Everyday Carry

[Max Dilthey]

There's a group of people on Reddit.com who post what they carry every day. Kind of like the civillian's gear-on-living-room-floor picture. There's even a few thru-hikers on there.

Here's mine:

http://www.reddit.com/r/EDC/comments/19482j/23m_writer_hiking_guide/

Here's the rest:

http://www.reddit.com/r/edc/

[Jeffs Eleven]

I'll play:

Benchmade 940
Wallet
Iphone

I wear an OR pullover often, does that count?

…Not really worth a spreadsheet.

A lot of other people make me nervous these days.

EDIT: After reading the following posts about guns I would like to state that I have no problems with guns. I do not own a gun, but I work at a gun store. How you like them apples?

The scary part to me is that people feel the need to carry fire starter and decoder rings and stuff ALL THE TIME? in the city? Thats creepy to me? Fear much?

[Max Dilthey]

A lot of people from this group seem to carry firearms…

By "this group" I mean the one I just linked.

[John S.]

edc talk is a preparedness topic. i carry keys and a wallet (smile).

[Ian]

If I've learned nothing else, it's that no one on BPL will change their position on firearms based on anything written here.

I'm probably unprepared in an EDC sense compared to other people. I carry the smallest swiss army knife I could find on my keychain, I have a lanyard on my keychain which has 1.5 feet of nylon, my work phone which has a flashlight, and my iphone. (I'm not getting into firearms here as it's pointless).

I'm in the process of improving my Backpacking EDC which would be items that are always on my person in the unlikely event that I become separated from my backpack.

My tentative list (under development)

*on a lanyard in my pocket and attached to belt loop with cord
Small swiss army knife
Nano Striker
small led flashlight (haven't decided which one yet but don't want it to be bulky and it must be weather resistant; the smaller the better; suggestions welcome)

*In a small nylon bag (decommissioned military sewing kit; don't like carrying an Altoid can in my front pocket)
Fish hooks
split shot
fishing line
a few storm matches sealed in plastic
A 2" piece of slurpie straw sealed with vaseline/cottonball
Needle
Thread
Bic lighter
Razor blade
Gallon ziplock for water (checked often for wear and tear)
3 chlorine dioxide tablets

*worn
Paracord bracelet (use a no-name braid which unravels quickly) with fastex buckle/whistle

Suggestions to improve this kit always welcome.

I demand redundancy for my knife (razor) and firesteel (matches, lighter, and vaseline cotton).

I carry a variety of other knives dependent on the trip but none of them are necessarily backpacking EDC. I carry Esbit and other survival items in my ruck.

[Andrew U]

Check out http://www.foursevens.com for flashlights, best quality and value. Absolutely love mine, the Mini series and Preon series would be the best bet for ultra small, ultra durable LED lights.

[Nick Larsen]

"*on a lanyard in my pocket and attached to belt loop with cord
Small swiss army knife
Nano Striker
small led flashlight (suggestions welcome)"
-Ian

You might like my right back pocket EDC then:
Nite ize carabiner bottle opener attached to my key ring via 6 feet of paracord in a king cobra stitch. On the key ring I have a 4sevens Preon and a peanut lighter. This clips to a belt loop and hangs into my back pocket.

I love the Preon, great little aaa light. More light than I ever need, and it gets TONS of use.

Yeah EDC topics usually accompany people who are into preparedness, so lots of guns, knives and paracord.
Personally I only EDC what gets a lot of use on a regular basis. For me, this includes:

Front pockets:
my phone, wallet, pen, Chapstick.

R. Back pocket: already outlined above^

L. Back pocket:
3'x3' silk bandana, 3" case(bone handle slip joint knife, never saw the need for the tactical stuff).

Although I make and sell "survival" bracelets, I don't see much use for them in an actual survival situation. I think they are more hype than anything. But, my keychain fob, did come handy when I forgot the rope for the Xmas tree one year. And hey, paracord bracelets are a cool way to wear your team colors :)

[Ian]

Thanks for that suggestion Andrew; I wasn't familiar with their product.

I like the specs on the Preon 0 so I'm going to order one and check it out. I carry a Surefire tactical flashlight at work. It appears that four sevens have some flashlights which compare well to my Surefire that I need to check out.

I have a light which is a $2 version of the Photon micro-light but I'm always hitting the button so I can't count on the battery for when I'll need it.

I like the specs on the Preon 0 so I'm going to order one along with a Micro-light for comparison.

[Ian]

Nice suggestions Nick!

I used 550 cord and 100mph tape all of the time in the military. I still use the tape (albeit to a lesser degree) but admittedly almost never use the 550 cord. I've stopped carrying 550 cord in my ruck as there are lighter/less bulky options available but I'm a creature of habit so I don't have it in me to say goodbye to an old friend.

[spelt with a t]

Do people (on the reddit thread) really carry all those things with them all the time? Seems like overkill for most of them. To put it mildly. Mine:

Always:
Carabiner with keys, SOLED
Wallet
Phone (clock, alarm, calendar, mp3)
Fisher Bullet pen

As needed:
Notepad
Eyedrops
Bottle opener (on 'biner)
Chapstick
Eyeglass cloth
Sunglasses

Considering adding:
Pocketknife
Mini Bic
Leatherman PS

I do keep a lot of stuff in my car (which some people posted), but that's not EDC in my opinion. EDC is something you keep with you b/c you expect to use it. A large proportion of a car kit is for emergencies.

Car things considered EDC:
Sunglasses
Writing implements
Utility knife
Paper
Nail clippers
Chapstick
DC charger
Leather gloves
Rags
Wipies
Maps
Tote bags

Car things used occasionally:
Ropes, gumbies, straps
Rugs, blankets, tarps
Flashlight
Sunscreen
WD40
Umbrella

Car things for emergencies:
Oil
Washer fluid
Antifreeze
Water
Food
Hazard flag
Jumper cables
Shovel
First aid kit
Poncho
Toolkit

[Matt Weaver]

[Ozzy McKinney]

How does nobody carry a bottle opener? If you are going to be prepared for anything, it might as well include beer.

[Ken Thompson]

A motivated beer drinker needs no opener.

[Ozzy McKinney]

Even the most motivated drinker only makes the "teeth" mistake once.

[Jake D]

Max you carry that every day? or just while backpacking? a lot seems unnecessary and overkill.

i'm with the keys and phone crowd. my keychain has a LED mini light and a mini bank card on it.

car has a bunch of stuff that comes in handy while in the car or while car camping but i dont consider that EDC.

i find people who EDC guns and large knives to be paranoid or compensating for something..

[Travis Leanna]

Ah, but the skillful beer drinker needs no teeth, nor an opener. Resourceful, inventive, and ever-vigilant, he will find a way.

I once opened a bottle of wine with a pen and a shoe.

[Ken Thompson]

bic lighter,keys, someone else's countertop, by the keg.

[EndoftheTrail]

Each to his or her own, of course… But for those of us who are urbanites or suburbanites — do we really need to carry all that stuff as a matter of routine? Let's see, what do I carry?

– wallet (cash, cards, ID, medical insurance card)
– keys

That's it, really. Sometimes, I'll take my cell phone, but not always.

[David Ure]

This time of year…a toque and fleece mitts.

[Luke Schmidt]

Pockets
-Keys
-Wallet
-Knife
-Phone

These get me out of most situations. If I need other stuff my car is usually close by. I keep my more serious tools like Leathermens etc. in there.

One idea I need to check on is a basic first aid kit for the car. My chance of being injured or helping an injured person is probably greatest on the road. I do keep a CPR mouth guard in the car. I normally keep bear spray in the car too. Handy for stray dogs etc. I know its not meant for humans but I'm in Texas and I imagine most cops/judges would be okay with me spraying an assailant rather then shooting him.

[Ken Thompson]

I hate stuff in my pockets. I tote around a small bag (aka man purse, euopean shoulder bag,etc..) with my wallet , keys, flashlight, poo bags, etc…

Oh yeah, sometimes a phone. Been thinking of getting rid of it though.

[Nick Larsen]

Jake D:
Are you paranoid for wearing your seatbelt? Or maybe you're compensating for something?

Although I partially agree with you about large knives. However, I think it's mostly due to the fact that they don't know how to use a small knife to accomplish heavier tasks, and use the knife unnecessarily just because they like to use a knife. Just my opinion of course.

[Jake D]

I honestly don't see the need for most people to conceal or open carry a firearm in most areas. Most probably think that they will have time or the skill to actually use it when faced with an attacker or something and i highly doubt it. I saw some statistic that even police officers miss most of the time when faced with a suspect in a gunfight.. if someone who is required to hold a higher qualification is that inaccurate then I would be more afraid of innocent people being hurt rather than a bad guy.

I don't think carrying a gun is anything like wearing a seatbelt. Being in a car accident is FAR more likely than needing to draw a weapon on someone. It is also federal law to do so.

I think of EDC as every day.. not just while backpacking.. I don't think most people need to baton wood or skin a moose on a daily basis that need a Ka-bar 8" blade on their belt.

Also this should be moved to Chaff since it has nothing to do with backpacking

[BlackHatGuy]

"Even the most motivated drinker only makes the "teeth" mistake once."

Hardly. Of course, my teeth have paid the price, but I've certainly opened a beer with my teeth far more than once.

I'm also not exceptionally bright. Goes hand in hand…..

[BlackHatGuy]

"keys, flashlight, poo bags, etc…"

Wow, hard core. I prefer to use public toilets…..

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