Subj : Re: Every Day Carry for the Intel Community
To   : warmfuzzy
From : k9zw
Date : Mon May 22 2023 22:09:05

Perhaps defining the needs you want to address and working backwards from there would produce a more viable list?

Initially identified were:

Self Defense Aids
Economic Aids
Communication Tools

Thinking you need a goal on where these aids and tools are intended to assist you to accomplish or get away to?

The dynamics of specific locations make specific choices variable.  The suggested baton is not going to be very effective against wild life or armed human threats.  Carrying US$ is going to flag you if you are someplace where it is not allowed or only the spooky-types have access to those US$. Phones, even burner phones are fairly meaningless without someone useful you can call without given them up too.

I know folks who do some of this as just a precautionary practice and they carry:

Defensive Aids ONLY if effective where they are at.  In snake country?  In the "hood?"  Or on a university urban campus?  Adjust to what is appropriate and allowed (or tolerated).  I've read reports of successful use of the most unlikely personal items as defensive aids.  What every you decide you MUST train with it to be effective.  It you are just winging it, maybe best to leave it at home.

Purchasing power is interesting, as I have talked to people who  always have enough cash to "get home" plus a couple Ben Franklins (US$ 100 bills) in reserve.  I know someone who always had a couple grand in travellers checks in reserve.  A preloaded card might be useful, as those sometimes not exactly say who you are.  Getting viable cards in other names isn't always very easy, and if you get searched will likely get you questioned or even detained.  

As cellular phone by their very nature are transponders, you will give away your location using them.  They are also bulky, need the charge monitored even if not in use, and unless you truly can call in the cavalry to help/rescue you, are of dubious utility.  I've met folks who simply have a few contacts memorized and do not bring the gear along.  They hope they can buy, borrow or bluntly steal the communications they need.

Having an idea where and what you intend to do makes a difference.  I've met people who have belongings in lockers or caches all over their usual major metro, others who have cached bug-out bags, and I know one travelers who asked for a second passportso they have a basically inpact secondary ID setup. (At times you can get a second as certain countries get pissy if you have their opponent's stamps in your passport.)

I have met someone who's pickup truck was kind of like one of the storybook novel trucks, fairly well kitted out.  Kind of thought it a bit weird though.

Now in my personal case I stash a couple Franklins, have a backup credit card elsewhere, have a password encrypted USB with photos of my travel documents, have a contact list, recognize that my phone is a transponder (so maybe it gets a couple layers of foil??), and have a paid-for medical evacuation service.  But then again I am traveling for pleasure and sometimes business, and do not want to get labeled "intel" along the way.

I have traveled with appropriate defensive gear, as I really do not want to be done in my snakes, bears or feral anything.  More often than not the risk assessment suggests not much is needed.  

--- Steve K9ZW via SPOT BBS 

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