Kits: EDC (Survival Necklace)

     Though not for everyone, a city survival necklace can have life saving functions, as well as being fashionable.  The necklace and key-chain go hand and hand, and you can trade things between the two.   If you are not in the position to wear the necklace, you can place it in your ECB.  Use a ball chain, nylon rope, or even a more fashionable metal (i.e. gold) for the necklace making sure it doesn’t chafe.  I like to wear mine a little long so the gear hangs down to the upper part of my stomach.  A necklace like this is a necessity if hiking or camping, but more on that in a future post.

• Small compass - Something like a button compass.
• Small LED light 
• Flat survival whistle - Great for being found if lost, i.e. stuck in ruble after an earthquake.  The whistle sound can be produced much louder and longer then the human voice, it also requires less force.  For women, it’s a great way to call for help.
 

• Small manual can-opener *Optional* - These are great if you find yourself in the bush often and want a back-up to the opener on your multi-tool or Swiss Army Knife.
 

• Gold coin, small bar or charm *Optional* - This could be used for trade in an emergency situation where you either have no cash or cash has lost all value.  You can mount the coin or bar in a small bezel as to not damage the precious metal.  You can get a good deal on precious metal coins and bars from this site.

Here is a link to some ball-chain

    

     I tend to keep just the compass, and whistle on the necklace because of the weight.  I usually keep the light on my survival key-chain.

Kits: EDC (Key-chain)

      Your city EDC key-chain can actually be a very useful, convenient way of keeping gear close on hand, as well as giving you an easy way of transporting your survival equipment.  A few of the items can be switched out with your EDC survival necklace, when you can't wear it.  The following are suggestions that I own and recommend.

• Keys (Obvious)
• Small LED light - A light has multiple uses besides survival.  Can be switched out and put on survival necklace.
  
This light is small, bright, lightweight, and durable.  It also comes with a clip, which I keep in my ECB(Everyday Carry Bag) for when you need it to be hands free.  Great light.

• Small compass - Can also be switched out and put on survival necklace.
  
  
  
• Metal Match or Ferrocerium Striker - I feel it is important to have a way of making fire on you at all times, even in our city surroundings.  Fire is crucial to so many aspects of survival, that it is just too important to be ignored.  Carrying a lighter, matches, or a Firesteel, like I suggest, takes up so little room, and weigh next to nothing.  There is just no excuse to not have a version on you.  I prefer this striker for my key-chain because it has a cover, and I like the company.
 

This is just a light one that Amazon sells, I prefer the one from the link above.

• Carabiner - Attach key-chain to it.  Can be used to attach to your pants, or inside of your ECB.  Also useful to get a better grip on bags.  If your hand can fit, you can use it for self defense (Stick it on your hand and use it as you would brass-knuckles).  The items can be removed from the carabiner to reduce their size, and weight when needed.  I typically buy these at EMS so I can see which size I prefer.  I use the following Black Diamond carabiner as they're light and durable.

Kits: EDC (Wallet)

      I like to keep a simple, yet useful wallet for my NYC lifestyle.  The following are my suggestions, add or remove as you see fit.

• ID (Drivers license in my case.)
• $100 in cash (Broken into change preferably.)
• Laminated card with phone numbers (Containing at least four people you can count on.)
• Credit and Bank Cards (Hopefully with at least $1000 spending amount on the credit for bigger purchases, and emergencies.)
• A few business cards (If you have, or need them.)
• Card with medical info (Doctors name, medications, allergies, etc.)
• Credit card multi-tool (There are a bunch on the market, but try for one with at least a few features including LED light and magnifying glass.)

• Signal mirror - These can be as small and thin as a credit card, and can be used with one hand to signal up to about 100 miles on a clear day.  Also just useful to have a mirror on hand.  The mirrors I link here are a bit big, I use the mirror from the pocket survival pack as it's a smaller compact mirror.

     I bet you are wondering what I put all of this in?  Well I like a small, minimalist wallet, and suggest;

   

    

     If you are used to a bigger wallet, shop around, I don't have many suggestions.  The larger Maxpedition wallets have a Velcro closure that are noisy, and I just don't like them because it makes me feel like a 15 year old kid.

     There you have it, my suggested EDC wallet.

Kits: EDC

      My first post in the kit series is about my suggested EDC (or everyday carry) for New Yorkers.  It should not be confused with an ECB (everyday carry bag).  City living can get a bit hectic at times, and we don’t always feel like carrying around a pack or purse.  For example, when you go out to dinner, go see a movie, or go to the gym.  Sometimes you’re in a hurry and just want the bare essentials with you.

      This is a list of everyday carry items that have multiple purposes, and I would suggest you never leave the house without them.  They should even be on you when you go to the local deli for a quick bite, or when you step out to Starbucks for five minutes to get some coffee.  The idea behind this kit is that you have basic survival equipment on your body at all times (compass, signaling devise, fire making, small light, cordage, knife), while looking just like every other New Yorker walking the streets.

• Smart cell phone - These are the modern day electronic Swiss Army knives.  It serves super multi-duty as phone, camera, notebook, voice recorder, music player and GPS.  They are becoming cheaper by the day, and since they have so many functions you can actually save money just by buying one piece of equipment for most of your electronic needs.  I own an iPhone, which I highly recommend if you can afford it, or are with AT&T.  Remember to always keep it charged.  You should also put an “in case of emergency” contact number sticker on you, and your family member’s, phones.
• Keys (Link to my EDC key-chain post.)
• Wallet (Link to my EDC wallet post.)
• Pocket knife - There are tons of options here.  I carry around a Leatherman Charge TTi multi-tool and can suggest it, though it's a bit bulky on your belt.  I have a smaller Swiss Army knife when I want to be more discrete.  You need to be careful carrying a knife in NYC because the laws are a bit vague i.e. a knife is not suppose to have a point...  One thing is sure about knife laws in NYC though, the blade can not be over four inches long.  When carrying a knife use common sense; don't pull it out in plain view of "sheeple"...  I mean people (tends to scare them.)  If a police officer asks you about it, tell him it's for work in a friendly, submissive tone.  You can keep the knife in your ECB if you don't want to have one on your person, though I suggest always having a blade of some sort on you at all times.

      The Swiss Army Fieldmaster is not the lightest knife they offer, but it has a useful saw blade that I prefer.

• Para-cord bracelet - Having 10 feet or so of 550 para-cord on you at all times is real nice.  On top of that, they are quite fashionable.  Here is a site that explains how to make one yourself.  You can find different ways to make these if you do a Google search for "how-to make a para-cord bracelet".  I like to have the button on mine as the link demonstrates.  You can also place this in your ECB.  Here is a link to one that is cheap on Amazon, and some good quality Para-cord;
 

• Basic survival necklace - A necklace that has some survival applications to it.  Here is a link to my post explaining it.

     Here are some links to sites that have more info on suggested EDC if you want to do some research yourself:


The Everyday Carry Forums or EDC Forums:  Great site with reviews, and useful information.


Code Name Insight Blog:  My favorite blog, and I reference it often.  Linked are a few posts on his everyday carry.


Surviving In Argentina Blog:  This guy survived the economic collapse of Argentina, (a major city) and most of his posts and info will apply to us if we suffer the same fate in America.  The link is his EDC labeled posts.

New Post Series "Kits"

      My new series of posts; "Kits" is going to explain to you the gear, and kits that I suggest you put together to help with disasters, big or small .  Being a bit of a "gear head" myself, I could go on for days about gear I would prefer to have for all the possible situations that come my way.  One of the first things to understand about gear is that it is considered a bonus.  We can carry around all the best knives, rope and the most well thought out EDC gear, (everyday carry) but if you don’t know how to use these things, they are pointless.  Gear is nothing without knowledge.  Then you have to consider the fact that when you start to get this gear together it is only as good as the commitment to carry it.  You can have the greatest gear ever made, but if it’s not on you, that's a problem.  You should always try to remember that there is still a chance that the one day you decide not to be as prepared and leave your water bottle or pocket knife home, because life is just too crazy that day, everything goes to hell.   Even if it’s not a total SHTF event, it may still be the day you get stuck in an elevator for four hours, or you’re caught in the subway for an hour.   In Manhattan, there are little “disasters” everyday, most of us have become somewhat accustomed to them.  A few key items would alleviate much of the stress that you would get out of these smaller situations.   How much better would it be to have a few dried pieces of fruit on you, or some trail mix, not to mention some water?  You have to ask yourself, how much space would these items really take?  The answer is; not much at all.  This is just an example of a few small items that can make a world of difference.

     Gear in our urban setting is a bit different from say preparing to go on hike in the bush. The city offers a different set of obstacles in the short term.  You don’t have to walk down the street in hiking boots, and a full 5000 cubic inch backpack.   Blending in is key.  You want to look just as fashionable and “normal” as everyone else going on there day to day business.  Any difference draws attention, which is really unwanted in any circumstance in New York City.   If your co-workers carry briefcases to work every day, then you put your gear in a briefcase.   It’s the same with backpacks and purses.  The kit's I will be suggesting can be modified to your preference.  Most people's kit differ slightly, these are the fundamental items I suggest that are the most efficient and useful to handle most possible disaster's in NYC.

     My first post in the series is going to be about what I suggest for EDC (or Everyday Carry).  I am planning on having it put together by tomorrow.  I am also putting together a new Bare Minimum post, so stay tuned...

Company Review: Shelf Reliance

     My first post for "Company Review" is going to be about one of the best long-term food preparation online business's I have found; Shelf Reliance.  Their site has tons of preparation resources on it, like emergency survival kits, but the one that stands out above all, is their canned food system.  They use #10 cans (or coffee cans; big, gallon sized cans) to store food that has been either dehydrated, or freeze dried, giving foods a shelf life of anywhere from 5 to 25 years!  They have all food groups including meat, and fruit.  What really sets the company apart though, is their THRIVE Q, which lets you build a customized food storage plan divided by a monthly budget.  So, for example, if I set up a monthly budget of $50, they will go through my THRIVE Q and send me however many cans equaling $50 for that month.

     Other than offering great long-term food storage options, Shelf Reliance goes a step above giving you recipes (video and text), and reviews (from customers).  Best of all, they are reasonably priced, and their Q system allows you to slowly build your long-term food supplies over time, not forcing you to spend a lot of money at once.  

     One problem I had is that the cans came dented, though I don't blame them for that.  If you are concerned about dented cans, you shouldn't be.  Dented cans are safe for the most part, though it can drop the shelf life of a product by a few years.  Either way, here is a quick article about how to tell if a dented can is safe to consume. 

     For our small NYC apartments, food storage may be a problem, but I find a little ingenuity goes a long way.  I live in a small studio, and have always found ways to store food and water all over my apartment while keeping the apartment livable.  I also do my best to keep my supplies out of site, making sure my apartment looks no different then any typical New Yorkers, as to not draw any unwanted attention from my buildings maintenance/management.  

     It's up to you how much or how little you decide to cache in your apartment.  I suggest no less than a months worth of food per person, or a few #10 cans covering all basic food needs (carbohydrates, protein, fat).  Most disaster scenarios, typically, do not last more than 72 hours, or so they say (tell that to Hurricane Katrina Victims).  I feel that if there was a major disaster, like a category 4 Hurricane in NYC, we would have to support ourselves, and those we love, longer than 72 hours.  The cities fragile infrastructure, and the amount of people that reside here would ensure a long recovery process.  I personally try to supply at least a years worth of food for me and my loved ones.  
  
      As per Shelf Reliance's recommendation, I cook at home with my stored food on a day to day basis as to rotate my stock and learn fun, enjoyable recipes.  This saves me loads of money as I don't "daily shop" my meals at expensive stores like D'Agostino's and Whole Foods.

     Companies like Shelf Reliance can help you take the guess work out of preparation, teaching you how to become a master prepper.  Beyond prep, it can help you live a satisfying, self-sufficient New York life style.