Step 3: Choose your Get Home Bag (GHB) and Every Day Carry (EDC) Bag
An EDC (Every Day Carrier) Bag is the bag we carry the most !
Generally, most people spend about 50% of their time away from home, and their daily habits tend to be fairly consistent and predictable. We can use this to your advantage to be reasonably prepared when we are away from home.
Example scenarios:
- Your metro car loses its power between stations.
- When you come home from work during rush hour, you witness a serious car accident. It may take 10 to 15 minutes to get to emergency services.
- You are cornered by two assailants as you return home at night.
- A shooter attacks random people while you are in the mall.
- An earthquake hits while you are at work. Your car is in the garage and you are working in the city about 30 minutes from your suburban home.
- Kim Jong Un decides to interrupt your well-deserved day by sending an Inter Continental Ballistic Missile to your nearby town.
We’ll cover the basics with 2 related but distinct items: the Get Home Bags (GHB) and Everyday Carry (EDC) Bag items.
- EDC items are the few things you have with you at all times.
- An EDC item can be as simple as a good pocket knife or multi-tool, a small flashlight and compass on your key chain, a laminated information map in your wallet, Google Maps in ‘offline’ mode on your phone.
The Get Home Bags (‘GHBs’) are exactly what the label says: it’s a bag containing the gear you need to get home (or at least go somewhere safe) that you keep in the most logical place. away from home. It’s also a disaster relief bug out bag when you can’t go home.
GHBs are not just a copy of what is in the BOB that you keep in your home. Because this bag will be in the world with you, you include some special things in case you see something like a car accident. Or your local laws might prevent you from carrying a firearm or certain types of knives.
If you rely on a car to get around or to work, keep the bag in your trunk. It doesn’t take up too much space and you can store it in a corner that you never use.
If you don’t use a car, you may be able to keep a bag in your office or a locker at work. Some people hide it or bury it nearby.
If keeping a dedicated backpack somewhere is just not possible, then place as many basic items as you can in what you usually have with you, like your wallet/purse, school kit holdall, or school bag.
Summary:
- Knife or multi-tool
- Light
- Fire
- Para-cord
- Personal medication
- Laminated card in your purse or wallet with emergency information
- Bonus : carry non-lethal options such as pepper spray.
CHECKLIST
| Item | Comment |
| Backpack | same as BOB, if not a slightly smaller.. |
| Water | As for BOB. |
| Food | as for BOB but avoid cooked foods & butane stoves |
| Light | as for BOB but don’t include liquid candles |
| Fire & Heat | same as BOB |
| Medical kit | as for BOB but incl. N95 & N100 masks |
| Hygiene | As for BOB |
| Knife (survival) | As for BOB |
| Multi-tool | As for BOB |
| Communication | As for BOB |
| Clothing | socks, hat, sunglasses, poncho or tarp, and water activated cooling towel / sleeve. |
| Navigation | Compass and laminated road maps covering your normal daily routine. |
| Documents | As for BOB + Car insurance and title. Laminated card with emergency contact info. |
| Money/Cash | OK. |
| Car-specific tools. | Depending on the space available : window breaker and belt cutter signal flare kit, keys, repair kit, folding shovel, mini fire extinguisher, kitty litter for winter traction of tyres. |
REMEMBER …..
Practice and Plan OR Plan and Practice !
Having gear is one thing, but survival experts know that good preparation is a mixture of gear, skill, planning, practice, and you.
You should actually use each item you buy at least once. You don’t want to try something for the first time in an emergency. For example, having a window breaker in your car is a good idea. But if someone is stuck in a car after an accident, you don’t want to be like him.
Share and recruit !
Some people think they must be super discreet about their preparation. But getting ready is more effective – and more fun – when you share ideas, information & responsibilities (at least some) with your friends, family and neighbours.
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