Everyday Carry - First Aid Kit

In my last post I reviewed the pack I use as part of my everyday carry. Today I'm going to talk about the items I carry inside of it.

Starting in the upper left hand corner on the picture below I have hand sanitizer (also a nice addition to starting a camp fire), Quik Clot Gauze, a Gerber Bear Grylls fire-starter and whistle, about ten feet of duct tape wrapped around a credit card, a screw driver with two flat head and two Phillips bits, a Bic lighter, a Gerber knife sharpener, a pair of travel scissors, water treatment tablets, four nitrile gloves - a pair for me and someone else, a muslin bandage, ten small bandages, a half dozen powdered drink mixes, more ibuprofen, self-adhesive tape, two handi-wipes, lip balm, cough drops, an ink pen, a large rubber band and super glue.

I carry an Israeli Battle Dressing in my pack as well. It does not fit in the case with the other items. It is vacuum sealed and self-contained. Is it perfect? Definitely not, but it does give me peace of mind while I'm strolling about.

Name Your Link

Everyday Carry - Backpack

For folks without a car (like myself) we have to carry our Go Bag (also referred to as a Bug Out Bag or Get Out Of Dodge Bag). I prefer to call it my Go Bag, just because it doesn't sound so ominous.

The nice thing about working in a city is there are so many people carrying backpacks that no one gives me a second look. I was issued this great pack back in 2004, prior to a visit to Iraq. It traveled with me while I was coaching and is a great carry on bag (empty the bladder before security!) when flying. It has really seen some miles since I moved to Rhode Island as my daily Go Bag.

It has an insulated area for the 100 ounce hydration pack. On hot days I fill it with ice cubes and water, for the next eight hours or so I have plenty of ice water.

The bag itself is extremely roomy. In addition to the compartment for the Camelbak Hydration unit, there are four more individual compartments. The biggest will hold a laptop and XBox 360 console with room to spare. There is a smaller mesh compartment built into the large area. Right now I have a 100' bundle of para-cord, a bottle of ibuprofen, and a Frontier Pro water filter in that mesh pocket for an idea of it's size.

The middle compartment is an organizational area. Great area for small items that you need to organize, pens, electronics, chargers, keys, etc.

The final pocket on the back is easy to access. You can leave the pack on your right shoulder, take it off your left and slide it around to open it. It's a decent size pocket that will hold a couple of small paper back books (think Louis L'Amour not phonebooks) and whatever else you want to keep close at hand.

The Cordura fabric has held up amazingly well for all the traveling and walking it's been through. It's not water proof per se, but it does a really decent job of letting most of the water trickle off.

It has MOLLE strips on the back, with a couple on each side to attach a few things. The chest and waist straps are handy. The waist strap is well padded and does take a fair amount of weight off your shoulders and support it on your hips.

If you're looking for a sturdy long term pack give this one a look. It's not cheap, but it does a lot of things really well.

All Aboard the Shoe Leather Express

I've been driving since I was fourteen, as that was the legal age in the early 1990's back in Idaho, and I've had a car for all but four months since my senior year of high school. I sold my car before I left Idaho for my new job in Rhode Island. I had a rental car for the week before I started work to find a place to live and get settled in, but as of March 13, 2011 I was without wheels. So what have I learned?

First and foremost I'm still alive, so not having a car is not a fatal condition. Have there been times where it would have been more convenient to own a car? Absolutely. However, since I made this move to pay off debt, the savings in gas, parking, maintenance has definitely overshadowed any inconveniences. 

So, how do I get where I need to go? The Shoe Leather Express, as a TI used to say during Air Force Basic Military Training. As of October 30, 2011 I've logged 649 miles on Noom, a GPS application for Android. I've burned approximately 71,000 calories and lost 15 pounds, not a bad trade off for no car. I've walked to Seekonk, Massachusetts east, Lincoln, RI north, and Cranston, RI to the south. There really isn't a better way to learn a new city, than by walking it. As far as prepping goes, I know for sure that I can walk 10-15 miles with a decent load on any given day.

On the days it's too wet, too cold, or I simply slept in too long I take the bus. I don't enjoy the bus, at all, ever. But it's generally dry, and the bus system here in Rhode Island does have a bus running about every 10 minutes. (Have I mentioned how broke Rhode Island is?)

But what if I really need a car? I've whittled it down to two options, ZIP Car, which I've only used a handful of times. $50 membership fee, and $8 an hour to rent anytime (gas included!) It really couldn't be easier, reserve online, waive your RFID card over the reader in the windshield and drive away. Cheaper than a taxi, with none of the smell.

For the weekends I have Guard Drill I have rented a car from Thrifty. Weekend rates with taxes and gas fill up usually cost me about $65. For the extra income it's been a fair trade off for me.

In my next post I'll talk about the pack and the contents therein that have been with me all over my treks.