Imagine this.

You're on a long, exhausting drive home from a relative's place in the middle of a forested mountain miles away from the urban jungle you're used to. Your eyes feel heavy, the dash-board lights become dreamy blurs in your night vision and the clock on the radio seems to have gone back in time. What time was it when you last checked the time? How much further do you have to go? How was your wife's day? You imagine laying in bed with her--your fingers running through her silk-like hair. She smiles and you smile back. Then all of a sudden the loudest explosion you'll ever hear wakes you from your slumber and your vehicle tumbles down a steep decline at the side of the highway you were just driving on.


Tossing and turning, vertigo kicking in, you don't believe how many curse words you've repeated in a span of thirty seconds and then suddenly...things stop, just as fast as they started. Obviously, you're awake, dazed and confused; wondering what the hell just happened. A small fire bursts from the crumpled front end of your jeep and adrenaline kicks in. You struggle to undo the seat-belt, at this point not even caring how the hell the fire started but the belt's jammed. You groan and curse and yell as you struggle to free yourself.


But out of the blue your thoughts calm and instinct kicks in.

Your knife.


Fumbling for the Spydero clipped inside your pocket, you flip out the silver blade that glints in the light from the fire and slash at the fabric running across your chest and hips. Unraveling the belt, you attempt to move only to feel a shocking pain shooting up your spine from your right leg. Taking a quick glance, you notice that you're bleeding from just below the knee cap. The fire begins to engulf the remainder of the engine block and it creeps forward towards you. You respiratory and circulatory rate shoot up, your vision narrows and the pain in your leg suddenly subsides. You even have the foresight to grab your Maxpedition backpack out from behind the passenger seat. Just as you begin to crawl out of the already broken driver's side window--you notice that the fire is moving faster and faster at you.

Without another thought you hoist your self up by grabbing the top of your door and with all your might you extricate your self out of the vehicle as if you've done it millions of times. Those hard early mornings of jogging and weight lifting pays off doesn't it?

Tumbling onto the dirt, you notice that your jeep is now in flames and you know you have to move. Picking yourself up, you jump down into a small dip in the ground by some roots of a tall Grand fir tree. Another explosion--your vehicle is gone. But hopefully it's just a matter of time until someone sees the flames.

A sudden tickling feeling felt on your right leg and you realize that the bleeding hasn't stopped on its own. Rolling up your jean pant legging you realize that there's a rather nasty gash and a steady flow of crimson coming out of it. Instincts kick in. You dig into the breast pocket of your jacket, fish around for the Z-Pak gauze pack and field dressing you taped together and separate the two. Opening up the vacuum-sealed pack of gauze, you press it into your leg. A white hot stinging pain is the consequence but you know you have to do it. Keeping direct pressure with the gauze on your leg, you tear open the field dressing with your teeth and place it over the packing gauze and tie the bandage tails.

You think you're in the clear but something tells you to just make sure. Pulling out your SureFire E1B flashlight from your pocket, you use the deadly bright 200-lumen LED to shine at the environment around you.

Nothing but continuing darkness and trees.

Laying onto your back, you take one deep breath and wait for rescue. You got enough supplies in your backpack for about three to four days, including enough light and other resources to ensure you are picked up by the authorities.

One last thought enters your mind before rest. What's your wife going to think after you blew up the jeep?

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Just a short story I decided to write. It comes as a situation that can happen to any of us, no matter how well aware you are. Life is short, and it can be shorter. Make sure you live it fully to the end.

Everyday Carry or "EDC" / Pocket-dump

I believe every person should have a form of Everyday Carry load-out. It's the certain items one would carry to help them get through the day, or at least, have the confidence to get through. As mentioned in my first post, you need three things--the mindset, the training to make it instinctive, and then the gear to help. Everyday Carry (or EDC) helps to cover the last of the three. There are three basic essentials a person needs on their person (excluding a cell-phone if you have one).

They are:
-A Flashlight: You need something to light up the darkness around you.
-A Folding knife: (check your local provincial / state laws to ensure you're not getting into trouble). Simply put--you need something to cut open packages, twist screws, cut clothing in emergencies or (if it comes down to it) a force-option.
-A Lighter: I would suggest this not because of smoking, but for the reason that when man discovered fire, it has become our symbol of our resilience against all odds. Lost in the woods and cold? Well, you get my point.

However there are people out there that carry a little more. Listing off mine, I'll tell you why and how I carry them.

My EDC:

-Schrade Extreme Survival Folding knife. (May be traded out with a Benchmade 950 Osborne Rift).
-Streamlight Stylus Pro Flashlight. (The size of a sharpie with 48 lumens of task-light).
-My lucky jet-lighter. (Review on this later).
-Maxpedition Micro-Wallet. (A small wallet that can hold the bare essentials and still have room in your pocket for more).
-Rite in the Rain notepad. (The paper is coated to allow someone to write in all kinds of environmental obstacles).
-Rite in the Rain Vital Statistics notepad. (Being a certified EMR, I may find myself dealing with a medical emergency and needing a place to organize my patient's information).
-Medical gloves. (I need to protect myself from possible blood-pathogens or any other hazards when dealing with medical emergencies. I carry Nitrile usually--a kind of synthetic rubber--lots of people becoming allergic to latex).
-A pen. (Obvious reasons).
-House key with tools. Namely a Homeguard whistle (calling for help), a Streamlight Nano keychain (flashlight on keys? awesome), Nail clippers (annoying hangnails right?), a USB flashdrive (important info of mine), and a Trekker Pen (can write in all kinds of conditions and can be used as a small defensive tool).
-SureFire G2 Flashlight. (Usually carried off-duty at night with friends).
-CRKT Rescue Hook on a sheath on my boot. (Never know when you gotta cut seat-belts or clothing in emergencies).
-Casio G-Shock 3230 Wrist-watch. (No explanation needed).
-Paracord Bracelet in Dark green w/ buckle. (Paracord, or parachute cord, or 550 cord, is a kind of rope that can hold a 550 pound object. People have used these to save lives or to repair things.)

Now, as you can see that looks like a lot for me to carry but I would not leave the house without any of those things on me.

There are three things to consider when attempting to make yourself an EDC:
-Safety: Can you create your own risk-management against threats?
-Security: Can you protect your belongings?
-Survival: When Sh*t Hits the Fan, are you capable of using minimal tools to get through until you're home or in your vehicle to head home?

Prepare for the things out of your hands. You cannot change the weather or any kind of hazards that are in front of you, you might as well adapt and fight through it. Consider making yourself an EDC and hopefully you will feel better about living your life.