THERE
IS A NEED to convene the Camp Red Bushcraft and Survival Guild today,
January 27, 2013, to start a tradition. Every start of a year should
be the time for every member to renew, strengthen and reaffirm his
association with Camp Red. It could either be paying membership
dues, participation in a club election or just by being there –
attendance wise. That is why it is called a charter meeting
The
place of meeting is at the Red Hours Convenience Store, located in M.
Velez Street, Capitol Site, Cebu City. Red Hours is our place of
choice when we are engaged in a post-activity discussion, some
brainstorming, a little merriment or by simply releasing stress –
alone or with company. After the guild priorities, an everyday carry
(or EDC) kit parley soon follow.
The
time is 1:00 PM and I arrive there first. A guest, Shio Cortes, came
after me. He just want to meet me and the rest of the pack. He is a
UN volunteer assigned in the Democratic Republic of Congo but he is
on vacation right now and took advantage of free time before going
back to his overseas posting in a few days.
Member
applicants Kulas Damaso and Nyor Pino came after the other and then
Camp Red stalwart Glenn Pestaño arrived. Kulas is with his
motorcycle with a Jackie Chan autograph. Cold glasses of beer are
filled for each individual. Then comes Ernie Salomon, Jhurds Neo and
Randell Savior who just came from an outdoors seminar. Mayo Leo
Carillo, JB Albano and Dominikus Sepe completed the circle.
Before
leaving, Shio, showed his EDC kit and I saw fuel tablets, a tin
folding burner, some anti-malaria pills, water purifying tablets,
emergency scalpels and other wonderful things that we could not
source locally. He promised to be back by May as he seemed
interested in what we are doing as the only outdoor group in this
country focusing mainly on bushcraft and survival.
The
meeting turned to phase two with Glenn anchoring the flow of the
activity. He put on a mini-knife porn with all the blades he carried
and laid it all bare on the table. His EDC kit is most extensive as
it is sub-divided – with individual pouches – into the survival
kit, the first-aid kit, the replenishment kit and the repair kit.
Aside
those, he had with him his micro-EDC kit attached to a climbing
carabiner. The blades, the gadgets and his replenishment kit were
the envy of everyone. All make light of this moment by reaching in
their sticky fingers for Glenn’s chocolates and pulverizing it down
inside everyone’s mouth.
JB,
for his part, showed his very austere EDC; Jhurds his micro-EDC kit
which includes a peppermint spray hanging by a carabiner; Nyor with
his own kit placed in a small pouch; Dom imitating JB; Ernie with his
own inside a waist pack that included a tiny alcohol burner and an
emergency flash charger; and Randell splaying his first-aid kit.
Standing
out were those of Glenn’s. Everything in his EDC, to include his
micro-EDC, is a must-have for everyone and his is the benchmark of
what an EDC kit is all about. I could mention a few items but the
list is endless really. The only thing that Glenn – and everyone
else – failed to have is the list of the items printed or written
on a paper which, incidentally, Kulas had although he doesn’t have
an EDC.
Meanwhile,
my own EDC kit consists of two sections: the survival kit and the
first-aid kit. My replenishment items are already integrated into
the survival kit which consist of high-protein emergency food and
beverage. My survival and first-aid kits are segregated by
individual mesh bags and both are stored inside an Ortlieb
heavy-duty dry bag.
I
am quite satisfied with the turn of events and, I think, Camp Red is
now a stalwart when it comes to EDC on this side of town although
some Facebook-based groups are beginning to sprout like Filipino
Survival and Pinoy Preppers which both espouse about EDC kits. What
distinguishes Camp Red from the rest is we are more oriented in the
back-country, the wilderness and the real world.
But
the most important thing is that more and more people are beginning
to understand about the EDC kit. I help to spread this sub-interest
– you may call it a hobby – by actually conducting EDC seminars
designed for security professionals. Soon, I may be able to include
other professionals and the schoolkids.
In
the end, this habit of carrying daily a survival or first-aid kit
would eventually give you the needed elbow room to decide your
existence and of others in a real-world SHTF situation.
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