There exist so many articles on EDC (everyday carry) setups out there, why should you read another one? Well, I am going to go over a component that is not as “popular” to discuss. Sure, I can mention a new pistol from Springfield or Glock, maybe a state of the art belt, or pepper spray, flashlight, holster, and on and on… add nauseam. Lets briefly go over what I consider the MOST important part of your EDC - You.
“Well duh, Bailey, of course I’m part of my own EDC! Idiot (add eye roll).” I get it, but stick with me for a minute and hear me out. All the gear mentioned above is GREAT, especially if you have the good stuff, but they are all inanimate objects. It takes you to put these tools into action. To expand on what I mean, here is a short not-so-all inclusive list to help explain…
MINDSET. We have all heard the term mindset and an entire book could (and has been) written on the topic, so to keep it brief I will hit on some key points. It begins with being turned on. Does this mean you have to be scanning your surroundings without blinking like an elite operator or artificial intelligence cyborg? No, but it does mean exercising a level of situational awareness and knowing your surroundings and the whereabouts of any “cargo” you may have with you, i.e. loved ones, friends, children. This includes escape plans and actions you want your “cargo” to take, should you have to defend them and yourself. The next factor of mindset is your emotional fitness. You must have taken time to think long and hard about what you would be willing to do when and if the time ever came to defend your life or your “cargo’s” life with lethal or less than lethal force. You also should have taken time to educate yourself in advance on the legalities of taking such action so you are aware of what is and isn’t legal action, and you are aware of what to expect from law enforcement and society after a self defense incident. Lastly, You have to know what your “GO” point is. This translates into at which point, that you have decided ahead of time, will you take action at FULL INTENSITY without second guessing yourself. Believe me, in the heat of the moment is not the time to be dilly-dallying around with when you think you should go on the counter attack! A proper and prepared mindset is key to surviving a self-defense situation.
SKILL SET. This boils down to your ability to carry out tasks with the tools you leave the house with everyday. A $1000 firearm isn’t much use if you can’t hit the broad side of a barn with it. Also, a tourniquet isn’t much use if you lack the ability to apply it correctly and know how to monitor it once in place. A flashlight has more uses than just finding your keys on the floorboard or that last stick of gum in the bottom of a handbag. You NEED to train on all of your tools, consistently! This also includes your empty hand combative skills. I personally believe gun craft comes second to having a solid foundation in empty hand defense skills (again, this will be expanded on in future articles). Lastly, skill set doesn’t have to be all about guns and fighting. Don’t overthink practicing any skills. They can be as complex as practicing your verbal judo and de-escalation to doing something as simple as practicing to dial 9-1-1 on your phone as fast as possible (obviously put your phone on airplane mode or don’t hit send while conducting this exercise).
PHYSICAL FITNESS. I know, I know… I can hear the sighs and imagine the eye rolls. Physical fitness doesn’t mean you have to be able to power clean 500 lbs or run the Boston Marathon in two and a half hours. The physical fitness I’m talking about is the ability to handle yourself and get you and your “cargo” to safety should you need to. If you get a bit winded when taking a flight of stairs or struggle to carry random objects, like all the groceries in one trip (c’mon, we all try to do this), then how do you plan to fight for your life, run to safety, or carry your children for an extended distance to escape a situation? If you struggle with the former, maybe its time to forego the elevator and take the stairs, or maybe even begin a moderate physical training regimen. I must add here that doing a preacher curl IS NOT a physical training routine. You must incorporate some sort of running, jumping, pulling, pushing, and carrying in your training. This doesn’t mean you have to compete in the Crossfit games next year (blah…side note: I’m not a huge fan of Crossfit, to put it politely), but it does mean you should DO SOMETHING to prepare yourself for the worst day of your life. Who knows, you may enjoy becoming a better healthier you in the process. I will expand on physical fitness in the future, but in the meantime, get out there and be active!
There are many other factors to consider when thinking of what YOU bring to your EDC, but the above form a foundation for you to build and improve on. I understand a lot of this is vague and will require further explanation (stay tuned for future posts), but this just serves as a starting point of things to consider outside of gear for your EDC. In the meantime, stay frosty.
David Bailey
Region Coordinator for Intuitive Self Protection
Director of Training for Everyday Guardian