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| Version | User | Scope of changes |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 17 2009, 5:35 PM EST | LJ126 | 521 words added, 39 words deleted, 1 photo added |
| Nov 16 2009, 10:45 PM EST | LJ126 | 15 words added, 34 words deleted |
Changes
Key: Additions Deletions
What is EDC?
EDC stand for "Every Day Carry." EDC is the tools, supplies, and/or gear that you need to function day-to-day in your environment. Each persons EDC is different because each person's projected plans for the day are different. A student's EDC gear (backpack, books, pens/pencils, etc.) will be and should be different than a police officer's (sidearm, handcuffs, radio, etc.) but both of these people need their tools to perform their job every day. There are many items that everyone in our communities carry, such as their wallets, keys, shoes... you get the idea.
Your EDC is tailored to your day to day needs and in many ways determines how well prepared you are for any given situation, unexpected or planned. Dead human corpses rising for the grave would certainly fall in the "unexpected" category, but it doesn't necessarily mean you have to be completely "unprepared."
Mentally Tactical
Mental = Within your head...
Tactic = ...couse of action.
Where are you going to be when your car gets a flat tire? The answer is "I don't know." The truth is that we don't plan when or how these things are going to happen - they just happen. There are steps we can do to prevent it from occuring (maintenance and inspections) but just in case something happens, we keep a spare tire or donut in our trunk. A spare tire is your vehicle's EDC. Your car carries it even though it might not and probably will not ever need it.
So, applying this logic in other aspects of your life; where are you going to be when you are robbed? Or if there is an earthquake? Or if you're attacked by a zombie? Guess what - the answer is "I don't know." Intelligently expanding your EDC can help you just in case you are caught in a situation that is totally unexpected and is one where you only have seconds to decide your course of action and respond.
Before you get your thread started, NO - I am not telling you to carry your baseball bat or katana with you everywhere you go because that would be foolish and it would probably attract to you a lot of unwanted attention. Nor am I suggesting to you that you break any laws (or any work or school policies) because this is also counter-intuitive and counter productive. However, there are some common sense additions that you can make to your EDC that will increase your situational flexibility considerably.
Tools of the Trade
What do you currently carry every day? Most of us carry our cell phone, wallet (which contains our financial resources and identification) keys, plus whatever tools we need to do our jobs day to day. These items must be carried in order for us to function.
The items listed below should be added to your EDC when its logical to carry them. Obviously, it would not be wise to keep a pocket knife or concealed handgun on you if you work in a court house or if you are a high school student because it could land you in jail or in other kinds of trouble. OBSERVE AND OBEY ALL LAWS AND BUILDING RULES/POLICIES with regards to your EDC.
What can we add to increase our situational flexibility? What purposes does it serve? Why do we add it? Are there any negative concerns about this item? What legal concerns are there with this item?
EDC ITEM #1: "Defensive" Folding Pocket Knife
(Knife Pictured: SOG Visionary II)
Primary Purpose:purpose:
In the many thousands of years of its existence, the knife has made monumental leaps forward in terms of reliability, edge retention, function and form. It allows us to do what other animals can do naturally, and in many ways it provides us greater utility because with our steel knife we can create sparks and start a fire, or construct artificial shelter, or construct other hand tools required for a job, dress and prepare fish and game, defend ourselves from foes that are physically superiorstronger or in attacking from an advantageous position (behind you) or act as a backup should we be required to defend ourselfourselves from a wild animal. In many ways, a good pocket knife IS our set of claws.
When selecting a folding knife for purchase there are severala thingsquestions that need to be taken into considerationanswered first.
*The last question above might sound strange but it makes sense if you think about it. If you have to use the knife to defend yourself from an attacker (human or otherwise), you may also have to defend yourself in a courtroom from a prosecuting attorney. You want to distance yourself from glorification of combat because something like the name of a knife could potentially sway the opinion of a jury by indicating a willingness or desire to be involved in combat.
EDC ITEM #2: Multi-Tool or Swiss Army Knife
(Tool Pictured: Victorinox "SwissTool")
Purpose:
A great advantage of a multi-tool or especially the Swiss Army knife is that most are equipped with a high quality knife blade that is cut to a shallower angle (usually 15 degrees), making it razor sharp and very good for fine detail work. Other tools that see frequent use on my personal Swiss Army "Tinker" are the stitching awl/leather punch, the Phillips head driver, and the can/bottle opener. Sometimes I use the tweezers too.
When purchasing a multi-tool or Swiss Army knife, make sure that you're purchasing a name brand tool and not some cheap knock-off. The knock off tools are useless junk and in my opinion, they shouldn't be legal to sell. People may be attracted to them by their price or because they're sold in a reputable auto parts store, but this doesn't mean that you're saving yourself any money; you're going to have to replace it when it breaks. Buy once, and buy quality.
EDC ITEM #3: Flashlight
WORK(Flashlight Pictured: IN)
COMING PROGRESS!!SOON!
EDC stand for "Every Day Carry." EDC is the tools, supplies, and/or gear that you need to function day-to-day in your environment. Each persons EDC is different because each person's projected plans for the day are different. A student's EDC gear (backpack, books, pens/pencils, etc.) will be and should be different than a police officer's (sidearm, handcuffs, radio, etc.) but both of these people need their tools to perform their job every day. There are many items that everyone in our communities carry, such as their wallets, keys, shoes... you get the idea.
Your EDC is tailored to your day to day needs and in many ways determines how well prepared you are for any given situation, unexpected or planned. Dead human corpses rising for the grave would certainly fall in the "unexpected" category, but it doesn't necessarily mean you have to be completely "unprepared."
Mentally Tactical
Mental = Within your head...
Tactic = ...couse of action.
Where are you going to be when your car gets a flat tire? The answer is "I don't know." The truth is that we don't plan when or how these things are going to happen - they just happen. There are steps we can do to prevent it from occuring (maintenance and inspections) but just in case something happens, we keep a spare tire or donut in our trunk. A spare tire is your vehicle's EDC. Your car carries it even though it might not and probably will not ever need it.
So, applying this logic in other aspects of your life; where are you going to be when you are robbed? Or if there is an earthquake? Or if you're attacked by a zombie? Guess what - the answer is "I don't know." Intelligently expanding your EDC can help you just in case you are caught in a situation that is totally unexpected and is one where you only have seconds to decide your course of action and respond.
Before you get your thread started, NO - I am not telling you to carry your baseball bat or katana with you everywhere you go because that would be foolish and it would probably attract to you a lot of unwanted attention. Nor am I suggesting to you that you break any laws (or any work or school policies) because this is also counter-intuitive and counter productive. However, there are some common sense additions that you can make to your EDC that will increase your situational flexibility considerably.
Tools of the Trade
What do you currently carry every day? Most of us carry our cell phone, wallet (which contains our financial resources and identification) keys, plus whatever tools we need to do our jobs day to day. These items must be carried in order for us to function.
The items listed below should be added to your EDC when its logical to carry them. Obviously, it would not be wise to keep a pocket knife or concealed handgun on you if you work in a court house or if you are a high school student because it could land you in jail or in other kinds of trouble. OBSERVE AND OBEY ALL LAWS AND BUILDING RULES/POLICIES with regards to your EDC.
What can we add to increase our situational flexibility? What purposes does it serve? Why do we add it? Are there any negative concerns about this item? What legal concerns are there with this item?
EDC ITEM #1: "Defensive" Folding Pocket Knife (Knife Pictured: SOG Visionary II)
Primary Purpose:purpose:
- to cut, slice or stab things that require cutting, slicing or stabbing.
- foodself preparationdefense
- selffood defensepreparation
- light duty outdoors work
- survival tasks
- Most states allow you to carry a folding pocket knife with a blade length of three to four inches,inches - especially those popular for hunting and somefishing.
- Some states allowhave evenno regulations regarding blade length, while there are some that do longernot permit pocket knife carry at blades.all.
- Make sure you know your states laws before purchasing or carrying any tool on your person.
In the many thousands of years of its existence, the knife has made monumental leaps forward in terms of reliability, edge retention, function and form. It allows us to do what other animals can do naturally, and in many ways it provides us greater utility because with our steel knife we can create sparks and start a fire, or construct artificial shelter, or construct other hand tools required for a job, dress and prepare fish and game, defend ourselves from foes that are physically superiorstronger or in attacking from an advantageous position (behind you) or act as a backup should we be required to defend ourselfourselves from a wild animal. In many ways, a good pocket knife IS our set of claws.
When selecting a folding knife for purchase there are severala thingsquestions that need to be taken into considerationanswered first.
- What are your local or state ordinances/laws concerningregarding the possession carriageand carry of a knife?
- Blade length laws?
- How large is your budget?
- AreIs youweight goingan toissue? carryIf anyyou're othercarrying toolsa orlot in your weapons?pockets already...
- Are you going to learn how to use and maintain the knife?
- Does it have a strong locking mechanism? (No wiggle or play)
- Is it constructed from a high quality steel? (AUS8, 440C, VG-10, CPM S30V, 8Cr13MoV are all excellent)
- Does the name of the knife you're considering to buy have words like "combat, fighting, killer, slayer, destroyer" or anything else in it that could potentially indicate glorifying combat?*
*The last question above might sound strange but it makes sense if you think about it. If you have to use the knife to defend yourself from an attacker (human or otherwise), you may also have to defend yourself in a courtroom from a prosecuting attorney. You want to distance yourself from glorification of combat because something like the name of a knife could potentially sway the opinion of a jury by indicating a willingness or desire to be involved in combat.
EDC ITEM #2: Multi-Tool or Swiss Army Knife(Tool Pictured: Victorinox "SwissTool")
Purpose:
- Multiple tools in one; can perform most basic repair or modification tasks without having to crack open any tool boxes.
- As far as I'm aware, there is currently no state or federal level legislation regarding multi-tools.
- It is possible that you may not be able to bring this item into a school if you are a student.
- Many multi-tools and swiss army knifes are OFTEN poorly reproduced or copied using junk materials. These tools are useless and should be avoided!
A great advantage of a multi-tool or especially the Swiss Army knife is that most are equipped with a high quality knife blade that is cut to a shallower angle (usually 15 degrees), making it razor sharp and very good for fine detail work. Other tools that see frequent use on my personal Swiss Army "Tinker" are the stitching awl/leather punch, the Phillips head driver, and the can/bottle opener. Sometimes I use the tweezers too.
When purchasing a multi-tool or Swiss Army knife, make sure that you're purchasing a name brand tool and not some cheap knock-off. The knock off tools are useless junk and in my opinion, they shouldn't be legal to sell. People may be attracted to them by their price or because they're sold in a reputable auto parts store, but this doesn't mean that you're saving yourself any money; you're going to have to replace it when it breaks. Buy once, and buy quality.
EDC ITEM #3: Flashlight
WORK(Flashlight Pictured: IN)
COMING PROGRESS!!SOON!
