Category Archives: EDC (everyday carry)

EDC (Everyday Carry) Part 3 – Satchel

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The satchel tier of my EDC was once the most carried tier in my EDC. That has likely been replaced by either my belt pouch or backpack tiers, depending on how you look at it. I like the ease of carry, as well as the relative security, the satchel provided for my items. They are close to me at all times, and as long as the strap is good, they won’t likely fall or get snagged. Even with a filled satchel, it is easy to slip by people in tight spaces, whereas a backpack is more bulky and easier to steal.

Still, I just didn’t get the feeling that I was carrying all I wanted to, and what really killed it for me was the fact that there was no more room. I wanted to be able to bring home things I bought at the store, etc. And since I don’t use a car, something more substantial than the small satchel was necessary. I still do bust it out upon occasion, as it is a great little bag, but it just doesn’t hold up for me.

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All of the items in both the belt pouch and the fanny pack are contained in the satchel as well as…

SATCHEL

• Coleman Poncho (a second one, in case the first fails or I’m with another person.)
• Checkbook (Sometimes a check is a handy thing. I don’t use them very often, though,
due to time)
• Bandana (In Texas, the main use is sweat clearance, but it has a thousand other functions)
• Survival Tin (Bear Grylls kit minus some stuff. This is just for fun, I have no intention of “surviving” with this stuff. But it could help me get out of a bad situation, or even a mildly unpleasant one)
◦ Knife (Gerber Mini Paraframe, partially serrated)
◦ Cord
◦ Waterproof Matches + Striker
◦ Cotton balls
◦ Whistle
◦ Flint + Steel
◦ Copper Wire (Snare Wire)
• Small First Aid Kit
◦ Bear Grylls Water resistant Bag/ziplock (With a red cross added)
▪ Forceps (I have a problem with splinters)
▪ Medical Gloves
▪ Tissue (For nosebleeds and such)
▪ Johnson and Johnson first aid guide
▪ Waterproof Ziplock (I think most of the items in this bag are fairly self explanatory in their uses, this is really just a boo-boo kit, and has very little expanded capabilities. But I have been stranded an unfortunate amount of times away from home with a bleeding finger, and I guess I have thin blood because I bleed a lot.)
▪ Paper medical tape
▪ Electrolyte Tablets
▪ Single Use Neosporin packet
▪ Motrin
▪ Hand Cleansing Wipes
▪ Butterfly Closures
▪ Small Gauze Dressing
▪ Medium Non-Stick Pad
▪ Band Aids

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The satchel is still my favorite method of carry, but not the most practical. I like what it brings to the table in my system by way of emergency items. However, not much of necessity is contained within. More survival-y items are in the lower tiers, and more first aid is in the higher. It would appear that It’s just the wrong size, and people keep calling it a purse, which I’m fine with, but it still feels weird.

Speaking of the higher tier, I’ll be talking about my EDC backpack in the next installment in this blog series.

 

EDC (Everyday Carry) Part 2 – Fanny Pack (BumBag)

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The second, and likely the least worn, tier of my EDC is the fanny pack, though the items contained in it are still used quite often as they are moved into my satchel and backpack as I go to larger EDC carry cases. The fanny pack is a problem in some ways. I use a Custom LeatherCraft bag to store the items inside the pack, and there is little room for both those items and the lower tiers of my EDC. My phone, pocket book, and knife generally stay in my pockets. But the items in my belt pouch might be more difficult to store in the pack and may have to stay on my belt or be attached to the belt of the pack. For this reason, and the stigma attached to fanny packs in general, I tend not to use this system very much. It is still very handy, but I find slightly smaller and/or slightly larger containers to be a bit more handy.

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FANNY PACK

  • Coleman Poncho (Sometimes rain surprises me, and I don’t want to be caught out in it if I can help it, or to have all my stuff get wet. This doesn’t take up much space and would work in a pinch.)
  • Stylus Pen (Bic Tech. With all this technology I get tired of using my thumb to operate screens all the time. So a stylus is nice for me, though not something I use that often. I have a few combo stylus/pens, and swap them out. I find there isn’t much in the way of difference.)
  • Notebook (Moleskine. it’s always nice to have something to write on so you don’t forget what you’re shopping for, or what you should be doing. If I don’t have my pocket book I like having one in the fanny pack. Moleskines are just what I happened to have, I could also use a Rhodia or Field Notes book.)
  • Business card holder.
  • Bic Lighter (I have another in the Altoids tin for when I’m just carrying that in my pocket, but this one is larger and easier to use.)
  • Multi-tool (Leatherman Juice S2 – The most stripped down multi-tool I could find, and no one beats Leatherman quality. I use the scissors most, so it’s slightly frustrating to have to lift up the can opener every time, but for the amount of function that’s a minor complaint.)
  • Glowstick (Just in case I might need some extra light, this one is a “take it or leave it” item.)
  • Chapstick (Lots of uses there, but I almost never use it because I find Lip balm more uncomfortable than chapped lips unless I have some specific reason.)
  • Tape (Scotch brand red tape.)
  • Bear Grylls Survival Guide (Just for a bit of fun!)
  • EDC Altoids Tin (This is sometimes carried on its own in my pocket with the lower EDC tier.)
    • Tissue
    • Toothpicks
    • Bic Mini Lighter
    • Knife (Victorinox Midnite Manager – I like the red LED for preserving night vision, and the pen as a backup is useful if not comfortable. I think overall this is such a good toolset that it could replace quite a few other things here, but for the moment I haven’t streamlined it.)
    • Light (Maglite Solitaire – Same things as in the last post, but this one I got fairly new.)
    • Container (I have no idea what this thing was or where it came from, but it’s a small cylinder and is handy for liquids. I use fountain pens a lot, so it’s good for ink and such.)
    • AAA battery (New, for replacement.)
    • Electrical tape
    • Eyeglass repair kit (A combination of several kits, and a mini screwdriver that was compact enough to fit inside. The driver used to be on my keys.)
    • Paper Clips (Super Tools.)
    • Twine
    • Alcohol swabs
    • Migraine medication (can’t have too many!)
    • Electrolyte tablets
    • Headache pills
    • Band Aids
    • Cash $20 (For those miscalculations.)

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I really do like the amount of things that can be carried in a fanny pack, and the robustness of some of the larger tools like the Leatherman Juice. But there is something that is just a bit off about carrying them. It never feels like it’s in the right place, and everything feels more like a compromise. I love having these items with me and find uses for them all the time, but I find having them in a different case works out better for me.

Next time I’ll take a look at the satchel, or “man-purse” carry of my EDC. (I don’t like that term, I’d just call it a purse before I called it a man-purse. Oh, well.)

EDC (Every Day Carry) Part 1- Pockets and Belt Pouch

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Well, it’s the New Year, and what better way to start off than by looking at the system I’ve developed for carrying around things that I need, and describing what the things that I need are? (I could’ve just made a resolution, but I don’t like to do those).

I’ve divided my system up in to what amounts to tiers. And while sometimes these change, based on my needs when I leave the house, for the most part they remain the same.

In the first part, I’m going to be talking about what is always with me in my pockets. I’ve also included the belt pouch here for two reasons: first, is that it doesn’t have many items, so making it its own post would be silly; and second, because I have it on me almost every day. Since, for the most part, the lower tiers will be placed inside the higher tiers of my EDC, many of the things I would normally have in my pockets are simply kept in my belt pouch, allowing me to easily access them and to free up my pockets for other things. (When I was a kid I thought pockets were for carrying back home the things you found or bought, not carrying around things you already had, and I prefer that function.)
Here’s the list of what I carry, with a little bit about the more important items:

Taken with my iPhone, so that's not pictured.

Taken with my iPhone, so that’s not pictured.

POCKETS

• Phone/wallet: iPhone 4s. (I really like this phone, and have liked the later models less and less. This model, and a slim leather wallet case, have held up for me almost since the phone’s release. There’s nothing special about the wallet, except that it has very little room for cash or band aids.)

• Knife (Sanrenmu 7010: A cheap Chinese knife that works very well and I’m not afraid of losing. I do occasionally swap out the knife I carry.)

• Altoids Smalls Tin. (This is more of an emergency McGyver kit, and has all of the things that I want on me, but won’t use very often. It fits nicely in a watch pocket or a change pocket in jeans and slacks.)

◦ Knife (Opinel No. 2:  Soooo Small).
◦ Matches and striker.
◦ Cotton Ball.
◦ String.
◦ Nail (A small, finishing-type nail.)
◦ Paperclip.
◦ Electrical Tape.
◦ Migraine Medication. (For me this is one of the most important things, hinted at by the fact I have it everywhere!)
◦ Band-Aid.
◦ Cash $10 American.

• Keys

◦ Key Pouch (a very nice, handmade thing I found on Etsy, from Bulgaria. I hate keys rattling around and possibly scratching things. The screws in this will still scratch, but more predictably. And it does make the keys quite a bit larger so it’s not for everyone)
◦ Multi-tool (Leatherman Micra) (I considered the Leatherman Style CS or PS, but the scissors were the most important part for me, and in the “other tools” department the Micra is more robust than the CS {and I certainly don’t need the knife on the CS}, plus I like the look of the Micra more.)
◦ Whistle (Nothing special. I’m looking for a more flat whistle as the irregular size of mine makes it hard to fit in most places.)
◦ Flashlight (Maglite Solitaire) (This one I found broken in a drawer in my house and fixed it. Other than that, the only reason I use it is because it is completely flat and round, with no protruding mirror, grip, or button. It’s great at fitting anywhere, and being easily retrievable. Next, I need an LED one.)
◦ Tape Measure (This is the first extra item I carried on my keys. I have no idea why!)

• Pocket Book (Field Notes/Rhodia).  I always wear shirts with a breast pocket, so a notebook is always a nice, useful thing to put in there.

• Pen (Zebra f-301) (A good pen. I use a lot of pens, but usually this one if I’m going outside, just because it’s both sturdy and unassuming.)

• Watch (Cheap Armitron, Walmart Band). I hate stretching watch bands, so I replaced the one that came with my watch. (Also, this is not technically in a pocket.)

• EDC Altoids tin. (Sometimes, see later post.  It depends on how large my pockets are.)

BELT POUCH
• Keychain and Altoids tin (For the sake of pocket space).

• Second (work) phone (Samsung Tracphone). (The minutes cost more than this phone did. The only problem is texting {unless you need apps}, but since I only use it for work calls it’s great, and really robust for how cheap it was)

• Bic Mini Lighter (I don’t smoke, but fire is useful, and sometimes I’m unfortunately around people who smoke.)

• Bandages (More of these to come).

• Alcohol Swabs.

• Electrolyte Tablets (dehydration is a real problem in Texas, less so where I live now, but when I visit my family back in the desert, having these with a large amount of water could save quite a bit of trouble.

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Most people find that the pocket EDC is the most important part of their systems, and I am no exception. What you always leave the house with is the only thing that will matter in many situations. And while I usually leave with one of my higher tiers of EDC equipment, I can say that I never leave without my pocket EDC. Since I developed it, I haven’t left without my belt pouch, either. I put this stuff in my pockets every day, and while I don’t always need to use it (phone wallet is the most used thing, for sure) it’s great to have it there. Just today I needed my knife to cut some rope, the lighter to burn the ends and prevent fraying, and my Micra scissors to cut paper.

I’ve used almost every item in this set, and what I haven’t is stuff that I know I will be super glad I have when I need it. These are things that most people carry around because they are so handy, and I would recommend that most people carry around such things, though perhaps not as extensive an array as mine (I have three blades and two ways to make fire just here). Pocket EDC is super important, and it’s great to have an organized one.

Next time I’ll be looking at my least-worn EDC tier, the Fanny Pack.

 

 

What Do You Really Need To Carry Every Day?

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Recently, I’ve gotten into thinking about my EDC (every day carry). And I’ve been setting it up so that everything I could conceivably need and possibly carry in a reasonable weight is on me at all times. Since it doesn’t really bother me to have a backpack, and the only real limitation is that some stores ask you to remove it to prevent shoplifting (which I think is silly, really. It just makes me concerned for my bag, and maybe slightly less prone to shop with you.) I do have everything in a backpack. And now I carry a lot of stuff.

In theory, my system is modular, moving up from pockets to fanny pack (bumbag) then satchel (which I hardly use any more) and finally to backpack. But in practice I find myself just carrying the backpack everywhere. I don’t like going without things, and since in my city it’s illegal to use disposable bags at stores, it’s handy to have around so that I don’t continually have to either carry around a cloth bag and look like a loser walking back to my apartment, or buy a “reusable” plastic or paper bag for a dime every time I go shopping. That should also answer the question of whether or not I have the bag full. I don’t, in order to put things in it when needed. And if I filled it, I would look very out of place (I say that like I don’t already). The bag would be about a “me and a half” wide, in addition to me, which is far too big to be convenient.

But that really does beg the question: do I need my backpack at all? The simple answer is no. Most people get by with a phone, wallet, keys, and maybe a pen and stylus. Some people also have iPads (tablets) and laptops, but I’m guessing those people don’t carry those around all the time. My first-aid kit, fire-starting methods (lighter, matches, flint and steel), poncho, flashlight, notebooks (I am a writer and artist, after all) and other things aren’t really necessary for day-to-day life. But they might come in quite handy at some point, and indeed when I have been out I have used these things, although I’ve used them more for the needs of other people as I am more prepared for what I’m going to be doing. Still, the items are useful.

But how useful does an item need to be to have you carry it every day? Most people could stick a multi-tool on their keys (I have one) and either have that be enough for every task they face, or never even use it. And it would just sit there taking up space and having taken $20 out of their wallet.

Obviously my first-aid kit is impractical, but it could save a life, so I keep carrying it. But for most (social) people it would be far too much of a hassle to keep anywhere but their car. (Side note: you should absolutely invest in a decent first-aid kit to go in your car. Absolutely everyone should have one, seriously, that is something I truly believe should be ubiquitous). I carry it around really because most people don’t. And if something bad does happen, I might not be the best trained to deal with it, but I can at least provide equipment and not be completely useless.

Most of the other items I could do without. In fact I could probably just tailor my items to match up with the groups I’m around most often (for instance, if I’m around a smoker a lot it’s less likely I would need a lighter) and compensate for what they lack. Together, in that scenario, we’d all make one prepared person. But really, I’m with enough different groups of people, and sometimes I go for stretches without really interacting with a group of friends, so I carry all of the things that might be useful to me in any scenario. That is where my level of carry ends, though. If it would only be useful to someone else, and not to me, I don’t carry it. Or, if it’s far too impractical to carry. My bag is a little less than 20 pounds (estimation: it varies) and I wouldn’t want to carry more than that for any significant amount of time.

So do I really need to carry it? No, I really don’t need to carry much. That list I made earlier of what most people carry was fine with me for years, and I had even less in school (I only had a pen and my keys in my pocket then). It’s very easy to get by with that. And the amount of things needed to excel is far too much for most people. I carry around a lot because I like to be prepared. I don’t want to get caught up later because I didn’t take time at the start. And I understand that won’t work for most people. What do you really need to carry every day? Nothing. A phone and a credit card will do almost everything you’d ever need now. But really you don’t “need” to carry anything. In the end, what you choose to carry is based on what you think is the best balance of what you might need, and the lightest load so you don’t get bogged down. And I might go a bit overboard, but I don’t sink.

Why Do I Care about Everyday Carry (EDC)?

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I recently– well, sort of recently– okay let’s start again. I started caring about what I had with me at all times more in the recent past than before, even though back then I likely cared more than the average person. Now, this is not to say that the average person is wrong not to care too much about the things they carry. Phone, wallet, keys: okay, we’ve got everything. And really, that is all you need. The pocket knife, tools, and various backup items I carry are far from needed to do what I do (which is not really go anywhere).

But I do always like to be prepared. When working on something electronic (something I do surprisingly often) a paper-clip or a screwdriver could be very handy. And, even though they haven’t yet, I can easily see my glasses falling apart and needing repair, which, if I didn’t have either a bag and small screwdriver, or both, would be quite a problem.

Of course, you can never tell how many uses you have for a knife until you carry one around. And I’ve found that for most people the answer is quite a lot, even if it’s a knife on a multi-tool or Swiss army knife where the secondary tools are much more of the value. Having a knife as a tool is super useful, and other tools attached are a great addition.

But most people will acknowledge that, and then ask why I care. We are surrounded by things at all times, so why would I need to carry so much more with me than the average person has with them, when they often encounter the same problems, and surmount them with much less equipment?.

The real reason I care I guess is because I love to be organized (in my strange little messy way) and to not be too far away from anything I need. I like to solve problems quickly, and having the proper tools with me at all times is a great way to do that. And if someone else gets in a situation where they don’t have the proper tools, providing them with the tools is a way I could actually be useful, something I have trouble with normally.

Should you care about what you carry everyday? Of course, but everyone has their own limit there. The lengths to which I go to be prepared would be considered ridiculous by/for some people, and that’s fine. You can care as much or as little about what goes in your pockets as suits you. I just want to limit the amount of my helplessness in any given situation, and if I can do that by carrying some knives, tools, and various other little things I’ll do that. And it doesn’t hurt that I enjoy using knives and tools a bit more than some people might think I should.