The most important aspect of your EDC is you. That means you have to be ready for whatever, whenever. In order to make that happen, you have to be present. Being physically present is a given, but what I mean by present is cognitively.

Your state of mind and mental acuity have to be on par at all times. It can be mentally demanding being fully alert 24/7, while trying to focus on normal tasks at hand. The easiest way I found of doing this is to simply not put myself in uncomfortable situations, but when faced with them, try and give myself options. This is simple decisions like sitting facing the door, or next to an exit. Another big part of being in a good state of mind at all times is the preparation. Diet is very important as it psychologically needs to be fulfilled before anything else. I don’t know how people can function without drinking a lot of water, or without eating constantly. I know how my body works, and if I don’t put fuel (food) into it, then I won’t feel as strong physically or cognitively. Lifting and being physically fit is a personal choice. I do it because it is a nice getaway, and it certainly helps with this topic.

One struggle I’ve always faced while in school was drinking alcohol, and still maintaining my edc. The way I’ve approached it is I will carry everything, but limit myself drastically to maintain a low BAC, or not take my firearm if I know I’ll be drinking more than usual. It’s nice to take a break from it sometimes as too much of anything good can be a bad thing, although I may feel almost naked without my firearm. That being said, I will still give myself options by carrying other tools such as a flashlight, knife, or possibly two knives. We’ll get into this later, but I view a knife as a too, not a self-defense weapon. I’ve carried a fixed blade in the past while drinking, but have no formal training with them so I usually stay away from that route.

Just remember it takes dedication and sacrifice like all aspects of life. If you’re willing to put in the work, the results may never come because hopefully you’ll never encounter a situation where your items are needed. However, if it is required, you should be in a good state of mind to face whatever challenge is upon you.