After all, each day will bring new surprises, and you should always be prepared for whatever life throws at you.
In this article, we’ll tell you what items, tools, and gear you should pack in your EDC bag. So, if you’d like to learn what essential items you’ll need, continue reading to find out more.
What Is An EDC Bag?
Before we start, let’s explain what an EDC bag is. It’s an everyday carry bag and can be as simple as a backpack.
If you don’t want to use a backpack, then consider a briefcase or a messenger bag. No matter what kind of bag you choose, it should be one that you carry with you regularly.
The most important element for an EDC bag is that it shouldn’t be too bulky or obnoxious, nor should it be too small and unable to carry anything.
You should feel comfortable wearing it, but you don’t want to attract too much attention. After all, you want it to contain everything you need to get from day to day.
What Should You Carry In Your EDC Bag?
Your EDC bag will be suited to you, so some items will be exclusive to you while others will need other items.
You may also find that other items are essentially universal and can be found in anybody’s EDC bag.
In the case of some items, they may never be used, and they’ll remain in the bag. Maybe some other items aren’t essential but might be there just in case you may want it.
But what other items can you fit into your EDC bag, and what counts as an essential item?
Essential Items For Your EDC Bag
When you consider your essential items, you should think of items that will make your life easier or help you in a dangerous situation.
However, you should also include items you will find necessary for your everyday life.
When it comes to your everyday life, you should consider what you do as a job. If you’re at school, these will be essential school supplies.
If your job requires specific items like a laptop, you should always include it and a charger. Find what’s most important for your job, and you should always have them available for you.
Once you’ve figured out what you need for your everyday job, you should consider what you should have even if you don’t use any of these items everyday.
If there’s any medication you need, you should make sure that you pack it in your bag if you need it. These can also include plasters and other first-aid kit elements.
Including a notepad, a pen, and some spare batteries can also help you be prepared if you’re in a situation where you should need them.
A lighter can also help you because you never know when you need to create an emergency light source (You might also want to check out How To Fill A Butane Lighter).
It shouldn’t be said, but your EDC should also contain your wallet (Also check out the Best Wallet Card Survival Kits), keys, and photo ID.
Overall, you would include many useful items, and you should know how to use them. Including things just because they feel useful but can’t use them won’t help you.
Instead, if you can’t use them, prioritize something that will disappoint you if you don’t have it.
For emergency situations, you should include an emergency self-defense item that should also be included in your EDC.
This doesn’t mean you must carry a gun with you, but an emergency whistle could help you greatly if you need to draw attention to yourself.
Optional Items For Your EDC Bag
When it comes to optional items in your EDC bag, you should consider what you might need, but you wouldn’t be doomed without them.
Take a toothbrush and toothpaste as an example. If you don’t have one, you won’t worry too much if you can’t brush your teeth for a few days.
So, you could always leave that one out unless you worry a lot about your dental hygiene.
Instead, you can consider recreational items, like a book or a portable games console.
If you have an EDC bag, you can carry more non-essential items that you might not have considered bringing with you in times of boredom.
However, you could also bring some extra deodorant and other hygiene products. After all, you never know when these could come in handy.
Differences Between The City And The Country
Say you live in the city, and there are some items you wouldn’t need unless you lived in the countryside. If you live in a city, you would mostly need items with some use.
So, it would be useless if you have an emergency fishing line. However, having a decoy wallet or some pepper spray might be useful.
You might want something more useful in dealing with wildlife and being stuck outdoors in the country. In the city, your issues may stem more from interacting with people than wildlife.
When packing your EDC bag, you should consider what you’re more likely to face in your area than mimicking other ideas.
A List Of Items You May Need
Here’s a list of items that you may find useful in your EDC bag. These aren’t suited for all environments, but you may find that some of these items are deemed universal in your EDC bag.
So, here are some items you may include in your bag.
These are a few examples of what you can fit into your EDC bag. This isn’t an exhaustive list of what you would need, but some examples of what you could include in your own selection.
Remember, your EDC bag is only for you, but it can also come in handy for any emergency situation you might even be a bystander of.
Medical supplies can be a great help in these situations, and they can help when you need to help someone else. Overall, there’s no reason not to have them, and they could save a life.
Packing Your EDC Bag
When packing your EDC bag, remember to pack what you need. If you need easy access to something, we recommend storing it near the top of your bag or in a pocket easy to get to.
If you don’t need it that often, you won’t need to worry about where to put it.
Take a pen, for example; you may want it in a smaller pocket so that you know where it is and can find it when you need it. But bulkier objects can be more difficult.
If you have a laptop, then the good news is that most modern bags will have a specific pocket dedicated to them, and a water bottle can be stored in an external pocket.
But if you have a series of smaller options, you could get some pouches to store away.
By including small pouches to put your items in, you’ll know exactly where they are and which one you need to find.
Even with power banks, you could store them in a specific pouch to make your life easier.
Just don’t overpack. If you’re going out, you’ll want to still be able to store extra items in there, and you won’t be able to if you’ve put too much in.
After all, you may not have items that are classed as useful for your EDC bag, but they may still be needed for work and social occasions.
However, you can also fit in a little bit of shopping there.
Just remember to keep stock of what items you have in there regularly, or you may find that you’ve lost an item or put it somewhere safe.
Keep an eye on it each season, and always bring an extra sweater for the summer or some spare socks for when it rains.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know the essentials, you’ve got all the necessary supplies to have a useful EDC bag for yourself.
So long as you ensure you don’t overpack and put too much away in there. Otherwise, your EDC bag will become more of a burden than a benefit.
You shouldn’t feel that your EDC bag will slow you down; if it does feel like that, you should take stock of what you need and reorganize your bag.
Knowing what you need can help you reorganize it with what you need at different points.
The most important thing you can do is understand what is essential to you and not simply pack items for the sake of packing them.
Hello, my name is Tim Roth and I have lived in Texas all of my life. I have seen it all - tornadoes, flash floods, and other natural disasters that have come our way.
I have kept a survival kit for all my family members in my basement since I was in my 20s. Every time a new member comes along, I make them a new kit. No one in my family will be caught out in a disaster - I make sure of it.
I teach a survival class at the local hall as well. It’s free for anyone who wants to learn about keeping themselves and their family safe, should the worst happen. We cover how to help children and the elderly, make your own evacuation and survival kits, and much more.
