EDC

Everyday Carry, or EDC, generally refers to small items or gadgets worn, carried, or made available in pockets, holsters, or bags on a daily basis to manage common tasks or for use in unexpected situations or emergencies. In a broader sense, it is a lifestyle, discipline, or philosophy of preparedness.

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Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor

 

submitted by D Park Great site….A daily reader with my morning coffee. I’m a car designer and appreciate honest, functional design. Items comprised is my special carry. Damasko DA36 with Maratac 20mm Two Piece Nylon BandSmall Sebenza Double LugHaiku XML 6V Editor’s Note: Mmm, dat design. A Chris Reeve and McGizmo is one of the most coveted pairings of blade and light you could have. Very great pieces and an excellent example of engineering, design, materials, aesthetics and attention to detail. Thanks for sharing.

submitted by D Park

Great site….A daily reader with my morning coffee.

I’m a car designer and appreciate honest, functional design. Items comprised is my special carry.

Damasko DA36 with Maratac 20mm Two Piece Nylon Band
Small Sebenza Double Lug
Haiku XML 6V

Editor’s Note: Mmm, dat design. A Chris Reeve and McGizmo is one of the most coveted pairings of blade and light you could have. Very great pieces and an excellent example of engineering, design, materials, aesthetics and attention to detail. Thanks for sharing.

The Things I Carry: 2 Chainz via The FADER Editor’s Note: Interesting setup there. I notice your wallet has a chain, which is a good idea to maintain maximum retention, especially if you are particularly conspicuous about how much money you have on you at any given time. With that said, it seems the wallet size, despite being at the maximum size for comfortable pocket carry, is insufficient for holding all of your cash. Judging by your method of retaining cash (such as rubber bands or friction and gravity) I would suggest investing in a larger moneyclip (perhaps the Superiortitanium Viper would serve you well) or even a small to medium-sized satchel with a $ symbol on it. They say time is money, and you have plenty of it, so it’s good that you wear a watch to manage all of that. I like the extra large lighter too — it should last longer at the expense of pocket space, but perhaps you have more to work with than the average EDCer. I must applaud your abundance of backups. You have not one, not two, but three phones because when there’s an app for everything, who needs tools? Lastly, it’s most evident that you subscribe to the “two is one; one is none” adage with your dual-chain carry (and even moreso reflected in your name). While nice pieces, I would say your firearm would not be the most effective in self-defense despite being easily accessible as a necker.

The Things I Carry: 2 Chainz via The FADER

Editor’s Note: Interesting setup there. I notice your wallet has a chain, which is a good idea to maintain maximum retention, especially if you are particularly conspicuous about how much money you have on you at any given time. With that said, it seems the wallet size, despite being at the maximum size for comfortable pocket carry, is insufficient for holding all of your cash. Judging by your method of retaining cash (such as rubber bands or friction and gravity) I would suggest investing in a larger moneyclip (perhaps the Superiortitanium Viper would serve you well) or even a small to medium-sized satchel with a $ symbol on it. They say time is money, and you have plenty of it, so it’s good that you wear a watch to manage all of that. I like the extra large lighter too — it should last longer at the expense of pocket space, but perhaps you have more to work with than the average EDCer. I must applaud your abundance of backups. You have not one, not two, but three phones because when there’s an app for everything, who needs tools? Lastly, it’s most evident that you subscribe to the “two is one; one is none” adage with your dual-chain carry (and even moreso reflected in your name). While nice pieces, I would say your firearm would not be the most effective in self-defense despite being easily accessible as a necker.

submitted by Ark Keeping it simple and doing what works for me is how I live.   4Sevens Quark AA Tactical R5 The moonlight mode is fantastic for that midnight bathroom break.  Accessing it with a little twist of the head is so much better than cycling through many modes.  Simple to use, small, reliable, and most importantly uses the common AA.   Emerson Mini CQC-7 It’s a perfect fit for my pocket and the wave feature makes for fast deployment when opening any shipping box left on my doorstep.   Mini Swiss Army  I’ve actually carried this for the past 18 years on my many keychains.  The little knife and scissors have saved my butt countless times.   Money Clip For me, using a standard wallet forces you to fill the empty pockets with stuff.  I found this stainless clip at discount clothes store for a couple of bucks.  Super simple and reasonably thin.  I keep my cards in a drawer at home and tailor my plastic load before heading out. 1971 Rolex Air King A gift from my father-in-law.  It does me no good in a safe so I wear it.   iPhone 4 The charm of the iPhone is how thin it is, so I don’t use a case.  It lives alone in my left pocket so screen protectors, front and back, serve it well.   Great site! Editor’s Note: Awesome carry! I actually carry some similar gear, and I agree with your assessment on your individual items. My only small recommendation might be to upgrade your discount store moneyclip to a black titanium one just because it would conceal with your gear better and it might be more durable. However, it’s not necessary, especially as I can tell your gear works for you and you have a very positive attitude towards EDC. Thanks for pointing out some of your most favorite features of your gear for other readers who may be less familiar, too. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing.

submitted by Ark

Keeping it simple and doing what works for me is how I live.  

4Sevens Quark AA Tactical R5

The moonlight mode is fantastic for that midnight bathroom break.  Accessing it with a little twist of the head is so much better than cycling through many modes.  Simple to use, small, reliable, and most importantly uses the common AA.  

Emerson Mini CQC-7

It’s a perfect fit for my pocket and the wave feature makes for fast deployment when opening any shipping box left on my doorstep.  

Mini Swiss Army 

I’ve actually carried this for the past 18 years on my many keychains.  The little knife and scissors have saved my butt countless times.  

Money Clip

For me, using a standard wallet forces you to fill the empty pockets with stuff.  I found this stainless clip at discount clothes store for a couple of bucks.  Super simple and reasonably thin.  I keep my cards in a drawer at home and tailor my plastic load before heading out.

1971 Rolex Air King

A gift from my father-in-law.  It does me no good in a safe so I wear it.  

iPhone 4

The charm of the iPhone is how thin it is, so I don’t use a case.  It lives alone in my left pocket so screen protectors, front and back, serve it well.  

Great site!

Editor’s Note: Awesome carry! I actually carry some similar gear, and I agree with your assessment on your individual items. My only small recommendation might be to upgrade your discount store moneyclip to a black titanium one just because it would conceal with your gear better and it might be more durable. However, it’s not necessary, especially as I can tell your gear works for you and you have a very positive attitude towards EDC. Thanks for pointing out some of your most favorite features of your gear for other readers who may be less familiar, too. Keep up the good work and thanks for sharing.

submitted by Anthony Sculimbrene A Filip De Coene Hybrid Slipjoint (purchased after seeing a Mini from De Coene in your Archives) A Hi CRI Steve Ku 40DD with Ice Blue Tritium Inserts How is that for minimal? Editor’s Note: Here’s a shot of that Steve Ku 40DD I mentioned in an earlier post this week. Awesome pair, totally minimal, unique and functional. Congrats Tony, carry them well.

submitted by Anthony Sculimbrene

A Filip De Coene Hybrid Slipjoint (purchased after seeing a Mini from De Coene in your Archives)

A Hi CRI Steve Ku 40DD with Ice Blue Tritium Inserts

How is that for minimal?

Editor’s Note: Here’s a shot of that Steve Ku 40DD I mentioned in an earlier post this week. Awesome pair, totally minimal, unique and functional. Congrats Tony, carry them well.

submitted by starstreak Great blog! I’m japanese photographer. here’s my carry : Sinn UX S GSG9 Sony Ericsson Xperia arc Keys Leatherman Style PS Nitecore EX11.2 Editor’s Note: Thanks for the kind words. Also, thanks for putting a brief description of what you do and where you’re from to put the carry into perspective. It makes sense that you carry a bladeless multitool due to Japanese knife laws. I see you keep your light on a wrist lanyard, which is nice for retrieval and retention when in use. If you want a different carry solution, there are actually some aftermarket titanium pocket clips that carry nice and deep if you’d want to go that route. Lastly, the real standout of this carry is that Sinn! Looks great all around, thanks for sharing.

submitted by starstreak

Great blog!

I’m japanese photographer. here’s my carry :

  • Sinn UX S GSG9
  • Sony Ericsson Xperia arc
  • Keys
  • Leatherman Style PS
  • Nitecore EX11.2

Editor’s Note: Thanks for the kind words. Also, thanks for putting a brief description of what you do and where you’re from to put the carry into perspective. It makes sense that you carry a bladeless multitool due to Japanese knife laws. I see you keep your light on a wrist lanyard, which is nice for retrieval and retention when in use. If you want a different carry solution, there are actually some aftermarket titanium pocket clips that carry nice and deep if you’d want to go that route. Lastly, the real standout of this carry is that Sinn! Looks great all around, thanks for sharing.

submitted by Sherwin Love your site!  It’s intriguing to see what’s in people’s pockets. Reminds me of the book, The Things They Carried. Thought I’d contribute my daily carry, too. - lip balm- Makr Carry Goods, Horizon Three Wallet; Great thin wallet for front pocket use- iPhone 4, 32GB- Seiko SNK809K2; Custom face and hands, with Maratac Bond NATO strap- fishhook keychain- Streamlight Nano- Rough Rider “Damascus” lockback; with hand-etched ivory scrimshaw I found the knife on Etsy and felt it had a lot of character—so it replaced a Victornox Classic SD. I might ditch the Streamlight Nano and rely on my phone’s LED—it keeps unscrewing itself and spilling the batteries. I thought about getting a Photon, but they don’t seem all that great. Any reco’s for tiny flashlights? Editor’s Note: Another nice minimal carry, pretty stylish too. I haven’t seen one of those Seikos in a while, looks like a Yobokies custom? Those are an inexpensive way to get the look you want, and actually look good for people with smaller wrists with the 38mm case. I’ve heard some horror stories about the infamous fishhook keyring but if you’re careful and tuck your keys into your pocket that shouldn’t be an issue, so just keep that in mind. As for a small light replacement, here’s a (potentially outdated) article on button cell lights. There have been some newer small lights on the market, some using 1xAAAA cells, but the one that really caught my eye was the Steve Ku (now Veleno Designs) 40DD. Good luck and thanks for sharing!

submitted by Sherwin

Love your site!  It’s intriguing to see what’s in people’s pockets. Reminds me of the book, The Things They Carried. Thought I’d contribute my daily carry, too.

- lip balm
- Makr Carry Goods, Horizon Three Wallet; Great thin wallet for front pocket use
- iPhone 4, 32GB
- Seiko SNK809K2; Custom face and hands, with Maratac Bond NATO strap
- fishhook keychain
- Streamlight Nano
- Rough Rider “Damascus” lockback; with hand-etched ivory scrimshaw

I found the knife on Etsy and felt it had a lot of character—so it replaced a Victornox Classic SD. I might ditch the Streamlight Nano and rely on my phone’s LED—it keeps unscrewing itself and spilling the batteries. I thought about getting a Photon, but they don’t seem all that great. Any reco’s for tiny flashlights?

Editor’s Note: Another nice minimal carry, pretty stylish too. I haven’t seen one of those Seikos in a while, looks like a Yobokies custom? Those are an inexpensive way to get the look you want, and actually look good for people with smaller wrists with the 38mm case. I’ve heard some horror stories about the infamous fishhook keyring but if you’re careful and tuck your keys into your pocket that shouldn’t be an issue, so just keep that in mind. As for a small light replacement, here’s a (potentially outdated) article on button cell lights. There have been some newer small lights on the market, some using 1xAAAA cells, but the one that really caught my eye was the Steve Ku (now Veleno Designs) 40DD. Good luck and thanks for sharing!

submitted by Scott P. Heav(ier) duty EDC, usually carried in a small shoulder bag: Guildhall pocket notebook (much better quality than Moleskine imho), in a plain leather cover.Stainless Embassy pen, stainless Maxmadco pen.Undyed cotton handkerchief.Spyderco Leaf Storm.Saddleback Leather medium bifold wallet.Keychain and tools: Muyshondt Aeon, Leatherman Squirt PS4, and Imakey, and 2 stainless storage fobs. Editor’s Note: Nice setup… with an EDC bag I see you can manage to carry a nice notebook, some heavy duty pens, and a Saddleback bifold (which aren’t the slimmest to carry I’d imagine, but here it should carry fine and last forever). Good choice on the primary bladetoo. Despite it being one of my older knives, my Leafstorm’s in my pocket every day (still can’t think of a suitable replacement for myself…). I like the pairing of the Aeon and the Squirt, as well as how your keys are modular for ease of access and customization. One concern I have is the two pill-fobs on one McGizmo clip situation — they seem to dangle awkwardly (which again, might not matter if it’s in a bag). I can’t tell from the photo what size clips those are too, but I generally avoid the smaller clips because they tend to easily unclip gear, in my experience. Looking good overall, thanks for sharing.

submitted by Scott P.

Heav(ier) duty EDC, usually carried in a small shoulder bag:

Guildhall pocket notebook (much better quality than Moleskine imho), in a plain leather cover.
Stainless Embassy pen, stainless Maxmadco pen.
Undyed cotton handkerchief.
Spyderco Leaf Storm.
Saddleback Leather medium bifold wallet.
Keychain and tools: Muyshondt Aeon, Leatherman Squirt PS4, and Imakey, and 2 stainless storage fobs.

Editor’s Note: Nice setup… with an EDC bag I see you can manage to carry a nice notebook, some heavy duty pens, and a Saddleback bifold (which aren’t the slimmest to carry I’d imagine, but here it should carry fine and last forever). Good choice on the primary bladetoo. Despite it being one of my older knives, my Leafstorm’s in my pocket every day (still can’t think of a suitable replacement for myself…). I like the pairing of the Aeon and the Squirt, as well as how your keys are modular for ease of access and customization. One concern I have is the two pill-fobs on one McGizmo clip situation — they seem to dangle awkwardly (which again, might not matter if it’s in a bag). I can’t tell from the photo what size clips those are too, but I generally avoid the smaller clips because they tend to easily unclip gear, in my experience. Looking good overall, thanks for sharing.

submitted by j-vergara Hey, long time follower of this site. My carry pretty much stays the same through the years as I add or remove a piece here or there. This time I added a timepiece to my carry. 4Sevens Quark Mini 123 Spyderco Persistence Seiko SKX007 Editor’s Note: Nice selection to add to the carry… The SKX007 is one of Seiko’s more popular offerings and makes for a nice EDC watch. Your other pieces, the Quark Mini123 and Persistence are also some common choices, albeit because they perform well for not a lot of money. These are definitely some pieces of kit to check out for newcomers to EDC. Thanks for sharing.

submitted by j-vergara

Hey, long time follower of this site. My carry pretty much stays the same through the years as I add or remove a piece here or there. This time I added a timepiece to my carry.

  • 4Sevens Quark Mini 123
  • Spyderco Persistence
  • Seiko SKX007

Editor’s Note: Nice selection to add to the carry… The SKX007 is one of Seiko’s more popular offerings and makes for a nice EDC watch. Your other pieces, the Quark Mini123 and Persistence are also some common choices, albeit because they perform well for not a lot of money. These are definitely some pieces of kit to check out for newcomers to EDC. Thanks for sharing.

    submitted by PiterM Just my recent weekend EDC:- Emerson CQC7 (with custom backspacer)- Fellhoelter folder-bottle opener (for fine cutting tasks)- Atwood PryBaby tool (with Strider pivot key)- Ti folding spork- BIC lighter- G-Shock- iPhone (doubles as emergency flashlight)- Spartan pen (impact device)- Field Notes- refreshment mini-towel- BUSHIDO pendant- GF1 camera with 14/2.5 lens (very handy and gives MUCH better image quality than ANY compact camera, especially in low-light. And still small enough for EDC) Editor’s Note: Nice loadout as always, Piter. I especially like the spork and friction folder/bottle opener as I don’t see those very often, very cool! Even though this loadout might look a little on the heavy side it still remains coherent set of tools for a relaxing weekend outside or something. I also forgot how good a simple G-Shock can be for an EDC watch, I might have to pick one up soon. Thanks for sharing.

    submitted by PiterM

    Just my recent weekend EDC:
    - Emerson CQC7 (with custom backspacer)
    - Fellhoelter folder-bottle opener (for fine cutting tasks)
    - Atwood PryBaby tool (with Strider pivot key)
    - Ti folding spork
    - BIC lighter
    - G-Shock
    - iPhone (doubles as emergency flashlight)
    - Spartan pen (impact device)
    - Field Notes
    - refreshment mini-towel
    - BUSHIDO pendant
    - GF1 camera with 14/2.5 lens (very handy and gives MUCH better image quality than ANY compact camera, especially in low-light. And still small enough for EDC)

    Editor’s Note: Nice loadout as always, Piter. I especially like the spork and friction folder/bottle opener as I don’t see those very often, very cool! Even though this loadout might look a little on the heavy side it still remains coherent set of tools for a relaxing weekend outside or something. I also forgot how good a simple G-Shock can be for an EDC watch, I might have to pick one up soon. Thanks for sharing.

    submitted by tinycrumb While I EDC a bit more than this (wallet, keychain, etc…), I  thought it would be fun to just do a quick shot of the favorite titanium goodies together. iPhone 4S w/ replacement back from Mas Elements Cool Fall Tri-V Hinderer XM-18 3” Custom Spearpoint Editor’s Note: Some titanium to start the week! Awesome pieces, I totally envy that Tri-V. I can’t really comment on your overall carry but your gear suggests you’ve got a set up that works for you. In any case, thanks for sharing a beautiful shot of some fantastic gear.

    submitted by tinycrumb

    While I EDC a bit more than this (wallet, keychain, etc…), I  thought it would be fun to just do a quick shot of the favorite titanium goodies together.

    • iPhone 4S w/ replacement back from Mas Elements
    • Cool Fall Tri-V
    • Hinderer XM-18 3” Custom Spearpoint

    Editor’s Note: Some titanium to start the week! Awesome pieces, I totally envy that Tri-V. I can’t really comment on your overall carry but your gear suggests you’ve got a set up that works for you. In any case, thanks for sharing a beautiful shot of some fantastic gear.

      submitted by Matthew From left to right, top to bottom:1. Apple iPhone Verizon2. Hamilton Khaki Filed Auto 38mm on Maratac strap3. Victorinox Cadet Red Alox on Munroe Dangler4. Rotring 600 Lava ballpoint pen with Fisher refill5. Rite In The Rain notebook6. The Hill-Side Indogo Selvedge Chambray pocket square7. Kawatako Brass Keyhook with Makr Bottle Key8. Makr One WalletThere are other items I EDC, but this is the stuff that is in my pockets on a daily basis. Editor’s Note: Nice loadout. It’s streamlined and non-threatening while boasting both utility and style. Each piece individually is awesome and together they’re very coherent. I like the suspension clip/dangler on the Alox Cadet for better pocket carry. Great Rotring too. I notice you don’t carry a light, but I’m assuming your phone’s LED would suffice for your typical everyday environments. One last thing is that your bottle opener key is still a blank cut — I can’t really tell if the key behind it is the same size/blank but if it is you could minimize bulk and weight by combining keys. Otherwise, good work, thanks for sharing.

      submitted by Matthew

      From left to right, top to bottom:
      1. Apple iPhone Verizon
      2. Hamilton Khaki Filed Auto 38mm on Maratac strap
      3. Victorinox Cadet Red Alox on Munroe Dangler
      4. Rotring 600 Lava ballpoint pen with Fisher refill
      5. Rite In The Rain notebook
      6. The Hill-Side Indogo Selvedge Chambray pocket square
      7. Kawatako Brass Keyhook with Makr Bottle Key
      8. Makr One Wallet

      There are other items I EDC, but this is the stuff that is in my pockets on a daily basis.

      Editor’s Note: Nice loadout. It’s streamlined and non-threatening while boasting both utility and style. Each piece individually is awesome and together they’re very coherent. I like the suspension clip/dangler on the Alox Cadet for better pocket carry. Great Rotring too. I notice you don’t carry a light, but I’m assuming your phone’s LED would suffice for your typical everyday environments. One last thing is that your bottle opener key is still a blank cut — I can’t really tell if the key behind it is the same size/blank but if it is you could minimize bulk and weight by combining keys. Otherwise, good work, thanks for sharing.