The ultimate EDC bag?

Brandon - February 10, 2021

Gear

I was trying to imagine what the best EDC bag could be for a male, i.e. a murse that doesn’t look like one. Backpacks are great, but are a bit much for taking everywhere. In the past I’ve carried a jacket even on warm days just for the pockets. Obviously this comes with the bonus of having a jacket on hand. With this in mind, a Google search later and I found this.

It’s certainly not perfect, one of those single-product-Amazon-only companies that you can find no information about except it looks like they’re HQ’d in Florida. Durability is unknown beyond Amazon reviews. It appears to still be a bit bulky, but perhaps it can collapse.

Anyone know of anything else like this that’s a little more reputable and/or made of better materials, or have any other thoughts about a jacket-bag for EDC?

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That is a really interesting concept. I like to look at the product videos at the bottom of the Amazon listing, as that helps me see if that is something I would be interested in or not. Here’s a link for a video on that jacket. 

I could maaayybbbee see myself using that kind of jacket during the winter. If you watch the video, it looks pretty bulky and looks like a normal winter coat. But would probably look off during the summer. But I guess it all depends on what you put in it.

What do you carry or want to carry in your EDC Brandon? I think that will help us to give you some better recommendations. 

-Be Prepared-

 

Hey Robert, Thanks for the thoughts.

Yeah, I wouldn’t probably wear the jacket hardly ever. I have much better jackets. I would carry it. It would basically be a bag. Prepper’s bonus that you can wear it if needed. Like I mentioned, in the past I’ve carried (not worn) a normal jacket just for its pockets. I don’t like bulky pants pockets, even just what I carry now: wallet, house keys, work keys, multi-tool, phone, work phone, lip balm, etc.

As far as what I’d carry if I had something to carry it in, well, I’m looking at The Prepared’s EDC list to start.

 

Two things come to mind that you could do. The good ol’ fanny pack, which I guess you are supposed to carry it this way now compared to the old around the waist from the 80’s and 90’s.

You could also go with something like a running belt around your waist and have your shirt covering it. I’ve seen a few regular belts that have hidden money compartments in them that won’t hold as much, but still allow you to carry more than nothing.

 

Ma’am  the  old soldier in me  drives me to  respectfully suggest that if there is a risk of armed violence occuring the last thing you want is bags or packs more than an inch or so thick to your front.    You want NOTHING that pushes your body up off the ground exposing you to gun fire  .  Ideally except for essential EDC gear which is all low profile  you want nothing in from of your hip bones. You must be able to bend and crouch freely or be able to lay flat on the ground.

There are valid times for front mounted bags for example avoiding pick pockets or bag slashers in cities but they can normally be easily pushed to the rear if gunfire kicks off.

 

I didn’t think about it holding you back from being able to move, but yes, that’s a very good thing to keep in mind and consider.

Probably a reason why soldiers don’t wear fanny packs. lol

 

If you look at many older soldiers with a few miles on the clock they tend to like to keep pouches and packs behind their hip bones. Trends change however as I see many modern soldiers with all sorts of bulky crap hanging from the balistic plate carriers.  I would occasionally wear a pistol under my arm and a knife on my chest but that only lifted me by about an inch.

 

FYI I know of some lady preppers who picked up an idea from criminal shop lifters. They wore long skirts / dresses with both hidden extra pockets inside the skirt and extra deep pockets on the outside.  One image I had but lost was of a lady standing relaxed in long skirt and jacket.  In the skirt she has a 22LR pistol, spare mag, her cash clip, modest telescopic baton and a pocket knife.  her jacket held phone, FAK, lighter, compass, lady bits notebook and pen, assorted hair tieback elastics and her shades.

 

511 Geologists vest?   Craghoppers Adventure 2 travel vest, Craghoppers Adventure 2 travel Jacket?/  I carry all my essential EDC gear on my person ( pockets belt etc) because there are far to many circumstances a prepper can end up separated from their bag.

 

My prep philosophy is the same.  Backpack use only as a last resort. My EDC “bag” is a 4 pocket shirt, both “tuck in” and jungle style fatigue shirt. If I need to carry more, a cargo vest augments the shirt.

There are many quality jackets exceeding the above Amazon link.  Selection usually governed by one’s climate, weather and other specifics.  Sometimes, when in metro Washington, D.C., I used a too large (for me) sport coat to cover load-bearing suspenders and attached pouches. Pockets were sewn inside this sport coat.  It’s still here.

Like much else, once leaving the big box store consumer arena of merchandise, costs rise with features such as warmth for the chilly areas of our fruited plain and special features such as fire retardent. 

 

Guys n Gals you can also depending on your local climate wear something like a Scotvest Jacket designed to carry ALL of your essentials in concealment.

 

Here is another option for concealed carry EDC

 

Bill Masen,

Can you post a link for a source for that CQR jacket.  i have made some searches and cannot find it.

Interesting option.

 

http://www.cqrgears.com/

I think its available on amazon as well.

 

Both these jackets present the philosophy of carrying stuff closest to bod and always with person.

These jacket types are what I use.  Only 1 modification to all of my jackets made.  On inside, I sew in ~ 12 inch/third meter plastic tubing positioned about top shoulder level.  Holes are punched in ends of tubing and sewn in. For my warm weather jacket over this tubing I drape a homemade D-I-Y hammock w/ mosquito net. No hardware, minimal seams, no paracord; only 107 pound test fabric braided fishing line.

For cold weather, in an oversized field jacket with hood, same sewing operation and then drape over tubing a “horse blanket”. Sometimes instead of small blanket/shaul (spell?), added a couple of wool scarves. 

These type of jackets you posted allow for good modifications the user needs.  Some add an inflatable vest inside for water/amphib work like an evacuation. The rest depends on the thinking process of the prepper.

Can’t comment on the pictured pistol.  Much here going on with ’em.

The fire retardent jackets are expensive. Best to evac early or have contact with Smokey Bear. 

 

Love it, a well thought out approach, the biggest mods I make after adding pockets or clip points is to always remove ALL Velcro Hook and Loop closing tape from all clothing.  When I was a soldier my troop was out on exercise and I was late in joining them. By the time I arrived in the area dusk was falling and I could not see anything. So I started walking, After about 20 minutes I could hear something. it was my troops opening and closing pockets, cuffs, pouches etc that were sealed with Velcro. I just home in on the sound.   within a week none of us had any valcro on our gear. most went over to press studs or canadian slotted buttons.

 

There was a short era when Gortex fabric was just too loud.  Don’t know about improvements.

 

Originally the British SAS had water proof clothing made from natural materiel that was very quiet called Ventile, as soon as it got damp it swelled this stopping water ingress.

 

For the super-dupper well-prepared prepper;

The above link tells of a possible resupply of a replacement for velcro fasteners.  As per above link, still not available nor known if ever will be.

For me, instead of magnetic retrofit closures, I’m waiting for electro-magnetic retrofit closures.  Don’t want any batteries to get wasted.

 

I’ve used a Messenger bag for over 40 years (not the same one) It carries everything I need and is so grey it’s beige! This is the latest. It’s incredibly hard wearing and it goes where I go when I’m out. I like simple.

 

Good philosophy.  I do the same for evacuations.  My bag is mostly for water and high energy types of foods.

Sometimes in this area there’s a blend of terms whereas messenger bag is synomous with flight bag.

 

Brandon, I’ll take your EDC coat and raise you a coat that turns into a tent! Haha who would have thought of this!?

 

https://www.thesuperboo.com/tent-jacket-adiff/

He thought of it !

I once saw someone with a M-65 field jacket (made famous by Fidel Castro) who had sewn onto his jacket a cape.  It was 2 or 3 folds of material. Not enough material to cover a Yukon stove but it could make a small shelter.

It is advantageous for someone starting out in the prepper arena to know about textiles / material, threads and fasteners.  My recommendation is for prepper group, whether neighborhood watch or formal prep gp to visit a sewing store and just browse around under the guidance of someone who knows to thread needles well ahead of time.

Don’t know if a national franchise but the coastal area of Virginia has a company named “Jo Anns”. They have most all that’s needed to include nomex threads, .. for repairing fire retardent garments.  I once repaired gloves. 

Again, they have everything needed for a prepper – except low prices !

Footnote / Addendum: For the volume / weight conscious:  Gutermann threads on narrow spool.

 

Some years ago the IRA detonated bombs on the tube and on a bus in central London, my associate was enroute to a conference. (7/7) Six points I ask people to consider.

1 As soon as everything kicked off the authorities turned off all the cell towers cutting comms for central London. Many buildings were ordered to evacuate, including the one my colleague was visiting. the cops told them in NO UNCERTAIN TERMS to LEAVE THEIR BAGS. (suspecting more bombs)

2 in the US on 911 as the towers burned then fell and people were fleeing blind in thick ash and smoke most had NO OPPORTUNITY to grab their bags, AND also many surviving police heros on that day were telling people or even ordering people to leave there bags behind.

3 On the Madrid train bomb the travellers bags and luggage was stored at the end of the carriages, or in overhead racks.   When the train blew up much luggage was destroyed, more was unaccessible because of structural damage, and more bags were simply scattered when the train screached to a halt. Equally on the high speed trains that crashed in Spain ( train went to fast round a bend)  the baggage and luggage was again scattered or crushed or trapped. In the German high speed train crash when it ploughed into a concrete overbridge the story was the same.

4 When the big ferries capsized and sank in the English channel ( Herald of free enterprise plus another in the Baltic) the lights failed  quickly as the vessels began to role, most bags and luggage could not be grabbed as people tried to climb out of the vessels.

5 When terrorists attacked the Theatre in Paris  and the shoping center in Nairobi most people HAD to abandon their bags and packs as they scrambled to hide and escape, some climbing out of toilet windows or jumping from car park roofs.

6 During the recent wave of civil unrest in the US on multiple occasions drivers were ambushed by gangs of extremists, many were forced to abandon their vehicles and flee, few could recover there bags or packs.  when the dreadful multiple mass shootings in schools occur most students had to flee or were ordered to leave WITHOUT their bags and their hands above their heads.

I respectfully suggest that the best and possibly ONLY place for your CORE ESSENTIAL EDC gear is ON YOUR PERSON and not in a bag, The USEFUL EXTRAS but not essentials obviously can go in bags because it makes sense. But I ask folks to think hard about likely scenarios you MAY face and how easy it is to get separated from your bags.

 

Bill, Above “on target” and as clear as white light passsing through a prism.

A couple of add-ons; When a narrow body civil airliner can successfully cfrash land on a runway, the allocated evacuation time is 100 seconds.  No reaching up for carry-on bag. 

The US mid-Atlantic seaboard corridor experienced 2 terrorist events 20 years ago. A new threat will affect how this area and the rest of the nation reacts.

Page 15, “The Risk Management Framework” https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/Guide-Critical-Infrastructure-Security-Resilience-110819-508v2.pdf  provides a clear-enough explaination as to private citizens preparedness. Those diligent in their preparedness can be called “preppers”.

Like colleague caught up in London event, the mid-Atlantic corridor (Navy Norfolk-Washington, D.C.) and the US Gulf Coast, LOOP [Louisiana Offshore Oil Port] Louisiana, Port Fourchin to the Houston ship channel, will respond to a terrorist event will no private citizen communications and highly restricted private vehicle travel. A crime problem is already present but little reporting.

Once an area is declared a danger zone, there could be mandatory evacuations. The best word to describe these induced evacs is “messy”.

When properly planned and rehearsed, private citizen evacs can be successful. My 2 farthings worth is to have a – group –  for preparedness efforts and an evac.

 

 

I remember a course instructors conversation that went thus

Him,  Bill where your Bug Out Bag and Gear?

Me, In the boot of my car??

Him, Your total survival kit is in the boot (trunk) of your car?

Me, yes safe from preying eyes?

Him, whats under the boot of your car Bill?

Me, …. the Fuel Tank?……… Oh Sh**.

Him, SLAP!  So your car gets torched by rioters or criminals before you get back to it, Now get your map, compass, knife and lighter out..Oh wait you can’t its been destroyed.

 

His other wisdom was ” Never enter a building, office, shop, mall, premise, theatre, diner etc without tagging MULTIPLE ways out.  If you cannot dont go in.”

 

Those type of instructors were and still are more important than all the professors south of Polaris.

 

Other he used that I liked but were not his own was

1 Tracer works both ways

2 A flashlight gives the bad guys an aiming mark

3 It takes 35 minutes for your night vision to fully work and only two seconds for a cretins with a flashlight to ruin it.

4 if its electronic NEVER rely upon it

5 Better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.

6 There are many OLD soldiers and many BOLD soldiers but there aint many Old Bold soldiers

and my favourite

7 The Night and the Wilderness are the two best friends you can have.

 

Good sayings with number 7. surely an adage by now.

I have 2 favorites picked up from those who knew all this:

1. “Where one can live, one can live well.”

2 “If you think you can or if you think you can’t you’re right.”

A dash slightly off but related to thread … favorite of mine re rain; learned it when arriving at Fort Lewis, Washington, Seattle area;

“If you can see Mt Rainier, it is going to rain.  If you cannot see Mt Rainier, it is raining.”

 

If I were to carry much about with me, I think a jacket like that could work very well. (love the tent coat too!) It really puts a whole new on a smart coat. It could be really affective on longer journeys or days out, when as you mention you don’t necessarily want to carry a bag.

 

If a backpack is too much for a situation, I use a drawstring bag like this for any items I need: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B0746J3WVC/

The only downside is that it looks a bit unprofessional if you’re in a work setting, but otherwise it blends in well