Hey folks, thanks for checking out the newsletter this week. I’m on about day four of a battle with bronchitis, so things aren’t moving very quickly over here. But I managed to get in to see my doctor on Monday and picked up some meds, so I should be right as rain in a few more days. I had to miss out on our weekly hike, which was a bummer. That’s only the third one I’ve missed since we started going on them nearly ten years ago. My wife hasn’t missed one yet. I did, however, get some forced relaxation time, which I suppose isn’t the worst thing.
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Last week, before I got sick, I sat for a lengthy interview with for the Stakeholder Prepping podcast. We had a great time talking about EDC as well as my new book, Common-Sense Everyday Carry. Admittedly, that was kind of the point of the interview, to promote the new book. A few days before, they had sent me a list of questions they’d come up with for the interview. Given that there were something like 55 questions, there was no way we were going to get to all of them. Here are some of the ones we didn’t get to, along with how I’d answer them.
What’s the biggest mistake you see people make when building an EDC bag? Being more concerned about appearance rather than functionality. There’s this mindset that if a bag looks too tactical, it somehow makes you a target. I don’t believe that’s true across the board. I’ve spent enough time in airports, on college campuses, and just generally paying attention to people around me to see that there are an awful lot of “tactical” bags and packs being carried everywhere. Get something that works for you and suits your needs, regardless of how it looks.
What’s something you’ve encountered that initially looked like a gimmick but actually won you over once you used it? When I started working from home full-time, I quit wearing a watch. There just wasn’t a need for it. Between my computer and my phone, I always knew what time it was. As I was doing research for the book, I started looking into smart watches. It didn’t take long for me to order one. I found it to be quite useful, particularly when we’re hiking due to its GPS tracking and health monitoring capabilities. It’s also given me some interesting insights into my sleep patterns.
What’s in Jim Cobb’s actual EDC today? Not the theoretical recommendation—the stuff you actually walked out of the house carrying. I always have my wallet, watch, keychain, cash, and some flavor of Streamlight pocket flashlight. The knife varies quite a bit, as I’m often carrying something I’m going to be reviewing. If not, then it’s either the Red Hawk from Tactile Knife Co. or the Foreman from Vehement Knives.
Was there anything that almost didn’t make the book but you ultimately decided needed to be included? I really went back and forth about including a chapter on defense weapons. The decision whether to carry a weapon, much less what weapon to EDC, is deeply personal. Perhaps more personal than any other EDC gear category. But I also felt that if I didn’t address that topic at some point, some readers might get upset that I “overlooked” such a prominent category of EDC.
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I recently started working with Streamlight, providing some content for their site. Here’s the first article. It’s free to read.
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We’re only about a week away from National Preparedness Month. As I do each year, I’ll be sharing tips and advice on my social media platforms all month long.
Real World Prepping Facebook Group
The fun begins September 1st!
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I’m excited to share something I’ve been working on behind the scenes. I’ll be one of the presenters at the Resilient Living Summit, September 14–19, 2026. This is a free online event focused on helping you become more prepared, capable, and resilient in everyday life. And this isn’t just a traditional “emergency preparedness” event. More than 20 experienced presenters are coming together to share practical skills for growing and preserving food, preparedness, herbal medicine and natural wellness, self-reliant living, family and community care, and creating a more resilient home.
I’ll be presenting: Practical Everyday Carry - Learn the three layers of everyday carry and how to choose useful essentials for ordinary problems and unexpected emergencies—without carrying excessive gear.
What I especially like about this summit is the focus on practical resilience -- things we can learn and do now that make us better prepared for whatever life happens to bring. Because LIFE happens. Prepare accordingly. The summit is completely free to attend, and you can choose the presentations that are most useful to you.
The Resilient Living Summit runs September 14–19, and registration is free. You can save your spot here.
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As I mentioned earlier, I missed our hike over the weekend. My wife and our eldest stopped at Devil’s Lake State Park in Baraboo, Wisconsin and did a couple of trails here. Here’s a pic from their adventure.
Survival Tip — Pry Bars and Bolt Cutters
There are a few reasons why you might consider stashing these types of tools in your vehicle. If you’re in an accident and need to pull a fender away from a tire so you can continue driving, a pry bar could be handy. I’m not talking about the little pocket-sized pry bars that are so popular among the EDC crowd, but full-size ones.
They could also be used to pry open doors or gates, should the need arise. Same with bolt cutters being used to cut off padlocks or cut through fencing. I would never advise anyone to break the law. But let’s say you were evacuating in your vehicle and ended up facing a padlocked gate. On the other side, you can see where you need to go. If cutting that lock and opening the gate means you can get your family to safety, I know what I’d do.
While you’re at it, a supply of zip ties and some wire can help you resecure gates behind you. They won’t be as good as locks, but it’ll keep the gate closed.
Backwoods Survival Guide Magazine
For those new to my little corner of the Internet, I am the Editor in Chief for Backwoods Survival Guide magazine. Here is the cover for the current issue available in stores right now.
You can find Backwoods Survival Guide just about anywhere magazines are sold, including:
Walmart
Publix
Walgreens
Rite Aid
CVS
Tractor Supply
Fleet Farm
Barnes & Noble
Questions, Comments, Complaints, Concerns?
I am always just an email away - jim@survivalweekly.com.
Question where you advertise Backwoods Survival Guild you show places that sell it. You used to have a magazine company that shipped it free that is no longer listed. I always picked up my copy from them. Do they no longer exist or what?