My wallet is the first thing I carry which could help me if something bad happens. Inside of the wallet I carry survival tools all of us should have. The number one item is my bank card. With this I can handle anything from running out of gas to needing a hotel room for the night. I can buy water, food and shelter. For 99% of the situations I could find myself in plastic would be my first response. What the bank card can't cover the credit cards in my wallet should be able to cover. My medical insurance card would be the next important item in my wallet. The reason for this is obvious, if you have insurance you can go to the doctor's office, hospital or urgent care without being hassled about how to pay for it! Driver's license would be next. In case I need to prove who I am or to gain entry into my neighborhood if it is restricted to residents only. Should I be unconscious for some reason having my ID with me will help those trying to locate my family. Triple A card has come in handy several times when my truck has had a flat or just broke down. They can change a flat faster and safer on a busy freeway with their equipment then I can with the jack in the truck. Why risk it if you can have a professional come do it? Twice now I have had to have my truck put on a flatbed and driven off the freeway. The membership fees have paid for themselves at this point.
"This does not read like a list of emergency items to have?" Yes I can hear you! All of us are more prepared than we think we are, we just need to see what we have in a slightly different light. Dealing with emergencies is not just about stuffing a closet full of MREs it starts with simple things like realizing having your wallet with you all the time is important. Ladies you are way ahead of us men, your purse is already a stocked emergency kit! I have yet to see the inside of a regular purse, not the tiny one you use when dressed up, which did not have enough stuff to qualify for an emergency kit and if you are a mother you have enough in there for two or more!
Lighter would be the most used item I carry on me all the time. Doing this is easy since I'm a smoker. Which means I always have a pack of cigarettes with me. Smokes are great for making friends, calming nerves, starting fires and sealing sucking chest wounds during an emergency. Yes I know smoking is bad for me..... yada yada yada.......
Next would be a pocket knife. There are all kinds of daily uses for a pocket knife and in an emergency having a tool with you could be the difference between being a statistic and making it home. A good quality clip on or old school pocket knife is all you need to carry, this is a tool not the giant bowie knife you fight off zombies with. Of course if a self defense situation arises you could use the knife to defend yourself but this is not the primary use of the knife.
I carry two flashlights, a small one connected to my key ring and another flashlight in my pocket. Both are used mostly to find dropped items under tables at restaurants or to make shadow puppets on the ceiling. They also get used more rarely to see what is making noise in the middle of the night.
Sunglasses are the last thing I would add to my personal everyday carry list.
These are the items I always seem to have on me. The expanded list changes depending on what I am doing that day and who is going with me. With these items I can deal with a large spectrum of incidents I could be faced with.
Keep in mind this is just the stuff in my pockets on most days.
Stay Safe!
