Willfully Incapable People

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David E

David E

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I swear I don't get it. People willfully making themselves incapable and nearly helpless. I see folks wearing pajamas and slippers to Walmart. Frequently.

Men and women used to carry at least a pen knife in their pocket or purse, but not now. Is it a side effect of silly "no tolerance" policies that suspend 5 yr olds for drawing a picture of a gun or knife?

I remember news footage of Katrina where National Guard troops (18 yr old kids) searching everyone wanting to enter the Super Dome and confiscating nasty weapons like nail clippers, etc.

At a group get together recently, someone brought a watermelon, but forgot a knife. It sat there untouched until I wanted some. I took out my knife and cut up the melon. It was soon gone. IE; everyone wanted some, but had no way to cut it.

A few weeks ago, at a child's birthday party, they couldn't light the candles because no one had a lighter. One guy thought he had one in his truck and was on his way to get it when I found out the situation. I lit the candles right away, with no needless pause in the action. (Important with 4-5 yr olds)

Next, they couldn't cut the cake because, you guessed it, no one had a knife. I saw someone trying to fashion a cutting edge from ripped cardboard. Once again I cut the cake quickly and easily with no pause in the proceedings.

No one looked twice at me (that I saw) or said anything, but I was once again struck by how many people, male and female, don't carry very basic tools with them.

The other day I saw National Geographic's "American Blackout," where the power grid goes down due to a cyber attack. The jittery footage is annoying after awhile, but it did illustrate that you can't schedule an emergency. What you have with you matters.

I don't smoke (never have) but I've carried a lighter since my teens. And I've always carried a knife. Those two things alone have solved a lot of minor problems thru the decades, often for other people.

What is your most useful EDC item? What's the biggest problem you solved with it?
 
Swiss Army knife. Main blade,screw driver,can opener, awl get most use-corkscrew,not so much. A sturdy wooden cane helps with walking, keeping balance.Can be used for other purposes as well.Stash of emergency cash. Cell Phone. Note: add lighter to jacket pocket (non smoker).
 
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I like the statement "basic tools". I have two baskets by the door. One basket is good to go knives and the other is clean and sharpen knives. A plastic peanut jar full of disposable lighters sits below these. Two flashlights sit next to the jar. Also is a can with several pair of reading glasses. I tend to forget things at times so I have backups handy.
I never go out of the house without a SAK in my pocket, a lighter, extra glasses, some string/paracord, flashlight and bandana.
 
I always carried a knife and a lighter after ten years of not using the lighter I just carry my knife(and ccw when I can)
This is in addition to cash, handkerchief,and keys
 
+1 on the bandanna. Most all of us already have a SAK or another blade with us always and that's great, but I only recently re-re-re-discovered the handiness of having a bandanna in my pocket. It has come in handy so often lately that I think all of these emergencies lately were just waiting for me to "hanky up" and then came at me at once. First aid, oven mitt, carrying sack, napkin, Kleenex, paper towel, sweatband, and dust mask are the latest uses I've needed it for.
 
I add an expired credit card with about three feet of duct tape wrapped around it.

Hardly a week goes by that someone does not marvel at the fact that I just so happen to have my teeny-weenie Swiss Army knife, or a flashlight on my keychain.
 
Pardon the ignorance but what is a 'SAK'?

My EDC is my CCW, a Leatherman Wave, my Benchmade Griptillian, a ball point pen, a Maglite XL200 flashlight, and the newest addition (as others have said even though I don't smoke) is a $2.00 'torch' lighter.

I completely agree that people these days are horribly Ill prepared for everyday life much less any type of emergency or even minor 'hiccup' that might occur.

I recently (in Aug) did a camping overnight with a friend wth nothing but our hunting backpacks. Learned ALOT! The most important of which was always have a flashlight, a knife and a reliable way to start fire. Without any one of these your chances are FAR lower. We also learned that even though it was "still 50 degrees" (which in Maine we think is warm), we got absurdly cold and spent all night keeping the fire stocked and did not sleep. This then rendered us almost useless the next day. Bottom line lesson learned: if you get lost, you are FAR better off expending the energy to make progress towards getting found than just 'hole up' and wait for daylight.
 
you can't schedule an emergency
Click to expand...

Not even with Outlook!;)

Like scramasax I carry a mini Bic lighter, bandana, pocket knife, flashlight. The knife has a paracord fob. The Mini Bic has some tape wrapped around it.
 
If I carry a lighter around it would be a constant reminder that I crave a cigarette. Trying to keep smoking to a minimum right now.
 
I too am often amazed by the lack of preparedness displayed by many ... Driving over our mountain passes in the winter, I've had occasion to note -- when the passes are closed suddenly (avalanche control or simply too dangerous) -- college students and other folk getting out of their vehicles, dressed in shorts and t-shirts -- in mid-winter at a Cascade mountain summit! Having spent hours at a time waiting for the pass to be cleared, I've confirmed that many of these idiots don't even have winter coats, blankets, lights or even spare food or water in their vehicles ...

I carry at least two flashlights, keep spare CR-123 batteries in my car ... My Leatherman or a Gerber are always with me, as well as at least one folder (such as a Spyderco Endura) ... Like others, I've employed my knives as cutting tools when others had none, started fires for some clueless folks, but have never had occasion to employ my McGuyver skills in a dire emergency ... yet.
 
Multi-tool, specifically a Leatherman. Every single time that I leave it at home, I end up needing it in a bad way.

Like this morning for example.

I left it on my dresser instead of belting it up. I go pick up some donuts for the guys this morning and for some odd reason I locked my keys in my truck. No problem, I always wire a spare key to the frame somewhere under each vehicle I drive. Thing is... I did't have a way to unwind that dang wire (tough, heavy wire with short ends). My fingers NEVER would have been able to free up that key without getting torn and bloody. That's what the Leatherman's for. Well, I fiddled with it for several minutes with nothing buy my pocketknife. Finally got that wire unwound and the key got me on my way. So I way laying there in the parking lot, half under my truck for a good while when that Leatherman would have kept me from putting more than one knee on the ground.

Figures.

Although I occasionally do leave the Leatherman behind for no good reason, I never go without a pocket knife and flashlight.
 
I am 62. I have carried a pocket knife every day of my life since I was given my first one at the age of 8. (and I've lost most of them, darn it...) and a fingernail clippers. Funny how some point on either of them usually fits a loose screw I'm trying to take care of...
 
I too never leave the house without one, and preferably two knives. My SAK was given to me as a gift for my 30th birthday and has been in my pocket since. I'll be 66 next week. My other one is a Spyderco or a Kershaw. I'm another one that always has the tool on me to fix something. A small flashlight is usually close by, and I usually grab one of several canes standing by the front door when going out. Be Prepared :)
 
David E said:
I swear I don't get it. People willfully making themselves incapable and nearly helpless. I see folks wearing pajamas and slippers to Walmart. Frequently.
Click to expand...
I think the main problem is that most people just don't think. Most people behave as though they believe they live in a fairytale world where nothing bad ever happens. That's the main reason so many people are massacred each year by active shooters; because too many of us stable Americans just don't care to ask the what if questions, and even fewer of us prepare based on those questions.
 
Everyday I carry on me a Benchmade 940, a Nitecore D10 light, and Knipex cobra pliers. In my coat pocket is a mini bic, UST wetfire, a box of waterproof matches in a little baggy, a sunwayman V11R, a few extra batteries, warm leather gloves and a UA cap. In my truck is all manner of gear. I can't even go on vacation without my redwings and a couple pairs of tough jeans, plus my normal load. You never know when things will go south, or when you may want to hang out in the woods all night without a trip home. Heck even my wife carries a mini leatherman and quality led light in her purse. But then you have my sister, whom I bought a really nice purse light. She looked at it like I bought her a pair of horns. And all the guys at work, electricians who among them don't own a decent flashlight. Even though 2/3's of their work is in the dark.
 
Ok.

I have a really simple kit, and I carry it everywhere I go.

Over my time carrying them, its hard to tell which one i've used more.

Over time, the knife changes, but its always small- partially serrated, and really sharp. Thats probably the only one thats really ever saved my life- so I vote that one.
 

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Chlorine in the gene pool I guess. My relatives still live in Akron and Cincinnati. Total denial that its going wrong around them. One of them at least carries spray.

Met them in S. Padre Island a couple years back and when I pulled out my Kershaw to open a box their eyes nearly bugged out. I really think its life long conditioning by the nanny state.
 
My EDC is pretty basic but covers most stuff that comes up. It's all on my keychain, and light enough not to put a strain on my ignition switch (or so it seems; my EDC has been standardized for years and so far it's never harmed the switch). At any rate it consists of: my keys (obviously!), a Fenix E01 with a lithium AAA cell and a Spyderco Ladybug in ZDP-189. At one point I carried a mini-SAK for the tweezers and scissors (especially the scissors!) but it was subpar at the main function, ie being a knife. The Ladybug, while small, is a very capable cutter!

Sadly I'm really averse to having a bunch of crap in my pockets, so what I carry is a compromise/balance. I could carry a slightly larger knife, maybe a Dragonfly, but that would require a smaller flashlight. And I hate to ditch the E01 because it's a fantastic light! Bright enough for most tasks with great run time, and since it switches by twisting the bezel it's dead reliable.

One thing I don't have as part of my EDC is a lighter. I own many of them but as a life-long non-smoker I simply don't carry one. If I'm camping, hiking or going somewhere where I travel through desolate areas I'll have a couple along (and a larger, more capable knife) but not in town. My wilderness EDC has stuff like that.

I do keep a pretty good amount of kit in my truck, however! Any time you see a guy driving an old truck you can be there will be a certain amount of gear inside. Along the lines of the OP it's really shocking how many people don't carry the most very basic things like a jack!:cuss::banghead: It's amazing how many times I've had to help someone change a tire or jump their car only to find they had neither jack, lug wrench nor jumper cables.:confused: Seriously- who doesn't have a jack! I always have a 4-way wrench, hydraulic jack, heavy-duty jumper cables, a multitool and an axe...yeah, an axe! :eek::D
 
I live in high desert plateau, 5000' in Az. each vehicle has water, hatchet, saw, matches, a short 20ga with a side saddle bandoleer, GPS, 12volt air compressor, a knife, space blankets and medical kit. In the last 12 years since my wife and I have retired we have needed absolutely all of these at one time or another, mostly to get big city folk out of trouble when they decided to go four wheeling and "enjoy" nature.

blindhari
 
A Bic mini-lighter is so small and light, there's really no reason to leave it at home, IMHO.

Today, from one of the posts here, I wrapped about 5 inches of Gorilla tape around my Bic. While it sounds too short to matter, I can rip off 1/4" wide strips which I've found myself doing with the large roll, anyway. We will see if anything presents itself that requires a bit of tape!
 
The trick is in the response. I have also pulled out a knife when no one else had one and inevitably there is the 'Whoa, he's got a big knife..." A simple shuddupaboutit face usually gets the job done. If I were to empty all my pockets, we would have light, flame, first aid and firepower. Most men are not raised to be men anymore.

Some people will remain luxes for their entire lives.
 
When using my knife to assist someone, any comment about 'Whoa, look at the size of that!' gets answered by my quickly putting it back and 'apologizing' for upsetting someone; I make them ask them for me to take it back out and finish helping them out.

Childish? Yes, but I think it makes a point; you want the box opened (or whatever) and it's a knife that's going to do it, unless you know magic. ;)


Larry
 
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