What to put in your EDC Tactical Day Bag

The EDC Tactical Day Bag

Throughout the prepper, militia, and readiness blogs and websites there runs a common thread. That thread centers around a come as you are scenario. The possibility that you will have any notice is slim and none. This is why I keep wondering about who is writing the articles that call for you to return home and secure your BOB (Bug Out Bag) and depart to that place of safety you have chosen in “A Safe Place” versus jamming out with your day bag.

The idea I am writing about is only because I can’t find my copy of the original written years ago by a smarter guy than I am. The information though has been incorporated into my plans so I will share them here. The concept of a day bag came from his wife’s purse. He watched on day as she put in three pairs of nail clippers, three nail files, an extra comb, two of the same lipsticks, and 4 hankies. She caught him watching and asked what was wrong. He asked why so much and so many? Her answer was the key to all preppers. What happens if I can’t come home before I go to a party. What if???

So all day he thought about what if he had to escape the city, pickup the kids, collect the wife, and go without everything he had locked in a cabinet in the Garage? what if? This is a result of that thinking.

The next day I looked at other guys arriving at my office. Some brought paper bags, some brought briefcases, and other brought was is considered a “Man’s Bag”. These bags all had one thing in common. They were useless if they had to run through crowds, climb over walls or up ropes, and they required you to be careful with them. I then walked down by the school yard as I saw older teens with small backpacks. These seemed to be my answer.

They were fairly cheap. They could be worn without my hands holding them in place, and they could be effectively be locked with a small padlock on the top. This also made me feel better about carrying them through a security checkpoint in a building I would be visiting. Most of these had a storage area I could lock my bag to after it was examined if need be. So my plan developed.

Assemble Your Day Bag

Into my bag I loaded some supplies in case I needed to be away for a while. I put in about 6 granola bars. While not very tasty they do provide nutrition in a dry spell for food. Then I added three one pint water bottles. These I taped over with 100 mile and hour tape to prevent them being punctured, or leaking from squeezing. Then I dropped in one 2oz bag of sugar, three Mickey D Salt packs, three sets of Mickey D plastic wares. I added a collapsible cup from Wally World.

Next I put in a pair of arm splints I fashioned out of coat hangers wrapped in Ace bandages that I use for a frame for the bag insides. Next I put in 3 @ 100′ lengths of 5/50 parachute cord. These and the sustenance items I loaded in the bottom where it never gets used and covered with 1/2″ of close-folded newspaper to form a false bottom, and possible splint.

The top of the bag I put 2@FRS radios with three packs of rechargeable batteries. The ones I have are mixture of FRS and GMRS so they have a 50 Watt possible output. I add three pairs of undershorts, Three T-shirts, three pairs of socks, and three hankies. These are packed into sandwich bags with the air pressed out so they fit flat.

The top of the bag is what I need for work every day. Lunch, snacks, and raincoat and collapsed Umbrella. Oh and any work I took home. Everything below the day to day stuff is in two 40 gallon Trash bags so if it gets dropped in the river it will float. Possibly with me on top.

We can’t afford to have our emergency supplies home when we are in an emergency someplace else. Since I carry concealed I also wear a holster, but keep 4 clips above the waterline as I call the trash bags. The key is to build one that you can carry easily where ever you need to go. My bag stays within eyesight of me at all times. My coworkers tend to laugh when i arrive wearing a backpack. I under go ribbing for heading out to conquer Mt Everest.

To date they have never seen into my bag. If they knew what was in the bag, and the emergency gets to me I would have to kill one of them. That bag will allow me to go sit quietly in a closet on the top floors if things got bad in town. They would allow me to climb down the elevator shaft if I became trapped. The bag will allow me to survive till I can get home and get the BOB and the family.

So now is the time for your day bag to get packed and put behind the seat on the car.

The only maintenance is to check for leaks, and test the batteries on a monthly basis. My total cost was about $50.00. Then the bag itself I got from Goodwill for $4.00.

By by Ron Hardin from, US Crow