My Everyday Carry (EDC)
2019-10-26 09:41:11
After purchasing my backpack I started getting more and more interested in the EDC online community. This inspired me to purchase a new knife for myself. I’ve been given knives before, but I haven’t bought one for myself. My continued interest in this community convinced me that I needed to aggregate a “carry” for myself.
Process
Mobility
Mobility was a large motivator in deciding what I wanted to carry and how big I wanted each item to be. I wanted to be able to carry everything no matter if I was wearing basketball shorts, Chubbies, or pants. I wanted everything to fit in my front two pockets because I don’t keep anything in my back pockets anymore. I also wanted to keep the quantity as minimal as possible while still fulfilling all my needs. This leads to my next point.
Requirements
Everyone carries different gear for different purposes. I wanted to make sure mine fit my needs. I don’t really need too much. I’m a developer, so I don’t really need hardcore tools. However, there are times where I do need a little something to help me out. I thought about it quite a bit, and I concluded I wanted something to cut with, a multitool, a key holder, and a notebook and pen. A lot of people carry more than one knife and more than one multitool, but I just wanted to carry one of each. Because of this limitation I put a lot of thought into observing what sort of things I needed in my day-to-day. For my knife I wanted something that could fold and not need to be sheathed. I also wanted it to look sick. For my multitool I wanted a bottle opener and at least a flathead screwdriver because I use my keys a lot for my vlogging setup, and this tool will replace that nonsene. I wanted a carabiner key holder so I could take stuff off it and stuff. In terms of writing, I wanted a small notebook that was bulleted instead of lined because that’s the phase I’m in right now. I also like taking notes in different colors, so I wanted to use one of the multi-color pens I already have. Now that I knew what I wanted, I could actually get my gear.
Budget
Nothing in my carry costs more than $15. I didn’t want to spend a lot, so I made sure what I was buying was good quality even if cheap. I’m happy to report there was a lot to choose from in this price range. I researched and researched until I found the items I knew I wanted. When I finally had everything, I was so excited that my carry was complete!
Customization
In at least 80% of the EDC photos online, at least one tool in them has a sort of lanyard on it. I wanted to be like everyone else and do that too, but I wanted to knit mine. I made a few, but none of them were quite right. I made a tiny, crappy one out of black and white yarn, but it didn’t really contribute to my usage. I made one that was a WHOLE wristband that I could wear and have my knife secured on me. That proved too unwieldy. The wristband just got in the way more than anything. I then made a white i-cord lanyard that I liked, but like the first one, it didn’t really help me. I finally landed on this yellow i-cord one. It’s the best lanyard I’ve made in terms of look and functionality. It’s a loop that is hooked onto the knife with a tiny keyring. I just need to hook it around my finger and pull it out of my pocket with ease. It’s really nice.
I’d also see lanyards on multitools. I made a couple for mine, but upon further use it really got in the way of the bottle opener. That’s not chill, so I decided to only put a lanyard on my knife.
Review
Knife
The knife I purchased is the Bibury Multi-Funcational Tactical Knife. I chose this knife because it fit the look I wanted and because of its price. It’s fairly cheap, and the reviews seemed promising. The grip looks like it could be rubber or some sort of soft-touch plastic, but it’s metal. It makes it feel really hefty, and I like that. It cuts well, but I definitely need to sharpen it eventually. I’m actually using it more than I thought I would, and I’m psyched about that.
Multitool
For my multitool I got the Gerber Mullet. I really like the look and feel of it. It’s light and compact. I haven’t really needed to use it too much, but the bottle opener works (“Lord, beer me strength”). I know it will come in handy, especially once I start feeling inspired to make videos again.
Key Ring Carabiner
This key ring carabiner is so good. I got the Nite Ize SlideLock Key Ring Carabiner. I’m really glad I got a locking one because I don’t ever worry about it coming off accidentally or someone stealing it off my belt loop. I got used to the locking mechanism quickly, and now it’s second nature. It’s exactly what I wanted.
Notebook and Pen
I went with a Paper Mate InkJoy Quatro Retractable Ballpoint Pen for my pen and a
Field Book Field Notebook for my notebook. They both fit well in my pockets and are easy to access whenever I need them. The pen truly doesn’t feel the best when writing, but as I stated above I wanted different colors. It works exactly like it’s supposed to. The notebook is nice and compact. The paper feels nice to write on, and I like how the dots are spaced a bit further apart than other bullet notebooks I’ve seen. Even though it’s very small, I like how it sort of forces me to write larger. I’m really enjoying this pairing to jot down quick notes.
The EDC community is quite vast, and there’s so much variety out there that it can be overwhelming. I think it’s a good idea to consider what you need before you start buying a bunch of things that you think look cool. For me, this was a good EDC starting point. I’m really enjoying everything in my carry.
