Urban EDC Backpack (Version 4.0)

this video is gonna feature my updated urban EDC backpack version 4.0 this particular backpack is the vertex gamut 2.0 backpack previously I was using a vertex messenger bag for my EDC bag but I switched to a backpack style because there are some capabilities with this particular backpack that I wanted to have moving forward so there's a lot to cover in this video as always I've included a PDF document you could download it by clicking the link in the description box below it has a list of all the items that are gonna be covered in this video there's a lot to get to so let's get right down to it this is my urban EDC backpack version 4.0 let's get started if you happen to stumble upon this video and you have no idea how you got here I'd like to welcome you to my channel my name is cliff also known as the urban prepper and I cover various emergency preparedness topics and gear reviews so if you like those type of videos feel free to subscribe to the channel if you end up not liking it after 30 day money-back guarantee you could always unsubscribe I also have a newsletter that you could click there's a link in the description box below I provide it weekly and monthly with a little bit more background information to some of the emergency preparedness planning that I'm doing in addition to upcoming videos so click the link in the description box below if you're interested in that too let's start off first by going over the items that are on the exterior of the Varitek's game a 2.0 backpack on the right shoulder strap I have an LED safety light just in case I need to travel by night I include this clip-on backpack led to make myself a little bit more visible on the left shoulder strap I have a bottle opener this is the Yeti moly bottle opener always be ready to open up a beer this Yeti bottle opener attaches snugly to MOLLE webbing and the stainless steel makes it corrosion resistant plus it makes a great conversation piece on the bottom right-hand portion of the backpack I leverage a county comm keyring loop to attach a few accessory items the first one being the rescue me original keychain car escape tool this is my go-to seatbelt cutter and window glass breaker it's made in the USA lightweight and super convenient to have ready to go on any emergency kit I include one on all of my emergency kits and multiple ones in each of our vehicles just in case also on that county comm loop I have a county comm mini pill capsule for storing a few pharmacy pills for easy access tucked away on the back right-hand portion of the backpack I have a saber red pepper spray this item is for self-defense purposes I have it attached to a magnetic quick-release clip for quick deployment it's non-lethal but can offer protection against a bad guy if need be again it's connected to a magnetic quick-release this one's made by Nick SATA these magnetic clips are super convenient for quick access of small EDC items that are attached to the EDC backpack the magnet is plenty strong to keep those items secure prior to deployment this magnetic pepper spray combo was a little tip I learned from prepper agenda on the bottom portion of one of the shoulder straps I also have some dog waste bags I have them stored in the friends for ever dog leash attachment zippered pouch waist bag dispenser the bags themselves are the earth rated dog poop bags extra thick and strong poop bags for dogs these earth friendly dog bags are for sanitation purposes I used them as mini trash bags while out and about or as a quick mitten to put on my hand when I am hesitant to touch a public surface like a dirty gas station pump or door handle again another cool trick I learned from prepper agenda and those are all of the items stored on the exterior of the backpack now let's move on to the top small pocket area of the vertex gamete 2.0 backpack I have a yellow zip tie attached to the zipper lanyard to indicate that this particular pocket is designated for comms and electronic devices starting off first I have some earbuds for quick access I'm trying to stay away from wireless devices like wireless headphones due to EMF concerns these are decent quality earbuds that work well and it would be the end of the world if I were to lose them the next item is a headlamp this is the LED Lenser mah 11 headlamp this is the best headlamp that I have ever tested thus far it's also the most expensive I received it from LED Lenser for a possible review video it's probably more headlamp than what is really needed for an EDC backpack and you could easily just go with the Petzl or Black Diamond headlamp instead for twenty to thirty dollars this one costs a whopping $160 however if you really want to knock people's socks off with a thousand lumens this is the headlamp for you also tucked away in this top pocket is a whistle on a lanyard for signaling purposes this is the Acme thunder air whistle made in England the last item that I include in here is a flashlight this is the streamlight protac 90 right angle light i already carry a flashlight as part of my on person EDC so i wanted to have a flashlight that met my definition of complimentary redundancy this right-angle flashlight complements my primary EDC flashlight due to it being able to do a tale stand in addition to being able to attach it to the chest strap for hands-free front facing operation and those are all the items stored in that top pocket area now let's move on to the left side pocket of the backpack but before going through the items in that left side pocket this is also the side of the backpack that I like to carry my water bottle now before getting started one of my pet piece with the vertex backpacks is their water bottle holders are really small and they don't really lend themselves that well to most water bottles for example you can never fit a Nalgene water bottle in this particular water bottle pocket hopefully in the future they can make it just a little bit bigger so right now I'm using an h3 our performance max quench water bottle I'm going with this one because I think it's hilarious because it looks just like the fire extinguisher that I recently tested for h3 our performance it features stainless steel vacuum insulated construction with copper lining and it's bpa-free it keeps your drinks cold for 24 hours or hot drinks hot for 12 hours again the h3 our performance max quench water bottle now let's open up that side pocket I have a yellow zip tie tied to the lanyard to indicate this is for electronics the first item that's stored in the pocket sleeve is a power bank this is the anchor USBC portable charger power core essential 20,000 milliamp hour power bank this is one of my most used items for EDC purposes I'm in constant need of extra power during the day in my opinion Ankur makes the best portable chargers this one charges my phone computer and other electronic devices multiple times before needing to be recharged there's a zippered mesh pocket area which I store additional items the first item being a wall charger this is the anchor elite dual port 24 watt USB wall charger it features anchors power IQ and has a foldable plug this is a really nice wall charger that provides two USB ports and charges devices very quickly I really like that the plug is foldable to to avoid damage also in that mesh pocket I have a few USB cables the first one being a USB type-c cable that I use for my phone again this one's made by Ankur it's the anchor double braided nylon fast charging cable I really like the braided nylon cables as I find them to be much more durable if you have a cable included in there is a USB miscellaneous cable this one's made by mu vets the annual vac multi USB charging cable it's a four and one fast charger cord connector with dual phone type C and micro USB port adapters previously I was carrying individual cables for all of these connector types now I just carry one and those are all of the items that are stored in that side left pocket now let's move on to the side right pocket of the vertex gamma 2.0 backpack on this lanyard I have zip ties that are both green and white green representing food and white representing hygiene when you open it up you'll see a few snacks I think it's good to have a few non-perishable snacks available just in case you don't have immediate access to food during the day I recommend any type of hiking snacks that you could pick up from REI for this purpose there's another zippered mesh pocket that I store the hygiene items let's start going through all of those hygiene items one by one starting at first I have a 1 ounce container of Bag Balm Bag Balm has so many valuable use cases to warrant it for EDC purposes it could be used for first-aid chapped skin and even as a fire starter highly recommended next I carry some dental items I have a toothbrush toothpaste and dental floss when you're traveling it's nice to have some dental hygiene items ready to go next I have some hygiene wipes these are the dude wipes flushable wet wipes dude wipes are really awesome they're individually wrapped and are super convenient for EDC purposes you should include around three of them in your EDC kits just in case the next item included is a travel urinal this is the travel John disposable urinal I recently did a review of this one because when you have to go you have to go I've never needed to use this during an actual emergency but we've had a few close calls with the kids it's nice to know that if I were ever stuck in an elevator or in a vehicle I would have a place to go that would be clean and spill free again the travel John disposable urinal lasts I have some toilet paper tablets these are coin tissues or compressed towels I first learned about these from Canadian prepper I imagine that we've all had countless times where we've been in a bathroom stall and it's been out of toilet paper you could use the dude wipes for this purpose as well but these are more inexpensive and plentiful you could also use them easily for other hygiene purposes as well I bought a pack of 500 tablets for around $40 plus this comes with this cool PES style dispenser and those are all of the items included in that side right pocket now let's open up the front hidden zippered pocket area of the backpack this one features two zippered pools and I have two red zip ties wrapped around those pools in this particular section I store all of my trauma-related first eight items there's some MOLLE webbing in this hidden pocket area so I try to leverage that starting off first we have two tourniquets these are the North American rescue military-issued tourniquets this is the official tourniquet of the US Army it's used for stopping blood loss in the upper and lower extremities it is such an important item due to its life-saving capabilities that I've decided to carry two of them next to those two tourniquets I have an additional led safety light I carry an extra one just in case I need to travel by night and want to be visible from both the front and the back the next item are some medical sheers these are the Leatherman Raptor sheers these are by far my favorite medical shears they're expensive yes but the build quality and the features make it a must-have EDC item for medical professionals I've had this item for years now but this is the first kit that have actually included them in since I do have other trauma related items again the Leatherman Raptor sheers previously reviewed I also have a single 3m flat fold n95 respirator mask these things are kind of at a premium right now and hard to find the next item is a medical stapler this is the 3m precise multi shot disposable skin stapler I'm not trained to use sutures but I can use a medical stapler for closing a wound this one is small enough to include in an EDC kit and is easy to use previously reviewed with the mountain RN so since I carry a medical stapler you also want to make sure that you carry the medical staple removal tool this one's also made by 3m the staples come out really easy with this tool it would be much more difficult and painful to do with a multi-tool for example again the 3m disposable skins staple remover next I have a few specialized trauma bandages the first one being some gauze this is the quick clot advanced clotting gauze this ones commonly used by hospitals EMS first responders military law enforcement and the general public to control hemorrhaging from bleeding injuries and fits really nicely in emergency kits this non-allergenic gauze has little to no risk of adverse reactions and conforms readily to the wound site the next specialized item is a chest seal this is the North American rescue - vent chest seal this item is used for treatment of penetrating injuries to the chest both entry and exit or multiple penetrating injuries to the chest it's good to have these type of trauma supplies on hand in the rare case that you have to help someone in need of course you should rely on the medical professionals if at all possible but if that's not an option it's nice to have an item like this on hand to possibly save a life of course be sure you get some training on these items and last we have an Israeli bandage battle dressing first aid compression bandage this is a combat proven first aid device that could be used as a primary dressing pressure applicator secondary dressing and a foolproof closure apparatus to secure the bandage in place highly recommended for trauma kits and those are all the items that I store in the trauma section of the CDC backpack now let's open up the main compartment area of the vertex gamut 2.0 backpack at the top of this compartment there's a Velcro area that has a few small items the first item being some Purell travel hand sanitizer with everything going on right now it's good to have clean hands I've leveraged the industrial-strength velcro on the back of this hand sanitizer so it stays located at the top of this flap next I carry two mechanical pencils these are the Pentel sharp mechanical drafting pencil 0.9 millimeter this is my all-time favorite pencil I've been using it for over 25 years now highly recommended reaching into the back pocket area I have my laptop my laptop is currently stored in a Faraday bag this is the mission darkness non window Faraday bag for laptops the data on my laptop is extremely important to me so I wanted to have some sort of digital protection for it the mission darkness Faraday bag is commonly used by law enforcement military and executives for privacy EMP protection travel and data security anti hacking and anti tracking assurance purposes for the laptop I have a MacBook Pro for work this one's a lot smaller than my previous laptops by reducing the size of my laptop I was able to store more items in my urban EDC backpack this MacBook is used for work and I think it's a powerhouse despite its thin size also stored in that back pocket area is just a simple notebook so I was a good idea to be able to take notes when need be a little deeper into this pocket I have my EDC pocket organizer let's start going through all of the items stored in this EDC pocket organizer right now I've been using the van quest EDC Maximizer organizer for the past several years now it's really great on the outside I have the I'm your huckleberry patch and I've also added the fan quest Spartan zipper pulls which are really awesome so when you open it up I have various miscellaneous tools stored in this EDC organizer this kit hasn't changed too much over the years so for the sake of time I'm gonna go rapid-fire through the van quest EDC Maximizer organizer items let's get started I have a Kingston USB drive an on-the-go adapter for my SD and micro SD cards a high-sensitivity AM antenna for the radio that we'll be showing later in this video the awesome green bell nail clippers stainless steel made in Japan a stainless steel Sharpie pen a zebra stainless steel pen a zebra stainless steel mechanical pencil a clear ruler the awesome V ha precision screwdriver set previously reviewed this items new it's the Vaughn mini bar I have the large sized version of this bar in my tool kit and I decided to have the mini version in my EDC kit made in the USA the NT cutter Pro razor made in Japan this items new it's the nip X tools 5 inch mini pliers wrench this one's a little expensive but it's been recommended to me for years as a replacement from a crescent style wrench it's a one-of-a-kind tool that replaces a full set of inch and metric open wrenches it's adjustable at the touch of a button and ideal for a wide variety of users including industrial EDC and craft applications I definitely consider this one an heirloom tool I also have a Bic lighter in orange always be ready to be able to make a fire tucked in the back I have a few stamps and they have a few feet of gaffer tape wrapped around an old credit card I prefer gaffer tape for EDC purposes because it's a little less sticky when you have to remove it and those are all the items included in the van quest EDC Maximizer organizer if I went a little too fast all the items are listed in the PDF document continuing on in the main pocket area we have a cell phone Faraday bag this is the silent pocket Faraday bag smartphone sleeve this sleek compact Faraday bag works great for EDC purposes it blocks all signals from reaching your mobile phone protecting it from hacking tracking data extraction emps and more it also provides EMF protection against the long-term effects of EMF radiation when you put your phone in this you are completely off grid I like the silent pocket Faraday bag for smartphones better than the Mission darkness ones because it's a lot more compact and sleek you could even fit in a jacket pocket for example stay tuned for a future review of this little Faraday bag continuing on in the main pocket area of the backpack we have my individual first aid kit or IFAC let's start going through all the items now of this first aid kit I use a red pencil pouch for my first-aid kit it's thin inexpensive and lightweight now for the sake of time I'm not going to go into every individual item that's included in this first-aid kit I'll make a dedicated video for that but in general I have a lot of various booboo bandages that are stored in their own Ziploc bags based off of their category I've tried to leverage a lot of those modern wound dressings that we learned from the mountain RN years back there a little bit more expensive with their high quality so things like Tegaderm aqua cell silver and more so stay tuned for a future video in which I'll go into more detail with regard to these individual first-aid kits that are stored in pencil pouches moving back to the main compartment area of the backpack I have some gloves in a buff hat these are the HW I gear Kevlar lined leather duty gloves these ones were recommended to me by prepper agenda and they're currently my favorite work gloves they are made of 100% leather in our kevlar line for cut resistant protection next we have the buff head where I prefer this head wear over a bandana for EDC purposes due to the ease of use and the UV protection that it offers I first learned about the buff head wear from the mountain RN many years back and now I have several of them in different colors and patterns now let's fully open the clamshell opening of this main compartment area there's two mesh zippered pocket areas that I have additional items stored let's start off first with a top zippered pocket area the first item included is a nitrile gloves pouch this is the rothko enhanced molded latex glove pouch this particular glove pouch is frequently used by crime scene investigators and stores several pairs of nitrile gloves for EDC purposes again I store several pairs of nitrile gloves in this little pouch and I use several different types of nitrile gloves I carry them for both first-aid and for PPE purposes the next item is a little pharmacy module I carry multiple miscellaneous individually wrapped over-the-counter medications in the small little pouch so medications like painkillers anti diarrhea and other common medications that you would find in a first-aid kit I prefer to have all these small little medications stored in their own individual pouch now let's move on to the bottom zippered pocket area of that clamshell opening the first item is a Mylar blanket this is the Swiss safe emergency mylar thermal blanket I try to have an emergency survival blanket and all of my kids there's so many different applications of use this particular manufacturer is of higher quality than most you could get these ones in camouflage or even in a signal panel design the next item is a smoke mask this is the pocket smoke mask this one's a little hard to find nowadays this item is for building evacuation during a fire it is the thinnest smoke mask that I've been able to find it's rated to allow for a smoke filter effectiveness next I have a particle mask this is the ready mask adhesive sealing particle mask I previously did a review of this particular mask it seals to your face but you're also able to work glasses on top of it this is a one-time-use mask so I have it stored in this kit for evacuation purposes it helps protect against the flu mold pepper spray bacteria dust pollution spores and more again the ready mask adhesive sealing particle mask and the last item is a contractor garbage bag this particular one is made by husky there are multiple use cases for a heavy duty contractor bag it can be used for a makeshift shelter a backpack rain cover and more and those are all of the items stored in that main compartment area of the backpack now let's move to the back zippered pocket area of the Varitek's gamete 2.0 backpack now this specific section is one of the primary reasons that I went with this backpack it allows you a place to fully leverage the Varitek's velcro attachment system this one features a really nice grab pull zipper handle when you open it up as you see I have a whole bunch of items that are attached to the wall of this particular section using velcro I have them all organized based off of the color of prepping so I've included the van quest Preppers color coding kit patch on the top looks like going through all of these items now one by one let's start off first with the bottom so the first item that I have is a silk aki this is a great item to include and basically any emergency preparedness kit it allows you to access the water access points outside of industrial buildings I used to only carry these in my emergency kits but now I'm starting to carry it in my EDC backpack thanks to rogue preparedness who is able to convince me that this is definitely something for urban EDC the next item are some hex bits this is the Vera hex bit sent I don't really need these for EDC but there's been a few times when I really needed a hex bit and didn't have one and then I was heckled for not having one at a co-worker say what do you mean you don't have the hex bit I thought you were the urban prepper now I'm ready for them veera makes awesome tools by the way highly recommend it the next item is a screwdriver this is the Vera craft form compact 25 pouch set this is currently my favorite screwdriver it's high-quality compact and feature-rich I've been using it for several years now and just loved Vera's screwdrivers the next item is for water purification this is the stirrup and adventurer opti UV personal water purifier i stopped carrying a water filter for EDC purposes because i never used it however this UV pen is really convenient when out and about at restaurants and when you may be unsure of a quality of the water that you drink in just put it in the water turn it on and let the UV kill anything bad that's in that water the next item that looks like a candy bar is actually a radio i have it wrapped in aluminum foil to help with EMP protection just in case this is the county comm g b5 single sideband general purpose radio i didn't need to have a new radio the last AM radio that I had in my EDC can't work just fine however I wanted to have single sideband capabilities for my kit just in case the county comm radios have always been really slick this one has been working really nicely for its intended purposes and I've been programming it to many stations to listen to stay tuned for a review of this county comm gp5 single sideband general purpose radio on this particular item I'm using one of the vertex tack tegami attachments for attaching it to this back panel next we have some batteries I have four triple-a and loop batteries the end loop batteries are expensive but I think they're the best option for Preppers they're rechargeable they hold their charge for a long time and they're really high-quality I have them stored in this wizzo tech battery storage case with some industrial velcro attached to the back of it I also have four double A batteries I've been trying to make the switch to rechargeable and loop batteries as much as possible again I use the industrial-strength velcro on the back of the battery holders to attach to the velcro of the Varitek's gamma 2.0 backpack and at the top you see that little van quest color couldn't get those are all the items that are attached to that back velcro area hidden in the back of this particular section there's a little panel area which I have additional items stored at the first item being a map this is the rand mcnally seattle street map i think you should always have a physical map in your emergency kits just in case you are unable to use the digital map available from your smartphone also stored in this back section i have the survival cheat sheet I did a video of these particular cheat sheets it's kind of like having a calculus cheat sheet for a math test but instead we have a bunch of survival information for a survival test I have it organized based off of the color of prepping you're able to download the PDFs for these survival cheat sheets for free and print them off yourself or you could order them directly from me and I'll have them shipped directly to you and the main items stored in this particular section is a ballistic shield this is another reason why I went with a ver Tex gamut 2.0 backpack it's a key feature of this backpack this particular one is made by premier body armor I wish that I didn't feel the need to integrate this item into my EDC backpack but there have been multiple shootings close to my office that made me up the priority and having some level of protection this ballistic panel is specifically designed to fit in the Varitek's game at 2.0 backpack it is lightweight at around 2 pounds flexible thin at around 0.2 2 inches thick and it's tested to meet NIJ ballistic standards for level 3a it's TSA approved made in the USA and legal to own in all 50 states it will stop common handgun rounds such as 9-millimeter 40 caliber 45 and 44 Magnum in addition to being special threat tested against 12-gauge shotgun buckshot and slugs it is also stab and slash resistant it cost around 200 dollars and it expires after about 5 years however this gives me a little bit of extra peace of mind for around $40 a year hopefully I never have to use this particular item but it is kind of nice knowing that it's back there and then wraps up all of the items that are stored in this version of my urban EDC backpack version 4.0 fully loaded this backpack weighs in at just under 20 pounds which is the maximum that I wanted to have for EDC purposes so that includes both the laptop and a full water bottle if you don't include the water bottle it weighs a little bit less I hope that you guys enjoyed watching this video featuring my updated urban EDC backpack version 4.0 I think this particular version provides me with a lot of capabilities for EDC purposes in an urban environment so leave your comments below in the comment section regarding this video as a quick reminder I've provided a PDF document you can download it by clicking the link in the description box below has a list of all the items that were covered in this video I hope that you guys enjoyed watching this one again this one featured my updated urban EDC backpack version 4.0 see you guys next time [Music] you

Channel: TheUrbanPrepper

Views: 427,476

Rating: 4.820437 out of 5

Keywords: The Urban Prepper, Prep, Prepping, Emergency Preparedness, Survival, Emergency, urban edc backpack, version 4.0, urban edc backpack version 4.0, edc backpack, everyday carry, vertx, vertx gamut 2.0, backpack, premier body armor

Id: ohW34fXx26c

Length: 25min 4sec (1504 seconds)

Published: Sun May 24 2020