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 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 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 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 georgechen - Hazard 4 mil-wafer wallet. - iPhone 4 + Magpul case.- Strider PT in black.- Car key.- 4Sevens Qmini.- Swiss Army knife USB drive 4GB + tiny scissor version.- Mega Dangler.- Short 550 Paracord.- Titanium Money Clip. Editor’s Note: Good example of a minimalist carry here. You have a super-solid primary EDC blade that isn’t excessively long or unwieldy for most EDC tasks, backed by a keychain system providing your illumination and multitool functions. The keychain is kept slimmed down but also offers added utility in both the paracord lanyard for cordage and retrieval, and the Munroe Megadangler works as both a bottle opener type tool and a suspension clip to carry your keys easily in pocket. Lastly, separating your cash and cards into a wallet and moneyclip can better distribute bulk for a more symmetrical carry, which can free up space in some pockets and utilize some unused pocket space in others for a more balanced, comfortable feel. Good work, thanks for sharing!

    submitted by georgechen

    - Hazard 4 mil-wafer wallet. 
    - iPhone 4 + Magpul case.
    - Strider PT in black.
    - Car key.
    - 4Sevens Qmini.
    - Swiss Army knife USB drive 4GB + tiny scissor version.
    - Mega Dangler.
    - Short 550 Paracord.
    - Titanium Money Clip.

    Editor’s Note: Good example of a minimalist carry here. You have a super-solid primary EDC blade that isn’t excessively long or unwieldy for most EDC tasks, backed by a keychain system providing your illumination and multitool functions. The keychain is kept slimmed down but also offers added utility in both the paracord lanyard for cordage and retrieval, and the Munroe Megadangler works as both a bottle opener type tool and a suspension clip to carry your keys easily in pocket. Lastly, separating your cash and cards into a wallet and moneyclip can better distribute bulk for a more symmetrical carry, which can free up space in some pockets and utilize some unused pocket space in others for a more balanced, comfortable feel. Good work, thanks for sharing!

    submitted by Eugene B Top-down, left to right: - Pocket Shark kubotan (disguised as a marker, hence street-legal in most places)- fitbit motion register- UNO 24 wristwatch by Botta Design- Google Nexus S android phone- Byrd Wrench by Spyderco Editor’s Note: Interesting gear! That ByrdRench is a cool little gadget — I haven’t seen many multitools using that wrench-centric design. A small flashlight could probably round out your carry better, but otherwise I like your unique choice of gear. Thanks for sharing.

    submitted by Eugene B

    Top-down, left to right:

    - Pocket Shark kubotan (disguised as a marker, hence street-legal in most places)
    - fitbit motion register
    - UNO 24 wristwatch by Botta Design
    - Google Nexus S android phone
    - Byrd Wrench by Spyderco

    Editor’s Note: Interesting gear! That ByrdRench is a cool little gadget — I haven’t seen many multitools using that wrench-centric design. A small flashlight could probably round out your carry better, but otherwise I like your unique choice of gear. Thanks for sharing.

    submitted by Matt L This is what is on me everyday: Kahr PM9 4sevens Mini 123HTC IncredibleThe only key I needSmall Swiss Army knifeAllett walletArnette Defy sunglasses Editor’s Note: Nice, another minimal carry, even down to the keys and wallet. I’m still a big fan of the Quark Mini and SAK combo. The only thing I could think of changing is maybe adding paracord or a P7 suspension clip to help with retrieval and pocket carry of small items like the QMini and SAK. Alternatively, you could consider consolidating them onto your car key with a larger split ring. However, the items are small enough to pocket loosely and if concealment is a bigger concern then it should work just fine. Thanks for sharing!

    submitted by Matt L

    This is what is on me everyday:

    Kahr PM9 
    4sevens Mini 123
    HTC Incredible
    The only key I need
    Small Swiss Army knife
    Allett wallet
    Arnette Defy sunglasses

    Editor’s Note: Nice, another minimal carry, even down to the keys and wallet. I’m still a big fan of the Quark Mini and SAK combo. The only thing I could think of changing is maybe adding paracord or a P7 suspension clip to help with retrieval and pocket carry of small items like the QMini and SAK. Alternatively, you could consider consolidating them onto your car key with a larger split ring. However, the items are small enough to pocket loosely and if concealment is a bigger concern then it should work just fine. Thanks for sharing!

    Seiko SRP027K1 Editor’s Note: I finally got a DSLR! I haven’t been buying any EDC gear though so I could save up for it — apologies for pics of old stuff. In any case, look forward to better photos and videos. I should have something up by tomorrow. I appreciate your patience~

    Seiko SRP027K1

    Editor’s Note: I finally got a DSLR! I haven’t been buying any EDC gear though so I could save up for it — apologies for pics of old stuff. In any case, look forward to better photos and videos. I should have something up by tomorrow. I appreciate your patience~

    submitted by Bruce P 4Sevens Preon 1 TitaniumHipster WalletBulova PrecisionistKahr CW9AlMar Eagle Ultralight Plain EdgeWedding BandTasche NBP Ohto PeniPhone 3Gs Editor’s Note: Nice, the Preon I, Ultralight and Ohto work perfectly for a classy, functional and lightweight carry. Looks good! Thanks for sharing and carry on.

    submitted by Bruce P

    4Sevens Preon 1 Titanium
    Hipster Wallet
    Bulova Precisionist
    Kahr CW9
    AlMar Eagle Ultralight Plain Edge
    Wedding Band
    Tasche NBP Ohto Pen
    iPhone 3Gs

    Editor’s Note: Nice, the Preon I, Ultralight and Ohto work perfectly for a classy, functional and lightweight carry. Looks good! Thanks for sharing and carry on.

    submitted by JohnC It’s been keys, wallet, phone; keys, wallet, phone; keys wallet, phone for me for years. Lately, I’ve been watching some Nutnfancy gear reviews and viewing some EDC pocket dumps, and I’ve decided to add more utility to my EDC setup. I do a little sewing in my backyard shop (blacktagbags.com), so it was easy enough to make a wallet and a tool organizer. Rather than carry all my keys all the time, I load up separate vehicle-specific key rings. This one includes: house key, shop key, and Stella scooter key. Work keys have their own ring, too. I don’t ask for much in a phone – this Samsung flip works just fine. The Benchmade 1100 model pen pairs well with the 4 Sevens Preon 2 flashlight. I included a less aggressive Bic GripRoller as well. I like the Leatherman Squirt’s size, so I expect I’ll carry it more often than my Leatherman WAVE. Peter Atwood made a million whistles this spring — I couldn’t resist. This Kingston 8GB flash drive comes in handy all the time. Finally this Spyderco Ladybug fills in the locking blade gap left by the Squirt. Editor’s Note: Hey, that organizer is pretty neat! Interesting layout, it seems to be as efficient as possible for your gear’s form factors. Good choice on the contents as well. The Preon is probably my favorite 2xAAA light and the S2 is my favorite small/mid-sized multitool. Nice work, keep it up! Thanks for sharing.

    submitted by JohnC

    It’s been keys, wallet, phone; keys, wallet, phone; keys wallet, phone for me for years. Lately, I’ve been watching some Nutnfancy gear reviews and viewing some EDC pocket dumps, and I’ve decided to add more utility to my EDC setup.

    I do a little sewing in my backyard shop (blacktagbags.com), so it was easy enough to make a wallet and a tool organizer. Rather than carry all my keys all the time, I load up separate vehicle-specific key rings. This one includes: house key, shop key, and Stella scooter key. Work keys have their own ring, too. I don’t ask for much in a phone – this Samsung flip works just fine. The Benchmade 1100 model pen pairs well with the 4 Sevens Preon 2 flashlight. I included a less aggressive Bic GripRoller as well. I like the Leatherman Squirt’s size, so I expect I’ll carry it more often than my Leatherman WAVE. Peter Atwood made a million whistles this spring — I couldn’t resist. This Kingston 8GB flash drive comes in handy all the time. Finally this Spyderco Ladybug fills in the locking blade gap left by the Squirt.

    Editor’s Note: Hey, that organizer is pretty neat! Interesting layout, it seems to be as efficient as possible for your gear’s form factors. Good choice on the contents as well. The Preon is probably my favorite 2xAAA light and the S2 is my favorite small/mid-sized multitool. Nice work, keep it up! Thanks for sharing.

    submitted by irboxx typical EDC: Tanner Goods Natural Leather Tether (6 months) Hollows Leather Natural Mid-Size Leather Wallet (1 month) Hollows Leather Natural Stitched Single Wrap Surefire EW-04 Leatherman Charge TTi Google Nexus One Seiko 6309-7290 (30+ years, dad’s) Trekker Space Pen (on tether) I plan to add a Surefire T1A Titan or Surefire E1B backup to my EDC soon Editor’s Note: I see you have an affinity for leather goods (except for your watchband actually)… I think those mid-size backpocket wallets might not be the best minimal carry option (and could be bad for your back) but I can definitely appreciate the quality and durability of a well-built leather wallet. Nice Leatherman, I wish more of their multitools came with a pocket clip. Lastly, I think an E1B would work well in this setup, the T1A seems a bit expensive for what it is considering all the new flashlights that have been produced since then. Thanks for sharing!

    submitted by irboxx

    typical EDC:

    • Tanner Goods Natural Leather Tether (6 months)
    • Hollows Leather Natural Mid-Size Leather Wallet (1 month)
    • Hollows Leather Natural Stitched Single Wrap
    • Surefire EW-04
    • Leatherman Charge TTi
    • Google Nexus One
    • Seiko 6309-7290 (30+ years, dad’s)
    • Trekker Space Pen (on tether)

    I plan to add a Surefire T1A Titan or Surefire E1B backup to my EDC soon

    Editor’s Note: I see you have an affinity for leather goods (except for your watchband actually)… I think those mid-size backpocket wallets might not be the best minimal carry option (and could be bad for your back) but I can definitely appreciate the quality and durability of a well-built leather wallet. Nice Leatherman, I wish more of their multitools came with a pocket clip. Lastly, I think an E1B would work well in this setup, the T1A seems a bit expensive for what it is considering all the new flashlights that have been produced since then. Thanks for sharing!