Everyday Carry (EDC) and Preparedness are closely related. As Phil Burns discussed in his Tiered Approach to EDC, Preppers “naturally apply their prepper mindset to analyze… which items belong in their Every Day Carry (EDC) items, Bug Out Bags, Survival storage, etc.”
I totally agree but I’m not sure the opposite is true in all cases. I know many EDC enthusiasts who put a lot of thought (and funds) into their on-person carry but haven’t assembled a BOB or taken steps to store supplies for a true SHTF scenario. I fall into the middle. I commute daily into Chicago. Ever since 9/11, I’ve thought about get home scenarios if disaster struck and mass transit was shut down. I remember the images like this one of people forced to walk out on foot after the Towers fell…
Photo: Daniel Shanken – AP
That thought process has definitely influenced my daily carry for work. For instance, what bag would I want to use for what could be a 40+ mile hike home? Hint: A backpack is my bag of choice. Am I dressed properly if I had to spend time outdoors? What supplies might I need? It’s a constant balance between the inconvenience of carrying more items/weight on a daily basis versus not being ready should the unthinkable happen. I could keep a BOB at the office, but what happens if I’m caught in-transit? Weighing the pros and cons is a mental exercise.
If I’m being honest, I haven’t extended that same mind-set to home preparedness but I’m thinking I should. Especially after reading this Huffington Post article about the real threat posed by ISIS acquiring a chemical or nuclear weapon of mass destruction. I never really thought that Al-Qaeda had the resources. Perhaps I was naive in thinking that. But, if ISIS truly has the financial muscle that analysts claim, it’s not a stretch to think that some of that money could go a long way towards helping them acquire the necessary materials and expertise to launch a devastating attack on a major U.S. city. In reality, the chances are slim but as the article states, they’re “not zero”. I don’t want to adopt a bunker mentality but storing away some extra supplies would probably be a good idea. Even in the case of a natural disaster although oddly enough it was the ISIS situation that got me seriously thinking about it.
We’re living in strange times. Has any of this caused you to re-think your level of preparedness? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
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