Suit EDC – Every-Day Carry 2016-17 Part 2

While my regular EDC works well for standard “civilian” clothes (though not quite standard, as I’m rarely in anything “less” than a button down shirt and slacks) I do wears suits as often as I possibly can (especially now in the winter), and it doesn’t work nearly as well for them. I can’t wear anything on the belt (for the most part) without having it look ridiculous, and my pants pockets would bulge since I carry mostly in the front. So I have to shift where I carry things and adjust a few usage scenarios (I probably won’t be using a full-sized multi-tool when in a suit). Fortunately, suits have a ton of pockets for me to spread my gear out in while looking nice and “fashionable”. Here’s the stuff I carry.

Man I wish I had a better photo of me… But you can see how little the pockets bulge in this one.

  • Inside Jacket Pocket 1
    • Pocket Notebook (Field Notes Expedition) (It always impresses people when you pull a notebook out of your jacket pocket)
    • Pocket Planner (Brownline)
    • Pen (Zebra F-301) (Sleek, dependable, and it fits a lot of styles)
    • Flashlight (Coast A5) (Goes better with most suits and that “classy” look than a “tactical” looking light)

  • Inside Jacket Pocket 2
    • Maxpedition Micro Pocket Organizer (This bulges a bit, but that’s because of the phone, which is the only thing I need, but otherwise fits surprisingly well in a common inside jacket pocket)
      • Work Phone
      • Lighter** (I run into people who want to light something more often in a suit, as strange as it is. This one is a Bic, but I sometimes have a Zippo elsewhere)
      • Multi-tool (Leatherman Style CS)** (or) (Gerber Dime Travel) (It depends on which I think I will use more that day: scissors or pliers. And if I’m going though a checkpoint)
      • Pocket Comb (always need one when I’m wearing a hat)
      • 2 Lens Wipes (Nikon)
      • Knuckle Bandage
      • Fingertip Bandage
      • 4 Alcohol Swabs
      • 1 Alcohol Towel-ette
      • Electrolyte Tablets
      • Mini Med Bag
        • 3 Diphenhydramine
        • 2 Acetaminophen
      • 2 Ricola Original Cough Drops (don’t want to have a problem when meeting people, especially in the cold)
      • GUM Soft Picks in Case (usually don’t have to use these, but they can be “life-saving”)

  • Outside Jacket Lower Pocket (Sometimes)* (When you need a USB stick you need a USB stick, and it doesn’t bulge much at all, so it’s there when I remember to put it there)
    • EDC Altoids Small Tin** (hopefully most of this is self-explanatory)
      • Flash Drive (Patriot Tab)
      • Knife (Opinel #2)**
      • Cord
      • Cotton Ball
      • Ziplock Bag
        • Matches**
        • Striker
        • Kleenex
      • Nail
      • 4 Straight Pins
      • Paperclip
      • Electrical Tape
      • 2 Migraine Medications
      • Butterfly Bandage
      • Cash (≈$10)

  • Belt
    • CRKT SPEW (Sometimes Around Neck)** (my one exception to the belt rule. It’s a bit harder to get in and out of its sheath, but it’s easy to access and super slim)

  • Pants Pockets (I went over most of these items in my previous post about my regular EDC, you can check that out if you want more info about my personal usage case)
    • Wallet (Austin Leather Tri-Fold Wallet) (I’m not sure the company even exists any more)

And that’s the suit carry. Not quite as much stuff, and a bit more limited in use than the standard EDC, but it all fits very slimly into the pockets and keeps me looking nice. Hopefully I won’t be doing too much down and dirty work in a suit anyway. I’ve also excluded a few of the regular trappings that may go along with a suit like: shoes, ties, tie bars, cufflinks, hats, etc. because those things change more frequently (by the day usually) than the gear I carry does. This has been a very good working system for me for about a year, but I’m always looking for a way to slim it down, and that gets harder ever time.

Next I’ll be returning to more of a “regular” “EDC’ set, my bag, which has probably seen the most change since my last update. Hopefully you’ll join me there.

(Amazon Links provided may not be the cheapest one’s around. If no Amazon link is available another one will be provided so long as I think the item is of enough importance)

* Items that are carried on a conditional basis or can be one of a few like items

** Items that will need to be specially treated when going into restricted areas (read: airports) (i.e. liquids and pointy things)

EDC Summer 2015 – (Compendium)

Alright, it’s been half a year and my EDC has changed, probably much more than enough to warrant an update, but creating an itemized list and finding all of these product links takes time, so I only want it done when I feel it’s changed enough.

In the time since I last did an EDC update, I’ve been thinking a bit about what “EDC” is. Obviously, the words mean something by themselves. But on the internet they mean different things to different people. It’s hard to carry around the same things day-to-day for years, especially if you care about what you carry. You always want the best, and that requires you to keep searching and trying new things. But if something is changed often is it EDC? Can you “EDC” something for a couple of days?

Another problem is how to define when something is “EDC” or when it is carried infrequently enough to not qualify. This also changes depending on the scenario. If one is on a vacation their EDC may vary wildly from in the city, but if they only have it for a couple of days is that really every day? Or in my case, is it really EDC when you go most of many days without “carrying” it?

Thinking about these questions, and how I used my previous EDC items and tiers has led me to the following system. It still has tiers, but only 3 this time for simplicity. And the functions of each system has now changed.

Tier 1, which will be covered in this article, is my Person, Pockets, and Belt. This stuff is on me most of the time, and always when I leave my living area (i.e. out the door for more than to check the mail). When I’m in my home it is always at hand as well. If you catch me, I’m 99.9% likely to have these tools at hand. This could be considered my real “EDC”.

Tier 2, which will be covered in the next part, is my backpack. It is also close-by when I’m inside, and with me 9 times out of 10 when I leave the house. Occasionally, when I’m just going to the store, or in a car packed with people, it will be left behind, but this is rare. This is bordering on the edge of EDC. It isn’t always on me, but I feel it is around enough that I can consider it in that category.

Tier 3 is my travel and “other” section. There are many tools I use every day, or specifically want when I’m traveling, that I don’t necessarily always carry with me, but in some situations they will be integrated. For instance I use my notebook every day for at least one drawing (That’s a personal challenge of mine) and while I don’t always carry it with me, I can easily do so if I need to, and I use it more than some of my “real EDC” gear. So it gets put in this category with several other items used in similar ways.

With that in mind let’s take a look at the first tier (Specifications and Comments on gear in parentheses):

POCKETS/PERSON

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  • Wallet (Book Book Phone Case) (A bit beat up at the moment, I need to upgrade my phone and this case at some point.)
    • Cash
    • Cards
    • Business Cards
    • Phone (iPhone 4s)
  • Knife (Ontario Rat model II) (I have a few other knives I carry, {Victorinox Super Tinker, Sanrenmu 7010, Rat I, etc} But I feel this one work the best for me in a myriad of fields.)
  • Watch (Armitron Face, Timex band) (The original band for this watch was a stretchy kind, and I break those quickly, so I replaced it with an all-metal band.)
  • Shirt Pocket
    • Pocket Book (Bull&Stash) (This notebook is currently in for testing. I use Field Notes and Rhodia more often than not.)
    • Pen (Zebra F-301) (It’s not my favorite, but it’s very solid, cheap, and easy to find. For most places I go, my favorite Cross pen seems a bit too flashy.)

 

BELT

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Knife (CRKT SPEW {also on neck sometimes}) (A nice blade shape for both general package and letter opening, and emergency self-defense.)

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Pouch (Case Logic DCB302) (Completely stuffed. I’m looking for a new pouch currently, but this one is still the best I’ve found for me.)

  • Outside
    • Flashlight (Coast A5) (Attached by a Velcro strap) (This light has no frills, it’s a cylinder, with no modes and a button.)
    • D-Ring
  • Front Pocket
    • Multitool (Leatherman Juice S2) (Mainly used for the scissors and the pliers. It replaced my Micra because it’s easier to hold in the hand.)
    • Measuring Tape (3ft) (Surprisingly useful, but I love to rearrange furniture and I understand that most people don’t, so that’s 50% of the times I use it gone for most people.)
    • Lighter (BIC Mini)
    • Whistle (My particular whistle was owned by my grandmother and is from a car dealership in California. It’s not the loudest, but I like having it around as an heirloom type of thing.)
    • Nail file (Attached to knife) (Victorinox Companion) (I love the knife, so any excuse to have it around. A nail file is something that other items can’t really make up for.)
    • Worry Stone (I talk with my hands, and they go all over the place far too much. This prevents me from looking like an idiot, and Goldstone is an amazing color.)
    • Altoids Smalls Tin (I almost never use this, but it’s nice to have around.)
      • Flash Drive (Patriot Tab) (Another item that can’t really be replaced by other items. I’ve never “needed” it, but it’s been useful when others are farther away.)
      • Knife (Opinel #2)
      • Cord
      • Cotton Ball
      • Ziplock Bag
        • Matches
        • Striker
        • Kleenex
      • Nail
      • 4 Straight Pins
      • Paperclip
      • Electrical Tape
      • 2 Migraine medications (Relpax)
      • Butterfly Bandage
      • Cash ($10)
  • Main Pocket
    • Keys (Key Pouch) (It is a bit bulky, but I love it, and it keeps my keys nice and organized.)
    • Work Phone (Samsung S125G TracPhone)
    • Mini First Aid/Hygiene (Ziplock sealed with Electrical Tape.)
      • GUM Soft Picks in Travel Case (Toothpicks are gross, but I do really need something for my teeth, this was the compromise.)
      • Electrolyte Tablets (Can be really good if you need them, and in Texas they might be needed a lot.)
      • 6 Alcohol Swabs
      • 1 Alcohol Towelette
      • Bandages
        • 2 Knuckle
        • 2 Fingertip
    • Mini Tool Kit (This isn’t the best toolkit ever, but it works in a pinch, and is mainly geared toward glasses, which can be a real pain if they start to have problems.)
      • Razor Blade
      • 5ft of wire
      • Mini Pen (Cut Down Bic Pen Sealed with Electrical Tape)
      • Second Bag
        • Snare Wire (From Bear Grylls survival kit)
        • Glasses Screwdriver
        • Glasses Pads
        • 4 Glasses screws (2 sizes)
        • 4 Paperclips (1 insulated)
        • 3 Straight Pins wrapped in Electrical Tape
    • Cash Bag

The backpack has moved up from my previous EDC iteration, from tier 4 to tier 2. It’s still between 10-15 pounds, which is not too heavy, but can get uncomfortable at times. I’ve condensed the items contained within it to eliminate redundancy, and added a few more that are specific to the urban environment that I live in. There isn’t as much room to expand since I got a new, smaller backpack, but I’ve found the need to put things I haven’t planned on carrying in my pack to be minimal, and I have a shopping bag if the need arises. So without further ado, let’s take a look at what I carry in my backpack.

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BACKPACK (Swiss Gear CityPack)

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  • Outside
    • Pepper Spray (Sabre Red, Held in a Leatherman case by Velcro) (It’s attached to the strap for quick access in an emergency.)
    • Paracord Zipper Pull (In a helix shape, it really serves no function, I guess it could be an emergency paracord supply, but there’s hardly any there.)
    • Water Bottle (Sometimes)
  • Glasses Pocket
    • Tide-to-go pen
    • Hand Sanitizer (Germ-x) (Really good to have around, especially when getting fast food in a car, or eating appetizers when stuck back in a booth.)
    • Pain and Itch Relief Liquid (This stuff really helps with sunburns and mosquito bites that can ruin your day.)
    • Lighter (Bic full size)
    • Lip Balm (Chapstick)
    • Multitool (Leatherman Juice CS4) (A bit more bulky than the S2, with a few tools I don’t think I’ll ever use. But it’s still compact and well built.)
    • WD-40 No Mess Pen (You can never go wrong with some WD-40.)
  • Main Pocket
    • Bag (HEB {Texas Grocery Store Chain} Cloth Shopping Bag) (The thin disposable shopping bags are illegal in my city, and I find the cloth bag far superior to reusable plastic or paper bags. It’s almost a “must carry”.)
    • Device Pocket
      • Bandanna
      • iPod (Sometimes)
    • Toiletry/Hygiene Bag (Case Logic TBC403)
      • Outside Pocket
      • Main Pocket
        • Medicine Bottles (Fortunately I don’t have many prescriptions, so I can carry supplies of what I need with me at all times.)
          • Pain Meds
          • Sleep Meds
        • Med Bag
          • Migraine Meds
        • Pill Container (Altoids tin wrapped with Electrical Tape) (Some spare over-the-counter medicines that most people can use are helpful. Not that I’d just be giving them out: I use them mainly for myself, but still…)
          • Diphenhydramine
          • Acetaminophen
          • Tryptophan
          • Meclizine
        • 2 Packets of single-use toothpaste (Freshmint) (These things are surprisingly cheap and easily have enough gel to last 3 or 4 brushes!)
        • Tweezers (Uncle Bill’s Sliver Grippers) (An EDC standby for many people, I don’t have to explain how well they work, but I’ve never really had to use them.)
        • Folding Nail Clippers (Bluecell) (The construction might not be as sturdy as it is in some other brands, but it’s good, and I don’t see them breaking any time soon.)
    • Mini Kleenex package
    • Change Purse (Don’t want that change banging around!)
      • Change
    • Onn Emergency Charging Kit (Modified) (All of this stuff can be summed up pretty simply as phone protection. I have a few extra items in here for other devices, if anyone I’m with has problems. Keeping electronics charged in this day and age is very important, though I’ve never “had” to use the kit. An additional piece of the kit is stored in the pack organizer pocket.)
      • Dry Bag (For restoring Electronic Devices that got wet.)
      • Emergency USB charger (2AA)
      • USB to Wall Adapter
      • USB to Car Adapter
      • Mini USB to USB
      • iPod to USB
      • iPhone to USB
      • Samsung Phone Charger
      • Samsung Phone Adapter for Car Charger
    • Glasses Case (Self-explanatory)
      • Glasses
      • Cleaning Cloth
    • Paracord (40ft Bright Orange) (I don’t know how to tie many knots now, but I’m learning, and having it around is better than not. Though I don’t expect to be in any “survival” situations where it would be necessary, it’s a backup to the cheap twine that is in the organizer pocket.)
    • First Aid Kit (CVS All-purpose Kit with Modifications) (This is a particularly stuffed kit that I’m contemplating taking some of the bandages out of. It’s made to not need restocking for some time, it would appear, but I don’t need as many bandages as it comes with. I have rearranged this bag into Ziploc bags instead of the 5-pocket container it came with to slim it down a bit. I also feel the kit is pretty self explanatory, so I won’t go into too much detail except about the items I added.)
      • Quick Access
        • 2 Tampons (For impromptu bandages, nosebleeds, and potentially deep puncture wounds. I wouldn’t recommend it for that last purpose and don’t go taking medical advice from an idiot on the internet, but I’d say it’s better than dying if it does indeed inhibit death.)
        • Israeli Bandage (I’m not comfortable using a tourniquet, and while this is much larger and not as good at stopping blood, I feel much more able to use one of these.)
        • Snake Bite Kit (Coghlans) (These have been proven many times to not be effective. But the main killer in snake bites is not remaining calm and allowing the venom to spread more easily. This kit acts as a placebo to keep calm, for both me and the people I’m with. It also has a few other useful items like a scalpel and disinfectant.)
          • 2 Large Suction Cups
          • Small Suction Cup
          • Lymph Constrictor
          • Snake Bite Instructions
          • Glass Iodine Vial
          • Scalpel Blade
        • CPR Breathing Barrier (I have an idea of how CPR works, but I am by no mean qualified to administer it. If someone else has to {or the situation is bad enough that I have to} this is a nice thing to have at hand quickly to protect the administerer.)
        • Triangular Bandage
        • Bandanna
        • Red Cross First Aid Guide
      • Tools Bag
        • Vinyl Gloves
        • Plastic Tweezers
        • Bent Scissors
        • Flat Thermometer
        • Safety Pins
        • Paper Tape
        • Tongue Depressors
        • Cotton Swabs
      • “Pre-Treat” Bag
        • Instant Cold Pack
        • Chloride Wipes
        • Electrolyte Tablets
        • Alcohol Wipes
        • Ibuprofen
        • Aspirin
        • Acetaminophen
        • Pill Fob
          • More Acetaminophen
          • Migraine Medication
      • “Treatment/Bandage” Bag
        • Gauze Bandages (2 Sizes)
        • Gauze Pads (2×2 to 5×9)
        • Finger Tip Bandages
        • Knuckle Bandages
        • Circle Bandages
        • Spot Bandages
        • Butterfly Closures
        • Elbow Bandage
        • Knee Bandage
        • Eye Pads
        • Standard Size bandages (Plastic and Woven)
        • Mini Size Bandages (Plastic)
      • “Post/In Addition to Bandages” Bag
        • Neosporin Tube
        • Die cut Moleskin
        • Space Blanket
        • Insect Bite Relief wipes (Maybe these two {this and the one after)should go in the Pre-Treat Bag?)
        • After Burn Gel
        • Single-Use Triple Antibiotic ointment
    • Back Pocket
      • Poncho
      • Guest parking pass
      • Gloves (In Ziplock Bag, Wells Lamont Suede Cowhide 1012) (I’ve forgotten gloves so many times when I needed them, and just bought another pair. Now I have so many pairs I find them popping up everywhere. I guess I reached my saturation point.)
  • Organization Pocket
    • Cash Wallet (Flex By Filofax) (This can be used in so many different ways, and I love the versatility and high-quality construction)
      • Cash (However much I want that day)
      • Business Cards
      • Pen Loop
      • Pen (Monteverde Poquito Stylus) (Combo phone and paper use is very handy in a backup pen)
      • Flex by Filofax notebooks
        • Notebook
        • Jot Pad
    • Key Chain Dangle
      • Knife (Pittsburg Mini Utility Knife) (Not the best quality, but much better than nothing, the mini utility blades are super sharp, and it’s attached to the pack to prevent it from being lost)
      • Flashlight (Maglite Solitaire) (Strategically placed to allow for easy viewing of the Organization pocket when turned on)
    • Maps Bag (For some emergency navigation and making notes on said navigation)
    • Water Filtration Straw (A present from my brother. I never intend to use it, but it doesn’t take up much space and could be very handy.)
    • Checkbook
    • Earplugs (I was reminded of how noisy things can get when I went to an Independence Day festival. I was never uncomfortable, but I realized it could quickly escalate to that.)
    • Flat Sewing Kit (This is super handy and the size of a credit card, but a bit thicker. I have a few hotel sewing kits that I ordered to refill it with, just in case.)
    • Hand Warmers (It’s not winter, but they take up almost no space, and will be there when the cold jumps on me.)
    • Cheap Plastic Twine Wrapped around Gift Card (If I need to tie some things together, I’ve got something, and it’s cheap and easy to use.)
    • Pen (Bic Tech) (Like the Monteverde, but larger, and not as well constructed.)
    • 3 Small Zip-Ties (Another form of lashing things together.)
    • Business Card Holder
    • Notebook (Moleskine Volant)
    • Car Charger Adapter (For use with Emergency Charging Kit)
    • Red Electrical Tape (The red color has no real purpose, it’s just what I had.)
    • Battery Cases (These cases link together and hold 4 of either type of battery, or 5 batteries if you stuff it. All of my flashlights use the AAA, and the emergency charger uses AA.)
      • 5 AA
      • 4 AAA
    • 2 Small Ponchos (Can’t have enough rain protection!)
    • 2 Bandannas
    • Strap For Belt Pouch (for over the shoulder carry.)
  • Small Back Pocket
    • Bicycle Cards (Games are important for eliminating boredom when something is delayed, or just when you’re around people who like to play games. Everyone knows card games, and Love Letter is simple to teach and only has 16 cards.)
    • Love Letter Card Game (minus the Bag)

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And that’s the second, and by far the most expansive tier of my EDC.

And now it’s time for the final part of my EDC. This tier might be straying from the “EDC” mentality, and instead of everyday carry, it might be more everyday use, like EDU, but that’s already taken. I use my computer, notebooks, fountain pens, and many other things every day, and they can integrate into my EDC when I need to carry them, for travel or work purposes. I feel that while they are outside of the normal EDC realm, I should still include them. The various items will be shown here mostly without comment, but the uses of each section will be talked about. Let’s take a look at what I have here.

OTHER/TRAVEL

Emergency Satchel (Unknown source Map Bag) (This satchel is close by but not right next to me in most places. It’s more like an emergency car bag. It isn’t a survival kit. It’s meant to get me through one emergency situation and one only, not many days and not after the apocalypse. But if my regular EDC stuff is lost or isn’t handy, I strive to keep this one near as a backup.)

  • Emergency/”Survival” Pouch (Maxpediton Barnacle Pouch)
    • Outside
    • Front
      • 1ft of Dental Floss
      • Bear Grylls priorities of survival guide (For a bit of fun)
      • 3 Toothpicks
    • Inside
      • Altoids Tin
        • Cotton Ball
        • Fire Steel + Striker
        • 10ft Cord
        • 8 Waterproof matches and striker
        • Small vial
        • AAA Battery
        • Electrical tape
        • Flattened Produce Bag
      • 3″ Glowstick
      • Lighter (Bic Mini)
      • Whistle (Cheap, flat. Gerber from survival kit.)
      • Flashlight (Maglite Solitaire)
      • Knife (Gerber Mini Paraframe, partially serrated.)
      • Multitool (Leatherman Micra)
  • Mini First Aid Kit (Bear Grylls Water resistant Bag/ziplock {With a red cross added})
    • Forceps
    • Gloves
    • Tissue
    • Johnson and Johnson first aid guide
    • Waterproof Ziploc
      • Paper medical tape
      • Electrolyte Tablets
      • Single Use Neosporin
      • Motrin
      • Hand Cleansing Wipes
      • Butterfly Closures
      • Small Gauze Dressing
      • Medium Non Stick Pad
      • Band Aids
  • Emergency Firearm (Walther P22 with second magazine)
  • Pen (Paper:Mate Write Bros)
  • Pencil (Half of a Sanford Eagle)
  • Pencil Sharpener (Unnamed Cheap)

Fountain Pens (I love fountain pens and use them every day. I believe they are the perfect writing experience, but not the most practical, since my regular EDC doesn’t include them. But when I have a bit more luxury room I always try to fit one or a few in.)

Notebooks (I always need to jot things down, and replacement books for my standard pocket notebook are common. I also try to come up with a cartoon idea and a drawing every day, making my notebooks very important to me.)

Toiletries bag (Not in extreme detail) (This bag I have arranged so that I use it every day, and when I need to go on a trip I can simply zip it up and have all of the things I normally use around my sink right there with me.)

  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste
  • Tissues
  • Nail Clippers
  • Scissors
  • Comb
  • Floss
  • Trimmer
  • Deodorant
  • Mouthwash
  • Shampoo
  • Medicines
  • Petroleum Jelly
  • Bulb Syringe
  • Stain Remover

Computer Bag (I don’t use this bag every day, but the items in it are in almost constant use, and if I need to go somewhere you can be certain I’ll pick it up.)

And that’s it for my summer 2015 EDC. I’ve slimmed the main parts down some and added a few more. I think that EDC is ever-evolving for most people, and for me it’s no different. Sometimes it changes day to day, and I want to try and get what is best for me specifically. I hope I’ve given you a few ideas, or showed you some things you may have forgotten about. And even if I didn’t, I hope you enjoyed reading it. I’m almost positive I’ll be doing it again in another 6 months.

EDC Summer 2015 Part 1 – Pockets, Person, and Belt Pouch

Alright, it’s been half a year and my EDC has changed, probably much more than enough to warrant an update, but creating an itemized list and finding all of these product links takes time, so I only want it done when I feel it’s changed enough.

In the time since I last did an EDC update, I’ve been thinking a bit about what “EDC” is. Obviously, the words mean something by themselves. But on the internet they mean different things to different people. It’s hard to carry around the same things day-to-day for years, especially if you care about what you carry. You always want the best, and that requires you to keep searching and trying new things. But if something is changed often is it EDC? Can you “EDC” something for a couple of days?

Another problem is how to define when something is “EDC” or when it is carried infrequently enough to not qualify. This also changes depending on the scenario. If one is on a vacation their EDC may vary wildly from in the city, but if they only have it for a couple of days is that really every day? Or in my case, is it really EDC when you go most of many days without “carrying” it?

Thinking about these questions, and how I used my previous EDC items and tiers has led me to the following system. It still has tiers, but only 3 this time for simplicity. And the functions of each system has now changed.

Tier 1, which will be covered in this article, is my Person, Pockets, and Belt. This stuff is on me most of the time, and always when I leave my living area (i.e. out the door for more than to check the mail). When I’m in my home it is always at hand as well. If you catch me, I’m 99.9% likely to have these tools at hand. This could be considered my real “EDC”.

Tier 2, which will be covered in the next part, is my backpack. It is also close-by when I’m inside, and with me 9 times out of 10 when I leave the house. Occasionally, when I’m just going to the store, or in a car packed with people, it will be left behind, but this is rare. This is bordering on the edge of EDC. It isn’t always on me, but I feel it is around enough that I can consider it in that category.

Tier 3 is my travel and “other” section. There are many tools I use every day, or specifically want when I’m traveling, that I don’t necessarily always carry with me, but in some situations they will be integrated. For instance I use my notebook every day for at least one drawing (That’s a personal challenge of mine) and while I don’t always carry it with me, I can easily do so if I need to, and I use it more than some of my “real EDC” gear. So it gets put in this category with several other items used in similar ways.

With that in mind let’s take a look at the first tier (Specifications and Comments on gear in parentheses):

POCKETS/PERSON

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  • Wallet (Book Book Phone Case) (A bit beat up at the moment, I need to upgrade my phone and this case at some point.)
    • Cash
    • Cards
    • Business Cards
    • Phone (iPhone 4s)
  • Knife (Ontario Rat model II) (I have a few other knives I carry, {Victorinox Super Tinker, Sanrenmu 7010, Rat I, etc} But I feel this one work the best for me in a myriad of fields.)
  • Watch (Armitron Face, Timex band) (The original band for this watch was a stretchy kind, and I break those quickly, so I replaced it with an all-metal band.)
  • Shirt Pocket
    • Pocket Book (Bull&Stash) (This notebook is currently in for testing. I use Field Notes and Rhodia more often than not.)
    • Pen (Zebra F-301) (It’s not my favorite, but it’s very solid, cheap, and easy to find. For most places I go, my favorite Cross pen seems a bit too flashy.)

BELT

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Knife (CRKT SPEW {also on neck sometimes}) (A nice blade shape for both general package and letter opening, and emergency self-defense.)

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Pouch (Case Logic DCB302) (Completely stuffed. I’m looking for a new pouch currently, but this one is still the best I’ve found for me.)

  • Outside
    • Flashlight (Coast A5) (Attached by a Velcro strap) (This light has no frills, it’s a cylinder, with no modes and a button.)
    • D-Ring
  • Front Pocket
    • Multitool (Leatherman Juice S2) (Mainly used for the scissors and the pliers. It replaced my Micra because it’s easier to hold in the hand.)
    • Measuring Tape (3ft) (Surprisingly useful, but I love to rearrange furniture and I understand that most people don’t, so that’s 50% of the times I use it gone for most people.)
    • Lighter (BIC Mini)
    • Whistle (My particular whistle was owned by my grandmother and is from a car dealership in California. It’s not the loudest, but I like having it around as an heirloom type of thing.)
    • Nail file (Attached to knife) (Victorinox Companion) (I love the knife, so any excuse to have it around. A nail file is something that other items can’t really make up for.)
    • Worry Stone (I talk with my hands, and they go all over the place far too much. This prevents me from looking like an idiot, and Goldstone is an amazing color.)
    • Altoids Smalls Tin (I almost never use this, but it’s nice to have around.)
      • Flash Drive (Patriot Tab) (Another item that can’t really be replaced by other items. I’ve never “needed” it, but it’s been useful when others are farther away.)
      • Knife (Opinel #2)
      • Cord
      • Cotton Ball
      • Ziplock Bag
        • Matches
        • Striker
        • Kleenex
      • Nail
      • 4 Straight Pins
      • Paperclip
      • Electrical Tape
      • 2 Migraine medications (Relpax)
      • Butterfly Bandage
      • Cash ($10)
  • Main Pocket
    • Keys (Key Pouch) (It is a bit bulky, but I love it, and it keeps my keys nice and organized.)
    • Work Phone (Samsung S125G TracPhone)
    • Mini First Aid/Hygiene (Ziplock sealed with Electrical Tape.)
      • GUM Soft Picks in Travel Case (Toothpicks are gross, but I do really need something for my teeth, this was the compromise.)
      • Electrolyte Tablets (Can be really good if you need them, and in Texas they might be needed a lot.)
      • 6 Alcohol Swabs
      • 1 Alcohol Towelette
      • Bandages
        • 2 Knuckle
        • 2 Fingertip
    • Mini Tool Kit (This isn’t the best toolkit ever, but it works in a pinch, and is mainly geared toward glasses, which can be a real pain if they start to have problems.)
      • Razor Blade
      • 5ft of wire
      • Mini Pen (Cut Down Bic Pen Sealed with Electrical Tape)
      • Second Bag
        • Snare Wire (From Bear Grylls survival kit)
        • Glasses Screwdriver
        • Glasses Pads
        • 4 Glasses screws (2 sizes)
        • 4 Paperclips (1 insulated)
        • 3 Straight Pins wrapped in Electrical Tape
    • Cash Bag

And that’s the first tier of my EDC. In the next part I’ll take a look at the backpack tier.

Review – Strategy and Tactics Series (3 Games)(iOS, Android, Windows Phone)

(Note: This is a compendium of three previous reviews)

Strategy and Tactics WWII (iOS, Android, Windows Phone)

Strategy and Tactics WWII is a “board-like” video game about commanding troops in the Second World War in Europe at the Divisional to Theater Levels. The game’s story follows fictional generals from the invasion of Poland to the Fall of Berlin, with the majority of the battles being major events. Time is split between playing as the Germans, Soviets, and the United States, with two chapters for the formers and one for the latter. And while the story is generally true to life, since the characters are fictional there is one choice to be made at the very end of the game that has the war end slightly differently, but it’s more of just an interesting exercise.

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The gameplay looks deeper than it really is. The map is divided into provinces which have numbers, targets, and factories on them. At the start of a turn, players get resources equal to the numbers on the provinces they control. They can use these resources to buy various types of divisions for their army. These divisions will appear in selected factory provinces (or random ones [and even random, no-factory provinces in this version] if the selected one is not available) at the start of the next turn. Divisions then, on their turn, can attack enemy-held provinces and divisions. While there are some complications with battle handled by the computer, the basics are easy to get: infantry can move one province, motorized infantry and tanks two (if moving through friendly territory), certain units do better against each other, for instance artillery does better attacking tanks than infantry, and planes can bomb or fly within a certain range, (which could be from 1 to about 5 provinces away depending on province size). Below each group of divisions is a bar that shows how strong it is (from green to orange to red), combined divisions have an average of each individual division’s strength. The lower the strength, the easier it is to defeat and push back the division or army. When the strength runs out the army is destroyed. Strength is lost during every attack, but less is lost by the victor. When a unit does not move it recovers strength, and when it moves but does not attack it doesn’t lose or gain. And, finally for my explanation, surrounded divisions who are defeated automatically die since they have no place to retreat to, and there is a limit of 12 divisions per province, so they could be surrounded with a full complement of friendly forces on each side.

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All of that might sound interesting, but it doesn’t boil down to much. The main goal of each mission is to capture provinces marked with targets, and since there’s a turn limit it ends up being more of a mad dash. The actual strategic component of surrounding divisions rarely comes into play, but it is quite satisfying. The game may look like a smaller Hearts of Iron, but it has nowhere near the depth, or breadth. None of the missions are large, and one never gets to control or even fight a whole country, just small pieces. There isn’t much space to use strategy and tactics, and resources are scarce. While there is some variance in the units since they upgrade throughout the campaign, every battle ends up being very similar, to the point where the rare battles that are quite large seems like a breath of fresh air.

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This claustrophobia is fixed in some part by the standalone battles that are separate from the campaigns; huge battles like Barbarossa, or “the Decline of the West”, which takes place over all of Europe, are really exciting. But in the main version, some of these have to be paid for, which brings me to a major complaint of many: The in-app purchases. It is possible to play the entire game without buying anything other than the game itself, but at times the resources seem so scarce that it becomes quite tempting to just buy them with real money (Or you could cheat the A.I.). I never found this temptation strong, and it is quite possible to beat the game (and not too difficult to do so) without buying a single thing. Still it is unsightly, and I do wish they were not there.

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The expansions to the game, such as a WWIII campaign, and other stand-alone scenarios centered around fiction are fun, especially the massive scenario where you either have to beat down the US, Canada, and Mexico as the USSR, or keep the Soviets and the Chinese at bay and destroy their landing zones in California as the United States, which is suitably epic. I purchased a few of these before I realized it was more or less a rip-off for the amount I was getting and stopped playing the game because I had beaten almost everything. Fortunately, this has been fixed by having a separate app with all of the expansions pre-packaged for half of the total previous price. Still, I can’t justify spending any more money on this particular game. (And the scenario with the Germans in the arctic is impossible.) This in-app purchasing problem was fixed with the paid version of the WWII-based sequel (they charge so much for expanding the free version that buying the paid version where you won’t have to pay anything again is much cheaper).

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While the larger battles in the US and Europe are more fun, and have more room for actual strategy and tactics, they are quite long, and by the end show how little depth there is at times. I do enjoy them, but with no government, naval, or economic forces at play I can see how they would bore people. And they highlight the problems with the A.I., which is pretty bad. When resources are scarce and units unbalanced, it can win on time usually, but in a large scenario with almost equal power between the sides, the computer will inevitably lose given enough time. It isn’t the greatest at attempting to win the game. And, in fact, exploiting this is absolutely necessary to winning the main game. The A.I. goes for material more than the strategic provinces, and will chase easy kills. Giving up a single division will keep entire armies occupied for long enough to allow one to rally their troops and make the game unwinnable for the computer. And, in some cases, abandoning completely the province one should be defending to run out and distract somewhere else is the only way to win, so instead of defending Leningrad to the last man, one ends up just fighting over random countryside. This leads to a balancing problem where the computer has too much power in many of the main missions, and if it were controlled by a human it couldn’t possibly lose. The computer also can’t recover from the destruction of an army, as it never really likes to buy units in a way that makes sense. Surrounding an army by exploiting how cheap and easy paratroopers are to buy and destroying a whole 12 divisions essentially wins a mission as the computer is incapable of recovering, and will split a lot of existing units instead of combining them to compensate.

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In the end, it’s an “all right” game, but not worth all of the in-app purchases. If I had bought the complete version first, I would be happier. And, after I finished the campaigns and stand-alone missions, I haven’t really wanted to go back. It’s fun for a time, but unrealistic, and lacking depth. It just doesn’t have the hook to keep it interesting that its WWII-based sequel (WWII Sandbox, Strategy and Tactics) does, and that’s the one I keep going back to.

 

Medieval Wars Strategy and Tactics (iOS, Android)

Strategy and Tactics Medieval Wars (Or perhaps Medieval Wars Strategy and Tactics) is a sequel to the game Strategy and Tactics WWII based in medieval times. The setting is much more generic this time around, spanning many decades as opposed to 6 years, although the setting is still Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East. The game is on mobile platforms like its predecessor, and uses touch controls. The 3 campaigns are the Crusades, England, and France, (and Germany) with several standalone missions that can be played involving other locations.

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The gameplay is basically the same with different artwork: mechanized infantry and tanks are replaced with cavalry and knights; artillery with archers; and infantry with older-looking infantry. The Pros and Cons of using each type of unit in a particular scenario remain relatively the same. There are a few changes, the first being the obvious lack of air power, which makes battles more dull in my opinion. The resources that provinces produce have been replaced by gold, which in reality just adds one order of magnitude to everything and makes the game needlessly complicated (I’ve always been one for simplification in games, 1 should either be the least I can get or spend in a turn, not 10). The graphics are also needlessly complicated. While I found the first game’s graphics to be easy to understand and visually appealing, I find these quite the opposite. I prefer to play the game zoomed out, and in such a state I can’t tell the difference between the units even with my glasses on, and zooming in only lessens the difficulty of the problem, but doesn’t fix it. The font used is also very thin and much less readable than in the previous game.

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The interface is the same, responsive and usable. There is no additional polish added since the last game, but I don’t feel it was needed. The mechanics of surrounding enemy armies, capturing key provinces, and buying new units are still there, just with a different skin. The maps have changed.  They cover a smaller area, but thankfully have similar numbers of provinces (any smaller than the last game would not have been fun). This makes sense for the time period but I still have a hard time believing it (the amount they move and the battles that take place). I just can’t understand how these armies are operating, knowing what I know about wars of the time. And that is my main problem with the game. Medieval wars and the Second World War were fundamentally different wars in terms of both strategy and tactics, but the game is the same. In the Second World War it makes sense for large numbers of troops to hold miles and miles of territory to prevent a siege breaking out, but even scaled down in this game, the battles don’t stack up. The maps should be of cities and the surrounding countryside, not of entire parts of countries (at least in my opinion).

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So I have to admit, I didn’t play the game past parts of the first campaign. The difficulty seems to have increased in comparison to S&T WWII, and that coupled with the art I couldn’t understand, and the historical element that just didn’t click with me, made the game almost unplayable. I played a couple of the standalone scenarios, part of the English Campaign, and then quit. I only came back for this review and didn’t get much farther.

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This is also how the story is conveyed, no cutscenes in this one.

This is also how the story is conveyed, no cutscenes in this one.

 

That being said, it is the same game essentially as its predecessor, so if that game was enjoyable to you this one would be as well (just without aircraft). And if the medieval theme grabs you this one might be even more enjoyable. Still, neither of these first two games are ones that I’d really recommend: they are slow, and sometimes feel more like just sending units forward than actual strategy and tactics. The next game is the one I’d really recommend.

WWII: Sandbox. Strategy and Tactics (iOS, Android)

WWII: Sandbox. Strategy and Tactics is the third (and worst titled) game in the Strategy and Tactics series for mobile platforms. The gameplay is basically the same as its predecessors, with a few additions and tweaks. This entry returns to WWII but forgoes the campaign design of the last two games and allows one to play as any country in the Second World War for as long as it takes them to win or lose (players can even play past “winning” until there are no more opponents to fight).

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The touch controls are the same as the last game, and work just fine. I’ve had no problems with responsiveness. The basic unit vs. unit abilities have remained essentially the same as the first WWII game, with the upgrade tree a little more well explained and fleshed out (I personally find this to be not worthwhile as upgrades are really only noticeable in battles with few units). There are a few tweaks and additions, though: reinforcements now have to appear in factory provinces, the upgrades can now be purchased with resources since there are no development points, the cost of paratroopers has been significantly increased, making them much less useful (but still very important), planes have been made both more expensive and more powerful, and most game-changingly, ships have been added along with water provinces for them to move on. These water provinces provide no resources, but the ships in them can battle each other, bombard coastal provinces, and block over-sea routes of attack for land troops.

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(I should mention before going on that I have the paid version. In the free version I believe everything I mention is unlockable, but it would take so long for players to complete the almost impossible tasks needed to unlock new features that it should be considered much more restricted. The free version is really a “try before you buy” kind of thing, especially since purchasing only a few upgrades in it would cost more than the paid version)

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The main draw of the game, though, is the sandbox game-play. Players could choose from any European country that was in the war, and, after updates, can now choose from most Asian countries that participated as well. When choosing a country, the player will also choose an objective. Completing this can end the game, or the player can choose to continue until they decide to stop or all enemy forces have been destroyed. This flexibility makes the game much more fun than the previous iterations and allows much more room for actual strategy and tactics when playing. The alliance system, while primitive (with three sides {Axis, Allies, and Communists} that can attack either other side but not countries allied with their side, and neutrals that can attack anyone and be attacked by anyone) also adds a bit more depth, and with that and the random occurrences of uprisings in certain provinces; weather preventing planes from being usable; and sabotage preventing resources from being produced and vehicles from moving, the game becomes much more involved and interesting.

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The huge maps (the Asian one being almost entirely new), many countries, and long list of objectives for each country contribute quite a lot to make this game more replayable than the others. The game can be a little long, especially if one decides to continue after completing the objective or plays with a tiny country, but the game lends itself to interesting narratives (How did Estonia conquer all of Europe?) and that keeps the player more involved through the entire process, though some of the alliance choices do take one out of the story (Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, and the Baltics are Allies, Finland and Spain are Axis, Yugoslavia is Communist, and Austria is Neutral. Various other problems are in the Asian map). The events, such as coups where smaller states are annexed without being attacked, the uprisings where certain countries attack in random home provinces (or sometimes related ones, like New Ireland in the Asia map), the US Navy arriving in the Pacific, Countries changing alliances (Yugoslavia can declare neutrality, Ireland and Hungary can join the Communists, etc.), and the surrendering of countries (the Soviets being almost defeated in Asia will always lead to them being replaced by the Germans before being fully defeated) add more to the story than this takes away, though.

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The story gets a lot more simple near the end of the game. The AI doesn’t scale based on how well you’re doing, so while playing as a small country like Portugal, Greece, or Estonia is challenging at first (Sometimes very challenging: I haven’t even figured out how to survive as the Netherlands!) by the time you start nearing the power level of some of the more powerful countries there is little that they can do to stop you. Especially since they like to put most of their resources into upgrading, which makes them more powerful in the count, but gives them many fewer units. The AI also plays overly cautiously. It’s afraid to commit large numbers of troops to a single breakthrough area, and will retreat when met with stubborn defense. This means most attacks when you start to get larger can be easily repulsed (It also means large battles like Germany or Japan vs. the Soviet Union can take quite some time to resolve without intervention) and if the player can form a wall of armies and manage the keep them relatively strong, they have created an unbreakable defense and unstoppable attacker. The large map allows for this fortified wall strategy a lot more in many places (less so in Asia, that is a more airplane- and ship-centric map), and when backed up with airplanes, the only thing that can beat it is rushing forward too fast, and even then with time the player can likely come back to their former position. The player also tends to be more objective based, targeting strategic provinces (which have targets) to destroy other countries, or targeting specific armies to surround and destroy, while the AI is more survival based, trying too keep as many armies alive as possible.

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The random events can be a problem at times too. When playing as Ireland my objective in a game was to take and hold London for a turn. But the oversea routes kept being blocked by storms, and by the time they weren’t, the British had become too powerful, and my landing operations in Spain and Scotland had failed. It took me until 1947 (the game starts in 1939) of mostly waiting to actually complete my objective (which also highlights how bad the AI is, since no human would have lost in that scenario).

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Despite some of these drawbacks, and the relatively simple gameplay, I quite like the epic quality of the game. It’s large (the map is larger than the large Europe map from the first game, extending into the Soviet Union, Scandinavia, and the British Isles. And the Asia Map is almost as large and mostly new), dynamic and interesting to watch even where one is not currently playing. Happenings on other fronts and random events keep players more in the game while they are waiting for units to heal or buying more troops, and can mean the difference between success and failure. The lack of a timer, settings for alliances (but without as much control as I would like), and large amounts of missions make this game very close to true to the title, a WWII sandbox. I like the stories one can create, I like the gameplay (though I wish there was a bit more depth to both it an the Diplomacy system), and most of all I like feeling like I’m in charge of a massive army on a massive chaotic battleground. This game is the game I wanted when I bought the first game, and I’m glad I finally got to play it. It still isn’t very complex (not a mini Hearts of Iron), but I haven’t found much more complex on mobile devices.