner in my casual clothes?

If we mentally run down the list when we move items back and forth between our various bags and pockets, we may have something brought to our attention that was previously overlooked. That item may have remained ignored had we not systematically categorized our EDC.

The Ten

The original list of the Ten Essentials consists of a map, compass, sunglasses and sunscreen, extra clothing, headlamp, first-aid supplies, fire starter, matches, knife, and extra food. The Mountaineers later revised the Ten Essentials from individual items to groupings of relevant gear, and included formerly missing critical items such as water. The current approach to the Ten Essentials is as follows:

1. Navigation
2. Sun protection
3. Insulation
4. Illumination
5. First-aid
6. Fire
7. Repair
8. Food
9. Water
10. Shelter

How could we adapt these ten items to our daily lives in an urban environment?

Navigation

The compass is a no-brainer, but instead of maps most of us rely on GPS. If this is the case for you, packing an extra battery for these units is a smart move. Maps are especially important when traveling out of town. The American Automobile Association is a good source. For more detailed maps, DeLorme State Atlases are a good buy. If you’re staying at a hotel, ask for a business card with a map and address on it.

If you have a compass watch such as the Suunto Vector, don’t forget to recalibrate it and set the declination when you arrive at a foreign destination. Look up the declination on an updated table, as this changes every few years.

Editor’s Note: See our LandNav 101 series for more on compass selection, navigation, and declination.

Sun Protection

I don’t wear a tiger stripe boonie hat daily, but I use this category to remind myself to bring my sunglasses. Some folks like to EDC sunscreen for health reasons.

Insulation

Your grandma probably nagged you to grab a jacket before you headed outside. You’re a big boy now, but your grandmother is still right. You should be prepared for the worst your town has to offer at any given time of the year. Some folks like to EDC extra socks and even keep spare footwear with them.

This is handy if you wear uncomfortable dress shoes, especially so for you ladies in high heels. REI has affordable, store-brand merino wool socks (stock up when they go on sale for $5 every few months). They may not be as nice as Smartwool or Darn Tough Vermont, but they won’t break the bank if you want to wear wool socks every day.

Illumination

The traditional Ten Essentials suggests carrying a headlamp with a spare lamp and batteries. I find it much simpler just to carry two lights. Given that the majority of a light source’s bulk is made up of the lamp and batteries, it doesn’t weigh much more or take up much extra space to carry a second light.

A good way to go is a clippy flashlight such as the Surefire A2 Aviator backed up with a headlamp like the Petzl Tikka XP. The headlamp is obviously nice if you need your hands to be free, but I find walking at night with a handheld flashlight easier when reading the terrain.

First Aid

This has been covered at length by folks much more qualified than myself. I personally use freezer bags, safety pins, duct tape and Vitamin I for most of my first aid needs, but if you really want to be prepared, there is always the ITS ETA kit. Don’t forget your prescription medicine.

Make sure you carry a notepad and pen; if you render aid to someone, take copious notes on the patient’s condition and actions you have taken to care for the patient. You will need to pass this information on to emergency services personnel when they take control of the scene.

Fire

It’s debatable whether we will need to start a fire to save our lives in the city, but it’s always handy to have a butane lighter around. In my outdoor kit I carry two, and leave some cotton balls massaged with petroleum jelly for tinder in a film can in my first aid kit, along with a sparker device.

Some of the fancy outdoor storm-proof lighters recommend running off of triple-refined butane that you can find at smoke shops. I confess I don’t EDC anything more than a single Windmill lighter, as Los Angeles doesn’t really get cold and wet except for maybe a week in February.

Repair

For outdoorsmen, this is typically where the knife, duct tape, sewing kit, and Krazy Glue go. A roll of duct tape may be bulky, so I like to wrap some around my water bottle. For us city folk, we often are able to get away with just a folding knife and a multi-tool.

You may want to supplement this with a folding saw or a fixed blade knife. Know your local laws. Your car should have its own basic repair kit for the stuff you can’t fit into your bag or pockets. If you are traveling by air and with carry-on bags only, the TSA does, at this time of writing, allows passengers to pack blunt tipped EMT shears in your bag, so you aren’t stuck on the road without a cutting blade. (This varies by country. I had mine taken away by the South Korean airport security)

Food

I like to have some relatively healthy snacks in my pack so that I’m not resorting to fast food all the time. I also carry a titanium spork and some hand sanitizer. Give some thought as to what you throw in your bag. Some things travel better than others.

The first thing folks often think of to toss in their bag is an energy bar, but some of these have frosting and chocolate chips that may not hold up to the heat if you leave your bag in the car. I personally like a mix of dried fruit, candied nuts, dark chocolate and buffalo jerky, as my body tends to crave different things depending on activity level and the time I last ate.

Water

Obviously a water bottle or a hydration bladder fills this requirement. For those of us living in the USA, the water that comes out of our toilets and showers is cleaner than the water much of the world has access to. (A fact for which we should be grateful for on a daily basis.) I don’t say this just to be patriotic, but to bring to mind that many Americans who do not do any overnight hiking or travel to developing countries take for granted that a very basic need is available to us at the thoughtless flip of a lever.

Whether that lever works or not is is dictated by a chain of events which we have no control of. It’s prudent to have extra water in our vehicles and homes. Water is heavy but we should carry a reasonable amount with us. I don’t like drinking out of a hydration bladder daily, so I just carry two water bottles and leave one in the fridge while sipping from the other.

Make sure you test your supposedly “leakproof” bottles for leaks before putting it in the same pack as your laptop or other electronics! Also, the water bottle is handy for air travelers who fill up when they pass through security and so avoid getting gouged at airport coffee shops.

If you want to be super prepared, you can carry around a water purifier. I do when in foreign countries. Even if countries like Hong Kong and South Korea are debatably more high-tech than the United States, their municipal water systems are questionable and may or may not be safe to drink from.

Shelter

You probably don’t need a bivvy sack in an urban environment. Getting indoors should be a simple affair, especially if you have your own vehicle. That said, a folded up trash bag takes up hardly any space and weighs very little. The simplest thing to do in case of inclement weather in an urban environment is to put on a jacket (see Insulation).

Turning it Up to Eleven: Other Items

It goes without saying that what outdoorsmen pack should not be limited to the Ten Essentials. Other items such as signaling (cell phones, signal mirror, whistle), hygiene (baby wipes, soap, trowel), bug dope, and a camera all go along with most outdoor parties.

Some outdoor organizations have adapted the list for their own use and given it a name like the Ten Plus Essentials. While it is commonsense that you should think beyond the basic ten, the point here is to memorize the time-tested standardized list in order to quickly go through your checklist without having to worry about overlooking anything. The vast majority of us carry our wallets, cell phones and keys even if they don’t necessarily have a “survival” purpose.

Packing it Up

If things change for the worst, a seemingly inconsequential item may become critical. Mentally organizing your EDC checklist into the Ten Essentials will decrease the chances of you forgetting such items. Remember what your grandmother said: don’t forget your jacket — and your navigation, sun protection, illumination, and I hope you remember the rest!

Stay safe.

Editor-in-Chief’s Note: Please join us in welcoming Jeff M. as a contributor on ITS Tactical, Jeff works and resides in Los Angeles, where the four seasons are mudslides, earthquakes, riots and wildfires. He is an avid shooter of both firearms and camera, and celebrates his American heritage by playing the 5-string banjo. Check out his website at www.skunkabilly.com.

I get asked at least a few times every week, whether in our YouTube videos or through email, what kind of watch I’m always wearing.

I’ve been meaning to do a review on my Casio G-Shock DW6900 for quite awhile now and also share my thoughts on the small Suunto Clipper Compass that rides along with me wherever I go.

For the last 10 years I’ve worn exactly two G-Shock DW-6900 watches and have even tried other watches out. However, I keep coming back to my trusty G-Shock and feel I’m in a pretty good position to talk about their dependability.

Casio G-Shock DW-6900

My attachment to G-Shock watches started back before I joined the Navy, yet was pleasantly surprised when they were issued in Dive Phase during BUD/s too. As mentioned, I’ve owned two of them and only paid for one back in 2001 when they were a little cheaper than the $79 they currently run.

Before I continue with the review, I’d like to mention that Tactical Distributors has a huge Memorial Day sale going on this weekend and their G-Shocks will be 20% off, along with many other items in their store. So if you’re already interested in getting one, this weekend might be a great time to pick one up at a discount.

I think I actually bought mine at Wal-Mart all those years ago, but my memory is getting worse these days.

Anyhow, the reason I’ve owned two G-Shocks is that mine gave up the ghost about six years ago and stopped working. I’ve got some ideas on why, which I’ll describe below, but what’s important here is that with a simple call to Casio and a few dollars shipping they sent me a brand new watch for free!

They truly have awesome customer service and while I had an attachment to the broken watch they kept and replaced, you can’t beat free. Especially when it wasn’t under warranty any longer.

Dependability

I’ve literally exposed my G-Shock to some pretty harsh environments, scuba diving in the ocean, skydiving, rock climbing, below freezing temperatures and even the torture of Texas’ Big Bend National Park in July. I feel their dependability is the primary reason I haven’t switched watches, followed by functionality and comfort.

Shock resistance is one reason I feel the G-Shock excels in dependability. I know there are probably testing protocols for what exactly constitutes a shock test, but I know I’ve had some hard knocks against my G-Shock while climbing and it handled them just fine. And that’s shock from a fall, not getting hit by lightning or sticking your finger in a light socket!

While the G-Shock makes a great dive watch and is rated as water resistant to 200m, the deepest dive I’ve ever been on reached 130 ft. deep and I believe was around an hour in length. There was also the 110 ft. bounce dive everyone goes on after Pool Comp at BUD/s.

Functionality

The primary functions of my G-Shock I use on a consistent basis, other than the 12/24 hour time, are the date, stopwatch, countdown timer and occasionally the alarm. The alarm isn’t very loud though and I’ve found I sleep right through it unless my watch is off my wrist. The lower left “mode” button cycles through the three options I named above with an audible chime in between. This is the feature of the G-Shock I can’t stand.

Within the alarm settings you can turn on and off the audible chime on every hour and the audible alarm, yet there’s no option to turn off the chime in between menu options. The DW6900 keeps time very well and I’ve never found either of the two I’ve owned to have lost time severely. Casio quotes a +/- 15 sec. accuracy per month. They also quote that the battery life is approx. 2 years and I can tell you it’s been more than triple that for me so far on my second watch.

I actually really like the teal blue backlight and find it easy to read in the dark. The “afterglow” feature on the backlight is a gradual fade out of the backlight rather than a distinct “off.” After pressing the large “G” button on the bottom center of the watch, the backlight remains on for about 2-3 seconds before fading out.

The backlight can be quite bright when you don’t intend it to be, which can be a negative in certain situations. In BUD/s we experimented with cutting the colored discs from the US Issue Angle Head Flashlights with Trauma Shears and using them to cover the display.

You simply take off the back cover and lift out the guts of the watch and drop in the shaped insert. I think though that taking the watch apart contributed to the decline of my first G-Shock.

You can also use a photo gel or colored window tinting to slip in from the small space available between the bezel and the glass without removing the watch guts. It seriously cuts down on readability with either option, but it is possible to read without illuminating your space when you don’t want to.

As you’ll see below, Casio got the hint and started producing a “Military Concept Version” that has a significantly lower visual signature when the backlight is pressed. The digital readout is also red.

Comfort and Versions

There’s not much to mention here other than to say my G-Shock is comfortable! Nothing rubbing my wrist, getting pinched or cheap discoloration left behind. Yes, Casio watches are made in China and that may dissuade many from making a purchase, but I’m here to tell you this watch is one of the best out there. I tried and still have a Nike Oregon Alti Dark Watch and like it a lot, but don’t find myself using the altimeter, compass or other features. I like the Sunnto Clipper Compass which I’ll get into below.

I’ve had buddies that both swear by the Casio Pathfinders and consider them junk, I’m of the opinion that more fancy features on a watch mean lessened battery life and more things that can potentially go wrong. Plus I don’t trust digital compasses.

As mentioned earlier, the DW6900 is also available “blacked out” in the DW6900MS version with black buttons and finish. The issued G-Shocks at BUD/s were the DW6600 which is identical in features to the 6900 and the only real difference I could ever see is that the 6600 had a metal clasp on the watch band instead of the black plastic clasp that the 6900 has. I’ve never had any issues with the 6900 clasp and actually prefer it to the metal clasp of the 6600. To me the metal clasp oddly feels more flimsy than the black plastic one.

Suunto Clipper Compass

Something I added on to my G-Shock is the Suunto Clipper Compass. There’s two versions that I know about and I’ve had them both. In fact, I’m on my third Clipper. I lost one when I took it off at the range and had to replace the other because it somehow became demagnetized.

I think the demagnetization was from wearing my wedding ring on my watch band when I’d work out and the metal from it caused problems. I’m speculating though as I really can’t say what truly caused that. I do really like the Clipper Compass though, it doesn’t interfere with anything I do and I don’t notice it’s there at all. I also really like having a backup compass on me because I get lost easily. That’s a joke…

I would highly suggest melting the sharp points that can jab into your wrist like I’ve tried to show in the photo to the right. It doesn’t take much and will mean the difference between getting annoyed with it and not noticing it. The Clipper comes with a Velcro band to wear it stand-alone on your wrist, but the photo I took of it was the first I’d ever used one. It works great clipped to a G-Shock.

The two version offered are the one shown in my photos with a black bezel and blue face and a black faced version with glow-in-the-dark bezel. I started out with the GITD version until I lost it and could only find the blue faced version at REI when I went shopping for a replacement. I actually like the fact now that I’m not wearing a GITD one anymore and have grown attached to the blue faced version.

These are good quality liquid filled compasses that you should definitely look into if you’re after a watch compass, there are a lot of cheap ones out there that will fall apart quickly and I’ve never had any issues with mine other than the demagnetization.

Notes

I’m sure that’s more information than you wanted to know about G-Shock watches, but there you go. That’s 10 years of love for G-Shocks and I’m not planning on ever buying a different kind of watch in the foreseeable future. You definitely won’t be disappointed with a G-Shock purchase, but your wife may roll her eyes when you get dressed up and wear a G-Shock like mine does.

As noted above, don’t miss Tactical Distributors big Memorial Day sale if you’re in the market for a G-Shock.

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.

My Example EDC Kits and Locations

The analysis undertaken in the previous articles was deliberately scaled down so as to be manageable from a standpoint of providing an example. With this in mind, you’ll understand why some of the kits discussed below might seem sparse in terms of content. The analysis was also organized by scenarios in specific locations, so the results are conveniently organized that way as well.

My example everyday carry kit for on my person included cash, credit card, coach style whistle, cell phone, small frame revolver, and a little extra ammunition. All of these items easily and comfortably fit in the pockets of my pants and around my neck. Most often, the revolver is held in place by my waistband, although I sometimes use a holster for that.

Cash and credit card are held in my left pocket which obviates carrying a wallet. Extra ammunition is in my right pocket so (as a right-handed shooter) I can hold the revolver in my left hand and comfortably reload with my right. The cell phone can be carried in a pants or shirt pocket, or clipped to my waistband. In this limited example, with the exception of the cell phone, it’s clear that no special bags, pouches or carriers are necessary to maintain what I consider essential on my person.

With respect to an EDC kit in a vehicle, the results of my limited example distinguished between items necessary year round and those required only during the winter season. Year round vehicle carry included cell phone charger, a note with contact names and numbers, a local phone directory, a three day supply of medication, pen and small note pad, tow rope/strap with open hooks, pocket knife, a “space blanket,” two books, and three small wire puzzles for diversion/entertainment. All of these items can easily be stored in the console, glove box, and under the seats of my compact car, thus consuming no space in the passenger compartment or trunk.

As currently envisioned, the kit does not interfere with normal use of the vehicle. The tow rope/strap with hooks can be nestled around the spare tire in its well, and therefore is also not a consumer of space inside the vehicle. For the winter months, the number of items in the vehicle increases substantially to address concerns associated with both local and cross country travel. Nevertheless, all of these items consume less than 20% of the space in my small trunk, and therefore aren’t burdensome to store/carry.

Items for winter weather included mittens, gloves, neck fleece, head band, wool socks, sweat pants, jacket, sleeping bag, small snow shovel, strap-on traction devices, traction sand, and two pieces of carpet and two short wood planks with grating fastened to them for traction assistance. Most of the winter garment items are easy to stow in a net bag, so loading and unloading for winter weather is rather easy. I just include them as part of my packing routine, as they’re really only necessary when I take a long trip in the winter where being stranded in the middle of nowhere during a blizzard is a possibility.

Some of the larger items are thin and lay flat so they don’t necessarily take up much space. During the summer, they lean against a wall in the garage. To address threats not encompassed in the limited example analysis, it’s likely that my vehicle kit would also contain tire repair tools and supplies, a 12 volt compressor, reflective warning devices, a flashlight, and a small set of tools. Many of these items could occupy the well that the spare tire sits in. Others could easily be stowed in small recesses in the trunk, thus allowing full use of the trunk (except in the winter when additional supplies are present there).

Although not usually thought of as a place for “carry,” I included threats at home in the limited example analysis. It’s clear to me that the structured decision-making suggested in this series can be used effectively to create kits at home, whether you’re electing to survive in place or bug out. The results of the limited study (winter power outage scenario) suggests that my at-home kit should contain several means of starting fires (matches, lighter, fire starter), a one week supply of kindling and firewood, a week’s worth of candles with candle holders, 15 gallons of gasoline in containers with pouring spouts, starter fluid, and a generator-to-well electrical hookup to power my water supply with a 5kW generator.

Again, I’m finding that keeping these resources on hand isn’t inconvenient in the least. The firewood and kindling are easily stored near the kitchen wood stove in a designated area for wood. Matches and lighter are kept in a small box nearby. Fire starter resides in a small bucket next to the wood pile. Candles and holders are kept in a drawer. The generator-to-well hook up cable is mounted on the portable generator, as is a can of starting fluid, and it’s all tucked away in the garage. It’s clear to me that when it comes to bug out kits, a satchel will be necessary, and when it comes to food and water storage, a dedicated place in the basement with shelves and containers will be required for organization and preservation.

Carry or Conveniently Locate?

If we’ve organized our structured thought process according to location, the results of our analysis should naturally lend itself to identifying proper location for our gear and supplies. For example, if a threat is associated with an incident on the road, then it makes perfect sense to consider your vehicle as the proper place to keep your emergency gear.

If one of your threat scenarios is making it back home from your work location, then perhaps a kit at the office or in your locker at work would make good sense as well. Thinking in this way can eliminate the need to carry all of the items on your person that you might need at work or while on travel. Bulky or less easily carried items can be placed in locations that are convenient, and when combined with what we carry, a full complement of items can be readily available to us in the form of tools, resources and supplies.

I view the concept of every day carry with a bit of flexibility – if it’s readily available to me, then I’m satisfied that it doesn’t have to be in my pocket, on my hip, nor carried in a backpack or in/on a tactical vest. After all, having resources nearby is much better than how it used to be in the days before anyone thought about every day carry. Here are other places where portions of your every day carry kit might be located:

• Computer case or brief case
• Lunchbox
• Desk drawer
• Locker
• Vehicle trunk
• Glove box
• Stroller or wheelchair compartments
• File cabinet
• Supply cabinet
• Tool box

For response to threats that might occur in more than one location, you might consider duplicate resources, if they’re not bulky or expensive. Having drinking water in your vehicle, at home and at work seems like a reasonable thing to do, instead of carrying it around with you. Or, you might consider simply keeping tools, resources and supplies, for multi-location scenarios, on your person if they’re not too heavy or bulky to carry.

Such might be the case with a firearm, cell phone, EpiPen or medication. You might need them at work, on the road, at home or while doing business, but keeping them on your person makes the most sense since it allows you to have them readily available in nearly any situation/location. The main point I’d like to make it that carrying things on your person can make sense, but it can also make sense to have storage locations elsewhere – every day carry doesn’t necessarily mean you have to carry everything with you – for some items, it’s more important to have them readily available as opposed to immediately available.

Shelf Life and Storage Considerations

When we talk about items such as medical supplies, food, and water, we need to consider shelf life. Even under ideal conditions, many materials have some sort of shelf life. I normally don’t get too concerned about expiration dates, as these are relatively conservative, but I wouldn’t push the limit too much when storage conditions aren’t optimal. Consider the following:

• Cars parked outside in the summer get hot all the while you stay comfortable in the office.
• Backpacks carried in the winter freeze while you stay warm in your jacket.
• Items carried next to your person can be exposed to wear, impact, and high moisture (even in a dry environment).
• Improperly sealed or preserved supplies are susceptible to mold, mildew, insects, rodents and oxidation.

To guard against such degradation, we need to think through our carry and storage scenarios over a long time horizon and imagine the factors that they can be exposed to. We might need to get inventive when it comes to sealing and preservation techniques. Also, we need to consider access that others might have to our stash of stuff – children, co-workers, guests, visitors, thieves, vandals, etc. So, good storage conditions and secure/secret storage conditions should be considered.

Periodic Review and Update

The last item I’d suggest with respect to every day carry kits is to periodically review them (and the analysis that went into creating them) to make certain that their content and locations are still valid. Changes in our lives, wear and tear on items, and shelf life should be considered with respect to what we carry, where it’s located and its continued serviceability. I would suggest this be an annual exercise. Here are some examples to consider:

• Replacing water stores with fresh water.
• Rotating through newer medications to reduce the influence of environment and age.
• Prescription medicines change, so should the backups in your kit.
• Job location or travel requirements have changed.
• Family or life changes occur – a new born, a live-in, or the onset of physical impairments.
• The content of your kit is burdensome, and you suspect you went “overboard” with your analysis.
• You used to drive yourself, now you carpool.
• Vehicle or route change.

You get the idea. Sit down with your analysis to verify that threats are still valid, planned responses are still appropriate, and the tools and resources you anticipated would be needed are indeed still necessary. Also, update items that are susceptible to wear, degradation, damage and contamination. It makes sense to me if you’re going to go to the trouble of creating an every day carry kit, that you also go to the trouble of making certain that it continues to meet your needs.

I’ve enjoyed preparing this series of articles about how one might use a structured decision logic to create every day carry kits. Being a bit of an analytical person, yet having an eye toward frugality, I think it’s important that we take the time to identify reasonable threats and plan thoughtful responses. It seems to be a good way of being better prepared. The beauty of this approach is that everything is tempered by the individual performing the analysis, so the outcome is truly customizable.

If you think nothing serious will ever happen, then your analysis will lead you to carry very little if anything to be prepared. On the other hand, if you feel the need to be prepared for nearly every conceivable contingency, and you don’t want to leave anything to chance, well, you’re going to need someone to help you carry all that stuff.

In any event, good luck with your own analysis. I think it’s a good first step in being prepared to take care of you and yours.

Clair Schwan hosts Self-Reliance-Works.com, a place where they understand that satisfaction and happiness come from self directed achievement. He also hosts Frugal-Living-Freedom.com where the motto is, “living well, and well within your means,” and there are plenty of examples that show you how. His personal slant on things comes from a propensity to be analytical, self-directed, prepared, and watchful with respect to return on investment.