Saturday, January 20, 2018

20 Multi-Use Items for Your EDC Bag

Many of the items we carry in our EDC (everyday carry) bags have one function and one function only (a pocket knife for example, it's good for cutting things).  But there are several items you can carry in your EDC that will work for multiple purposes:
  1. Alcohol wipes.  Good for disinfecting things and is excellent to use as a fire starter.
  2. Condom.  Prevents babies (usually).  Can also be used to carry water (get the non-lubed kind) and can be used as a tourniquet.
  3. Tactical pen.  Can be used for writing.  Can also be used to stab someone in self defense as well as to tighten up a tourniquet.
  4. Paracord.  Can be used as a guy-line to make a shelter.  Can be used to tie up assailants.  Can also be used to start a fire, as an emergency belt or shoestring, and many other uses.
  5. Cell phone.  So many uses: making calls or texts, flashlight app, alarm app, taking scene photos, securing documents, and many more things.
  6. Small notebook.  Good for taking notes, giving information to someone else, starting a fire, leaving a trail, leaving a message for someone, etc.
  7. Floss.  For flossing teeth of course, also for making repairs, tying things up, and a couple dozen other survival uses.
  8. Bandaids.  For bandaging wounds, using in place of Scotch tape, covering the camera on your laptop, etc.
  9. Safety pin.  For pinning up tears in clothing.  Can also be used to pop blisters, as an emergency fish hook, and to remove splinters.
  10. Mylar space blanket.  Wrap up in it to keep warm, use it for signalling, to make a tent or lean-to, and for these 50 other uses.
  11. Garbage bag.  For packing out garbage, of course, and carrying things in it that you want to keep dry.  Also these ingenious uses.
  12. Ziploc bag.  I've used these more than one time to keep my cell phone dry and once as a barf bag (not for myself).  There are many other good uses for ziploc bags here.
  13. USB drive.  To carry all of your backup files with you, to save files from another computer, to leave files for someone else.
  14. Zipties.  Can be used to secure the zippers on your luggage, to attach gear to your bag (or to something else), and for these other uses.
  15. Tampons.  For its intended female use as well as to staunch bleeding from a wound, as a fire starter, and for these other uses.
  16. Packet of aspirin.  For use as a pain reliever, to thin someone's blood when they are having a heart attack, to treat bug bites and stings, and apparently they can also be used to revive a dead car battery.
  17. Packet of tissue.  For its usual intended use (blowing your nose), as emergency toilet paper, for use as a fire starter, to leave a signal for someone, and to wrap up things you need to take with you.
  18. Bandanna.  I've used the bandanna I always carry with me for several things: washing a baby in a third world country, as a diaper for said baby (never did get that bandanna back), as a sweat rag, to cover my face in a dust storm, and to stop bleeding.  Here are dozens of other uses
  19. Credit-card sized fresnel lens.  Comes in handy when I need to read small print (these old eyes aren't getting any younger) also can be used as a firestarter and to signal with.
  20. Strike anywhere matches.  To start a small fire to keep warm, to start a signal fire, to hold near a smoke detector to set it off, to see in the dark if you don't have a flashlight, etc.

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