After you have tracked down the best EDC bag which can contain everything that you need, it’s time to get into the nitty gritty of the EDC Bag Contents.
The key to effective EDC is that you are able to store things which are compact in size and highly effective. If your everyday carry list do not meet these criteria, it will be wise to remove the item from your bag.
What are the things which are ‘highly effective’? It’s a pretty subjective question to answer because what we need in our everyday life differs. For example, if you are often required to go into dark areas, you will need bring a tactical flashlight as your edc bag items.
If you usually wear pants that has pockets, you can utilize those pockets to store things that you will use most often.
But, the point I want to bring home is that everyone’s EDC bag will differ. If you are taking care of children, or you are often faced with the need to fix vehicles, your edc bag contents will differ. It will largely depend on which environment you are at, what are your daily needs, and what are the needs of those around you.
If you are still pondering which is the best edc backpack you want to purchase, you can check out the comparison table I’ve included below.
EDC Bag Contents List
| Image | Product | Price | Benefits |
|---|---|---|---|
  | Rite in the Rain Notebook | Check BEST Price | With this notebook, you'll be able to record anything, anytime literally ... especially when you have this waterproof notebook |
  | Be Smart Get Prepared first aid kit | Check BEST Price | If you want to get prepared, you'll need this comprehensive first aid kit to help you in any emergencies |
  | Maxpedition E.D.C. Pocket Organizer | Check BEST Price | Want to avoid the hassle of looking for your wallets or your keys? Keep your things organized with this pocket organizer. |
  | Tile (Gen 2) Key and phone finder | Check BEST Price | If you lose your keys often, you'll want this especially since this device track your items accurately. |
  | IRP Military MRE | Check BEST Price | You'll be able to get good food and eat it anywhere, anytime. You don't need to worry about starving anymore. |
What is an EDC bag?
More often than not, survival enthusiasts often discuss about bug out bags or even get home bags, but the everyday carry kit is often ignored.
An EDC bag is essentially different from other kinds of bags.
An EDC Kit and a bug out bag is different because the supplies contained in a bug out bag will be much more, where it’s geared to keep you alive for at least 3 days. This bag is what you will grab when you need to “bug out”, where you are forced to ‘retreat’ from a situation.
As for the get home bag, it’s different in the sense that it’s not for evacuation purposes, unlike a bug out bag. A get-home bag is a bag that is filled with all the supplies you need to get you home. Get-home bags are often stored in cars, because we often travel with cars.
However, what kind of ‘bag’ you are having is highly subjective. You can say that your EDC is whatever which is contained in your pockets, if that’s the number of things you need to get by your day. Every Day Carry Bags are for prepping on a smaller scale, making sure that you are ready for any eventualities you may face throughout your day.
Criteria to Look Out For
1. The Item must help you keep your bag organized – The aim is to keep everything properly organized so that you can get what you need with ease and storing them in pouches makes carrying items much easier.
Most EDC Bags already have some built-in organizers, but if you are looking out for more, you will need certain accessories to go with the bag.
2. It should help you get through your day more conveniently – Ultimately, your items must be arranged in a way which brings convenience. For example, if you look at the time often, it’s wise to wear a watch at your wrist (yes, it’s as obvious as that).
3. The Item should be ‘functional’ – Items like Leatherman can help you in times of need, such as fixing a car to get it running or providing technical assistance to fix your son’s bicycle.
For ‘functional’ items, it’s one of the most difficult categories to decide upon because you need to have foresight and think about which ‘disaster’ you need to prepare for and get those tools ready.
For example, things like safety pins, duct tapes or even a boot knife can be helpful for you most days.
All in all, there are a huge amount of EDC items which you can store in your EDC bag. The trick is to ensure that you have the skills to use those stored items to get through your day.
Instead of going off on a checklist and looking at what are the things someone else’s EDC kit has, I thought it will be more appropriate to go through common categories of items edc bags will often have. However, you can still take the guideline as an edc kit list.
Depending on the number of items you need, the edc items can be fitted in a smaller toiletry pouch, or a larger tactical hiking backpack such as a laptop bag. The aim of looking through these 5 categories will be to avoid missing out on important gear while
EDC Bag Contents – 5 Categories To Look Out For
Essentially there are 5 categories of things which you should put in your edc bag. (Also, I thought limiting it to 5 categories will be helpful for you to remember) Here’s the list of items:
1. Daily Necessities
2. Tools for safety and first aid
3. Tools for self-defense
4. Tools for functionality
5. Other important items
Do note that these are suitable edc messenger bag contents too. Here is what to carry in your edc bag.
1. Daily Necessities
Warning – I thought it is important to take note that for this category in particular, it’s highly individualistic. This means that it’s particularly influenced by your daily lifestyle, work and habits.
What a mother may call as ‘Daily necessity’ may differ from her son. Hence, the items here would be items that I thought will be good to consider as ‘daily necessities’.
Cash – Most people miss out the possibility of including money in their EDC kit, which is a HUGE mistake! When you are met with an emergency, money is an important means for you to barter with people, working towards your advantage.
In fact, other types of payment may not be as effective. When the power gets cut-off, you will not be able to use your credit cards. You may need to spend money to obtain an edge in ‘survival’.
Also, it would be more likely for a person to accept cash when SHTF, as compared to other currencies. This means that you can bribe your way out of a threat effectively only by using money.
In any event, in real-life situations, money can help you get-out of certain emergencies. If a stranger came to rob you, you can use money and try to get out of the situation.
Long-Term Food Storage – You will need food in your edc bag contents especially when you have kids around. I wouldn’t suggest packing just anything your child likes, but instead pack food that can last. The food should still remain edible in a cold or hot weather, no matter whether it’s crushed or even if you left it there for several months.
Some food that are great for long-term storage includes Meals Ready-To-Eat, dried fruits, nuts, granola bars (without chocolate) or even survival food kits.
Electronics – Nowadays, it has become a necessity for us to bring along our electronics such as our phones and even our laptops.
To keep things organized, I will suggest keeping the necessary cables and adapters in a self-contained recharge kit.
For Phones, it is necessary if you want to contact the authorities or your loved ones when shit hits the fan. Nowadays, most people automatically bring their phones, so there’s not much effort needed to remind anyone to bring one along. However, you need to take the extra step of downloading some helpful apps such as a global positioning system or a flashlight function. You can even get a survival manual downloaded in your phone and refer to it when the going gets tough.
For Laptops, most working adults (and even schooling teenagers) go around bringing their laptop. It’s important to get an edc bag that allows you to commute easily with a laptop in your bag, while ensuring that your laptop is safe.
You can even tailor an EDC Electronics Kit, consisting of cables and adapters, or even powerbanks. This w
Stationaries – For convenience, I will include a set of stationaries in this category so that you can consider comprehensively what you need to bring. I thought it would be more organized to set them out here.
Pen and Paper – Pens and Papers are needed in your edc bag contents so that you can scribble on your maps and write notes. You can even leave it on the car when you parked on a space that blocks another driver too. In any case, paper act as an excellent fuel for fire too.
They are useful for jotting down important information that you want to remember too. If you are looking out for a pen that can help with self-defence (where you can poke the offender), you can check out the Stinger SpyPen.
Notebook – I will suggest carrying notebooks rather than putting white paper into your edc bag. However, white papers are really flimsy, and they will definitely spoil if the weather is too hot or too cold.
A notebook is excellent for writing down important information, and it’s more durable than pieces of white paper.
It is great for jotting down important information. It works everywhere – from the rainforests of South America to the north and south poles. This book really makes sense as a survival item. I’ll suggest getting a Rite In The Rain Weatherproof notebook.
Watch – Even when shit hit the fan, you need to keep track of time. You need to know how many hours more are there left before the day gets dark.
Make sure that you purchase a good-quality and waterproof watch that will not break down easily even when faced with extreme conditions. If you manage to buy a good-quality watch, you won’t need to change it every few months, saving cost in the long-run! You can check out this post on the 5 best survival watches too.
2. Tools for safety and first-aid
Bandana – Bandanas are really cheap, and they have a myriad of uses. If you need to wrap a sprained wrist, signal for help when you are stuck at the side of the road or even use a cloth for hygiene or first aid, the bandana got you covered.
The only prerequisite for effective usage is you need to know HOW to use it.
You can even soak the bandana with water and use it as a ‘Wet and Wear for Hot Weather’. You can just tie it up on your head, using the bandana to cover the scorching sunlight.
The amount of uses simply depends on your creativity. You can use it as a gun wipe cloth, a toilet paper, an eye patch, a napkin, a Sweatband, a pre-water filter or even to mark a trail.
Gloves – Most people have 2 pairs of gloves, 1 to protect themselves from rough work, while another pair is meant to protect the body from pathogens.
Both pairs of gloves serve different functions, where the pair of gloves meant for protecting the body would be rougher, while the sanitized glove is meant to provide you sufficient dexterity for first aid.
Cordage – Cordages are essentially cords and ropes that are often made from fiber. An alternative way of looking at it is to see it as an EDC Paracord. You can put the paracord on your wrist and use it as an outdoor survival bracelet, use your paracord strap on your watch, use it on your keys to keep your keys safe, use it on your boots as a shoe lace or even use it as a bottle handle.
Paracords are light, considerably elastic and strong. It’s capable of being a makeshift shoelace or you can even use it to tie the bad guy’s hand behind his back! You can even tie them on your wrist if you want to save some space in your bag.
Alcohol – I would suggest taking alcohol that are primarily aimed for first aid such as isopropyl alcohol, so that you can avoid getting into trouble.
One thing to look out for is to keep the lid screwed tight, because you don’t want to go through the trouble of cleaning your everyday carry bag contents.
Safety Pins – Safetypins are small, lightweight and functional.
You can use them to temporarily repair garments, so that you can hold layers of clothing or fabrics together.
When you are in the wilderness, there’s a higher chance that you will accidentally damage your clothing. This is where safety pins can save you and ensure that you get back to safety with ease. Even if your zipper broke, you can use a safety pin to hold your clothing together until get back to safety.
You can even use safety pins as a fishing hook. Of course, you will have to bring a string and a bait to increase effectiveness.
Therefore, if you want to prepare for the worse circumstances, a safety pin has a multitude of uses including helping out with first aid. You can secure a cloth on your wounded arm, which helps to reduce bleeding until you move to a safe location.
Bandages – An emergency bandage is also called a Trauma Wound Dressing, and popularly called the Israeli Bandage.
The Israeli Bandage is a pressure dressing, where it consists of a sterile dressing, a pressure applicator and an elastic bandage. All of these play a role in ensuring that the wound gets protected, and that the damage won’t be worsen.
These bandages often come in double packaging so that their sterility is ensured. Make sure you are sufficiently educated on how to use the Israeli Bandages. You don’t want to waste precious time when you are faced with an emergency situation and place the bandage to reduce damage.
First Aid Kit – A pack of First Aid can help you in times of need. Although a full package is unnecessary, where it will turn your edc bag too bulky, you will need to keep some necessities.
You may have to keep some essentials like some important prescription bottles or bandages.
Emergency Numbers for Your Cell Phone – You need to keep a set of emergency numbers that you can call when you are met with an emergency. Just remembering 911 won’t be sufficient, you will still need to remember the number of the child’s doctor, the vet’s number and other important authorities’ number.
Medications – You need to determine what medications you need for your personal needs. Remember to keep a kit that has sufficient medication for yourself and your loved ones.
For example, remember to keep an allergy medicine along with you. It may save a life. You can even pack Aspirin to help you manage the possibility of a heart attack.
3. Tools for self-defense
Handgun – For some, a concealed carry may be the appropriate self-defense tool. However, before wielding a gun, I will suggest that you learn how to use it first. It’s important that you take your responsibility as a gun-user seriously, because you don’t want to cause any unnecessary trouble.
If firearms are illegal in your country, you will need to opt for other self-defense tools such as a stun gun, a boot knife or even a pepper spray.
EDC Knife – You can store your EDC Knives as a pocket knife or as a boot knife. Most knives are devices that have different kinds of edges, made for slicing or chopping things apart.
Benchmade has made a name for themselves as an EDC Knife, especially Benchmade Griptilian 551 Knife. The Griptilian Benchmade knife is one of the respected pocket knives available in the market. It’s definitely built for you to effectively carry out survival chores and protect yourself from threats.
4. Tools for functionality
Multi-Tools – There’s a high probability that you have to cut open or fix something. A multi-tool often comes with blades, picks, files, screwdrivers and bottle openers.
Multi-Tools often come with cases which keep debris from entering the into the tool, interfering with the workings. Also, these tools are really small and compact, which is about the size of a credit card and can fit into your wallet with ease.
You can have the flexibility of bringing it around with you to almost any place too. Since most multi-tools are considered as tools by most States, with the exception of a few federal buildings or airports.
One excellent is getting a swiss army knife.
Lighter – Carry one with you even if you don’t smoke. You never know when you might need to start a fire. Bear in mind that heat is an important element to keep you alive, and it’s the hardest to get especially if you live in cold places.
Flashlight – Always keep a small but powerful flashlight with you. It can also be used as an SOS signal in the dark, when there’s a need. If you are already caught in a bad situation, don’t make it worse by limiting your sight.
5. Other important items
Here, it’s basically a catch-all category which I have included to cover other important things which I have missed. Since a person’s EDC is highly personal, I’ve included this category to emphasize the fact that the abovementioned list is not an exhaustive list. Here are some other important items you can consider adding as your edc backpack contents:
EDC Pouch – It’s important to keep your EDC Bag organized. EDC Pouches are an excellent help for that.
To keep your stationary, you need an edc pouch to store all of them in one place. Extra cash and credit cards can be placed in another pouch. I’ll definitely vouch for Maxpedition E.D.C Pocket Organizer to keep your EDC bag orderly.
You may have to put in suitable edc pouch contents too.
GPS Tile – If you want to prepare for the eventuality of having your backpack stolen, you can get a GPS tile.
The small everyday carry bag you travel with contains important things. Therefore, it would be wise to keep track of where your bag is. A Tile (Gen 2) Finder will definitely do the trick. Make sure to carry your phone in your pockets too. The tracker will be attached to your phone.
In Summary
My aim while writing this post is to help you understand what aspects you need to pay attention to when you are packing your edc bag.
If you are looking for a list of items you need to have in your bug out bag, you can check out our post about bug out bag list. Both bags are packed for different reasons, and what we need to take note of for each bag would be different.
Although you already have a well-packed bug out bag, it will still be wise to give some thought into packing your EDC backpack. I hope the list of everyday carry bag contents are helpful, giving you an idea of what you should pack. If done correctly, it should improve your daily functionality and safety.