Every Day Carry - What's In My Day Pack
Leave The House Ready, Like A Minuteman.
the other day, in my If You’re a Minuteman, Dress the Part post, I talked about a day pack I carry with me. Including some of what is in it. But I didn’t get down to the nitty gritty of what’s in there. I’ve built this up over the years to be able to leave the house and function without needing to come home or go to an office of some sort. So, let’s dive into what the Modern Minuteman has in his pack when he goes out the door.
You do have a basic pack with you, right? A casual day pack is a completely normal thing to carry with you. You look like a student, commuter, consultant, not a tactical guy. Don’t carry around a tactical bag with gear hung off it every which way. Unless you really want people thinking that you are a cop or Tacticool Joe.
And, properly set up, your day pack can cover most any likely emergency while you are out of the house. It can keep you going for a day with gear, even in the event of an earthquake or tornado or similar emergency situation. If you are dealing with a hurricane, please spend some time to properly load out for a week prior to evacuating. But, if you are dealing with an emergency that comes on you quickly, whether manmade or natural, that day pack can be a lifesaver.
Broken down into sections of contents, here’s what I have: First Aid, Office, Food & Water, Other Needs
First Aid
I have a Tacticon IFAK V1, Condor EMT Pouch, 2X NAR 6” Pressure Bandages, Nitrile gloves, gauze, TQ Holder, NAR CAT tourniquet, NAR trauma shears, and black ink pen. You can treat just about any injury or wound with this. It’s not quite the combat lifesaver bag we had in the Army, but it’s got me covered for most situations I will encounter. I have two tourniquets (one is in the IFAK) and two bandages because you never apply your own to someone else.
Office
I carry enough stuff to be able to work or communicate with friends and family while outside the house. My phone is a cellular hotspot, so I can connect my iPad to my phone. As long as cellular service is working, I’m good to go. I’m considering signing up for Starlink and then I am really independent of WiFi and Cell service staying up and running.
My office supplies include a yellow notepad, a squishy ball, an Atomic Bear pen (I can break windows with it, not just write), a wall charger and a bunch of cables for iPhone, iPad, and watch, an Anker battery that can charge my devices a couple times over, my iPad with keyboard, and a pouch to keep all the cables in.
Food & Water
I keep this pretty straightforward, just a liter of water and 4 protein bars. That’s a total of 800 calories and enough water to not get dehydrated during the day. I can also use the water for first aid, if I need to.
Other
I always have a ball cap, sunglasses, toothbrush and toothpaste, Tylenol and ibuprofen, and gloves with me. The gloves are Magpul Patrol gloves, in case I need them and they are also better than no gloves if I am out in the cold/wet. And I carry an extra box of self-defense ammo. My normal EDC pistol is a Springfield Armory 1911 Ronin EMP 4” with 2x 10 round magazines and so I carry an extra 20 rounds with me. Just cause you never know.
Not pictured here is the cash in my wallet. Make sure you have cash on you at all times. As people in the Carolinas are finding out right now, when there is no electricity our normal “use a card on a POS device” doesn’t work very well. If you need food, a cup of coffee, gas, etc and you have cash, you are most likely able to get it. If all you have is cards, that won’t work out well.
All told, my Eddie Bauer day pack with all that gear in it weighs 11 lbs. Add in my other EDC stuff (pistol, extra mag, Leatherman, flashlight) and we are up around 15 lbs of daily carry. That’s not very much, really, and it can save your life or the lives of people around you. Not to mention keeping you fed and hydrated, dealing with a headache, and able to communicate with friends and family.
A prepared citizen should have a day pack handy with the gear they need for a couple hours outside the house. Don’t just assume that civilization will cater to you. When it really matters, be prepared.
I can vouch for Starlink. I had the antenna installed on my roof and the speed is orders of magnitude above the Frontier landline crap that was the only other thing offered in this (semi rural) area.
If you REALLY want autonomous capability, check this out:
https://www.starlink.com/roam
Haven’t tried myself, but if I were embarking on a major trip, I’d seriously consider it.
Nice work here- learned a couple of things. I work from home, so there is that. When I go out, typically it's to visit a restaurant or hit Publix, I carry a small bag with me. Have 'bout half of what you listed. FYI, I have a Rock Island BBR in 45acp, 3.5 inch.