My EDC (EveryDay Carry)

edc-bagI realized the other day that I hadn’t done an EDC post yet, so here it is!  I do split EDC, meaning that some stuff I carry on my person but most of it I carry in my bag.  There are two reasons for this, one I sit at a computer all day and do not like to have my pockets filled with stuff.  I only wear cargo style pants so I always have plenty of pockets to drop things into as needed, but I don’t like to sit at my desk with anything in them.  Secondly, as a geek I carry my computer EVERYWHERE I go and I carry it in my EDC bag.  If you ever see the bag pictured on the right, it is probably following me like a monkey on my back.

My laptop is next to my bag in this picture but when I’m on the move it is riding in the back pocket of my bag.  The power cord and several other electronic gadgetry goes in the second pocket on the bag.  I like to be able to work and get on the internet wherever I happen to find myself so my bag contains in essence a portable office.  Now, for the other stuff I keep in my bag:

in-bag-edc

That’s everything in my supplies pocket.  Here’s what all that and the stuff I do carry on my person looks like dumped out:

all-edc

From top left to bottom right, this is what you’re looking at:

  • Camera Bag – obviously I was using the camera to take the pictures :) but I keep it in that bag along with some spare batteries and a couple memory cards.  I find it invaluable to always have a camera with me.  The one I carry is a Nikon CoolPix P50.
  • Passport – I keep this in my bag for a couple reasons, the main one being if I become separated from my wallet (like leaving it at home) I’ve usually got my bag with me, and with my passport with me I still have ID.  Plus, if I ever need to flee the country on a moments notice…… just kidding :)
  • Lockblade Knife – on the next row is the knife that permanently lives in my pockets
  • Pocket Caribiner – I keep this little collection in my pocket most of the time.  We’ll go through it in a bit
  • Advil – I always have a bottle of advil in my bag, my glovebox, in my drawer at work, on my dresser at home…. I hate getting headaches!
  • U.S. Constitution – It’s covered by the altoids box but I keep this booklet with the Constitution and Declaration of Independence in my bag.
  • Altoids Tin – this is actually filled with several Vaseline soaked Cotton Balls to use as fire starters if needed.
  • Mini-Scriptures – I always keep the Word of the Lord with me
  • Emergency Whistle/compass/flashlight/timepiece – on the next row is a handy combo survival widget
  • Bag Caribiner – This collection stays in my bag, we’ll go through it next
  • Mini Water Filter/straw – this water filter is the type you attach a straw to, insert the opposite end into water and suck through the straw.  Can be used in a glass, a stream, a puddle on the ground – whatever
  • FRS Radio – I have a HAM license but not a portable radio yet.  The FRS radio will at least give me some communications ability along with my cell phone
  • Verizon EVDO Card – this is a cellular network USB Modem.  It allows me to get high speed internet access wherever I have Verizon cellular service – which is just about everywhere.  I’ve hiked to the top of several mountains with my bag on my back and relaxed on the peak and gotten on the internet just for fun :)

bag-edc

These are the items I keep on a caribiner in my bag:

  • Large Caribiner
  • Compass/Flashlight combo
  • Red Flashlight – red lights let you view things at night without destroying your night vision
  • Mini-Tool – this particular toolset has a light on it, pliers, a knife, a can opener and an awl
  • Fire Starters – there are two of them on this ring, one is a magnesium/flint combo and the other is a BlastMatch
  • Pill Fobs/Fingernail clippers – one Fob has advil in it, the other has a much stronger painkiller.
  • Large Pill Fob – this Fob has Tums in it
  • Mini-Tool – this mini tool has a good standard and phillips screwdriver on it, it is much easier to use these screwdrivers than ones on other multi-tools I have

pocket-edc

These are the items I keep on my pocket caribiner:

  • 8 gig USB drive – for a geek you never know when you’re going to need file transfer capability!  I also keep several important docs and files on this drive.
  • LED flashlight
  • Consecrated Oil Vial – this is a Religious tool I always keep with me

That’s pretty much it.  I consider my EDC to be an extended part of multiple prep packs that I keep – my BOB, my vehicle emergency kit, my office kit and other general preps.

Here are some of our other authors EDC posts:

Any ideas on other stuff I should carry with me everyday?

11 Replies to “My EDC (EveryDay Carry)”

  1. I feel a deep kinship to you in a lot of the things you say and how you go about doing things… I carry around a mini-office too :). However, I have a couple of thoughts.

    Redundancy is great, but I think you have overdone it and added needless crap to your kits, and in a lot of cases it really looks like it is crap and will end up being useless and letting you down when you really need it. Not only does that defeat the whole purpose, it could also give you a false sense of security.

    I am not as far along with building my kits as you are, but this is just my opinion and I would love to discuss it further, but I feel like this is already an overly lengthy “comment”. :)

  2. I feel a deep kinship to you in a lot of the things you say and how you go about doing things… I carry around a mini-office too :). However, I have a couple of thoughts.

    Redundancy is great, but I think you have overdone it and added needless crap to your kits, and in a lot of cases it really looks like it is crap and will end up being useless and letting you down when you really need it. Not only does that defeat the whole purpose, it could also give you a false sense of security.

    I am not as far along with building my kits as you are, but this is just my opinion and I would love to discuss it further, but I feel like this is already an overly lengthy “comment”. :)

  3. just look up “pocket scriptures” or some variation- lots of companies make them, many with included magnifying glasses, as the font size is usually only 4 or 5.

  4. It does take quite a bit of experimenting to find the gear that really matters. It has to be both functional and useful. Everything I carry are items I use on at least a weekly basis, and in some form or another. This does a few things: ensures that I'm very familiar with the items, that the items are throughaly tested and by real use instead of hypothetical scenerios, reinforces actually carrying what I do carry, because I actually use it, and forces me to replace and upgrade to items of quality, because I use them all the time.
    My edc is rather complicated, I'd have to do a whole article about it, but the only thing that sort of sticks out, is that I always have my Leatherman Charge on my belt. So the three guidelines I use for EDC is: 1) carry only quality items I actually use, 2) carry as little as possible, yet incorperate as much as possible, and 3) Pull it all together in such a way as to fit right in with every situation, surroundings, people, etc.

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