See TEOTWAWKI.Blog: Get Prepped on $40 a Week

One of my favorite blogs, TEOTWAWKI Blog, is starting a series on Getting Prepared on $40 a Week.  I love this idea to provide a simple plan for folks to get started.  I need it too!  It will be interesting to see what kind of gear he recommends on that budget.  That is just the kind of straight forward, easy to follow stuff I want to provide here.  So I'll be linking to it each week (it will be every Wednesday), and commenting/expanding on his ideas. 

He starts off on a good note, by planning to equip EDC, then 72 hr bag, then 30 day food supply/barter items.  EDC, besides your wallet, phone, and car keys, will be at least a knife and flashlight.  These are two areas I'm VERY interested in his recommendations for budget minded folks (see my previous post on low cost pocket knives).  For survival prepping, fire starting would be another EDC item.  This is one time when smoking kelps you, because you probably already have matches or a lighter on you, and could also use your smokes as fire starter (that's probably sacreligous, but I don't smoke, so that only seems like a logical way to use them).  There are alot of small fire starter steels/magnesium to use with your knife, or some small pendant type fire starters.  All great ideas if you think you could end up in a situation where you only have your EDC.  EDC philosophy would say to always be prepared for that case.  I need to get firestarters in my cars, because my EDC is on the light side because of my work environment. I don't think a scenario exists where I wouldn't be able to get to my car, or be at home, and end up in a situation where I needed fire.  Now if I'm in the woods, definitely, but that is a different case. 

Another part of my EDC is lip balm.  I need this because my lips get really dry, and if I just lick them alot then they get chapped.  Plus here in Florida, I need some SPF on them to protect them from the sun.  Lip balm is almost like Vaseline, so it would be useful in making a fire.  So my lip balm is dual use :)

A multi-tool is another good EDC item.  You could carry a multi tool as your knife to reduce your load.  I tried with a Leatherman Skeletool CX, which I love as a multi-tool. 

Plus it just looks plain bad-ass cool. But it was a little too heavy to carry ever day at work in my pocket. 

I'd like to try a Leatherman Juice,

which is half an ounce lighter, or maybe try and find something even lighter.  I have some tiny multitools (about 1.5 inches long) but the blade is just too small in those to be useful.

From here on out, EDC items for me would be going into a bag.  If I had 'work' to take home every night, I would be all over a messenger bag, and would love getting some good EDC kit in there.  But I don't (take home work that is) so I don't have a need for a daily carry bag, which in this case would become a Man Purse.  BUT, I can see the utility and prep-ed-ness in having a daily bag to expand the EDC.

Some items that would go in a bag:

1. A Nalgene water bottle (with a good after market drinkable top)
2. A small First Aid Kit (bandaids, antibiotic cream, moleskin, tweezers, needle, Motrin, Tylenol, Imodium, Tums, Benedryl, steri-strips)
3. Emergency Rations (Clif Bar, Power Bar, Trail Mix: easy to eat, good energy, not candy bars that would melt in the Florida heat)
4. Expanded fire starting kit (Tinder Quik, homemade tinder, fire steel)
5. Another flashlight
6. Cell phone charger cords (120v and 12 v)
7. Small notebook and pen (I'm very partial to the Zebra F-301: cheap, about $5 for 2, but metal case and clip that feels substantial in your hand without being bulky like the -701)
8. Pair of socks
9. Watch cap
10. Sunglasses (current EDC home is in my car) and cleaner cloth
11. Encypted/password protected thumb drive with critical documents and photos
12. Towel (right Ford?)
13. Hmmm, something to ponder.

So get started with your EDC gear: a good pocket knife, a good flashlight, and go from there.