EDC (everyday carry) refers to the random things you carry on your person on a daily basis. This could range from items on your keychain to the ones in your backpack (if you actually lug one around all day). Most people EDC something on their body; a bottle opener on your keychain or a cell phone falls under EDC gear. A glimpse at a person’s EDC gear is a glimpse at their personality, or as some might argue, their personal preparedness. Since everyone is different in how they’re brought up, where they work or what they consider important, a pocket dump of their EDC gear is a fascinating window to someone else’s life.
My current EDC is kept relatively minimal.
- Knife to the left: The venerable Strider SnG has been the longest EDC item on the list. I’ve kept an SnG on my person on and off since 2003. This current one has been with me for around 4 years serving as an EDC blade for the whole time. The SnG is a workhorse of a knife designed with a solid lock and multiple gripping methods. The blade is small enough handle most tasks you would need a knife for without intimidating anyone, and the colors make it a curious item to those who take notice of it.
- Phone: The Atrix replaced my iPhone 3GS fairly recently. The Android platform is versatile compared to Apple’s idiot-proof phone.
- Watch: The Marathon GSAR is an automatic watch that contains tritium vials for markers. Tritium is radioactive and will glow continuously for a score of years. Though I can easily use my Atrix to tell time I constantly utilize a watch at my job where pulling my Atrix out would be frowned upon.
- Wallet: The Saddleback Leather wallet is made from full grain leather. It is a sturdy wallet with a beautiful patina from a year of EDCing. I plan on changing this item due to the wallet being bulkier than I’d prefer.
- Knife to the lower right: The Triple Eight s.o.l. is a tiny knife for cutting open gifts from the Brown Santa (UPS). The teeth on this knife makes it useful for cutting cordage.
- Pen: The Rotring 600 is a pen of all-metal construction. It writes fairly well and allows for a choice in refills from common stores like Staples.
This EDC doesn’t remain stable day in and day out. Some of the items are exchanged for others depending on the situation. For example, I carry bandage scissors instead of knives at work, or a fixed blade instead of the s.o.l. in the woods. This set just ends up being the gear I find myself with most of the time.
For an excellent site of EDC gear check out http://everyday-carry.com/.
