Everyone should have an everyday carry (EDC) kit—whether man or woman, prepper or non-prepper. It’s an essential part of urban survival.
But while it’s obvious that each one should be tailored based on one’s specific needs, there’s a need to discuss women’s EDC gear in more detail.
Why? Because when you’re a woman, you experience a unique set of issues that men don’t. You need stuff most men probably won’t think twice about.
Here’s what you should know about EDC for women:
What Should Your Women’s EDC Kit Help You With?
You’re not Mary Poppins. You don’t have a bottomless bag that can fit everything you own. So, it’s impossible to be 100% ready for all the surprises the world will throw your way.
Still, your women’s EDC kit should give you a hand with the following:
- Small everyday emergencies: Zippers that won’t zip, blisters from torture devices they call shoes, and red stains during THAT time of the month are just some mishaps that can happen when you’re doing your usual routine.
- Hygiene issues: If you counted on both hands the number of times you dealt with vengeful periods or public restrooms with no toilet paper, you’d run out of fingers.
- Kids: Your kids (if you have any) see you as a superhero. They’ll expect you to put band-aids on their wounds, have an infinite supply of snacks, and protect them from strangers. Sounds like a tall order, but it’s all in a day’s work for parents.
- Unexpected waits: Getting caught in traffic isn’t anyone’s idea of fun, but if you do get stuck on the road for hours, you wanna be comfortable.
- Defense: The world has a ton of creeps living in it, so you have to be ready to face them at all times. It pays to have self defense weapons for women on hand besides knowing hand-to-hand combat.
Women’s EDC Gear Checklist: Things to Bring Everywhere You Go
Everything on this list of women’s EDC items fits the two requirements all EDC gear should possess: usefulness and practicality. Check them out:
Metal Water Bottle
You don’t wanna be caught without water, even if it’s only for an hour. Imagine having nothing to quench your thirst on a 95-degree day or while you’re waiting in line at the doctor’s clinic.
To stay hydrated, bring a water bottle that you should refill any chance you get. You can also pack water purification tablets or a water filter if you want.
Emergency Food
Leave the MREs and freeze-dried food for your bug out bag. All your women’s EDC kit will need are some crackers, gum, or energy bars—snacks that hold off your hunger when you’re stuck for a while somewhere.
Wallet
Even if you’re really careful, there’s always a chance a pickpocket may grab your wallet. So, you should never put thousands of bills and all your bank cards in it. Don’t give thieves a reason to celebrate.
Just bring what you need for the day. Use a money belt if you have to carry a ton of cash.
Here’s another tip: don’t keep your IDs in your wallet. They’re a headache to replace. If your wallet does get swiped, at least you’ll have these intact.
Backup Cash
While we’re on the subject of cash and stolen wallets, it’s crucial to include spare bills in your women’s EDC. You don’t need a lot, just enough for situations like your car running out of gas or you needing to pay for your bus or taxi home.
You can stash your backup cash in several places, including:
- Inside a sanitary pad or tampon applicator
- In your phone case
- A hairbrush with a secret hollow compartment
- Below your shoe insert (but store them in a plastic bag first)
Mini First Aid Kit
You don’t have to bring all the first aid supplies you own every time you go out.
Yes, it’s good to be prepared, but there’s a fine line between caution and overkill.
Our advice is to just carry a mini first aid kit.
Narrow your supplies down to the most essential—if you’re more accident-prone than the average Jane, have little kids, or live with a medical condition, then factor those in.
Here are some basic first aid supplies to add to your women’s EDC:
- Adhesive bandages
- Band-aids
- Antiseptic wipes
- Tweezers
- Gauze
- Medical tape
- Small scissors
- Painkillers
- Your prescription meds
Multitool
Ingrown nails. Your kid’s broken toy. An unplanned road trip. Being locked out of the house.
You know what can take care of all these problems? A multitool.
Multitools are generally compact and have scissors, bottle openers, tweezers, screwdrivers, and pliers in one gizmo. They’re perfect for emergencies you might face on the go. You can even use a couple of the tools to fend off anyone who tries to hurt you.
If you need to save more space, though, get this wallet multitool by TAC9ER. It’s small enough to fit your back pocket.
Cellphone
Your cell phone is like an extension of your body. Leave it behind when you rush to make it on time for work, and you’ll feel its loss for the rest of the day.
That tiny device comes in handy for almost everything—messaging your kids about their whereabouts, checking the map when you’re in an unfamiliar location, and alerting 911 about an accident you just witnessed.
Plus, you can read ebooks or play a few games on your phone when you need to pass the time.
Losing your cellphone would be terrible, so keep its GPS on to help you track where it is. You also need to set up an ICE (in case of emergency) number. If worse comes to worst, this will help the EMS call your emergency contact right away.
There are also apps that can help you if you’re ever in danger, like:
- bSafe: This nifty app allows a group of trusted people to see your location through GPS. It also doubles as an emergency alarm. If you hit it, it will give your location to your contacts and record both audio and video from your phone.
- Noonlight: Use this app if you’re feeling unsafe or need urgent help. You just need to press and hold the button. Then release it and enter your pin when you reach safety. If you get into some form of trouble, release the button and don’t enter your pin. Emergency help will come your way.
- One Scream: Activate this app’s location feature before you leave your house. Should something bad happen, scream. The app will then notify the folks you listed previously.
Power Bank
What good will your phone be if it’s dead? Bring a power bank in case it runs out of juice.
This one doubles as a charger and power bank, so you won’t ever have to worry about your phone dying on you (unless the grid goes down or an EMP attack hits and you don’t have a Faraday cage lying around).
Fire Starter
Remember when you were growing up and your mom always told you to carry a fire starter wherever you go?
Fine, maybe she didn’t, but it’s still solid prepping advice.
You never know when you’ll need some flames to boil water, cook food, or keep you warm at night. You can carry a ferro rod, but if you don’t wanna attract attention, we suggest going for a BIC lighter or waterproof matches instead.
Tactical Flashlight
While your smartphone has a built-in flashlight, you want to conserve its battery for other things. Use a tac light instead to help you see in the dark. Unlike regular flashlights, a tactical flashlight is brighter, sturdier, and also great at disorienting bad guys.
Bandana
A bandana doesn’t just keep hair out of your face. You can also use it to:
- Make a tourniquet
- Signal for rescue
- Filter water
- Protect your lungs from air pollution
Hygiene Kit
Who doesn’t want to feel fresh and clean? Add a hygiene kit to your women’s EDC so that you’ll be ready for some serious hygiene emergencies.
At the very least, it should have:
- Extra pads or tampons
- Floss
- Wet wipes
- Tissue
- Hand sanitizer
- Deodorant
Safety Pins
Some people bring a sewing kit with them in case of wardrobe malfunctions. But if that’s too much for you, keep a few safety pins in your women’s EDC kit instead.
They’ll help your torn skirt stay together until you go home. Plus, they help with removing splinters and holding your keys.
You can even use a safety pin to protect yourself from attackers. Poking them with its sharp edge will make them wince and give you time to escape.
Chapstick
Chapstick isn’t just a cure for chapped lips. Did you know that you can also use it for stubborn zippers, patching holes, and preventing blisters? Here’s an article on lip balm’s survival uses if you don’t believe us.
Self Defense Weapons for Women
You know what sucks about being a woman? The fear that always creeps up when you head to your car in a nearly empty garage, walk alone on a dark road, or hear catcalls from slimy men.
But you can do several things to help you feel safer as you commute to and from work or have a night out with friends. You can take some self defense classes and add these non-lethal weapons to your women’s EDC kit:
- Pepper spray
- Tactical pen
- Personal alarm
Hopefully, you’ll never be in a situation that compromises your safety, but if you do, having these self defense weapons for women can make all the difference.
Other Supplies to Consider
Still got room for a few more things? You may also want to include these in your women’s EDC kit:
- Sunblock, shades, and a hat (for summer)
- Socks and gloves (for winter)
- Paracord
- Small notebook with pencil
- USB with copies of your important documents
- Superglue
- Rubber bands
- Nail clippers
- Tide stain remover pen
Final Thoughts
Women regularly face things that most men don’t experience in their lifetimes.
They have monthly periods, carry babies for 9 months, and get taken advantage of by folks twice their size.
Yep, it’s a scary world for women of all ages. But while you can’t control the environment or people around you, having a women’s EDC kit can give you some form of control over small inconveniences and more serious threats.
What other things do you think belong in an EDC for women? Drop a comment down below!
