An offshoot of the military/law enforcement/firefighter/ems/emergency preparedness sector of the world is the Every Day Carry bunch.
"EDC" is the stuff you have with you all of the time both because you use it a lot and/or because you might need to. EDC is everything from handguns to keychain-carried precision tweezers.
Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, whatever their various organizational nomenclatures, are to always "be prepared". Military and former military folks are trained to be that way. So are LEOs (law enforcement officers), EMS personnel and firefighters. Ditto emergency management personnel. Outdoor enthusiasts are sometimes educated the hard way to have the good stuff with them.
When I was a kid, boys carried a pocketknife everywhere. Girls wore clogs as force mulipliers added to their naturally superior foot aim to make a swift kick in the nuts a permanent defensive measure. But I digest.
I stopped carrying a pocketknife when I stopped hunting/fishing. I saw no real need to carry one here in the big city of Seattle.
Besides, sharp objects are frowned upon by the feministized male establishment here ("feministized" meaning not "feminine" but conditioned by bitchy broads to not even want a sharp shiny thing in your pocket due to your inherent and eventual and unavoidable desire to use it against a womyn).
As I've posted about though, my new job creates a need to carry some stuff with me.
I got a Fenix LT2 AA-powered flashlight because I needed something bright that wouldn't blow a bulb or fall down and not get up, to shine into the dark recesses of buildings built before World War I.
I got some Bison aluminum tubes for my eventual keychin EDC rig. Pills, hearing aide batteries, a match or two, small parts to things I'm working on, all fit nicely in these tubes.
Over time, I intend to buy/make a mini prybar, get a smaller "keychain" knife, buy another small light and a couple of other things to add to my EDC rig.
One of the more surprising things I've purchased is parachute cord. It's not surprising because it's rope, it's surprising because of what I want to learn to do with it.
Using "paracord" to weave lanyards and key fobs is a sub-offshoot of the EDC world. The weavings are both a decorative way to always have some cord with you (with a bit of work, the weaves will unravel) and a practical way to get a grip on your gear.
Near the very top in the paracord weaving world is this fellow: Stormdrane's Blog. You just have to go to his blog site and look at the outstanding craftsmanship he puts into the lanyards and fobs he creates.
Comments (2)
Posted by Pinks | February 17, 2007 8:03 AM
Posted on February 17, 2007 08:03
...I'd say Maglites and MiniMags are far better than LED lights. When you're trouble shooting electronics, especially multi-line data type lines with lots of different colors, the blue tint of LED washes out certain colors so you can't tell for sure what color it is.
...A Fluke with amp probe is essential. Don't get one of those pen volt-tester things, they don't really tell you anything and can miss an open circuit. There's some very good basic meters that are smaller than cell phones. Outlet testers can be pretty handy, especially the GFI ones.
...Knives...I like knives...I keep a small two blade pocket knife, a boot knife, and a clip-on folding utility knife, but not the thin one, I have the one with the blades in the handle. It's great 'cause it's a third the size of a utility knife, and can be as sharp as you need it and it doesn't matter if the blades get buggered-up 'cause you can throw them away.
...Pen and paper. Essential. Always. No excuses.
...Safety glasses. Essential. Always. No excuses. And, no, having impact proof normal glasses is not the same.
...Anybody else I'd say earplugs...
...Electrician's bags are pretty good for carrying tools, but they get left behind a lot. Tool boxes are a pain in the ass. Best is having two tool belts, a big one full of crap, and a small electrician's pouch that's empty. Take the big one when you're going somewhere and expect to be there a while. Use the small one for small jobs where you take what you need out of the big belt and stick it in the small one. Whenever you see a tool and think you should take it...take it...Everytime you see a tool and think you should take it and don't, you'll need it.
...If they give you your choice of pants, wear cargo pants. Don't be afraid to over-equip yourself. After a few months you'll figure out what you need and divest yourself of whatever's less effecient to carry. After 13 years or so you'll be going to work in your underwear and still feel like you're carrying too much stuff around...hmmnn...maybe that's why I don't do maintenance anymore...
Posted by fleet | February 24, 2007 9:58 PM
Posted on February 24, 2007 21:58