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.

Book Review – The Role-Playing Game Primer an Old School Playbook (By: Chris Gonnerman)

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The Role-Playing Game Primer is a book by Chris Gonnerman intended to be used as an introduction to RPGs in general and “old-school” RPGs in particular. “Old-school” here being mainly “retroclones” of older RPGs (as opposed to those games themselves) such as Gonnerman’s own “Basic Fantasy RPG” (Based on the Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition rules using the Open Game License {That gets complicated}) and “Iron Falcon” (Based on older D&D {Also under the OGL}) games, and several others that are mentioned by name (but those names don’t really mean much to a person who isn’t in the culture yet). But just how good is it at being the “primer” it set out to be?

I’m not exactly the best one to evaluate this book, as I don’t really need “priming” on the whole RPG thing. I am far from an “old-school” gamer, but I generally know the differences in play styles between them and the “new-school” (or whatever they’re called) gamers. So this book was more of a curious read and not me actually looking for an introduction. And it was a nice, short read. The 62 pages have slightly larger than average text and a good amount of illustrations. These illustrations are either: stock images, those sent in by contributors for Gonnerman’s “Basic Fantasy” game, or maps of areas designed as examples. At least that’s my assumption, since, while the art is good, it varies wildly in style and has almost nothing to do with what is written on the page (a common theme in most “OD&D*” books I’ve seen). But it’s still nice to look at and gets the job done. (*Original Dungeons & Dragons)

The text is divided into chapters, but can be further divided in my mind into the first part, where Gonnerman describes new players starting up a game with the Game Master (GM) (using his own system as an example), and the second part, where he talks directly to the reader and gives them advice. I really like the first part. It does a good job of giving an explanation and examples for how to play a Role-Playing Game (even if the dialog is a bit unrealistic at times). It’s one of those reaffirming sections where one can go “whoo… I’m not doing this thing wrong” in reference to starting up and playing an RPG. And it’s short enough to not overstay its welcome. The second part needs to be taken with a grain of salt as it’s written with an obvious bias against newer RPGs (but maybe the title gave that away) that’s never really given adequate justification. One might, through some unlikely circumstance, come out of this book thinking that “old-school” role playing is simply “better” or “the way to play” rather than there being different sets of people who enjoy either. With that aside, however, it does do a very good job of explaining how “old-school” games work for both players and GMs while providing some nice tips along the way.

The brevity of this book is another plus. The language is nice and concise while being informative and not particularly confusing (as far as something being about an RPG can not be confusing). It moves along fast enough that it can be easily recommended as a read before diving into, or while beginning to read, one’s first role-playing game (it does help if it’s one in the older vein, though). The advice, information, and explanations are informative and well laid out (probably from years of experience) while being simply but not dumbly written. Aside from one humorous example where an “old school building” is referenced and in the text hard to differentiate from the many other times “old school” is used in reference to RPGs I was never confused when reading (though as I say I did know about the subject going in). Gonnerman’s experience in the area and writing skill show through when reading.

It’s far from and essential book, but it’s inexpensive (being print-on-demand), short, and well written. I would recommend looking into it as a beginner, but I have to question whether or not it’s really worthwhile with so many good forums, blogs, and videos on the subject out there. If one doesn’t want to sift through that content or wants a more focused experience, this book would work great (and I also can’t imagine you ever finding this review). Otherwise it’s more of a curiosity so that one may, like me, make sure they aren’t “doing it wrong” and maybe get a few helpful tips along the way (except for the part where he calls the traditional way to draw {dungeon} maps into question, but maybe the reason is only obvious to me).

Book Review – I Sing the Body Electric (By: Ray Bradbury)

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I Sing the Body Electric is a collection of short stories by one of the greats: Ray Bradbury. These are from the (early) middle of his career, after most of the books you’d recognize, but (long) before it ended. There are 13 stories in the book, all of varying types and lengths, enough that I think it might be tedious (and spoilerific) if I were to go through each one, so I’ll try and hit the highs and the lows while giving my overall impression of the book.

How do I always get these obscure editions where the cover is impossible to find in good quality?

I am a Bradbury fan. The Illustrated Man is one of my favorite short story collections, and I’ve enjoyed many other stories he’s written. This one starts by hitting it out of the park with The Kilimanjaro Device which filled me with enough emotion to make it difficult to sleep that night. I would say it’s probably the best story in the book, but it fits my taste better and I could easily see how someone else would like one of the other stories more. From there, it maintains its classic Bradbury feel, with all sorts of weird twists, contextual literal meanings, waves of emotions, and extensive flowery language.

Some of it’s typical Bradbury stuff (there is not one, but two android-based stories {One of them, Downwind at Gettysburg, is mentioned on the back cover as “humanoid Abe Lincoln”. When was he not humanoid?}), but typical Bradbury isn’t very typical. They range from the strange and water-based The Women, to the raw but humorous depression era The Inspired Chicken Motel, to the terrifying Mars loneliness of Night Call, Collect. There are a few themes: androids, as previously mentioned, Mars, and Ireland; (specifically Dublin) are each in two or more stories. As with most short story collections, they all run in strange channels and sometimes ooze strangeness with every word. Loneliness and just basic emotion are also frequent themes, again, like many short stories. But some are simply amazing; Heavy Set is one of the most moving stories I’ve read in a long time (and it has that strange spelling of Hallowe’en).

Still, while the subjects and stories are fantastic I must complain a moment about Bradbury’s writing. There’s nothing technically wrong with it (the only errors I noticed are in The Tombling Day, and that’s likely an editor’s or typesetter’s fault), but he seems constantly overcome with the desire to let one know exactly how many words he has in his repertoire. I think his stories are fantastic, and the language used is essential to pull off some of the emotional moments, but in many cases Bradbury has the uncanny ability to make the most interesting story in the world boring to read, and it’s a testament to his imagination that I continued on. It’s not bad, it’s just boring sometimes. And boring in the strangest way, as I want to get through it quicker, but not stop reading. This is most apparent in his novels and in dialogue. He doesn’t have the time in these short stories to launch into a one-page description using every word tangentially related to (and sometimes not related to at all) the subject, to convey a “feeling” you’ll forget, about a thing that is inconsequential to the story (at least that often). He does, however, have the time to use a bunch of dialogue that no human would ever speak. I have a bit of a pet peeve about unrealistic dialogue and some of the worst examples of that are in these stories. That flaw is made up for upon occasion with how interestingly it is assembled. It reads like poetry at times, but it can also be a garbled mess. There is a point in the final story The Lost City of Mars, where a character is obviously meant to sound pompous or “too-wordy” and he ends up sounding just like quite a few other characters not meant to share that personality trait.

The Lost City of Mars has another problem by itself that is, thankfully, only present in it (I actually get to talk about the end of a book here without spoiling it). I’m not sure if it’s meant to have anything to do with the other “Martian” stories but it feels like it’s trying to create a world, and in that world a great many story possibilities are brought up (in just a few pages) that would be as or more interesting to me than this particular story, though it is a good one.

But for all my griping about the flowery language, or a slow story (such as The Cold Wind and the Warm which tries to take something mundane and spin it as miraculous), or missed opportunities, or the bit of sexism thrown in to remind you when the book was written, for all that, Bradbury still writes a good fantasy. Often the overdone bits fade into the background to form a foundation on which you can read and really feel, or think, or be absorbed into a fantastic world where the mind can go anywhere. Often you don’t want to stop reading because you want to see where it goes next. You want to hear everything about The Man in the Rorschach Shirt or Tomorrow’s Child. You want to enter the fantasy and enjoy.

And I did enjoy this book; even at the slow pace I read it. I might not have enjoyed every minute of it, but I would read it again. I might even have to considering how bad my memory apparently is, as its huge variety of story types and lengths doesn’t make it easier to remember the shorter ones or the start when one gets to the end. It does mean that there’s probably a story in there for everyone, and not a lot of “wading” to do to get to it. It’s not my favorite Bradbury, but it did far better than to make me lose hope. If you’re a fan of that 60’s sci-fi and fantasy scene, short stories, or of Bradbury at all, I would give this one a look. It’s a great read with all its ups and downs and twists and turns.

Review – Pentel GraphGear 1000

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My favorite mechanical pencil is the Pentel GraphGear 500, but its MSRP is a bit close to my usual ceiling budget for new pencils, so I was reluctant to pick up its “big brother” the GraphGear 1000, until I saw one for a good deal. There are a lot of upgrades and features the 1000 has that the 500 does not, but is it worth the extra price (it usually costs)?

If I was to give an example of an over-engineered pencil, the GraphGear 1000 would be that pencil. The body starts out pretty simple, with the back half being mainly cylindrical and having all the necessary information printed on it. The front half has the (grip) section that is very lightly knurled and has 24 embedded rubber ovals to increase comfort and grip. The “cone” in front of the section that steps and tapers down to the “lead pipe” screws off, allowing the section to be removed and reoriented. A small cutout at the end of the section (near the middle of the pencil) can then be oriented over a scale of hardnesses that are printed (stickered) around the inside barrel to show the correct hardness of the pencil (mine was preset at HB). Then the cone can be screwed back down to lock in the selection. (Otherwise the inner barrel is a smooth black plastic with a matte finish that isn’t really intended to be seen).

The lead pipe usually featured on “drafting” pencils is curiously absent when one first inspects the item. It can be found by pressing the clicking mechanism on the end, at which point it pops out and is locked in place via a locking mechanism on the clip. Further clicking of the mechanism will extend the lead (or, by holding it down, allow the lead to be retracted) and pushing the top of the spring-loaded clip will release the simple locking mechanism and cause the lead pipe to quickly hide away in the cone again. The clicking mechanism cap can be removed to reveal an eraser, which can be removed to reveal lead storage. Both are friction fit with nice tolerances. And the mechanism’s cap has the lead size (.5mm for mine) printed on the top for easy reading when in a pencil cup.

How well does all of this work? Very. Everything is solid, most of the important parts being made out of metal, giving it quite a heft when compared to the 500. The clicking and locking mechanisms are smooth, quick, solid, and satisfying to use. There is no play at all when using the pencil, and it tucks away perfectly (when the lead is retracted). The HB lead it comes with is standard. It’s bordering on the hard side of HB, but it’s still pretty smooth, and from using the same variety in other pencils for quite some time I can say it is reasonably break-resistant for the .5 size. The grip is surprisingly comfortable and the rubber ovals hardly noticeable (in fact they might not be necessary, or may even make it a bit more slippery than I would prefer). The clip does a very good job of clipping (mostly because of the cutout and spring present for the locking mechanism), and it slides off with very little damage from its well-polished edges (my model has a chromed-out clip for extra smoothness and flair I guess) and it being the locking mechanism means the lead pipe will retract as soon as it’s clipped on to something, preventing damage. The eraser is the same as the one on the 500, and it does a decent job getting rid of marks while being firm enough to not disappear completely.

With that multitude of features and solidness of performance is it worth the price? Assuredly. But do you really need all of those features? Probably not. This is a great pencil and I’m really glad I was able to get one (even more glad it was at what I consider to be a really good price) but it just won’t be replacing the 500 for me (at least at the moment: only time will tell). I’m not really sure what it is about it, since it’s got a nice weight, a satisfying feel, good writing capability, and it isn’t ugly (though my model {the PG1015} is a silver color with chrome clip and button and I wouldn’t call it the most handsome pencil in my collection) but it’s just not right for me. Still, it is an astounding pencil at a very good price and if the features I’ve talked about interest you, or you want to move up in the world of mechanical pencils either as a hobby or an artist I can heartily recommend this as an excellent next step.

Review – Tombow Mono Zero Erasers

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A few years ago I was aiding my brother in the search for a good separate eraser to go with lead holders (that often don’t have their own erasers), and that lead me to review the Sanford Peel-Off Magic Rub, which is essentially a Magic Rub eraser in the same body Sanford uses for their Peel-Off China Markers. And to me that was the answer. I knew there were mechanical erasers, but they were mostly cheap little things, or not available in the stores I frequented. It wasn’t until a few months ago that I found the potential simple, high-quality solution of the Tombow Mono Zero mechanical erasers and I got them as fast as I could. Are they up to the task?

The body is super simple, being a cylinder about the size of a pencil and a little over 3½” long. It comes in 2 different colors: silver for the round eraser, and black for the rectangular one (it’s made of plastic either way). At the front there is a step-down to the “lead-pipe” of sorts. This “pipe” being cylindrical for the round and flattened for the rectangular is the only other main physical difference between the two. The (lead/eraser) pipe is a nice, stiff metal that cleanly guides the eraser as it extends. On the back, there is a non-removable, simple push-click mechanism with an integrated clip. The clip is good but not superb at clipping, while having the advantage of being very structurally sound (something most plastic integrated clips are not). On the top of this mechanism is a sticker with the eraser’s sizes: 2.3mm in diameter for the round “small” and 2.5mm x .5mm for the rectangular “slightly less small”.

Performance is good; the click mechanism is sound and has a satisfying feel, retracting and reloading are simple and both done from the front end (reducing the number of failure points but also making disassembly functionally impossible). The erasers are of the white variety and erase very well. They aren’t the absolute best I’ve seen and they won’t get rid of every single mark, but they are both quite tiny and precise, making them very useful in those fine detail areas other eraser wouldn’t even be able to get to.

They are very good erasers, but more as a set to complement others than on their own. For writing, pocket and backpack sketchbooks, or those who do a lot of detail work, they will be fantastic, especially if one gets both to use in different situations. But for general use, they obviously don’t have the huge, quick-erasing capabilities of a standard eraser, and I’d imagine that in most people’s use cases they’d augment and not replace one. Still, I am one of those people who like to write and do finer-detail drawings more often than other types and they have earned a place in my pencil bag that I don’t see them moving out of any time soon. So if you’re looking for a fine mechanical eraser to easily carry around, fit in with your pencils, or do detailed work, I’d say take a look at these.