Look, we all want to be like the hero in an action movie. You know the one. He has exactly the right tools at exactly the right moment and manages to get out of all sorts of wild predicaments using his made-in-Hollywood arsenal. Of course we know that this is a farce.
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Even a Special Forces soldier in full combat gear couldn’t carry all the equipment that the Hollywood hero manages to carry in his t-shirt and jean jacket. And we’re by no means advocates for wearing a tactical vest packed full of gear around the office.
A lot of words have been written about the importance of having the perfect “bug-out bag.” These bags, no matter how thoughtfully put together, are designed for highly infrequent use.
The fact is, if you don’t carry around your most necessary tools all day, every day, you probably won’t have them when you need them. Thus, the most important kit you can build is a rock solid EDC (every day carry) kit.
When combined with the most important tool of all, a prepared mind, this simple kit allows you to take on any challenge that awaits you. That’s the idea anyway.
When it comes to the perfect EDC kit, items must be selected very carefully, based not on what you can carry (in theory), but what you will carry on a daily basis. The more purposes each of these tools serves, the better.
To help you get started on your EDC, we’ve made a list of mandatory items.
Light Source
When it comes to your personal safety, a solid tactical flashlight might just be the most important tool you can carry. Period.
You may be shaking your head right now; that’s fine. We all love our weapons, partly because they make us more powerful.
But ask yourself this: When the lights go out, how is your Glock going to help you find your way out? How are you going to assess your surroundings in the pitch black?
For most of us, our eyesight is our dominant sensory tool. The second it’s taken away from us, we are incredibly vulnerable. The act of simply exiting an unfamiliar building with no light source is difficult and even dangerous.
In the event of a threatening encounter, a tactical light can give you a major advantage. You can not only asses the threat, but also disable his night vision.
If you do carry a sidearm, it’s all the more critical that you have a light source to locate your target.