Paracord Bracelet (550 Cord)

Ever been in a dire situation, where you need some kind of rope or line to repair equipment, raise a tent or even save a life? Well, even if you haven't, would you want something stylish-looking and practical wrapped around your wrist and ready?

If you do, you need one of these....

Paracord (or 550 cord) bracelets are fashionable, yet extremely practical, wrist-bands made of 550 cord. Generally one strain of paracord is strong enough to hold 550 pounds of weight (hence the 550. Figured out why they're called "Paracord"? Think about it. Yep, it's parachute cord.). Soldiers overseas have used this to repair rifle slings, gear bags while first responders have them for just in case need. A well-prepared human being, during a flood, used one to save a little girl who almost drowned and from what I heard, someone used this to prove he can hang off of his apartment room window.

They usually vary in size and weave, and costs $12.00-$15.00 in CAD. Some may come with a mini-buckle release or in a knot. Colours differ--OD green, desert tan, black, pink, yellow, blue, black / blue, red...you name it. They range in 12-16 feet (when unraveled). At this very moment, I'm staring at mine. :)

EMT Shears

Health-care professionals, Law Enforcement / Security, Firefighters, Soldiers / Operators and any person trying to get through life will need one of these. EMT Shears (also called Trauma shears) were originally designed for first responders or military / private contract personnel to give them the ability to cut a patient's clothes off cleanly, or for any other use. Shears, as they're generally called, aren't ordinary scissors. Take some scissors from your desk drawer and just try to cut a dime or a penny in two. The reason for going over the edge in that manner is the fact that these things need to cut through tough leather, ballistic-nylon or thick clothing to expose wounds / injuries that the first responder may need to see.

If you're wondering, the reason for the bend and that little hook at the tip is to make sure that the patient remains further unharmed while you snip away at what's in the way.

My three: Black / Silver, Black / Tactical and Desert Tan / Tactical

They are available in black, OD green, desert tan, rescue orange or urban green handles and have either non-reflective black coating on the shears or plain silver. Some of the good ones (made in Germany) come with an O2 hole drilled into one of the shear-blades in order for a first responder / medic to open up the oxygen tank.

Keep one close by, inside your backpack / purse, your Bug-out or operational gear, LBV / MOLLE / Plate-carrier vests or (where most keep them), in a blow-out trauma kit or medic bag (which I will go over later). Oh yeah, there are also Mini-EMT shears that are great for smaller trauma kits / medic bags.

$4.00-$5.00 CAD.

Gerber MP600 Needlenose 07550G (Non-EOD) Multi-tool

Every man or woman should have some kind of multi-tool in their possession--Leathermans, Gerbers, Victorinox, to name a few. Again, stressing that anything can come across in your life that will delay your progress, you will need the basic tools to get you past that. One of them is the Gerber MP600 Needlenose 0755G (Non-EOD) Multi-tool.

There are many components that this 8.2 oz tool carries. Ranging from blades, a wire-cutter, its plier, various-sized and different screwdrivers, can and bottle openers and even a lanyard ring, this thing gets you past most of the obstacles that you may come across. One very, very neat feature is the one-handed opening. The needlenose pliers and wire-cutters are hidden within the tool itself to make it compact enough to hide in its ballistic-nylon sheath. Length closed is around 5 inches, and overall is 6.56 inches.

MP600 Closed

It does come with an accessories kit that has additional bits that the original tool itself may have missed.

The unfortunate side about this item is the fact that, unlike Leathermans (popular multi-tool company), the tools are located within the handle where the person would have to flick open the pliers (by the way, they're not held open via internal spring), find what you need, lock it open and then slide the pliers closed for extra security. However, this is still an issued-tool to troops overseas and is still reliable enough to do the job. I should know, I have this snuggled in a 5.11 Tactical magazine holster on my duty-belt and I use it frequently.

It costs around $99.99 CAD without tax.

Schrade Extreme Survival Folding Knife (Unknown model)

I never figured that Walmart would have such a great folding knife for such a cheap price ($20.00 CAD). This Schrade Extreme Survival folder (SC5TBS) is light, durable, slick and comes with a tanto-point and combo edge (half-serrated). It has a smooth opening, where one could flick it open in tactical situations or simply deploy it in "friendlier" situations (you know, to not scare the Sheeple ;) ) and the liner-lock keeps it steady when unfolded. One minor draw-back is the inability to switch the pocket clip, so if you're left handed, unfortunately you may have to live with it in your Support / Weak / Non-reactive side. The half-serrated blade is good enough if one would need to cut some rope or line, and the smooth blade is for the other tasks that may be in your way.

If you happen to see this knife, pick it up right away as either a back-up for your Primary carry or (as what I do) have it as that. Best EDC knife I've had so far.

Streamlight Stylus Pro

Honestly one of the best Everyday Carry lights available in the market, the Streamlight Stylus Pro runs at 48 lumens of light capability to allow the user to see things in the dark. Light enough in your pocket and the same length and width as a regular Sharpie pen, you may forget that it's there until you actually need it. The case material is aircraft-grade aluminium with a MIL-spec coating that reduces the chances of having abrasion marks and its tough poly-carbonate lens makes it even stronger if and when you drop it, allowing it to protect the C4 white LED. It's run-time is 6.25 hours and the LED itself has 30,000 hours of use. It also comes in a green LED at 5 lumens to save night vision and lasts 50,000 hours.

The tail-cap switch is both momentary and click-on for constant use. Momentary, best suited for quick searches, and the click-on / constant for bigger tasks. It's unbreakable clip next to the tail-cap allows you to clip it into your pocket instead of fishing around for it.

One great thing about this light, aside from all the other great features; the batteries. Simply pick up two AAA cells, slip them in and you're ready to shine this little thing. It doesn't need the expensive SureFire CR123A batteries that almost costs a fortune. It's available in matte black, silver, green, blaze orange, blue and red.

This light is best suited for law enforcement / security, health-care professionals, industrial workers and mechanics and a simple everyday carry item.

The one reason why I prefer this over it's smaller brother (Streamlight MicroStream, which I'll do a review later on), is that it still gives me that option of a point-impact weapon against an assailant if need be.

Be it a power outage, a back-up light source or just to find your house keys that you may have dropped in your car you will want this in your possession. Costs around $20-30 CAD.

Medic!

Obstacles in life come at us at random times, most are harmless (although delaying) but at times there will be some that create hazards for us to. I firmly believe that when it comes to medical emergencies, it becomes our task to help those in need. Remember we're in this harsh reality together, we can make it better for all of us, or crap on each other and make nothing better.

When a situation strikes, the person that is bleeding or ill is someone's loved one and chances are they are also some kind of positive contribution in some form or way to the rest of us. The average person on the street should know at least how to check vitals, stop hemorrhaging, to hold c-spine or even perform "Hands-Only" CPR. However the unfortunate reality is that we depend on someone else to call 911 while we walk away. Why? Simple reason, we are too into our own lives.

I took the EMR (Emergency Medical Responder training, equivalent to the U.S EMT-B / EMT-I) in order to better prepare myself for these kind of situations. I've always liked to help and better educate those around me with the experiences I've picked up. I'm still considering a career in EMS so I can be put into a better position of doing so. However, at the moment I volunteer my spare time to provide medical services at events / private gatherings or for sports teams. I've been doing that for a long time to realize the importance of having everyone trained.

I understand; careers, family life and other stresses get in the way where one cannot take a month-long course. But at the very least people, please get some kind of training done--even if it's only for a few hours. When it's you or your loved ones, being there for them is better than buying that new car or outfit. Try it and see what I mean.

We all strive to be better right?

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.