Consistency

The most important part of an EDC is having the items on your person, or close by the moment they’re needed.

How is this accomplished? For myself, I try and dress around what I have to carry. This will include wearing a larger shirt, or cargo shorts. I sacrifice a lot of comfort to carry the items I do. That sacrifice is easy to make for me, but may not be as big of a deal for everybody. This is especially true if weapons are not in the rotation.

Building this consistency is all part of your mindset. Will you have that gain in tools while giving up the comfort? It’s not for everyone, and I can’t answer that question for anyone. Once the realization strikes that the emergency responders won’t be there as quick as you think, it will be too late. Having a great EDC simply gives you an advantage, and in most cases the upper hand to control any situation.

Humans like routines, and an EDC should be an everyday routine. Building the consistency is easy, similar to going to the gym. Once you find the rhythm, then it becomes second nature.

Why EDC?

The main focus of my blogs will be directly related to every day carry, or EDC as I will refer it as. What is this, and what types of people would want to do it?

It normally consists of individuals who carry things with them every single day. For a website developer, they may carry the normal phone, wallet, keys, and computer. I think it varies depending on time of year, profession, and commitment. For myself, my EDC is compiled of my phone, keys, wallet, knife, gun, spare mag, medical gear, and flashlight. I will eventually cover all of these components and why I elect to carry them. I will say one thing at this time. All of these items help me feel safe and prepared to handle almost any of my daily tasks, and situations I may not be expecting. The best way to describe my involvement with EDC is compared to the feeling a guy gets when he is halfway through his day, reaches down for his wallet, and realizes it is not there. That little moment of shock happens to me the moment I forget one of these items.

So why would anybody consider having a consistent EDC? The products that I carry are nothing more to me than tools. I don’t necessarily have an emotional or sentimental connection to any of them, but I do prefer certain products over others for various reasons. A tool is a device used to carry out a particular function. This is where the profession comes in to play. Golfers have a variety of clubs, all with a particular function. Police officers have different items on their duty belts for the same reason. When it comes to EDC, you really have to expect the unexpected in my opinion, and if you don’t have the gear for the job, then you won’t be able to handle the situation. The two things I need to be successful for any circumstance are tools and training. You should have EDC that compliments your life. If you fail to prepare, then prepare to fail. My preparation starts every day before I even walk out of the door.

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Introductory Blog

The reason I am blogging will be to influence others, as well as expand my horizons in my field. The topic of everyday carry is an important part of my life for reasons beyond one blog post. This is a very independent subject, as every person is different within this realm. The people involved in my field should already have a great amount of knowledge, but for those that don’t, this should help. Some of the goals of my blog will be testing and evaluation of products and ideas that have worked for me in the past, and ones to come. Another will be seeing what others have found for them to work and why. The last goal of my blog is to connect with an audience. One of the greatest and most devastating variables of the internet is being able to connect and share with people instantly, yet I have never taken full advantage of this.

The audience for my discussions will be specific on a number of factors. First, the age will be anybody who is at least 18 years old. Not that the matters of discussion are sensitive material, but that is the age some of the topics covered is legal. The geographical area of my audience will be the United States for the same reason as age. The audience I am aiming for will have similar interests as me, with hobbies such as shooting guns and training with them.

The sex I am appealing to is men, although women would be very beneficial to myself, and for them. Women are somewhat limited with the upcoming topics, but they can be just as successful as the men. The sexual orientation of my audience doesn’t matter to me, but to my knowledge, the information should cover the interests more of heterosexuals. The audience will be seeking information as to what could help them in making buying choices, what their mindset should be, and how to prepare themselves best for possible challenges.

Something I am going to do differently than others is share my experience over the past three years with somebody who is on a limited budget. I think this is very important because people have to budget around their lives. I have also learned that buying quality sometimes is the right move, and other times it is not as important. I can provide examples of times where having the right tools has come in handy, and vise versa. Another twist with my blog is I am asking for help. I don’t know everything about the subjects at hand, nor will I act like it. With guidance from other, I would be thankfully open to new ideas.

The posting schedule for my blog will be every day. It won’t be at the same time however, as I am wagering time between personal life and work. One thing those in my field can understand is an erratic work schedule. For instance, working 16 hour shifts, and sleeping during the day, this can produce 4am blog posts. I think that is one thing that will keep it genuine. I am somebody who is out working in the field, and I can attest to how hard that can be to balance factors of life.

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My lead editor will be my girlfriend. Although she isn’t the best with math, she double majored at University of Connecticut in Environmental Sciences and Geology. That required a lot of essays and proof-reading, which I am hoping she can help me out with. There may be times where I ask a co-worker to read over my work, or simply proof-read myself if there are no other options.