4 Everyday Carry Items for Ultimate Convenience and Preparedness

You never know what’s going to happen when you step out of your home’s front door for the day. It’s one of the exciting things about life. Alas, while you’ll hope that the surprises that come your way will be positive, it’s also important to acknowledge that you could also find yourself in less-than-ideal situations. It’s not nice to find that your smartphone is low on battery, or that you’ve been caught in a downpour.

You can’t always control what happens to you, but you can often control how prepared you are to deal with those things. While mindset is important, the EDC — Everyday Carry — items you select to have with you each day will likely have the biggest impact.

Smartphone 

In truth, we probably don’t need to mention the importance of carrying a smartphone. The average American spends more than seven hours looking at screens, so in all likelihood, you’ll be unlikely to ever leave home without your device. Still, it’s vitally important, so we’ve included it. As well as the device itself, it’s best to carry a portable power bank plus a charging cable with you. After all, there are few things more stressful than trying to navigate the outside world when you only have 1% battery!

Personal Safety Items

Carrying personal safety items does more than just keep you physically safe. It can help to keep you psychologically safe. You’ll have more confidence exploring the wider world when you know you have protective items with you. There’s no shortage of products on the market. You might carry pepper spray or a weapon in a concealed carry holster. Even carrying a small, portable flashlight can be considered a personal safety item, since it’ll boost your safety when arriving home late at night. It can also be useful to carry some painkillers, band-aids, and other basic first-aid kit items. You’ll hope you never use them, but you’ll be glad you packed them if you do.

Pack a Notebook and Pen

Carrying a notebook and pen is often underrated or overlooked. If you find yourself sitting by yourself — say, on public transport or having lunch — then a notebook and pen can be a nice way to spend a little bit of time with yourself, express some thoughts, and maybe jot down a few ideas. If you’re not much of a writer, then carry a book or Kindle with you. It can be a lot more useful to read a book rather than simply scrolling through Instagram. 

Water Bottle and Snacks

Finally, pack a water bottle and a few snacks, which will allow you to keep your hydration and energy levels throughout the day. Plus, bringing your own water and food will be much better for the environment and for your bank balance — and it’s a lot easier to enjoy the day when you’re not constantly looking for snacks.