To ensure a state of constant preparedness, the Violent Nomad carries up to three types of Every Day Carry (EDC) kits, each designed to support his mission and help him evade crisis. Whether the call comes or not, the EDC kit also provides an edge against unexpected threats of all sorts, from environmental disasters to terrorist strikes and lone wolf attacks. While the average civilian approaches emergency preparedness from a life-support perspective that prioritizes food and water supplies (stashed deep in a home basement) to the exclusion of weapons and escape tools, true preparedness acknowledges and confronts  the violence of the modern world.

When traveling through potentially hostile territory or in turbulent times, a Nomad will distribute several layers of life-support and personal-safety items throughout his clothing and outerwear; in the event that he is  stripped of his primary weapon, this practice may leave him with several undetected options of last resort. Escape gear in particular should be spread out in such a way that some of it remains available if the Nomad is restrained.

The most basic kit, the “pocket kit,” should be comprised of essential weapons, escape and evasion equipment, and one “black” (covert) mobile phone. Rather than being consolidated into a single container or concealment, these items should be distributed throughout clothing. A handgun should be concealed in a waistband holster, for the most accessible draw. An emergency communication device is essential, but other contents will vary depending on the terrain. A stainless steel Zebra pen can be used to leave notes for potential rescuers—or to strike an assailant. In the case of abduction or detention, a handcuff key and LED light camouflaged alongside car or hotel keys are potential lifesavers; as backup in the event that clothes  pockets are searched, a concealable handcuff key can be hidden in a shirt cuff or on a zipper pull. Some operatives carry mouthpieces, which can be vital during hand-to-hand combat.

The “container kit”—generally tucked into a jacket or an operational bag (see below)—functions as backup in the event that an operative is stripped of  his primary weapon and/or operational bag. This highly condensed kit contains small improvised weapons (loose coins tied up in a handkerchief) and navigational aids (a head lamp and a handheld GPS device) that change depending on the environment as well as lock-picking tools that could provide access to information, food or shelter. Durable and reliably discreet, a rigid sunglasses case is the optimal container.

The final piece of the puzzle is the operational bag. To prepare for the possibility of escape in the face of surveillance or attack, its contents should include an empty collapsible backpack and a change of clothes in colors opposite from the ones the operative is wearing. Even shoes should be taken into consideration—if  wearing sneakers, pack a pair of rubber sandals. A concealed pocket holds highly sensitive data on memory devices such as thumb drives or SD cards, a Kevlar clipboard acts as an innocuous-looking form of improvised ballistic armor, and a wad of cash allows the Nomad subsist in deep cover for as long as the situation demands.

This article was originally published on The Loadout Room and written by Clint Emerson

About the author: Clint Emerson – retired Navy SEAL, spent twenty years conducting special ops all over the world while attached to SEAL Teams (including the elite SEAL Team SIX) and the National Security Agency (NSA). Utilizing an array of practical skills he developed to protect himself while at home and abroad, he created Violent Nomad—a personal, non-kinetic capture/kill program cataloguing the skills necessary to defend against any predator or crisis.

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