Without knowing it, women have been quietly perfecting the art of everyday carry (EDC) for decades. The average purse contains a surprisingly capable survival toolkit, items that are lightweight, multifunctional, and overlooked precisely because they seem mundane.
This guide covers 15 everyday items, including personal security tools, hygiene solutions that work without water, and field repair essentials that are easy to overlook until you actually need them.
Whether you carry a purse, a backpack, or just a jacket with deep pockets, these are the everyday tools every prepper should consider carrying.
15. Elastic Hair Ties
A hair tie is essentially a miniature elastic version of paracord, and unlike paracord, you can buy 50 of them for $3.
Survival uses:
Bundling and securing items
Makeshift cordage in a pinch
Keeping rolled maps, documents, or tools together
Holding bandages in place temporarily
Securing the top of a bag that won't seal
Get the ones without metal clasps, metal can snap and break. Silicone-based ties are stronger and more versatile.
14. Compact Mirror
A small folding mirror is one of the most useful and least appreciated signaling tools available in everyday carry.
Survival uses:
Emergency signaling to aircraft or rescuers (a mirror flash is visible for miles)
Looking around corners without exposing yourself
Checking wounds or injuries on hard-to-see areas of your body
Starting a fire by reflecting sunlight onto tinder
Checking for gas leaks or debris in dark spaces
The clamshell case protects the glass from breaking and doubles as a small concealment container. If you want something purpose-built and more durable, a dedicated signal mirror is smaller and tougher than a makeup mirror, but both serve the purpose.
13. Tampons
A tampon is one of the most versatile compact items available.
Survival uses:
Water pre-filtering: Push one into the opening of a bottle or container to filter large sediment and debris before running water through a proper filter. It does not purify water, pair it with purification tablets or a filter.
Fire tinder: The cotton and rayon material catches a spark easily and burns long enough to establish a flame.
Wound dressing: A sterile, individually wrapped, absorbent pad that can dress minor wounds. Note — do NOT use a tampon to pack a gunshot wound. That's a persistent myth that emergency medicine professionals strongly advise against.
Makeshift earplugs in a loud environment
The individual plastic wrapper is also useful on its own as a small waterproof storage bag for tinder, matches, or small valuables.
12. Maxi Pads
More surface area, more adhesive, more absorbency, the maxi pad earns its place in any emergency kit.
Survival uses:
Wound dressing: Highly absorbent, sterile, and large enough to dress serious wounds. One of the most recommended improvised wound dressings in wilderness medicine circles.
Fire tinder (cotton-based varieties)
Extra padding: Inside boots to prevent blisters, under a pack strap to reduce pressure
Water absorption and pre-filtering
Improvised ice pack: Wet one and freeze it; holds cold significantly longer than a thin cloth
The adhesive strip makes them genuinely useful for securing dressings in the field
A trick worth knowing: the individually wrapped pad makes a useful sterile surface for minor first aid procedures.
11. Hand Sanitizer
This one earns its place far beyond its intended use.
Survival uses:
Fire starting: 60%+ alcohol hand sanitizer is flammable and burns long enough to help establish a fire. Apply a small amount to tinder and light.
Wound cleaning: Kills bacteria on skin around a wound (not inside it)
Stain remover: Ink, grass, and many other stains come off clothing with hand sanitizer
Adhesive remover: Removes sticky residue from bandage adhesive on skin
Lens cleaner: For glasses or camera lenses in a pinch
Hygiene: The obvious use becomes a genuine survival priority in scenarios where water is unavailable
Get a belt clip bottle or a keychain-sized one so it's always on your person.
10. Corn Huskers Lotion
This one surprises people. Corn Huskers is a glycerin-based hand lotion that has been quietly essential in agricultural and outdoor communities for over a century.
Why it matters:
Prevents and treats cracked, chapped skin, a real problem during prolonged outdoor activity or exposure
Reduces friction on feet during extended walking, directly preventing blisters
Combined with dry socks, it is one of the most effective defenses against trench foot available
Works as a lubricant for stuck mechanisms, zippers, and sticky hinges in a pinch
Non-greasy formula (unlike petroleum-based products) won't damage gear or gloves
In an emergency where you're walking significant distances in wet or cold conditions, skin care stops being vanity and starts being survival.
9. Bobby Pins
Two or three bobby pins can be a surprisingly capable covert tool kit.
Survival uses:
Lock picking: Bobby pins are the classic improvised lock pick. A single pin bent at 90 degrees functions as a tension wrench. A second pin with a small hook bent at the tip becomes a pick. This is a genuinely learnable skill, practice with a practice lock and you can reliably open basic pin tumbler locks.
Makeshift zipper pull: Replace a broken zipper tab
Wire substitute: Hold components, close bags, or secure items
Emergency clothespin: Secure tarps, bags, or anything that needs to be clipped
Medical use: Splint for a broken finger (with two pins and tape) or hair management when treating wounds on the scalp
8. Chapstick / Lip Balm
A tube of chapstick is essentially a compact wax delivery system, and wax has a remarkable number of uses.
Survival uses:
Lip and skin protection: In cold, wind, or sun, cracked lips and skin are a real health concern in extended scenarios
Fire starting: Apply chapstick to a cotton ball or natural tinder, it acts as a slow-burning fuel
Waterproofing: Rub on matches, shoelaces, zippers, and leather to repel water
Lubrication: Zippers, hinges, buckles, saw blades (reduces friction)
Wood protection: Prevents wooden handles from drying and cracking
Rust prevention: Apply a thin coat to metal tools or blades
Blister prevention: Apply to skin hot spots before blisters form
Thread conditioner: Run thread through chapstick before sewing for smoother passes
Candle substitute: In an emergency, a chapstick tube can function as a very short-duration candle
7. Safety Pins
Safety pins are arguably more useful than bobby pins in a survival context, and women carry them constantly for clothing emergencies.
Survival uses:
Splinter and thorn removal (sterilize the pin over a flame first)
Emergency clothing repair — holds torn fabric, replaces buttons, secures broken zippers
Medical: Secure bandages, create a sling from a shirt, or pin clothing over a wound
Improvised fishhook in a survival scenario (bend into a hook shape)
Cordage link: Connect paracord, hair ties, or strips of fabric together
Lock pick component — harder to use than a bobby pin but workable
Signaling: Polished pin catches light and can signal rescuers
A pack of 50 mixed-size safety pins weighs almost nothing and costs under $5.
6. Nail File (Metal, Emery Board, or Diamond)
Dismissed as pure vanity, a nail file, especially a metal one, is a genuinely useful field tool.
Survival uses:
Sharpening: A diamond-coated nail file sharpens knives, fishhooks, and arrowheads. A metal file sharpens tools.
Sparking a ferro rod: Works as a scraper in an emergency
Smoothing sharp edges on improvised tools, glass, or damaged gear
Filing through zip ties or thin soft metal in a prolonged emergency
Coarse abrasive: Scuffing surfaces for adhesion, cleaning corrosion
A metal nail file specifically (not cardboard emery boards) is the most useful version. Diamond nail files are the best of all, they're coated with industrial diamond grit and sharpen everything from knives to fish hooks.
5. Sewing Kit
A travel sewing kit, the kind sold at every dollar store and kept in hotel rooms, is one of the most overlooked prepper items available.
Survival uses:
Clothing repair — a clothing failure that exposes skin in cold or wet conditions is a genuine safety issue, not just embarrassing
Gear repair — stitch torn pack straps, tent fabric, sleeping bag fabric
Medical suturing — in a genuine wilderness emergency where no medical care is available, wound closure with a sterilized needle and thread is a last resort. Learn the technique before you need it.
Improvised fishing: Thread and needle become fishing line and hook
Wire substitute: Heavy thread braided together can hold surprising loads
Safety pins (most travel kits include several)
The needle is also useful for splinter removal and blister lancing (sterilize over a flame first).
4. Wet Wipes / Baby Wipes
Women with children carry these constantly. Women without children carry facial wipes. Both are the same thing for EDC purposes.
Survival uses:
Hygiene without water: The most practical waterless bathing method available. A single wet wipe can clean a surprising amount of body surface. Used in combat medicine and wilderness medicine contexts worldwide.
Wound cleaning — gentle enough for skin, effective enough to remove debris
Fire starting (petroleum-based wipes only, check the label; mineral oil-based wipes are flammable)
Cooling: In a heat emergency, wipe exposed skin to lower surface temperature
Surface disinfection: Not a substitute for proper disinfectant, but useful in a pinch
Improvised washcloth for equipment cleaning, food surface preparation, or lens cleaning
Individual travel packs (10–15 wipes) are the most practical form for EDC.
3. A Good Pen (or Tactical Pen)
Women carry pens constantly. Most preppers don't think about it. A pen is one of the most useful everyday carry items available, and the right pen goes much further.
Standard pen survival uses:
Writing notes, maps, and messages
Leaving trail markers or notes for rescuers
Improvised stylus, scribe, or probe
The ink tube can be removed and used as a short straw/tube for getting water from hard-to-reach sources
Tactical pen upgrades: A tactical pen looks like a standard pen but is constructed from aircraft-grade aluminum or tungsten with a hardened tip. Additional features often include:
Glass breaker tip (can shatter a car window in an emergency)
DNA catcher grooves on the strike end
Kubotan-style self-defense capability
Built-in LED light
Whistle
Women are already carrying pens. Upgrading to a quality tactical pen adds meaningful capability with zero additional weight or bulk.
2. A Small Flashlight or Keychain Light
Women are far more likely to have a small light source on their keychain or in their bag than men realize. This is one of the highest-value EDC items available, and it doesn't need to be large.
Why it matters:
Power outages happen at the worst times
Navigating a parking garage, a trail, or a damaged building in darkness is genuinely dangerous
A light source in an emergency is one of the most basic safety tools available
Red light preserves night vision; green light improves contrast in fog
Modern keychain flashlights are remarkably capable. A quality unit provides 100–300 lumens in a package the size of your thumb.
1. Pepper Spray
The most important item on the expanded list, and the one most commonly already in women's purses.
Why it belongs at the top:
Women are statistically significantly more likely to be the target of violent crime than men
Pepper spray is legal in most US states (check your local laws)
It is effective, non-lethal, and requires no special training to deploy effectively
A quality canister is small enough to fit in a purse pocket or on a keychain
It is effective against animals as well as humans, relevant in any outdoor scenario
What to look for in a pepper spray:
OC concentration: 1–2% Major Capsaicinoids (MC) is the standard for effective civilian use
Spray pattern: Stream for outdoor use (wind-resistant); cone or fog for indoor use
Safety mechanism: Twist or flip cap prevents accidental discharge
Range: 10–15 feet minimum
Canister size: Keychain-sized (0.5 oz) for EDC; larger (2–3 oz) for home or vehicle
The Complete Women's EDC Prepper Checklist
Here's everything from this list in one quick reference:
Already in Most Women's Purses (Upgrade These)
Item | Upgrade To | Amazon Link |
|---|---|---|
Regular hair ties | Silicone snag-free ties | |
Makeup mirror | Dual-purpose signal mirror | |
Chapstick | Multi-pack with beeswax formula | |
Hand sanitizer | Belt-clip or keychain bottle | |
Pen | Tactical pen with glass breaker | |
Phone light | Dedicated keychain flashlight |
Items to Add If You Don't Already Carry Them
Item | Amazon Link |
|---|---|
Bobby pins (bulk) | |
Safety pins (assorted) | |
Metal/diamond nail file | |
Compact travel sewing kit | |
Wet wipes travel packs | |
Corn Huskers lotion | |
Tampons (compact) | |
Maxi pads | |
Pepper spray (keychain) |
FAQ
What is the most important EDC item a woman can carry? From a safety perspective, pepper spray. From a multi-use survival perspective, chapstick and safety pins offer the most utility per gram of weight. From a hygiene perspective, hand sanitizer and wet wipes are the most consistently useful.
Can men carry these items too? Absolutely, that's the point of this article. Most of these items are small enough to fit in a jacket pocket or small pack, and several (chapstick, hand sanitizer, safety pins, a small flashlight) are genuinely useful daily regardless of gender.
Is pepper spray legal everywhere? No. Laws vary significantly by state and country. In the US, most states allow civilian carry of pepper spray with some restrictions (age, concentration limits, container size). Check your specific state laws before purchasing.
What should I use to carry all of this? A compartmentalized purse or a dedicated EDC pouch keeps everything organized and accessible. The items on this list are compact enough to fit in most standard purses without adding meaningful weight.
Keep Building Your Preparedness
If this article was useful, these guides on The Prepared Citizen are the natural next step:
🎒 Bug Out Bag List: The Complete Guide (Including What Most Lists Forget) — Build a full 72-hour evacuation kit around the EDC items you already carry
💧 Emergency Water Storage for Preppers — Water is your #1 survival priority. Here's how to store it, filter it, and purify it
🍚 Long-Term Food Storage Guide: 30-Year Shelf Life — What to store, how to package it, and how long it actually lasts
🏠 How to Start Prepping: The Complete Beginner's Guide — The 10-step guide for anyone starting from zero
⚡ How to Prepare for Energy Rationing and Power Cuts — Heating, lighting, cooking, and charging when the grid goes down
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