Prudent Prepping: EDC in Baby Steps

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Now we concentrate  on what to do in, and how to plan for, the long term via Prudent Prepping.

Introducing a Novice

 to Prepping and 

Every Day Carry

I have a friend who isn't really into disaster preparedness here in America, but who is at least acquainted with the concept from her time 'back home' dealing with historical civil strife and yearly bad weather. I'm trying to communicate to her that America being a land of plenty is not at odds with the mindset of "we can have disasters here, too, and they can and should be planned for well in advance." Prepping food is not a problem; her culture stresses having extra on hand for both charity and storage for bad times. The problem, at least for now, is the idea of keeping equipment at hand for emergency use -- not only at home, but in the car and carried with her. Which brings me to:

EDC in Baby Steps
The job where she works is required to have a basic First Aid kit and keep it stocked. I have suggested that she get a small kit for her car, to which she responded positively. However, she balks at carrying items close at hand, like in a purse or other bag. To overcome this I've started small, uncomplicated and safe by suggesting a flashlight as the first addition. 

I selected this, a Coast G25 slim light. (The link is to the factory for information, since Home Depot has them cheaper than Amazon.) I've had one of these lights in my various EDC bags for over 2 years, and other than having to make sure the on/off switch doesn't get bumped, there have been no problems. It is light, weighs under 4 ounces, and is slim enough to fit anywhere -- like the bottom of a purse, with lots of other stuff. Budget is always a factor, and $15 dollars is an acceptable amount for either one of us to pay.

http://tinyurl.com/ppe3glm

I won the discussion for this light to be kept in her car, but not as an item for personal carry. My next suggestion will be a Coast G19, a single AAA battery light whose size might suit her better. I did make a winning suggestion for a keychain light, like this one from Energizer, so I have hope.

What did surprise me was how easy it was to sell her on the idea of having a small knife, since in her culture knives are not carried openly and rarely by women. This is also going to be a bit of a learning experience, since I have very definite ideas of what she should have, and these need to be balanced with what is comfortable for her to carry and use. I can live with it being a Swiss Army knife, but if it is something like a Kershaw Chive, then I'll call that a definite win!

Her birthday and Christmas are both coming up, and so is the possibility of adding to her EDC supplies...

Wish me luck.

Lessons Learned
When introducing a new idea to someone, start small. Make sure the reasons are clear and the items practical.

Purchases This Week

• One Coast G25 flashlight from Home Depot, $15.03

As always, if you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!

NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.