The 5 Basic Survival Needs

Although many preppers have specific events in mind that they are preparing for, there really is no way to predict with any certainty what a post-SHTF world will turn into. But there are five basic survival needs that, if met, should help you stay alive longer than anyone else. Obviously there will be others, but to physically sustain your body, you need to plan for five basic things.

1. Need for Oxygen/Air to Breathe

All humans need air to breathe in order to survive. It’s the most basic of human needs and probably the one most overlooked by most preppers. For the average adult, about three minutes without air is all it takes for them to start feeling lightheaded and dizzy and brain damage can occur for some people after only five minutes without oxygen. The medical term for complete shutdown of oxygen to the brain is called cerebral anoxia.

We all know that things such as cardiac arrest, drowning, anaphylactic shock, asthma attacks, and other medical emergencies can restrict our access to oxygen and we need to be ready to treat this by learning and practicing CPR and other first aid treatments. The medical term for decreased oxygen to the brain is cerebral hypoxia.

Symptoms of Cerebral Hypoxia:

• Poor judgement
• Inattentiveness
• Memory loss
• Reduced motor coordination

Cerebral hypoxia that lasts for an extended period of time can lead to seizures, coma, and brain death.

In a grid down situation or post-SHTH scenario there are other environmental and medical factors that can limit our oxygen that we need to prepare for as well.

Smoke Inhalation

A grid down or natural disaster situation can mean there will be more frequent house fires which even if it’s not your house on fire, can mean that there is a greater amount of smoke filling the air around your home. A house on fire next door to you while you are sleeping could mean you wake up feel woozy with soot in your nose.

Temporary exposure to too much smoke can irritate your eyes, cause your throat to burn or your voice to become hoarse and can give you a headache. Smoke inhalation can cause constant coughing, fatigue, a tingling or numbness in your tongue, nausea or vomiting, and even achy joints. Symptoms sometimes don’t appear for 24-48 hours after you’ve been exposed to the smoke.

Recommendations: have an N95, N99 or N100 respirator as part of your EDC or get home bag. Install smoke detectors in every room of the house.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

This type of poisoning occurs whenever there is too much carbon monoxide in the air you are breathing. Carbon monoxide poisoning can occur whenever you are around fuel burning machines, such as a car exhaust, furnace, even a charcoal grill, without proper ventilation in place. Carbon monoxide replaces oxygen in your blood cells and your tissues and organs are prevented from getting the oxygen that is vital for them function properly.

During a power outage, natural disaster, or other SHTF event, machines are more likely to malfunction and people desperate to feed their families and keep them warm can sometimes make poor decisions about the use of heaters and grills. Carbon monoxide is sneaky because you may not be aware that you are being poisoned. Things to watch for include weakness or dizziness, a dull headache, shortness of breath, blurred vision, confusion, nausea or vomiting, and loss of consciousness.

Recommendation: install CO detectors in every room of the house where CO may form. In addition, you can opt for sensors that can detect both CO and smoke.

High Altitudes

During a bug out situation due to flooding or other disaster, you could find yourself bugging out to higher ground. Depending on where you live, this could mean you and your family will be at risk of high altitude sickness, mountain sickness, or more critical forms which are (HAPE) high-altitude pulmonary edema and high-altitude cerebral edema. These sicknesses are caused due to the smaller amounts of oxygen available as you move to higher altitudes.

The early signs of high altitude sickness include a headache that throbs and seems worse at night and when you wake up, reduced appetite, nausea or vomiting, dizziness, as well as both fatigue or insomnia. Prolonged exposure can produce extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, lung failure, and cerebral edema. High altitude sickness can cause a person to go into a coma and can be fatal if not treated.

2. Need for Shelter/Warmth

Shelter and warmth are technically two different needs but they do tend to go hand in hand during a survival situation. There are many, many stories of people who have been unexpectedly stranded without the knowledge or resources to get and stay warm. The average person can survive only about three hours in extreme weather without a survival shelter. The biggest dangers are exposure to extreme heat, extreme cold, and to rain.

In many cases, one person goes for help while leaving the other person in a car, cave, etc. Some of these stories have by the grace of God had a somewhat happy ending. Others have ended tragically, most often for the person who remained exposed to the elements to seek help, sometimes for everyone who was stranded.

So shelter and warmth go hand in hand. You must be prepared in any situation to start and maintain a fire for warmth. Even the most mundane of day trips can turn into an overnight nightmare due to an unexpected change in weather, an unpredictable injury, a fall in the creek, etc. Being able to start a fire to get dry and build a shelter to stay warm overnight or until help arrives can mean the difference between life and death.

Hypothermia

One of the biggest risks of being exposed to extreme wet conditions or extreme cold conditions for any length of time is hypothermia. This is a condition that occurs when the human body is unable to maintain the proper temperature due to extreme cold. Hypothermia can occur in a matter of minutes in icy water or over a longer period of time in cold weather.

The best way to prevent hypothermia is to stay warm and dry. If you can build a fire and maintain it, you’ve won half the battle. If you do get wet while in a survival situation, be prepared to change out of your wet clothing into something dry. For anyone exposed to extreme cold that has drastically lowered body temperature, warm up gradually with blankets, body heat from other individuals, or warm beverages.

Related: Survival Techniques That Tackle the Unexpected

Most of us have heard the warnings about frostbite and many preppers know to keep extremities and skin covered during extremely cold weather. What you may not realize is that getting wet during even mildly cold weather can lead to frostbite and even hypothermia if you aren’t careful.

Sun or Heatstroke

Sun stroke, sometimes referred to as heat stroke is a life threatening medical condition that most often results from an individual who has been working or exercising for too long in a hot environment or even sitting in a hot environment without any relief from the heat. When the body temperature gets to 104 degrees Fahrenheit or 40 degrees Celsius, the situation can be life-threatening.

Someone who has lost fluids and become too hot can begin to experience fatigue, muscle cramps, and weakness, a condition referred to as heat exhaustion. Heat exhaustion, if untreated, can progress to heatstroke as discussed above.

A person exposed to the sun for a long period of time without any relief is at risk of heat exhaustion and heatstroke. In these circumstances, shelter from the sun becomes critical to survival.

3. Need for H2O/Water

The next crucial survival need is for fresh water. About 60% of the human body consists of water. It’s a needed component for every cell in our bodies and it acts as a joint lubricant, helps to flush waste and toxins, and to balance body temperature via respiration and perspiration. Water as a regular part of our daily consumption is also need for food digestion and proper absorption.

The average adult can survive about three days in extreme conditions (such as sun exposure or physical exertion) and as much as one week under normal conditions (indoor temperatures without exertion). For a child left in a hot car, the time is much less. In extreme conditions our bodies can lose over a liter of water per hour via perspiration. For anyone with pre-existing health issues, lack of water can cause problems much sooner than three days.

Dangers of Dehydration

In a survival situation, when water being lost cannot be replaced fast enough, total body fluid levels drop quickly and in turn cause the volume of blood in the body to drop also. When blood volume drops too low, perspiration ceases and causes body temperature to become unbalanced. Poor blood circulation can also lead to a fatal drop in blood pressure. Your body functions are in danger when more than 10% of your body weight is lost through dehydration.

You can replenish body fluids somewhat with other liquids such as milk, juice, or the syrups in canned fruit or water in canned vegetables. Avoid alcohol at all costs as it causes increased urination and increases the rate of dehydration. The recommended amount of water intake is at least 64 ounces per day and in a post-SHTF scenario where your body is being pushed to its physical limits makes drinking water even more important for you to remain healthy.

So a crucial part of your survival planning needs to revolve around your ability to secure, filter, and purify water for drinking in sufficient quantities that you can keep you and your family or group members fully hydrated.

4. Need for Food

There is no doubt that food is important to survival. But did you know that the average person can survive three weeks or longer without food? This doesn’t mean that survival food should not be a crucial part of your planning. A person may be able to physically keep their body alive without food for three weeks or even longer, but that doesn’t mean they will be able to function.

Malnutrition was a big health issue during the Great Depression, not that long ago actually. Many people, including children, suffered from malnutrition. Contrary to popular belief, malnutrition isn’t just about not having enough volume of food, it’s also about not having the right kinds of food to replenish your body and keep it working properly.

When you consider foods that you will stockpile, it’s crucial that you understand what the human body needs in order to survive and function well.

10-30% calories from Protein

Protein is an important part of the diet for the human body because all of cells need protein to thrive. The body depends on protein to provide it with a form of nitrogen that doesn’t come from lipids or carbohydrates. Protein in the body also helps to balance pH levels in the blood which are crucial to many functions. Preps to stock that are high in protein include things such as peanut butter, eggs, legumes, oatmeal, nuts, popcorn, canned fish and other meat, wheat, and quinoa.

30% calories from Fats

Although many people talk about eliminating fat from their diet, it actually is a crucial component for so many different functions including protecting organs in the body from shock, body temperature maintenance, the healthy function of cells, and healthy hair and skin. To maintain crucial fat levels in your diet during a post-SHTF event stock up on whole milk, plant based oils, seeds, and nuts.

45-65% calories from Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are crucial because they not only provide energy and protect proteins in our body, they reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease, obesity and type 2 diabetes. They also are crucial for digestive health. Stock up on things such as oats, wheat, pasta, cereal, and white rice as well as honey, sugars, and fruit. Fruits and vegetables, especially root vegetables and tubers.

Vitamin and Mineral Deficiencies

In addition to the above requirements, your body also depends on specific levels of various vitamins and minerals to grow, to protect against disease, to remove waste, and for metabolism. Vitamin deficiencies when left untreated can result in physical problems that will of course have an impact on well you can function post-SHTF.

Here are just a few of the problems that can occur from lack of:

• Vitamin C bleeding gums, poor wound recovery, scurvy
• Riboflavin dental problems including inflammation of the tongue and mouth
• Vitamin B12 anemia, reduced nerve function
• Niacin dermatitis and diarrhea
• Thiamin weakness and edema
• Biotin anemia and soreness of the tongue
• Folate tongue inflammation and poor growth
• Pantothenic Acid Tingling of the hands, fatigue

Things to stock up on include sprouts, “survival” bars, Vitamins C and D, as well as multi-vitamin supplements, and fresh fruits and vegetables (dehydrated if necessary).

5. Need for Sleep

The need for sleep is often unacknowledged when it comes to survival planning. But lack of sleep is already affecting over 35% of adults across the United States on a daily basis. The National Department of Transportation reports that driving while tired or drowsy contributes to over 1500 deaths annually and approximately 40,000 injuries.

So many of us neglect the need for proper sleep now, when times are “normal”, it is inevitable that in a grid down or post-SHTF event, there will be massive numbers of people running on little or no sleep at all. Many people, including preppers, feel that sleep is a luxury. They assume that it will be enough to just find time to sleep here and there amid all the chaos. Their main thoughts are around keeping the family fed and safe from harm.

Benefits of Sleep

But what many people, even preppers don’t realize is that sleep is actually biologically necessary for our survival. The ability of the human body to repair its own cells is very dependent on periods of deep sleep, also known as Non-REM sleep. It’s during this deep sleep that our bodies are able to heal itself from physical activity, stress, tainted air, toxins and other contaminants we were exposed to throughout the day.

Sleep is crucial for our bodies to fight off illnesses. The immune system of the human body kicks into overdrive during the restful period of the sleep cycle and it battles bacteria and other germs that can turn into infection or disease. Ailments such as cold and flu, heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and mental illness have been linked to a chronic lack of sleep.

We need sleep to keep us sharp, alert, and active. These are all things that will be vitally crucial to our ability to stay alive and protect our family from harm. People experiencing a chronic lack of sleep experience physical sluggishness, a decrease in concentration, and even slower reflexes. Can you picture someone like that trying to lead their family to safety during a bug out or to evade or even fend off looters? Exactly.

Your Sleep “Sweet Spot”

So now we know how important sleep is to our overall survival and our ability to keep ourselves and our family safe from harm. So how much sleep do we actually need and how can we plan so that sleep is possible? The amount of sleep you need is an individual thing and it is hard to predict because it fluctuates when you are ill or under a lot of stress. We will all probably be under a lot of stress in a post-SHTF scenario right?

So the best possible thing you can do to prepare for sleep post-SHTF is to make sure you understand your need for sleep now, during “normal” activity and stress. The recommended amount is seven to nine hours every night but this will vary for each person and it will fluctuate with your own circumstances. So to properly plan for SHTF, it’s important to know your sleep “sweet spot” now.

If you document the amount of sleep you get every night and take notes the next day about how you feel, your level of alertness, etc. you will soon begin to see where your sleep “sweet spot” lies. Once you know your own individual “sweet spot” then begin to experiment a little bit, reduce the amount of sleep you get by 30 minutes every night and record your body’s reaction. Then an hour less, etc.

By documenting your sleep patterns and how your body reacts to stress as far as needing more sleep, you will be well aware of your limits during a bug out or SHTF situation. Once you know your limits and that of your family or group members, you will be able to plan your bug out so that everyone can get the rest they need to stay physically and mentally alert and ready to respond to danger.

Are there other survival needs? Absolutely. There are many of them that must be considered and planned for at some point. But these are the five needs that are crucial for your physical body to survive. Obviously you will need to plan for self-defense and other security issues so that you are not killed by a looter or some other intruder. But when you are creating or reviewing your survival plans, make sure that your preps have accounted for these five main ones.

PREPAREDNESS TIP: MOTION ACTIVATED LIGHTS by Andrew Skousen

Burglars and thieves love to operate under the cover of darkness. Even if someone sees them, they can be hard to identify, especially if they are wearing a hooded sweatshirt. The easiest way to discourage them is with motion activated lights. These lights are particularly useful at startling intruders, and alerting yourself or your neighbors to movements around your property. They also use power very sparingly because they only light up when something is moving and then turn off after a set time of no more movement (usually 1 minute). Here are some aspects to look for among the huge array of options in this aspect of home security lights.

The sensor is the most important aspect of these lights. You want the light to illuminate as someone crosses onto your property but before they get to the house, or the cover of your bushes or trees. Some burglars will sneak around or under the sensor and unscrew the light bulbs, disable the unit or even steal your security light altogether. There are vandal resistant options, or you can cover them with a metal mesh, but usually it is just easier to keep it up and out of their reach. If you place them too high, however, you will need a sensor that can “see” further. Good units have a range of at least 30 feet or 10 meters. Some dome-shaped sensors can detect movement both side-to-side and up and down.

The best motion sensor light is the RAB Super Stealth 360. It is made of durable steel construction, has two independent flood lights and sports two excellent sensors, a long-distance forward facing sensor that reaches out to 60 feet along a 180 degree sweep, and a downward facing 360 degree sensor to keep anything from sneaking up underneath or behind. The sensor is designed not to be set off by blowing trees, but you can adjust the sensitivity if that is still a problem. There are two independent flood lights with up to 150 Watts apiece that require power from your conventional house electric wiring (110V AC). Each unit costs $95 but you can find it for as little as $82 apiece. You can wire other standard lights to also turn on with this sensor, up to 1000 watts total. Some people reports using LED bulbs without issue.

Solar powered security lights are very popular right now since they can go up anywhere and only rely on the sun for their daily power needs. Some of them put out a dim glow all night and turn bright when they sense movement. Even with LED lights, however, they have limited power and often put out 1000 lumens, or as much as one flood light bulb. There are hundreds of different lights from dozens of manufacturers, but unfortunately none of them seem made to last. Most use Ni-MH rechargeable batteries and are made out of high-density plastic instead of steel or aluminum. Here are the best options I have found thus far:

Litom Solar Lights are the best value for the price. They have various sizes from 8 LED for walkway lighting up to the 102 LED wall mounted light that puts out 1500 lumens for only $36. But even with this large size most people use two to light up the side of a typical house. The solar panels are built into the sloping top, so they do not perform as well on north facing walls. The sensor is accurate to 26 ft, but some complain that large items like cars will set it off from 30 ft away. These lights have over a thousand positive reviews on Amazon. The only downside is that the lithium ion battery is not meant to be easily replaced and the company only stands behind the product for 3 years, though most last for much longer.

For north facing walls or shaded areas, I recommend the “ANKO 182 LED Security Light" with a detached solar panel that can be mounted toward the sun up to 16 feet away. The sensor is good up to 30 feet and the lithium ion batteries are easily replaced. At $47 this is a good option for those dark areas with little traffic that a thief might prefer. The eLEDing “Smart” light has a bigger solar array to power its 1200 lumen motion light for only $56.

If you just want to use your existing exterior lights consider LED bulbs with motion sensors integrated into the top of the bulb. The sensors work best when the top of light bulb is pointed toward the source of motion, such as when you walk beneath a can light. There is also an adapter with a motion sensor for any typically sized light bulb that fits between the light bulb and the fixture that would be ideal for clear glass exterior fixtures. Neither of these options work in frosted enclosures.

Take steps now to put lights up on your property where burglars or animals might prowl. If it doesn’t frighten them away, at least it will give you a warning and highlight the intruder for you.

Food Storage I Get, But Water Storage?

It makes sense to have at least three days worth of emergency supplies in your home at all times. Depending on where you live and your particular situation, you may want to keep more supplies than this available, but three days of emergency food storage is a good starting point. The idea of gathering in these supplies may seem overwhelming, but with a little planning, you will soon have what you need.

Select food items that are shelf stable, easy to prepare and things that your family will eat. It is relatively simple to determine how much food to set aside for three days, but determining your water needs are a little more challenging. In addition to having water to drink, you also need water to prepare food and clean up. In general, plan for a minimum of one gallon of water, per person, per day. So if you have a 72-hour kit made for four people, you’ll want 12 gallons of water to go with it. In hot weather, or if you will be performing physical labor, you may need up to twice that amount. When putting together your emergency supplies, make sure to remember your pets, and have an emergency stash of food, bandages, blankets, cloths, cash and prescription drugs.

Storage
To make using stored water as easy as possible, have it stored in a variety of container sizes. Gallon jugs are perfect for food prep and clean up, but having some smaller bottles for drinking means you won’t need to dirty glasses unnecessarily.

Purchasing unopened, sealed water is the safest and least labor intensive way to store water. This can be expensive, and is not necessary as long as you are willing to take some steps to ensure your water is stored correctly.

Wash empty soft drink bottles with soap and water and rinse well. You can now use these to store water. Soft drink bottles are ideal, because they wash out easily and are a convenient size. Juice or other drink containers which are made of PETE plastic are also acceptable, although it can be difficult to get all of the juice residue washed out of the container. Do not use milk jugs, as this plastic quickly breaks down and is not designed for long-term storage.

You can simplify food storage by purchasing items that are shelf stable. Select items that your family will eat, and that you will be able to prep with no electricity. Store a manual can opener with your food supplies.

It is important to store food in an area free of pests. Rodents, insects and other pests can chew through packaging, so check your stores frequently to make sure there are no signs of pest infestation.

The ideal temperature for food and water storage is between 40 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Humidity should be low in the storage area, as moisture will increase the risk of mold damage and bacteria growth, as well as speed the breakdown of packaging materials. It is also important to keep food and water supplies away from direct sunlight and heat sources, which can speed the breakdown of both food and packaging.

Water Safety
It can be tempting to use your own tap water and containers to prepare water for storage. It is much less expensive than purchasing water, and you can easily rotate in fresh supplies without feeling wasteful. If your water comes from a clean source, pre-treated with chlorine, which most public water supplies in the US are, you only need to put the water in clean containers for storage. If your tap water is not chlorinated, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoons of unscented household bleach to every five gallons of water. Be sure to use plain bleach, rather than the type with added thickeners. Your water will be safe to use when needed, although it is advisable to rotate through your entire emergency stock of food and water once a year.

Maintaining A Steady Supply of Water

There is no more fundamental need than a steady supply of water. Without it, our bodies cannot survive more than a few days. Yet when natural disasters or other emergencies take place, municipal water is often one of the first victims. And large-scale terrorism is likely to target water distribution as a key element of infrastructure to disrupt.

So it’s critically important that we take whatever steps we can to ensure that we can maintain a safe and adequate supply of water under whatever circumstances may occur.

The most important things are to educate yourself and then to prepare. Make sure you understand the implications of line breaks. Understand how to handle a boil-water advisory. And then get your home and your family ready for how to handle a disruption in water.

As you plan for the very real possibility of a water outage, there are some major areas of concern you should address.

Starting Off Right

Water failures are rarely caused by damage at the distribution points or purification sites. It’s generally a result of line breakage. Earthquakes are notorious for creating ground shifts that twist pipes and break their joints apart.

But other failures are less sudden. A period of unusually wet weather can leave heavy soils shifting and moving, causing rocks and other buried objects to rub against water lines and create leaks that can ultimately become large enough to disrupt service.

The ideal water pipe is reinforced with a chrome carbide overlay that will resist this type of damage. If you don’t know whether your utility has built lines with such materials, try to find out and then urge them to make the change if necessary.

Maintaining Your Own

Inside your house is the most complex part of the water delivery process. The many fixtures and appliances requiring water create a maze of pipes that must be carefully monitored and maintained.

It does you no good to have a great municipal water system if your own system will fail you! Slow leaks in crawlspaces may never impact you until the pressure from your supplier drops. And other malfunctions may be okay until the system shuts down, then reactivates with a surge of pressure that finally breaks a joint or connection that had barely been hanging on.

Keep your own equipment in top running order so that outside disruptions won’t be made worse.

Conserve & Plan

Although our home’s water supply is pressurized in most uses, it’s still functional when we operate with stored water. Toilet tanks can be easily refilled with jugs or bottles that you keep on hand. Water can be heated and dumped into the tub for easy bathing. You can even do laundry with a stockpile of water.

You’ll get creative if your system shuts down, but you have to make sure that you have first stored that water. Hang on to used milk jugs, juice containers, water bottles, and any other sanitary vessel you can get, then fill them with water and store them safely. Other containers can be used for non-potable water for toilets and laundry.

Even the best municipal water system will experience a failure here and there. You must be prepared to operate on your own when it happens. If you make the proper plans, you can get through until repairs are made.

A Tiered Approach to EDC One is None and Two is One

My Current EDC Bag

Preppers naturally apply their prepper mindset to analyze threats to themselves, with regards to which items belong in their Every Day Carry (EDC) items, Bug Out Bags, Survival storage, etc…  Most Preppers I know have developed their own structured approach to EDC, and their own list of items they feel are necessary for themselves.  However, there are many Preppers who have not yet developed a structured approach or are not yet fully understanding of how EDC works or can work. This article presents a philosophy.  There is no “right way” to do it.  In fact, it is regularly adapted and changed, as one’s situation changes.  This approach is meant to give a baseline to consider what may be helpful.

The Tiered approach:

Tier 1: On your Person

Tier 2:  In your EDC bag carried with you

Tier 3:  Kit in your home, office, or your vehicle

Redundancy

To properly utilize this tiered approach, REDUNDANCY is critical.  In every day, and especially disaster, situations, it is very easy to misplace, damage, or otherwise loose essential items that belong in your EDC kit.  We obviously can’t carry 10 of everything with us everyday so it is important to ensure an item’s functionality is duplicated in other Tiers.

Minimalization

Tier 1 items are typically smaller versions of items in the EDC Kit from Tier 2 and Tier 3.  These smaller versions provide basic functionality, until the EDC kit from Tier 2 or 3 can be used.  This allows one to carry, where appropriate, full-sized items in Tier 2 and 3 EDC kits with greater functionality.

Specialty Kits

Mini-Kits organize the contents of my EDC Bag

Many Preppers design their kits with specialization in mind, including sub or specialty kits in their Tier 2 and Tier 3 kits / locations.  These may include Medical, Defense, Entry and so on. A Specialty Kit is typically self-contained in a small bag or pouch to allow one to extract all the tools for this purpose at once.  This facilitates urgent retrieval of necessary tools and allows one to hand-off a tool kit to a buddy and move on with confidence that they have been provided with everything needed for the task at hand.

 The “Ten Essentials”

Every Prepper tends to have their own list of “Ten Essentials”.  These Ten Essentials are the ten most important things one would never want to be without.  The APN already has some articles on this, and have some that will be published shortly.  What is important, is that once you’ve identified your Ten Essentials, you will want to analyze each of the following Tiers and in each Tier make sure that you have as many of your Ten Essentials covered as possible – yes, in every Tier.  As one goes from Tier 1 to 3, they will be able to include bigger and better items to meet those essential needs.

Mundane Items

An EDC Kit is not used only in a disaster!  It is something that you will potentially use every day.  It can and should contain mundane items in addition to survival items such as: toothbrush, toothpaste, contact solution, pens/pencils, phone and accessory chargers, items needed for your work and so on.  If you might need it, you should consider the impact of not having it when you need it and determine whether that is worth carrying it all the time.

Tiers in detail:

This Tiered Approach has been developed over time by myself and other hardcore Prepper friends.  It is constantly being tweaked and refined, and has served us very well. Every Tier must be capable of standing on its own, or with the help of the Tier before it.  The previous Tiers are expected to be augmented by the following Tiers.

Tier 1 – On Person

The minimum on my person everyday

Items are carried on your person at ALL times.  The only time you do not have them on you is when you are sleeping – and then they are still in your clothes by the bed and will not be removed until you transfer them to new clothes in the morning.  This allows you to quickly dress if needed and know you have everything with you. This Tier typically adapts to your daily situation and perceived threats and possibilities. This gear must be capable of supporting you by itself.  If one was dropped into a situation where there was  no access to other Tiers, Tier 1 has to provide  the bare minimum essentials. Tier 1 List:  (Suggestions to develop one’s own solution)

•  Smart Phone (a Smart Phone as an EDC item is a complete article in itself and will be out soon)
•  Credit Cards & Cash
•  USB Thumb Drive (a separate article will detail using this)
•  Firearm/Magazine
•  Folding Knife
•  Fixed Blade Knife
• Lockpicks
• Mini-Compass
• Lighter
• Flashlight
• Ferro Rod

Tier 2 – Carry Bag

My previous EDC Bag – A Maxpedition Fatboy

One’s EDC Bag is generally always with them.  It rides on the passenger seat of the car, it rests at the foot of one’s desk, it is slung over the shoulder everywhere one goes.  If one finds them self in a situation, their EDC bag is designed to be there. What one uses for a bag should be carefully considered.  Some factors to take into account include:

• Durability – the EDC bag will get severely used and abused.  It will also potentially carry multiple rigid objects that will wear it out quickly
• Size – it will need to carry everything needed, but not be obtrusive.
• Accessibility – retrieving items from the bag should be quick and easy.  If possible, items should be able to be retrieved from it while on the move.
• Organization – multiple compartments and sections are very helpful to keeping items organized and easy to retrieve
• Mini-Kits – organizing similar tools or tools that accomplish similar jobs makes it much easier to grab what is needed.  Small pouches are great for this.

Mini-Kits allow you to quickly grab related items without digging through everything.

Tier 2 List:  (Sample list, tailor each list to one’s needs)

• Lighter
• Flashlight
• Vaseline Soaked Cotton Balls in Altoids Tin (firestarter)
• 10 Essentials Kit (This is a specialty kit I keep that can quickly and easily be transferred to a different bag if needed)
• Handgun Magazines
• Medical Kit (beyond First Aid)
• K-Bar knife
• Rope
• First Aid Kit
• Hygiene Items
• Urban Entry Kit
• Passport
• Scriptures
• Small Notebook & Pens
• HAM Radio
• Water Filter
• Other Items as needed

Tier 3 – Vehicle/Office/Home Kit

A Trauma/First Responder Kit (one of several that work together)

Tier 3 Kits are nearly always nearby.  They are kept in the vehicle, office(work), or at home.  Each Tier 3 Kit typically specializes in what it carries.  Here are a few examples:

• Get Home Bag – this Specialty Kit stays in the trunk of the car and is designed to provide  everything  needed should an event occur that prevents one from driving home.  At a MINIMUM it should include:  Trail food, water bottle, firestarting equipment, and first aid supplies. The make up will vary depending on one’s situation, how far one expects to go and so on.  If work clothes are unsuitable for trekking home in, a full change of clothes, including shoes, should be in the Kit.  If the trek home would take overnight, there should be a small shelter, fire starting gear, cooking equipment and extra food.
• Office Bag – Depending on the type of Office, this bag should be customized to support oneself and potentially co-workers if a catastrophic event occurred, and it was not possible to leave the office.  It is also intended for day-to-day usage and contains common medicines for headache, stomach-ache, fever and so on.  It might have candles, water filters, rope, harness and carabiners (to exit through a window).
• Trauma Kit – If one has advanced First Responder training, they will likely want to carry a bag that contains multiple meds, intervention devices, splints, bandages, etc.  This can be useful in the vehicle if the first on the scene at a car accident, or if an earthquake hits and people are isolated from immediate medical attention.
• Vehicle Kit– this kit would include jumper cables, tow rope, fuses, repair tape, wiring, spare fluids, tire repair kits and so on.  Depending on one’s abilities, this kit should at least temporarily fix one’s vehicle to get to safety.
  
  

  A Pandemic Kit – meant to enable safely providing support in a pandemic situation
• Urban Survival Kit – This kit contains the items needed to bug out in a large city.  Mine contains entry tools, disguises, rope and many other items.

There is an endless variety of situations and Tier 3 kits that can be assembled for them.  Tier 3 is an important part of the EDC structure, because it allows one to carry less in their Tier 2 kit, knowing that specialty items will be in their Tier 3 kits.

Day to Day

Every Day Carry is a philosophy that allows one to feel safer and be more prepared, not just for emergencies but, for everyday occurrences.  I would encourage everyone to consider their Threat Assessments, Environment, and nearby people, to determine their EDC needs.  One cannot lug everything around that they might possibly need, but by analyzing and structuring it, proper gear and supplies can be staged and utilized more effectively.