Hi there,
a little bit of a different post today. I wanted to share my every day carry bag (EDC) with you for a while but was a bit hesitant to do so. This topic somehow did not seem to fit my usual ramblings about pretty girly stuff. But then I also discovered gardening, something that was never to be seen on this blog and went all in for it. So I probably might as well show you this.
But before we dive into the stuff I use to schlep around, here is a little disclaimer:
1. I am not a prepper.
2. I do not think the end of the world is near.
That being said, I can already tell you that you will not find super high-tech survival gear in this pack. No cool knives, no water filtration system, no paracord extravaganza. I believe these things are helpful FOR SOME PEOPLE. And this brings me to the whole point of this EDC. This bag should contain items you are likely to need when you are out and about on a normal day.
Given all the stuff especially us girls carry around in our purses, I think it only makes sense to also have some items at hand that may come in handy should you get into trouble. And with trouble I do not mean the apocalypse, but a loose button, a cut or a splinter in your hand or power failure in the office. Easy, everyday situations that are rather likely to happen and we all should be prepared for, at least a little.
If after looking at this post you may want to create an EDC yourself, I advice you to think about it well. Definitely have a look at youtube and other people's bags, but remember not to blindly copy, but to really tailor it to your specific needs and abilities. Why would you carry a fishing rod or a fire steel if you do not know how and where to use it, right?
So here is the thinking that went into my EDC.
1. I travel a lot using public transport. And I travel quite some distances, around 150km one way is not uncommon. After doing this for years and years, I noticed that some situations are reoccuring.
Examples: the buttons on your jacket are ripped off during rush hour craze, the train gets stuck in summer, the airco breaks, the whole train looses energy on a winter evening, ... Yes, all this happened to me more than once.
2. If I am not traveling, my whole life happens in a small city and within a 30km radius around the city. The terrain is flat, with very good infrastructure.
3. I live in a climate zone best described as temperate, marine, with cool summers and mild winters.
4. Last but surely not least: My personal fitness is quite good. However, I do have severe hayfever, asthma and very dry skin that burns easily. And during the last year or so, I developed headaches frequently.
Voila! These were my considerations. So what would I want to cover with this EDC?
1. Commuting / travel: Be prepared for public transport malfunctions and delays.
2. Personal hygene: Have tools to fix wardrobe issues, have personal grooming stuff handy
3. Climate: Raincover, wind, cold.
4. First aid: Ensure proper personal medical care.
And then of course it has to be as light as possible and has to fit most (best case: all) my purses. And being on a budget, it should not cost me too much.
Before I finally show you what I carry, I would like to once more encourage you to also keep an EDC with items that could be helpful in your personal routine.If we can carry around makeup bags, we should be able to also carry some first aid stuff and a flashlight, right??
Good, let's start.
My bag is an old Eastpack "the One" shoulder bag. Next to it, I also carry a little pouch that was designed to hold a Nintendo 3DS.
In this first picture, you can see my work-bag. It's a laptop backpack from CaseLogic, because I have a laptop I need to bring along most times.
The EDC kit lies on the bottom of the front compartment, accompanied by a water bottle. So even if I forget to take my water bottle, there will be a spare one right here.
Like I said, the EDC consists of two parts, an Eastpack bag and a small pouch.
The pouch can be attached to the bag with a carabiner, but it can also go inside the bag.
If needed, I can leave the big backpack behind and move about with only this little, lightweight bag. But I hope I never have to leave my laptop behind.
The pouch was made to hold the Nintendo DS, but I use it for personal care items. It holds powder, lipstick, concealer, a comb, basic manicure items, some hair-ties, bobby pins, shoelaces, a mirror. If I am going out or into town in the weekend with a very small purse, I tend to just grab this pouch.
If I had to leave the backpack behind, I would quickly throw out the stuff from the right part of the pouch and replace it with chapstick, my asthma meds and deodorant which I normally carry loose in the front compartment for quick access.
Now let's dive into the Eastpack bag. This bag has three compartments, all closed with sturdy zippers.
In the big, main compartment, this is what I carry....
A headlamp if I need light but want my hands to be free, a pad and pencil, some tape wrapped around the pencil, a few zip-ties, hand senitizer, sunscreen, some mints, two granola bars and a lightweight bandana/shawl.
The main compartment also has an extra compartment in it that is separated with a zipper. It it, I carry my first aid kit in a watertight bag, some matches and a sewing kit.
In the side compartment close to my body, I have an emergency rain poncho, some more sterile plaster strips, alcohol wipes, superglue and some tampons.
The side compartment to the front holds an aluminum case with meds like aspirin, allergy pills, anti-diarrhea pills. It also contains another pair of shoe laces, a lighter and a pocket knife. The shoe laces can btw double up as shoe lace and rope. I would not climb out of a window with them, but you can tie stuff together, so that's good enough. The knife will be substituted soon by one with an arrestable blade.
In the same compartment, I also have a small flashlight and a fire steel on a carabiner to get them out of the bag easily.
That's it. Small, light and holds all the necessities plus some crazy extras (fire steel, I had to have one).
Once again, I encourage you to design your own EDC and comment on mine if you have suggestions, tips and such.
See you!
a little bit of a different post today. I wanted to share my every day carry bag (EDC) with you for a while but was a bit hesitant to do so. This topic somehow did not seem to fit my usual ramblings about pretty girly stuff. But then I also discovered gardening, something that was never to be seen on this blog and went all in for it. So I probably might as well show you this.
But before we dive into the stuff I use to schlep around, here is a little disclaimer:
1. I am not a prepper.
2. I do not think the end of the world is near.
That being said, I can already tell you that you will not find super high-tech survival gear in this pack. No cool knives, no water filtration system, no paracord extravaganza. I believe these things are helpful FOR SOME PEOPLE. And this brings me to the whole point of this EDC. This bag should contain items you are likely to need when you are out and about on a normal day.
Given all the stuff especially us girls carry around in our purses, I think it only makes sense to also have some items at hand that may come in handy should you get into trouble. And with trouble I do not mean the apocalypse, but a loose button, a cut or a splinter in your hand or power failure in the office. Easy, everyday situations that are rather likely to happen and we all should be prepared for, at least a little.
If after looking at this post you may want to create an EDC yourself, I advice you to think about it well. Definitely have a look at youtube and other people's bags, but remember not to blindly copy, but to really tailor it to your specific needs and abilities. Why would you carry a fishing rod or a fire steel if you do not know how and where to use it, right?
So here is the thinking that went into my EDC.
1. I travel a lot using public transport. And I travel quite some distances, around 150km one way is not uncommon. After doing this for years and years, I noticed that some situations are reoccuring.
Examples: the buttons on your jacket are ripped off during rush hour craze, the train gets stuck in summer, the airco breaks, the whole train looses energy on a winter evening, ... Yes, all this happened to me more than once.
2. If I am not traveling, my whole life happens in a small city and within a 30km radius around the city. The terrain is flat, with very good infrastructure.
3. I live in a climate zone best described as temperate, marine, with cool summers and mild winters.
4. Last but surely not least: My personal fitness is quite good. However, I do have severe hayfever, asthma and very dry skin that burns easily. And during the last year or so, I developed headaches frequently.
Voila! These were my considerations. So what would I want to cover with this EDC?
1. Commuting / travel: Be prepared for public transport malfunctions and delays.
2. Personal hygene: Have tools to fix wardrobe issues, have personal grooming stuff handy
3. Climate: Raincover, wind, cold.
4. First aid: Ensure proper personal medical care.
And then of course it has to be as light as possible and has to fit most (best case: all) my purses. And being on a budget, it should not cost me too much.
Before I finally show you what I carry, I would like to once more encourage you to also keep an EDC with items that could be helpful in your personal routine.If we can carry around makeup bags, we should be able to also carry some first aid stuff and a flashlight, right??
Good, let's start.
My bag is an old Eastpack "the One" shoulder bag. Next to it, I also carry a little pouch that was designed to hold a Nintendo 3DS.
In this first picture, you can see my work-bag. It's a laptop backpack from CaseLogic, because I have a laptop I need to bring along most times.
The pouch was made to hold the Nintendo DS, but I use it for personal care items. It holds powder, lipstick, concealer, a comb, basic manicure items, some hair-ties, bobby pins, shoelaces, a mirror. If I am going out or into town in the weekend with a very small purse, I tend to just grab this pouch.
If I had to leave the backpack behind, I would quickly throw out the stuff from the right part of the pouch and replace it with chapstick, my asthma meds and deodorant which I normally carry loose in the front compartment for quick access.
Once again, I encourage you to design your own EDC and comment on mine if you have suggestions, tips and such.
See you!
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