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Introduction and “Standard” EDC – Every-Day Cary 2016-17 Part 1

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EDC stands for Every-Day Carry (or Electric Daisy Carnival if you’re into dance music). And, the name fortunately being self-explanatory, it is the general items one carries with them every day. Most people have an EDC but don’t call it that because it’s generally unnecessary. But if you’re a bit nuts about being prepared and organized like me, it’s a nice, easy way to condense the idea of what things you need with you all the time (or various levels of such) and separate it from all of the other things that are in life either for fun or more specific tasks.

This is my 3rd (maybe 4th) year of really being in to EDC, and my 3rd (maybe 4th) year of detailing a list of what I carry (hopefully with videos as well) online in the hopes of being helpful and entertaining. Last year I had a little bit of a debate with myself over what EDC really meant, and if I go by the strict definition, as I am one to do, this set of posts as well as the last one go beyond my (or a) true EDC. Still, I believe that the different layers of organization and carry items are relevant both in the creation of the lower and higher levels and in the sense that they can, I believe, help and entertain as much as and true EDC list would.

I will be breaking this down into chunks, to make them easier (for you) to digest and reference, while ignoring the bits that don’t pertain to you. Some smaller sets of items (like my pocket EDC) will be contained all in one post while larger sets of items (like my backpack) may be broken up into several relevant parts (like the bag of tools in my backpack being its own separate post from the other “sub-bags” in the backpack). Hopefully once I’ve finished and gone through the entire list I can go back and collect it all into one post for anyone who wants to see it all together. I’ll talk a little bit about how I use each layer and what capabilities it provides me with, and follow that up with a list of the items and my various comments about their usefulness, hardiness, aesthetics, or just something interesting about them. Those of you who have read my previous entries in this series will find some familiar items but there are many new ones and things that have been tweaked. One of my favorite things about preparedness kits and EDC is how dynamic it is, and how it can, and should, change regularly to continue to be effective. Coming up with a “perfect” kit and leaving it stagnate doesn’t work out well in the being prepared world. There is no “perfect” kit, and it only gets better the more you experiment.

* 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)

My Main EDC is stuff that I’m almost guaranteed to have on me when leaving the house. If I’m going out for anything I’ll certainly have my wallet, phone, and watch, but more often than not I’ve got all of the items on this list, so naturally, they’re some of the most useful and most portable items I have in my daily carry systems.

(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)

EDC

  • Wallet (Austin Leather Tri-Fold Wallet) (I’m not sure the company even exists any more) (I’m not a fan of billfolds because they are wider than my pocket is in some cases, and have fewer card slots or ways to expand. I would still have the phone-case wallet if I wasn’t planning on upgrading my phone at some point and not wanting to buy two of them. This gives me more options anyway.)
    • Mini Lock Pick Set (Without Case. In Ziploc bag) (These guys aren’t great but they are inexpensive and will get the job done if I or a friend gets locked out. They’re certainly better than paperclips)
      • Tension Wrench (Not what I would choose to use in any case)
      • Hook (Medium to Large)
      • Half Diamond
      • City Rake (L Rake)
      • S Rake
    • Bobby Pins x2 (Plenty of uses. If nothing else, they’ll hold hair in place, but now I have quite a few of them hanging around doing nothing)
    • Safety Pins x2
    • Straight Pins x2
    • Paper Clips x2 (Super tools)
    • Band Aids x2 (For when I cut myself every time I buy a new sharp thing)
    • 11 in 1 Credit Card Multi-tool (basically a bottle opener) ** (This thing is super dangerous to hold, and mostly useless. I covered up the sharp bits and it makes a good $1 bottle opener for the wallet)
    • Iain Sinclair Cardsharp 2 ** (It’s a working blade at this size, and it means I can have a functional knife on me essentially all the time. Only for when I have to use it though as I’d rather use anything else)
    • Touch Screen Stylus (Good for when the hands are cold)
    • Cash (Of course)
    • Cards (Of course)

  • Phone (iPhone 4s) (Still, maybe I’ll get a new one soon)
    • Custom Printed Phone Case (It looks cool, but it’s worn out way faster than I would’ve liked it to)
    • Emergency Cash (Comes in handy when you forget your wallet)

  • Knife (Ontario Rat II)** (Still goin’ strong, it’s as close to perfect as they come)

  • Watch
    • Armitron Face (It’s not as pretty anymore but it’s probably my longest running face)
    • Timex Band (The original band wasn’t as good, plain metal ones work better)
  • Change Bag (Small Leather Marble Bag) (I get a lot of compliments on this, separately from the people who are annoyed I have to get my change out of it)
    • Change
  • Keys (Leather Holder) (I ordered a custom key holder from Bulgaria over Etsy. The original clip was pretty cheap and has already broken, but the leather is still beautiful, and the rest of the hardware still going)

  • Belt Pouch (Maxpedition Anemone) (New pouch, quality is incredible, after more than a year it still looks brand new)
    • Two Maxpedition Tac Ties as Belt Loops (I don’t like these, and they have to be retightened periodically, but there aren’t many other options for belt carry here)
    • Leatherman (Juice S2)** (Still one of the best Multi-Tools out there as everyone in the world will tell you)
    • Pen (Fisher Space Pen Stowaway) (Works well; the clip is getting a bit wobbly clipping on to such thick fabric. I’d be open to something else but it’s so small and light I hardly even know it’s there)
    • Flashlight (Coast A5) (One done quit on me, but I like the new color better anyway. I hope the last one was just a fluke because this is the prefect design for me)
    • Work Phone (LG 328BG) (Got a new one because TracFone was changing their network. Not as good as the last one in my opinion but it’s just there to take calls)
    • Whistle (This one was my grandmother’s. It’s a bit rusty but I like the look and feel)
    • Lighter (Bic Mini)
    • Knife (Victorinox Classic SD)** (In lieu of having a dedicated nail file I can have a few other redundant tools as well)
    • Tape Measure (One of the first things I put in my EDC, still there, still surprisingly useful)
    • Worry Stone (Something to do with my hands when there’s nothing else. Unfortunately it gets lost in the bottom a lot and I forget about it)
    • Lens Wipes (Nikon) (For glasses and cameras)
    • Cash $10
    • AAA Battery (Flashlight spare)
    • 364 Watch Battery (Sony) (Watch spare)

  • EDC Altoids Small Tin** (This tin hasn’t changed much since I made it a few years ago, mostly it’s a back-up smaller version of other things in my EDC)
    • 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)

  • Mini Tool Kit (In a GUM Soft Picks Case) (Mostly for repairing eyeglasses and feeling cool about having some small tools)
    • Glasses Screwdriver
    • Razor Blade** (This one is annoying to remember to take out when going through a checkpoint)
    • Paperclips x5 (one insulated)
    • Eyeglass Pads x2
    • Small Screws (2 sizes) x4
    • 5ft of Wire (Wrapped around one Paperclip)
    • 3 Straight Pins Wrapped in Electrical Tape
    • Copper “Snare Wire” (From the Bear Gryll’s Mini “Survival” Kit, I think it’s better suited here)
    • Cut Down #2 Pencil (I shaved the edges to get it to fit in such a small case)

  • Boo-Boo Kit/Hygiene Kit (I hope most of this is self-explanatory)
    • GUM Soft Picks in Travel Case
    • Electrolyte Tablets
    • 5 Alcohol Swabs
    • 1 Alcohol Towel-ette
    • 2 Knuckle Bandages
    • 1 Fingertip Bandage
    • Mini Med Bag
      • 3 Diphenhydramine
      • 2 Acetaminophen

  • Pocket Notebook (Field Notes Expedition Edition) (Such a good book, shows a little more wear than I would like but it holds together better than anything)
  • Pocket Planner (Brownline 2016 Weekly Planner) (Soon to be 2017)
  • Pen (Zebra F-301) (I love these guys and have one wherever I usually need a pen)

Like I said, I hardly go anywhere without this stuff, and as such I’ve tried to make it what I think is the best gear for the job. It’s a collection of my “finest equipment”. There’s probably the most similarity to other people’s EDC here as the things I need are mostly the same as what everyone needs, but there are always those differences, and those become more pronounced the higher up on these lists. My backpack will likely vary considerable from most other peoples’ EDC backpacks. But that’s to look at in the future; hopefully I’ll see you there.

Review – Hot Concepts Illumix 4 in 1 Stylus

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Every once in a while you run into a gimmicky, cheap product that’s still a bit of fun. For instance, I wanted a laser pointer (for me and my cat) and was in Walmart one day. On that day I found the “Hot Concepts Illumix 4 in 1 Stylus”. It’s a funky little pen with a light, laser, and touch-screen stylus. And it’s only a couple bucks! Let’s see how it works:

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The light is really just a white LED that’s stuck in the end of the pen. There’s no focus, so it dissipates rather quickly. You could get an idea about the shape of a small room, find a key, or perhaps locate something stuck behind some furniture, but that’s about it. Nothing far away can be seen, and nothing in great detail. But it still works alright. Interestingly enough, both the light and laser can be turned on at the same time. The laser is dimmed significantly by this, but the light seems unaffected.

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The laser pointer works fine. It’s one of the standard cheap ones that can be found almost anywhere. It will hurt your eyes, but isn’t very bright on anything else. It isn’t very well focused and will spread out over long distances. But inside a regular sized room, it is very functional as both a people and cat toy.

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The stylus works with modern touch screens, and it’s fine. It’s so easy to make a stylus that works with these screens now it’s unremarkable. It’s a bit cheaper than the norm and seems like it might wear out, but I’d say the worst thing about it is that you have to watch out and not hit the buttons and blind yourself when using it.

Finally, the pen part. It works, actually quite well. The tip is very fine, but despite that, it writes quite smoothly with little pressure. The inks a standard, almost-black ballpoint ink that’s water-resistant. The cartridge can’t be replaced as far as I can tell, though the batteries can be. So when you run out of ink you’re out and just left with the other features. That would seem to indicate the pen is not a primary function. The sleeve with the stylus has to be removed to access the pen, and this is not held on very well.  It slips and can come off with a bit of a shake. There’s also nowhere to put the sleeve when using the pen, meaning it’s a two-handed operation.

A couple of other things: the clip works well, there’s a warning under the laser but otherwise no information printed on the pen, and the white smooth color with “chrome” trim looks nice, but not very professional, and it’s quite slippery.

Overall, every action it performs is done passably, but not well. It’s a fun device to mess around with or have if you want any or all of the 4 uses, but won’t use any of them that much. The batteries don’t last that long, the ink cartridge is small and not replaceable, and the overall tolerances aren’t very tight. The metal construction is nice, but the product seems to be made with disposability in mind. It’s fun, and good for the money. Just don’t expect much out of it.

Review – Poquitos Part 2 – Monteverde Ballpoint/Stylus and Fountain Pen

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I had the regular Yafa brand Poquitos for quite some time before ever even hearing about the brand Monteverde, which is one of the many brands of “inexpensive” luxury pens that Yafa owns. Monteverde mainly has their own line of pens that could be completely separated from Yafa, but recently I discovered Monteverde was releasing a set of pens under the same name and similarly styled to the Yafa Poquito. This, of course, confused me, until I found out the companies’ relationship. The two Monteverde Poquitos have both similarities and differences when compared to the regular Yafa versions. Let’s take a look.

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First up is the fountain pen, which is styled very similarly to the original Poquito, but because it is a fountain pen, it is slightly larger, a little longer, and about twice as thick. The tip of the cap has the same “stylus” as on the smaller pens, and the clip is almost identical. The pen is also made of brass, but seems to be painted better, and Poquito is written right on the cap.

Being a fountain pen, it accepts cartridges (of the standard international variety), but there are no converters designed for it. Some small converters can be finagled into working, but none are advertised as doing so. The nib (which is only available in medium) and feed are relatively dry, but that is the case with many pens with similar nib and feed types (plastic, iridium point, German made) and many inks are designed to work well with this type of pen. The section is stainless steel (I think) and gets slick upon prolonged use. And the pen is too short to hold comfortably without posting. But the pen is still super small, and is absolutely ideal for taking quick notes provided one finds an ink that works well with it.

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In addition to their release of the fountain pen, Monteverde also released a new version of the regular ballpoint Poquito, called the Poquito Stylus (and funnily enough, they also released the Poquito Stylus XL which is almost the size of the Largo). The pen has the same writing and mechanism end as the Yafa Poquito (which is the only part that the Poquitos share). But on the other end, a touch-screen stylus of average size replaces the old hard “stylus” point, which was really useless. This new stylus works quite well, though it can be a bit broad at times. The clip design has also changed. It works just as well, and looks a little nicer, in my opinion, but is more likely to damage the item it is clipped onto. The ballpoint itself is identical to the older pen, with refills being the same.

Overall, the Monteverde versions of the Poquito pens are quite small, and quite functional. They haven’t really fixed any of the problems with the standard Yafa versions, but the added benefits of a fountain pen and stylus (for the people that like to use them) are great. All of the Poquitos are hardy little pens that serve well, and can go almost anywhere. The Monteverde versions just add a little more style and a little more usage variation.