A while back, I was working on my own Everyday Carry Kit and I asked a fellow survivalist what his EDC (Everyday Carry) items consisted of. I was a little baffled by his answer because he is known to have some of the coolest gear—a lot of it was made and customized with his own hands.

I was surprised to learn that his most important Everyday Carry item was as he said it—his “inner Paleo self” or “caveman”. Next to his inner determination to survive, his next important EDC item was his multi-tool that he could rely on for almost anything.

We went further into the conversation, and what he said really made an impression on me. It wasn’t just the gear—(even though it helped). It was the mental preparedness to accept the realization that you will have to do whatever it takes to survive. No hesitation or second guessing—just primal instinct.

When you make a decision, you’ll do it by instinct and then execute your choice:

If you have to eat, then you find food—whether you scavenge, eat trash, or take it from some one else.

If you need shelter, you will find anything that will work as a roof over your head.

If you’re threatened, you will meet that threat with dangerous and effective resolve.

Surviving a disaster doesn’t really have much room for a conscience. However, acts of evil and cruelty should never be confused with a primal survival instinct. If that is what happens when you rely on instinct then you probably need to see a therapist!

In a survival situation it’s “dog eat dog”—keep your head low, and do what you have to do to make it home alive.