EDC

submitted by olara21

I love your site, I submitted my edc a while ago and this is how far I’ve gotten. I either carry the Wave or my Kershaw Leek when I want to go lightweight. 

Magpul Field Case - Black 16gb iPhone 4
Fenix E11
Leatherman Wave
Casio Watch
Fisher Space Pen - Bullet
Key Chain - Carabiner, Gerber Shard, LED light

Editor’s Note: Here’s a simple, well-rounded carry that doesn’t really break the bank. The Fenix and Wave combination should cover many bases, not take up too much pocket space, and last a long time. The E11 is a decent, affordable and simple torch that runs on easily sourced batteries. Your keychain is kept minimal with a backup one piece multitool and an LED, which is good — I’d probably consider swapping out that carabiner for a different kind of retention clip though (but with such a lightweight keyring, you might be okay there). The Space Pen is a classic EDC staple and the Magpul is a good choice of case too. To be honest there’s not much in the way of outstanding high-end gear, but it’s good to remind readers that you can configure an EDC for pretty much any budget and any lifestyle. The advantage of more affordable gear is that they’re also easily replaceable if they get lost. Just be aware that there is a difference between cheap and affordable! You did a great job of that. Thanks for sharing.

submitted by Brian

Hi - love the site.  Here’s my pocket dump.

Simple keyring, I don’t like a lot of clutter on my keys, so I keep it to just keys, nothing else.  I put the extra split ring on because two microchipped car keys are pretty bulky right next to each other on a single ring.  The simple yellow plastic surround helps me find the house key in the dark.  This is one of my favorite little additions - sometimes the simplest things are the most effective.

Clockwise from there, the Saddleback Small Wallet.  I think this is the perfect little wallet - just big enough.  I have it whited out, but normally I keep my grocery store card in the license slot for quick scanning (since I’m there seemingly everyday).  Keys and wallet go in the front left pocket.

Simple Citizen Eco-Drive watch with a leather strap.  It was a gift, and is the nicest watch I’ve ever owned (I’m not into the really expensive stuff - I used to just buy a little Timex every couple of months when they broke).

Droid 2 - just the current cell phone.  I’m definitely a smart phone convert now, so I have dedicated my right front pocket to just the phone to avoid scratches and for easy access.

Moleskine pocket squared with Fisher Space Pen.  I keep a removable set of sheets in the moleskine for disposable notes, and keep more permanent notes, lists, and ideas in the notebook.  This is the back right pocket.

Back left pocket gets the special treatment.  I have dedicated a Saddleback Small Gadget Pouch to storing four things (laid out next to it as they fit):

• Streamlight Microstream
• Peanut Lighter from CountyComm
• Leatherman Skeletool
• Protective case for hearing aids (just in case)

Everything fits in the gadget pouch snugly, and because it has the access hole in the bottom, it is easy to push things out.  It works well for me because the only thing in this pouch I need on a daily basis is the flashlight, and it protrudes just enough that I can grab it without removing the wallet.  Everything else stays put.

Thanks for keeping such a great site!  I’ve gotten a lot of ideas here, and appreciate the stylish demonstration of the EDC philosophy.

Editor’s Note: Brian, thanks for your support. I appreciate the thorough explanation of your gear here, and I can tell some of the ideas I try to put forth on the website resonate with your carry. Your carry covers many bases in an uncluttered way, but still features some nice tricks worth highlighting. Firstly, I like the minimal keyring. The hi-vis keycap is a good idea, if you wanted to take that to the next level you could try attaching a tritium locator or a glow in the dark keycap maybe (although it would be hard to maintain a charge when you pocket carry). The leather gadget pouch system is a unique approach to me, as many EDCers turn to a “pocket organizer” or “urban wallet” for this method of EDC. I can see the merits of leather include longer lasting durability, a snugger fit to improve content retention without the use of hardware that could break like zippers and snap buttons, and a sort of ‘cushion’ to protect your gear from scratching each other up. The contents cover many bases — you have your light, blade, tools, and lighter (ear protection is good to keep too, props for that). My only concern is that by backpocket carrying a lot of your gear you could risk some spine issues down the road. However, you at least mitigate this issue by symmetrically loading up the back pockets, which would be better than say, sitting on your wallet in one pocket with your other backpocket empty. Just keep that in mind if you ever decide to slim down/rearrange your carry options.

Nice carry and thanks for sharing.

submitted by noirblue

I’ve been carrying this for the last couple months.  It’s pretty heavy, but I think every piece has its place.

• Hollows Leather Key Fob with Titanium Peanut Lighter, Tweezers, TT-Chopper Pocket Tool and car key on a McGizmo Mini Clip.
• Victorinox Deluxe Tinker
• Rotring 600
• Pilot Birdy
• Pervburger Droid Bionic
• Small Card Case
• LaCie XtremKey
• Al Mar Payara
• Golden Wheel Lift Arm Lighter
• Quark MiNi 123 Satin Titanium
• SRM 704
• Apolis Handkerchief

Editor’s Note: Here’s a little more fully loaded pocket dump, but a nice example of some great gear. I definitely can see how each piece here plays its part, so if you ever needed to slim down the carry you’d want to consider how often you actually use some of these things, or if they can be either replaced with smaller options or have functions consolidated in another type of product. I see you have the Xtremkey — but do you really need that kind of durability, especially to the point that you’re willing to take up more pocket space with it than your primary flashlight? You could replace it with a keychain USB, and your lighter with something smaller, and ditch the SRM as you have two other blades, etc. The Rotring you carry no doubt is a great pencil, but with its exposed tip it might be better to look into a different pencil or forego it altogether, considering you don’t seem to carry a pocket notebook. I like the Pervburg sticker tho, keep that. Anyway, like I said, you have good gear — but possibly too much. There are always different opinions on what degree of ‘preparedness’ is ‘acceptable’ or ‘recommended’ in EDC circles, so if you feel perfectly comfortable with this configuration, congrats and carry on. If you want to slim it down, know that you have good gear to work with and I hope my suggestions prove useful. Sometimes you just go through different phases of acquiring, field testing, selling off/consolidating until you reach that sweet spot of minimalism and utility that works for you. Thanks for sharing!

submitted by freshmonster

Great site! As a graphic designer, I wanted to submit something a little bit different. I’m from Norfolk, VA and drive a 40-minute commute to work. This is also my first real job, so this carry is basically from a student’s budget. 

Blackberry Curve
Pentel Quicker Clicker
G-Shock Glide
WD Hard Drive
Wallet
Moleskine
Ring – Earring Plugs
Keys
Spyderco Leaf Storm
Chapstick
Apple Macbook Pro
iPod Nano

Besides my keys, wallet and jewelry/watch, everything goes into a H&M laptop bag. Within the bag, a majority of the smaller items are organized in a Lihit Lab Teffa Bag in Bag. A few things were not included in the illustration, such as a small first aid kit, several usb flash drives, several markers/pens, and a microfiber cloth.    

I am hunting for a useful/minimal keychain tool and flashlight to complete my carry. Any suggestions would be awesome!

-JP

*Note: the objects are not to scale.

Editor’s Note: Hey JP, very cool presentation, great work! I appreciate the use of a woodgrain backdrop too, haha. I can see the utility of your carry given your position as a graphic designer, but as you mentioned, I agree you could round out the carry with some tools on your keychain. My go-to combination is a small, single-cell twisty light and a multitool of sorts. I currently use a 4sevens Mini123 with a primary battery as they last a long time and as a twisty light may offer more reliability (less moving parts to break) paired with a Victorinox Manager, which includes many commonly needed tools including a pen! On a student budget, however, you can invest in a more affordable 1xAAA light like a Fenix E05 and use a simple Victorinox SAK Classic. I’m not too partial to one-piece multitools but YMMV.

To the other readers, what keychain tool setup do you carry? Leave a comment and make some suggestions!

Thanks for sharing your work — I can imagine some people would be very interested in getting one of these made for their own carries :3. Keep it up and carry on.

submitted by Pete

Hello there,

Over the past year, EDC has become a big part of my life.  I’ve always seen the value in carrying a knife, but my pocket contents have definitely evolved from there.

I usually carry a Leatherman of some sort but opted for two folding blades today.

• iPhone 4S with Otterbox Defender case
• Zippo
• Surefire E2D LED Defender
• Spyderco Manix2 XL
• Spyderco Delica 4 ZDP-189
• FlipSide Wallet
• Keys w/ Photon light, Victorinox Classic, and Spyderco Bug

Thanks for letting me share!

Editor’s Note: I would normally suggest the Leatherman over two folders for the sake of versatility, but the two Spydercos you chose to carry are great in their own right. I like the minimalism but redundancy of tools on your simple keyring too. I’m curious about plastic wallets. I’m assuming you front pocket carry, but are they any durable? Lastly, both the Surefire and Zippo round out your carry very nicely. Looks good, thanks for sharing.

submitted by Adam H

Chris Reeve small Sebenza Micarta
Hamilton Khaki Officer Auto
Muyshondt Aeon
Keys + Atwood G5 Prybaby
Wallet 
8-)

Editor’s Note: B) indeed, nice carry. Minimal but with high quality gear (although I wouldn’t be surprised if that wallet was pretty empty haha). I really like the hardware and cordage for retention/retrieval you’ve got going on the Aeon, especially considering how small of a light it is. It looks like you have a McGizmo clip on it too to make it modular and easily detachable in case you don’t need the lanyard in the way, good job. Keys are kept slim, knife looks great, and the Hamilton Khaki is one of those nice watches that I don’t see very often. I like the legibility of the all-arabic markers and looks great on the strap. Thanks for sharing!

submitted by beyadika

Here is the typical load out for me:

-Fallkniven U1 Slipjoint knife, smooth bone handle, 3G steel
-Keys with Photon light and Alox Swisschamp
-Notebook, Lamy Fountain Pen, Cross Rollerball pen, and 0.5mm Pentel Pencil
-Seiko skx007 on  leather strap
-Handkerchief
-Vagabond Traveler Leather Wallet
-Fenix LD10, great single AA flashlight

Editor’s Note: Nice, full loadout. I can see you have multiple tools (pens especially) for specific tasks. The redundancy here also serves to add extra versatility, which is great if you have no problems carrying a little more. I like the Fallkniven, it’s a great gentleman’s knife. I’m not sure if it would fit, but you could try replacing the little lanyard on it with some paracord (gutted if necessary) as that would likely still be stronger/more durable and multipurpose than the thread you’ve got on it currently. I like the simple single piece of hardware to keep your keys together, and your minimal but practical keychain tools. The SKX007 is a classic and it looks good on the leather. Keep it up and thanks for sharing.

submitted by kehed

Hi,

This is an update of my EDC, keep up the good work.

•  Monologue Notebook
•  Zebra F-701 Pen
•  Vintage Barret Smythe Brass Cobra Zippo Lighter
•  Leather Key Chain with Brass Hook
•  Blackberry Gemini
•  Saddleback Small Wallet,
•  Case Swayback Jack Knife
•  DST TLR
•  Seiko SNZG15J with Custom Leather Strap
•  Bandana

Editor’s Note: Cool setup, I like the detail in your brass and leather hardware. The strap on your Seiko makes it look like it costs much more than it actually does, looks great… The rest of your gear is a nice mix of fairly unique and tried and true EDC staples. To specify, the simple Case knife, the durable F701 and Saddleback wallet round out your carry, while your 1xAA titanium light stands out. I’m curious as to what you think of it, but from what I can tell it’s impressively thin and sleek for a 1xAA light and I like that it boasts a clicky and deep pocket clip. Overall great carry, thanks for sharing and keep it up~

submitted by edumerca

I wanted to share my new EDC light, the Klarus mi x6 Ti, it’s a titanium AAA flashlight, and so far I really like it, is nicely machined and it really does operate with one hand, I’ve had other twist activation flashlights like the Fenix Ld01 and I couldn’t twist it one handed.

The knife is a Chris Reeve Small Sebenza 21.

Editor’s Note: Congrats on the new light. It’s good to hear that it operates easily single-handedly, as many 1xAAA lights I’ve used were a bit finicky in activation (mode skipping and such). It’s even more impressive that it’s smooth despite a titanium construction. Looks like a good addition to a minimal carry, especially paired with a Small Seb. Thanks for sharing and carry them well.

submitted by Omer B

I’ve been hanging out in another well regarded EDC based forum for years.  I recently found blog this while browsing flipboard on my iPad. figured its my turn.  Especially since I have one EDC item that I have never seen on here…  Here is my setup:

Suunto Core Alu watch.  Wrist.
Zero Tolerence 300DW TAD Gear edition flipper.  Clipped to right pocket.
Jawbone (Only when I drive).  Right pocket.
My SAK of the day (mini champ).  Sometimes I may carry an Atwood or something else fun instead of this. Right pocket.
Keyport Slide - includes all my daily keys, a light, and a 16GB usb memory stick. Lighter Pocket.
Fenix PD20+ . Sometimes bottom of right pocket &  sometimes clipped to belt.
Sig Sauer P238 .  Carry IWB.
Twelve South iphone wallet - Look it up.  It looks like a beautiful leather-bound book.  Inside its my iPhone and wallet.  Haven’t seen many usable phone wallet combos on here. I keep this in my left pocket.

Editor’s Note: Cool gear, how do you like that KeyPort? I think it might be great for some but I wonder how well it carries, especially since I don’t think they come with a pocket clip or sturdy ring attachment point (I’d normally expect to see the SAK on a set of keys but here it’s clearly different). Nice choices on the light, watch, knife and CC, too. You’re right about the wallet — there haven’t been too many on the site. I can definitely see the appeal of grabbing one item and having both your wallet and your phone with you (unless you forget your wallet, then you’d forget your phone too haha), but at the same time I’d rather keep them separate… Anyway, it looks good. Thanks for sharing!

submitted by Ola H

Curtiss Knives Nano V2 Framelock
Atwood Larva
a-Jays Four earphones
Iphone in Magpul field case
Seiko Black Monster
Wedding band
Car keys
Gum
EagleTac D25C Mini Ti
Saddleback Leather classic wallet

Editor’s Note: You carry some interesting gear here, nice! Your EDC folder has a nice design, I’m sure the ergonomics and feel in hand are good, and the blade shape looks plenty useful too. I see you also have one of the new titanium EagleTac lights. They look good for their price range but I was disappointed to hear it was a twisty light. Nice Black Monster, it’s a very fitting piece for the rest of your gear. Your keys are kept minimal but it looks like you have to pocket carry that, I hope it doesn’t bulge up too much. Lastly, good looks on that wallet — very durable leather and it should carry pretty slim too. Thanks for sharing!

submitted by Chris

My typical EDC clockwise

• Hamilton Khaki Field Auto
• Survival Bracelet 
• Luminox Navy Seal Colormark with Maratac Bond Nato Strap
• Saddleback Leather Wallet in Tobacco Brown
• Nikon AW100
• Inspire 4g
• Burts Bees
• A&P Key Ring from Countycomm, Fenix E15 Flash Light I use this all the time for work (At 29.95 this is a great value), CR123 Derlin Battery Locker from Countycomm + Spare Battery, Paracord Key Fob I made
• Spyderco Paramilitary 2 C81GBK2 (New edition which replaces my Benchmade 585 Mini-Barrage)
• Zebra F-701 Pen

Editor’s Note: Very cohesive carry here, I can see each piece is very rugged. I love that blacked out Para 2, such a great mid/large EDC blade. Your watches complement each other nicely and are good pieces individually. The Luminox fits right in with the rugged motif you have, as do the ever popular stainless steel Zebra F701 and the Saddleback wallet. Furthermore, your P&S camera looks like an interesting option for EDC as it’s shockproof and waterproof (very cool~). I like how you manage your keychain too — with that many keys, the aircraft cable ring is a good way to go, and I like the primary light and backup battery with it. You could perhaps replace your phone with one of these and achieve ultimate ruggedness but for now, your carry is looking good. 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 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.