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Keep in mind that some of the people who EDC more than you/me may be first responders in their day job or have training to go with it (esp. the trauma kits). Some may live in a more remote area than you do and have to be a little more self-sufficient if injured. Some may live where LE response is 15 or 20 minutes away instead of 3 minutes. Some may have had some life experience in their past in which they really, really wished they had had a big flashlight/trauma kit/knife/spare mag/whatever.
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Nice observation.
Sometimes it's possible to glance at someone's gear selection, and the manner in which it's carried (and prioritized), and get a little insight into how seriously the individual has actually trained and prepped for being able to effectively
use it. Similar to how some folks may treat their handgun more as a talisman, than as an actual weapon with which they've trained and are mentally prepared to use.
In light of this thread topic, and some of the reasonable responses, I took a couple minutes and briefly scrolled through a few pages of that EDC link
tipoc posted.
When I was a young man there was a paperback book which was primarily about knives (which have long been an interest of mine). It included some material about things someone could carry on their person to better prepare them to survive some of life's unexpected trials & tribulations. First aid, handyman repairs, surviving an 'unexpected delay' or getting lost while in the backwoods, self-defense, etc.
My dad wandered around a bit in his youth, doing a number of things when he was single and getting by on his own, including being a working cowboy. His adventures motivated him to demonstrate and promote a sense of self-sufficiency and preparedness in me which I thought was commonplace, until I got older and realized it wasn't. Simple things, like having blankets, some tools and a water bag or two in the car or stationwagon before driving into the desert for an afternoon.
I realized as a young family man that my wife was similarly prepared to get through her own little troubles if I wasn't around. She could mend a broken radiator hose, and when she carried a purse back then it wasn't uncommon for a bit of bailing wire, duct tape, pliers, screwdriver and a folding knife to be inside it, especially if she was going to be driving a couple hours away from home. She knew how to handle a sticky choke on her own and start a cold car. (Kids with modern vehicles may not have a proper appreciation of how reliable they can be compared to 50's & 60's vehicles.)
So ...
While I don't try to stuff little ditty bags into cargo pockets, I do have some that reside in one or the other of our vehicles (and in a bike saddle bag), or which can be broken up to fit in luggage (not left in a car in some locations). Sometimes a gadget or bit of that gear might get moved to a pocket for a specific purpose while away from home, too. Just depends.
This thread has been more interesting than I expected. Maybe because it says more about people, than just the gear they carry.
BTW, I agree that it's hard to trust a man who doesn't like knives, and doesn't want to carry some type of practical knife on him (where permitted, of course), and who actually knows how to use it, when appropriate.
Some of the people who carry the 'almost ubiquitous' tactical folders might be better off without them, though. Some folks that carry knives are kind of like accidents waiting to happen.