Vehicle Every Day Carry (VEDC) expands greatly on what you carry on your person, as well as keeps you prepared for events beyond what a traditional EDC would prepare you for. In my case, most of what I might need in the event of an emergency is already in my vehicle. My additional VEDC ends up being more safety and personal items.

I keep most of my main camping gear in a storage drawer in the back of my vehicle. We’ve written about keeping a go box, but this allows me to get out of town for a weekend in the woods without having to worry about getting home to pack.

All of it fits on one side of the drawer, and the other is allocated for additional items, including some VEDC gear. The drawer closes and locks, securing everything and eliminating the need to worry about loose items rolling around.

Do An Assessment

Some factors can play into what you end up carrying in your vehicle. Below are some things to consider when planning out what you are carrying as part of your VEDC.

• Type of vehicle you drive
• Yearly weather conditions to consider
• Commute distance
• Remoteness of job or home location
• Priority in the event of an emergency

In my case, my situation looks something like this:

• Type of vehicle: 2016 Toyota 4Runner SR5
• Yearly weather conditions to consider: winter bad weather, supplement regular gear with a cold weather kit
• Commute distance: short, less than 30 miles one way; all urban environment
• Remoteness of job or home location: n/a
• Priority in the event of an emergency: getting my kids from school and getting home safely

VEDC Contents

Below are the items that I keep in my vehicle at all times as part of my VEDC. While they aren’t necessary for a weekend trip, they are good to have in the vehicle, whether for personal or emergency use. These usually do not come out unless they are being used or have been used and need to be restocked.

• Get home or bail out bag
• Sick kit
• Water
• Snacks
• Gum
• Jumper cables
• Tow strap
• Emergency tool (seat belt cutter/window breaker)
• First aid kit
• Maps (local/state/national)
• Cell charging cord
• Knife
• Flashlight
• Carista OBD2 dongle
• Fire extinguisher
• Flares
• Cold-weather kit, if needed

Many of the survival-type items I might need are packed in with my camping gear or one of my bags, so I didn’t include them in this list. The items listed are vehicle-specific and remain in the vehicle at all times. It also goes without saying that I can supplement my VEDC with items from either my camping gear or whichever bag I happen to have with me (GHB or BOB).

I also want to stress that certain kits, such as a recovery kit and a tool kit, are included or part of my standard camping and overlanding loadout. They might not always travel with me when I am in town, but they definitely do when I’m heading out on a trip.

There is also one huge drawback to storing things in a drawer. Accessibility becomes a problem if you cannot open the drawer. That’s a risk I have decided to take by including a drawer in my vehicle. However, it may not be suitable for everyone, so consider where you can store your VEDC so that it remains accessible in the event of an accident, rollover, or similar situation.