Are you curious? I was when I first heard the abbreviation from a friend. Over the years, I’ve learned to tune out mumbo-jumbo, because frankly, survival scene is full of people making up abbreviations to support some latest fad that makes someone a ton of money, but keeping in mind that EDC stands for “EveryDay Carry”, I was a bit intrigued. What is that “RK” that I need to carry? Turns out, “RK”’ stands for “repair kit.” No more. No less. I have always carried several items that can take care of various field needs, including repair items and intuitively, you probably have some of these in your EDC bag or lying around the house. So, my cryptic buddy and I compared our items and found these:
- Multi-purpose tool. I have talked about it in the past. It is classified as a knife, but in reality it is an all-in-one tool that has a screwdriver and a pair of scissors among other things.
- Needle and thread. I have a larger needle and a strong nylon thread to ensure that I can sew or mend a wide array of materials.
- Double faced tape. Need I say more?
- Electrical tape. In survival situations it is possible that you come in contact it hive wires for a ton of reason, one of them being you trying to collect an item that happen to be attached to one.
- Super glue, indoor/outdoor wood glue. You didn’t really think you’ll make it without these, right? I’m sure you can, but just in case…
- Zip ties (fasteners). These are great when you have to hold something together that does not want to stay together and if you’ve ever tried to break a zip tie, you now just how strong and durable they are.
- Tear-Aid Patch and McNett Ultra Strong fabric tape for tent and raingear repair.
- Inflatable boat repair patch. There are many good options for these, ranging from patches to kits. I use Tear-Aid.
- Duck tape. I don’t have to explain, do I? I have repaired a heavy backpack with duck tape and it held up so well, I delayed getting a new one.
- Oil in small oil can. Oil is great because it gets stuck things going and makes creaky things move quietly.
- Thin wire. I am impartial to wire because I have seen how useful it has been in survival situations. I small roll of thin wire can go a long way to repair or rig something. If you don’t have any throw in a few twisty-ties.
- If you wear glasses, adding a small glass repair kit can be a lifesaving idea.
One more note about Everyday Cary bags… Everyone’s needs are different. Some of us can’t carry a backpack with us wherever we go. Gauge what your needs are.
If you can’t fit a full-blown repair kit in your EDC bag (which may happen to be your purse), throw in some tape, a multi-purpose tool and needle with thread, but keep a full service EDC bag with additional repair items in your car where you can easily grab it.
To your survival,
Richard Marshall
