Consider the Boston marathon bombing. Do you think those competitors and spectators were ready for a disaster? Luckily they were at an event that was well staffed, and had scores of emergency personnel nearby to handle the situation. You can’t count on having that kind of immediate support in an event that affects you.

Although violent attacks should certainly be prepared for, a bigger, much more common concern should be natural disasters.

Sometimes storms can come out of nowhere, causing massive destruction. CBS reported that over 7 million people were without power after hurricane Sandy blew through the East Coast. People in many areas spent weeks waiting for the power to come back on. Some spent months…

Even more recently, the tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma should be a lesson in the importance of preparedness.

These cell phones often have emergency contact information programmed into them—such as your emergency contact under the name “ICE”, which is an acronym for “In Case of Emergency.” This is not to be confused with “Immigration and Customs Enforcement!” It’s also fairly well known that a cell phone can dial and reach 911 even if there is no active service plan for that phone. It just has to have a semi-charged battery and a SIM card.

Having ID and a way to communicate is important to your EDC , but you shouldn’t rely on those items to save you in a real predicament. Yes, police and rescuers can probably locate you from your cell phone signal, but there’s no guarantee that the delicate electronics of a cell phone will be there for you when it’s life or death.

EDC is an ‘Always Prepared’ approach to life: Even though I wasn’t a Boy Scout for very long, their motto, “Be prepared” fits the idea of EDC perfectly.

Your normal day to day life can be challenged at any moment, and you never know when or where a certain event, disaster or crisis is going to take place. No matter how well you schedule and plan your day, something can happen to instantly separate you from the safety we all take for granted.